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Pocket Atlas Of Tongue Diagnosis:
With Chinese Therapy Guidelines For Acupuncture, Herbs, And Nutrition
By Claus C. Schnorrenberger and Beate Schnorrenberger
Thieme, 2005
ISBN 1588903575 (the Americas); ISBN 3131398310 (outside US)
308 pages; US $49.95, EUR 39.95
Reviewed by Steven KH Aung, MD
The first thing one immediately notices about this book is its small physical size. It is quite literally a "pocket atlas." This is a strength as we go about our daily practice of diagnosing and treating patients with respect to the ancient and modern diagnostic and healing enterprise of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and other integrative diagnostic and healing modalities. We are always pleased when something complex and often mysterious can be presented in a compact format for our quick and easy referencing. However, the weakness lies, first of all, in the format. The book is just too small. For example, it is difficult to retain one's reading of a page without the entire book suddenly closing just when it is just getting more and more interesting.
Nevertheless, this is a minor problem, easily counterbalanced by the many wonderful and indeed amazing photographs of the human tongue, which are so appropriately illustrated. Since seeing is believing (despite the usual optical illusions), I would highly recommend that all serious practitioners of TCM pay close attention to the superb photographic array of all kinds of tongue pathogenics presented in this handbook.
In terms of TCM theory, the second major weakness is the fact that the tongue as a "microsystem of acupuncture" has not been adequately defined within this theoretical context. In TCM, microsystems are viewed as holograms of the whole body existing in the ear, scalp, nose, hand, foot, and other physiological regions. Schnorrenberger and Schnorrenberger have failed to adequately delineate this theoretical context, if only in a few discerning paragraphs with appropriate references. Certainly, there is little relevant literature in this area, either of a quantitative or qualitative nature, but various TCM practitioners have pointed the way forward. (I am specifically thinking of the excellent medical endeavors of Jiaou Shunfa, Paul Nogier, and RA Dale.1-3)
Given the strengths and weaknesses of this modest pocket atlas, one can readily and intuitively assess that the strengths serve to overpower the weaknesses, helping practitioners to become stronger with respect to the desire for further motivation and ongoing creativity in the diagnostic healing arts. Thus, it is a wholesome book, a brief yet brave-hearted attempt to look at the tongue from the perspective of various TCM syndromes, linking the basic superficial diagnostics to the deeper herbology and nutritional vital energetics pertaining to the organ/meridian systems.
One example is on pages 168-169 where the sticky coating of the tongue is considered. It is characterized as "a sticky coating which cannot be scratched off and consisting of numerous fine flakes in the middle of the tongue." (An excellent photograph of this tongue condition is presented.) This is viewed as a TCM syndrome pertaining to Phlegm in the body, specifically, the failure to dissolve Phlegm which is associated with bad eating habits and consequent obesity. A number of acupuncture points are suggested for treatment including ST 40, BL 15, and CV 12. A herbal prescription is also suggested, involving herbs such as pinella ternata and astragalus membranaceus. Moreover, it is recommended to avoid hot food from the Fire element and to eat warm and neutral foods from the Earth element.
The book also includes 14 clinical case examples dealing with headache, a condition that was apparently alleviated in each case with a combination of acupuncture, herbs, and nutrition applied over 10-15 treatment sessions during a period of 2-3 months.
It is difficult to review such a work except to read it and appreciate its rich inculcation of TCM diagnostics pertaining to the tongue and its many Qi (vital energetic) resonances. Yes, on the one hand, one could say the book seems to be a pseudo-scientific mystical installation. But, on the other hand, it seems true- to-life, and I would recommend it highly for inclusion in our personal libraries of reading in the fine arts of medical acupuncture.
REFERENCES
- Shun fa J. Head Acupuncture. Taiyuan, PRC: Shanxi Publishing House; 1978. (English translation by Zhou Q, Murphy E).
- Nogier PM. From Auriculotherapy to Auriculomedicine. Saint-Ruffine, France: Maisonneuve; 1983.
- Dale RA.The Principles, Systems, and Holograms of Micro-acupuncture. Tulsa, OK: Electro Therapy Association; 1999:26-28.
REVIEWER INFORMATION
Dr Steven KH Aung is a Family Physician and Geriatric specialist, and a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner and teacher. At the University of Alberta, Dr Aung is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, and an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Extension and the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine in Alberta, Canada.
Steven KH Aung, MD, OMD, PHD, FAAFP*
9904 - 106 Street NW
Edmonton, AB T5K 1C4
Canada
Phone: 780-426-2760 • Fax: 780-426-5650
E-mail: draung@aung.com • website: http://www.aung.com
*Correspondence and reprint requests
The Biophysics Basis For
Acupuncture And Health
By Shui Yin Lo, PhD
Dragon Eye Press, Pasadena, CA 2004
285 Pages; ISBN: 0-9748261-0-3
Reviewed by Eric Hsu, MD
This is a unique book – not only its title but also, the fascinating cover design. The author, Dr Shui Yin Lo, received his PhD in Theoretical Particle Physics from the University of Chicago and has been a professor of both physics and Chinese medicine. This book was written in question and answer format via laymen's language. Dr Lo has compiled both clinical and experimental results in concise tables, while exploring the Western scientific methods and apparatuses to test various aspects of meridians and acupuncture.
Don't be scared even if you are not a physics or mathematics major. There is no equation in the first 4 chapters. The 1st chapter introduces the concept of meridians as a network of stable water clusters. The quantum theory is applied both to the multi-leveled universe and human body - a universe within a universe. The properties of acupoints, mechanisms of various acupuncture treatments including laser, injection, acupressure, and moxibustion are also discussed by quantum theory and summarized in highlight tables.
