A system can be defined as the unification of things or parts to compose a whole for certain objectives. An automobile, for example, is a mechanical system fueled by gasoline and designed for the purpose of transportation. Acupuncture and moxibustion are systems of medical care that use needles and moxa, respectively, to treat diseases by the stimulation of specific points on the body surface. Among various systems, there are those that have no relationship whatsoever, such as a mechanical system and a political system. On the other hand, there are interconnected systems, such as the therapeutic systems of acupuncture and moxibustion. There are also systems that exist within one another. These are the various treatment systems existing within the framework of acupuncture. It is possible to connect two unrelated systems by means of an "interface".

In the therapeutic systems of acupuncture and moxibustion, the meridians (a general term referring to channels and collaterals) can be considered as the systemization of longitudinal relationships between acupuncture points. The meridians, including extra channels and tendon channels, were possibly conceived as parallel systems of energy transmission. Although the system of meridians is one that describes the longitudinal relationship between acupuncture points, certainly it is not the only such system conceivable. The "hardware" or physical mechanism behind meridians has yet to be clarified scientifically. It is known through centuries of clinical application, however, that the meridians have practical value as a "software" for treatment. Such is often the case with practical application of systems or methods. The meridian system did not originate suddenly in its fully developed form as it appears in acupuncture texts today. In the ancient text excavated from MaWangTui in China, there is no mention of a hand Jueyin meridian, nor is there any reference to a Three Yin-Three Yang categorization or to the Five Phases. The meridian system used in that era was much simpler, but no doubt it was quite effective as a therapeutic system in its day. In this regard, in the twenty-first chapter of SuWen, only four categories are given for the meridians. The back of the body is controlled by Taiyang, the front by Yangming, the lateral aspect by Shaoyang, and the medial aspect of the limbs by Tai Yin. This suggests that the categories for meridians were developed in stages. Among all the various ways of classifying the meridians which have come down to this day, only a few of them are used in clinical practice. An exercise system known as Daoyin existed in China from before the Han Dynasty (200 BC). The energy system of tendon channels presented in the Ling Shu has a deep relationship with the Daoyin exercise system for balancing energy. Nevertheless, there is no complete record giving the guiding principle for applying the tendon channels for general treatment. Very few acupuncturists today use the tendon channels for anything other than symptomatic treatments to relieve localized muscular pain. Other concepts of meridians, such as divergent channels related to the longitudinal relationships between acupuncture points, were probably also applied in various treatment systems used through history, but the original design behind these seldom applied concepts is lost. Most recently, the system of Bagang Bianzheng (differentiation of syndromes by assessing the imbalances in four pairs of complementary factors - i.e. yin/yang, deficiency/ excess, exterior/interior, heat/cold) has been established as the basic model for deciding the combination of points. Actually, any number of diagnostic paradigms can be applied as the basis for a system of treatment. Nevertheless, as long as the issue is one of imbalances, the question is to assess the difference between the two complementary factors. Acupuncture and moxibustion traditionally have two important treatment systems: general treatment (zhiben) and symptomatic treatment (zhibiao). General treatment - adjustment of overall energetic imbalances; symptomatic treatment - treatment aimed at alleviating complaints. in the case of general treatments, even when complaints or diseases vary, a common pattern is sought with the aim of balancing the body as a whole by providing treatments using standard point combinations. In practice, however, both treatment systems are necessary like two wheels to an axle. Today there is a mend favoring symptomatic treatments over general treatments. We consider general treatments as having the following distinguishing features:

(l) It. is performed first. It thus serves to clear the way for the procedures to follow. When successful, it is sufficient in itself. At the very least, it simplifies the rest of the treatment. (2) Specific factors such as individual differences and constitution are taken into consideration. (3) It requires some simple and verifiable diagnostic checks. (4) Such checks allow the selection of points for treatment to be decided for patients who are difficult to diagnose by the usual means. (5) The method of treatment can be decided for incipient diseases beyond detection by normal means. (6) The major physical imbalances can be treated in cases where a patient has more than one disease and there are a variety of symptoms.

The objective of general treatment is to correct physical imbalances. These include differences between the two halves of the body such as right and left, top and bottom and front and back.

From the standpoint of traditional Chinese medicine, the adjustment of energy imbalances in relation to these yin and yang aspects of the body is considered to be the oldest and most basic aim in general treatments.

The more primitive an organism is, the more it has symmetry in the cephalic-caudal, ventral-dorsal, and right-left antimeres. In the case of humans, such symmetry is only retained partially between the right and left halves of the body. It seems that the ancient Chinese who developed acupuncture, recognized some relationships of syntagonism and antagonism in energy between opposite halves of the body. Eight octants or aspects of the body can be distinguished by sectioning the body, by the sagittal, coronal, and transverse planes.

We consider the eight octants as one of the basic models used in ancient China for the selection of acupuncture points. This is because the yin-yang classification of meridians can be viewed as the most basic model preceding the development of the principles of the Five Phases. The application in acupuncture of the Five Phases and other categories of meridians came much later. Selecting acupuncture points from the basic perspective of balancing yin and yang aspects of the body enables the construction of a very useful general treatment system.

When the body is viewed in octants, this implies the existence of demarcation lines between the octants. We regard these to be the Conception and Governing Vessels on the sagittal plane: the San Jiao, Gallbladder, Pericardium, and Spleen meridians on the coronal plane, and the Dai meridian on the transverse plane. It is possible that in the past there existed special rules for selecting points on the extra meridians that divide the body into yin and yang halves, but no such treatment system has survived to this day. The primary significance of treatments using the extra channels is in balancing energy between the octants, and this differs from attempts to affect a balance between the twelve regular meridians. Adjusting the yin-yang balance of the right and left, top and bottom, and front and back halves of the body should come prior to symptomatic treatments. In my experience, balancing energy in complementary aspects of the body increases the effectiveness of localized and symptomatic treatments. This kind of general treatment enables effective treatment by the use of a minimum number of acupuncture points and stimulation. In the principle of yin and yang they are divided respectively to become Tai Yang, Shao Yang, Tai Yin, and Shao Yin. These are further divided into the eight trigrams. These trigrams are then combined to create the 64 hexagrams. In this way the divisions become more and more minute. Eight categories are much simpler to deal with than 64, and four categories are simpler still. The most important is to divide the general treatment system into a few relatively simple subsystems or steps. In this way treatments can be provided for every step in reference to the factors being examined. And if a certain treatment or use of points is not effective in accomplishing specific objectives, another technique or combination of points can be employed. There are many records of treatments in classical Chinese texts that discuss overall adjustment without treating individual symptoms. The very concept of meridians, which essentially refers to the longitudinal relationship between acupuncture points, was most likely conceived for the purpose of general treatments. However, today the meridians are used more for symptomatic treatment. The most interesting part about dealing with meridians, rather than treating the points individually, is coming up with effective point combinations. I feel that the best general treatment system is one that treats the meridians in a flexible way by use of point combinations on the right and left, top and bottom, and front and back halves of the body.