Daoist Incantations for Acupuncture

This paper examines the use of Daoist incantations in conjunction with acupuncture as described in the Zhenjiu dacheng (Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion) from the late Ming. Utilizing primary source material, the paper traces the background of Daoist incantations in the period in relationship to the cotemporaneous techniques of acupuncture. The combination of these techniques is explored in the literature. The author then presents the results of a case study utilizing the combined incantation-acupuncture technique comparing the efficacy of the combined methodology versus the use of needle technique alone.