The 2nd chapter explores how quantum energy dynamics play a fundamental role in human life, and how acupuncture improves our life at the quantum level by regulating the oscillations of meridians and flow of Qi in the physical body. The 3rd chapter summarizes the effect of acupuncture on both the scientific studies with animals and clinical studies with patients in highlights of tables that are easy to follow.
The 4th chapter focuses on health promotion, e.g., weight reduction and aging instead of treating illness. The concept of how Qigong exercise and Qi energy could help to achieve the state of "vibrant health" may be appealing to the readers.
The 5th chapter uses philosophy and mathematical formulations to provide a solid foundation with an elevated perspective for the future of health. There are also 18 pages of colorful infrared pictures regarding progress on management of real cases. These illustrations demonstrate the importance of comprehensive evaluation prior to acupuncture treatment, and how acupuncture can help patients by the demonstration of objective evidence.
The last portion of the book, 125 pages, is dedicated to a comprehensive list of tables pertinent to all the important topics in the first 5 chapters. It provides a concise summary of all the scientific studies quoted in the first 5 chapters, as listed in the references.
I highly recommend this book to physicians who are interested in pursuing the scientific basis of acupuncture, and integrating alternative medicine into their practice. As for nonphysician acupuncturists, this book may assist them to communicate with patients using scientific terms. This book may also help to educate the patients and general public regarding the holistic nature of the human body and scientific evidence of how acupuncture works. I think this book will enjoy a preeminent place on the reference bookshelves of both public and private libraries.
REVIEWER INFORMATION
Dr Eric Hsu is Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) in Santa Monica, California.
Eric S. Hsu, MD*
Associate Clinical Professor
Department of Anesthesiology
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
1245 16th St, #225
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Phone: 310-794-1841 • Fax: 310-319-2263
E-mail: ehsu@mednet.ucla.edu
*Correspondence and reprint requests
Complementary Therapies In Neurology: An Evidence-Based Approach
By Barry S. Oken
Parthenon Publishing Group, New York
and London
ISBN 1-84214-200-3; Copyright 2003
Reviewed by Michael Greenwood, MB (MD)
In Complementary Therapies in Neurology, editor/author Barry Oken has taken on the daunting task of providing a comprehensive review of the current evidence base for the vast and expanding field of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
The book is divided into 2 sections. In the 1st, CAM is defined and various CAM therapies described, ranging from near conventional-like chiropractic and naturopathy, to the more esoteric such as Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, meditation, and religious approaches. The section finishes with a chapter on the placebo effect, which explores the various factors that confound controlled trials of CAM, grouping them under the broad rubric of "expectancy." The 2nd section discusses the evidence for and against the use of CAM interventions for specific conditions ranging from the commonplace like back pain and depression, to the more catastrophic like multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. A final chapter on psychiatric conditions ends with a discussion of placebo's shadow, the nocebo effect.
Although readers will certainly find Complementary Therapies in Neurology packed with data, in a book about evidence, I think one is entitled to ask just what kind of evidence it might be and further, whether that evidence is relevant to CAM. Because, like it or not, many interactional CAM therapies transcend the reductionist framework of scientific medicine, and it just is not possible to subject them to an objective research agenda and prove anything beyond researcher bias.
The answer is that the book sticks very much to randomized controlled trials, and deals with the philosophical conundrum posed by interactional CAM largely by avoidance. For example, while several authors admit randomized trials are not really possible to do without compromising the therapy in question, nobody actually questions the current vogue that demands CAM conform to a mode of inquiry suited only for drugs. Secondly, in a chapter on the placebo effect, there is no acknowledgement that much of CAM involves embracing the placebo effect and making it conscious, not ruling it out. Finally, in various places including discussions on epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and nocebo effects, phenomena that are clearly energetic shifts in process, are interpreted as negative effects rather than being framed simply as subjective experiences, which they probably would be in many CAM contexts. In a book about CAM, these issues cannot be ignored or else one is not really talking about CAM at all.
The result is that despite its promising potential, the book somehow misses the mark. That is not to say that trials on St. John's Wort for depression are not interesting, but in my view, such studies are not so much about CAM as they are about trying to pretend that CAM can be squeezed into the reductionist perspective.
To be fair, the book does not claim to be to be anything more than an overview of the current objective evidence base. And indeed, what it does purport to do, it does admirably. It catalogues many current studies on unusual treatment options. For physicians who have not had much exposure to CAM, Complementary Therapies is pertinent and timely, and deserves to become a well-thumbed manual because it demonstrates that much of CAM is as valid as any commonly accepted therapy. However, readers who have already made the conceptual leap to a holistic understanding of illness may find that the book misses a great opportunity to elucidate an emerging paradigm.
REVIEWER INFORMATION
Dr Michael Greenwood is Medical Director of the Victoria Pain Clinic, a residential facility in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Dr Greenwood specializes in chronic pain/chronic illness patients, developing techniques integrating the body, mind, and spirit.
Michael T. Greenwood, MB (MD), BChir, FCFP, CAFCI, FAAMA, FRSA*
Victoria Pain Clinic
103-284 Helmcken Rd
Victoria, BC, Canada V9B 1T2
Phon: 250-727-6250 • Fax: 250-727-7358
E-mail: michaeltgreenwood@shaw.ca
*Correspondence and reprint requests
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