Morphogenetic Points:
clues for possible implication of
the Acupuncture Meridian System
as a physical mold in evolution
and development of species

© 2008-2017 Stefano Marcelli

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:: brown text means unrevised translation or incomplete work ::

NB: the author uses the words "channel", "meridian" and "vessel" as synonyms to define the system of lines, tubes or slices transporting the undemonstrated energy called Qi (pronounce "tchi") to all parts of the body. Anyway he considers "meridian" more suitable for scientific speech and literature, also because it is already employed in other fields of knowledge as in geography and morphogenesis.

Bladder Meridian
Point BL-2 Zǎn Zhú 攒竹
(Gathering Bamboo)

In regard to BL-2 Zanzhu, point of the Bladder Meridian, the book "Acupuncture, Meridian Theory and Acupuncture Points" by Li Ding, states: "Zan means to gather together, referring to the movement of the eyebrow in the act of frowning. Zhu means bamboo leaves and refers to the shape of the eyebrow; when one frowns, the eyebrow looks like a piece of bamboo leaf. The point is at the medial end of the eyebrow, hence the name Zanzhu (gathering eyebrow)".

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Dumai Governor Vessel
Point GV-20 Bǎi Huì 百会
(Hundred Meetings)

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Point out of meridian
EX-HN 2 Yìn Táng 印堂
(Hall of Seal)

Ex-HN Yintang is the third Extra-meridian point of Head and Neck. It is situated midway between the eyebrow heads on the Governor Vessel Dumai path. The name comes from the habitude of certain old people to mark this point with red ink. It is said to treat headache, dizziness and vertigo, insomnia, poor memory, epilepsy, hemiplegia and mental retardation. It calms the mind, reduce and stop pain and relieve spasms. Once again, though nearly anonym in the human body, with no special anatomical apparent features, an acupuncture point can be more identifiable and significant in animals. We have found that horse and cow could have in this point or at little distance from it a hair whorl as shown in the pictures below.

In horses this whorl has been put in relation to individual temperament and behaviour. Further useful informations are available at the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair_whorl_(horse)
http://barndoortagz.blogspot.it/2010/12/give-it-whorl.html

Out of curiosity, for the human fantasy it not difficult to create an Unicorn (in a Domenichino's painting below right) by merging a turritella shell (picture below left, wikipedia) with a white horse frontal whorl.

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Gall Bladder Meridian
Point GB-14 Yáng Bái 阳白
(Yang White)

The point GB-14 Yangbai is situated one cun above the midpoint of the eyebrow, at the spike of the very acute angle formed by the Gall Bladder meridian on the forehead. Here the meridian inverts its direction, passing from the lateral to the upper side of the skull. According to the tradition its name means a brilliant (white) yang point. It is said to brighten the eyes, treat headache, pain of ocular region, blurred vision, twitching of eyelids, wind invasion of the head and relieve spasm. At least in horse and donkey Gb-14 anatomically corresponds to a deep hole, or foramen, because differently from many mammals their frontal bones, as possibly those of other equines, are opened. Curiously, the horse biliary apparatus lacks of the drainage bag.

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Point out of meridian
EX-HN 6 Er Jian 耳尖
(Ear Tip)

The point EX-HN (6) is situated at the ear apex, localized at the end of the top of the line that forms when the ear is folded along its vertical axis. As for in other acupuncture points, in men this point is anonymous and unformed, but in other mammal preys (squirrel ) and predators (domestic and wild cats, caracal) is equipped with a strongly noticeable tuft of hair.
Erjian (Ear Tip), which is at the most top of the ear, when you flex it forward the pavilion (see photo above), is generally know for its use to care allergies. The official indications of TCM are: unilateral headache, swelling and redness of the eye, cataract, etc ... Instead, the indications coming from comparative anatomical approach are related to the function of the hair tuft that certain mammals (and some owl but it is rather a sort of eyebrow) have just at the ear apex, mammals that live on the trees, on which they move nimbly to find food and escape predators, the most known are: squirrel, lynx and wild cat. Getting up and down from a tree and jumping from one tree to another is not a specialty for everyone, because you go through the branches at high speed through the branches, and if you're not a bird you have to balance your body continually, millisecond by millisecond to avoid injuring yourself or worst precipitate to the ground. In addition, the tuft ear could have the function of protect the ear from the cold as well as that of a mechanical sensor for wind direction (for predators, see last photo of caracal lynx or American).
According to the comparative anatomical approach the point Erjian would correspond to gastro-duodenal flexure and valve, and even more so in the cat-lynx that has pointed ears along with bilobed pancreas that forms an apex at its top (see pictures at: http://www.geneticacupuncture.com/it/04.TRchannel&duodenum.IT.htm ). Thus we can withdraw new rational indications for Erjian such as: posture control, correcting general disequilibrium and side imbalances, even though patients and the sain no longer live on the trees. I would also add a possibile care for dissipating heat or cold from the head. En passant, we also can consider the points to treat gymnasts, classic and modern dancers who make ab incredible acrobatic work, with related motor issues.

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