Acupuncture prohibitions, Chinese woodcut, Ming period

Acupuncture prohibitions, woodcut illustration from Xu Shi zhenjiu daquan (Mr Xu's Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion), first published in 1439. This image is traditionally ascribed to the legendary emperor-physician Shen Nong (the Divine Farmer). It consists of two sectors. The inner part shows the 'Nine Palaces' and the outer part the body parts corresponding to them. The text tells us: 'At the age of one the Earth trigram (kun) arises; at the age of two the Thunder trigram (zhen) arises. Thus we pass with each succeeding year through the Nine Palaces, whereupon the cycle resumes afresh. The acupuncture prohibitions appropriate to each phase must be respected: a serious infringement is fatal; a minor one causes sores and abscesses.'

Picture title: Chart of the nine spirits. Other lettering: Kun (Earth) corresponds to the ankles; zhen (Thunder) corresponds to the teeth, mouth and calf; xun (Mild Wind) corresponds to the breasts, mouth and head; the middle palace corresponds to the shoulders and buttocks; qian (Heaven) corresponds to the face, back and eyes; dui (Lake) corresponds to the hands and arms; gen (Mountain) corresponds to the neck and waist; li (Flame) corresponds to the knees and sides; kan (Water) corresponds to the elbows, the abdomen, and the legs and feet.