Reference; http://seino-1987.jp/
Modified and translated by CFJA
In herbal medicine, treatments are also used to remove blood stasis. The prescribed medications for this are called **blood stasis-expelling agents** (瘀血駆瘀剤).
In Japan, the treatment for “Blood Stasis” was called “Kakuhō” (角法). The “医疾令Medical Regulation” section of the **大宝律令 Taihō Code** enacted in 701, Japan’s first medical system, lists “角法 Kakuhō” as a subject that physicians were required to study. “Kakuhō” is one of the bloodletting methods, alongside “shiraku” (刺絡), a form of acupuncture. The name derives from the practice of using a horn-shaped bloodletting device placed on the skin to draw blood. It was used to remove “あくけつ bad blood” (悪血). The method of drawing blood by pricking with a needle was called “Shitu (wet) Kakuhō” (湿角法), while the method of attaching the bloodletting device directly to the skin to draw blood was known as “Kan (dry) Kakuhō” (乾角法)”.角法 Kakuhō” can be found in medical texts from the Heian period (784–1192) and the Muromachi period (1338–1578), such as the **医心方 Ishinpō** and **福田方Fukutahō**.
As time passed, by the mid-Edo period (1603–1867), the Western medical practice of bloodletting, “venesection” (瀉血), was incorporated. The method of pricking the skin with a needle and using glass cups to draw blood is documented in the **蘭療方Ranryōhō** (1801).
During the Sui and Tang dynasties in China, the method of bloodletting using leeches, “Qizhēn Therapy” (蜞鍼法 or 水蛭吸血法), was practiced. According to **外科精要 Essentials of External Medicine** by 陳自明Chen Ziming, it was commonly practiced during the Southern Song dynasty. The method is also mentioned in Japan’s national treasure **Ishinpō** (984), edited by the Heian-period (784–1192) needle master 丹波康頼 Tanba Yasuyori. From the Kamakura period (1192–1338) through the Muromachi period (1338–1578), “Leech Therapy” (水蛭療法) was widely practiced and continued into the early Edo period. Though it declined after the mid-Edo period, it reemerged with the introduction of Western medicine, as noted in **刺絡篇 The Treatise on Shiraku** by 荻野元凱 Ogino Motonaga (1771).
Although only a few medical institutions practice “Leech Therapy” today, the belief persists that leeches only draw out unnecessary blood from the body. This has led to the perception that it is a treatment that removes blood stasis without burdening the body.
When Blood Stasis Treatment (cupping) is performed, those with “Blood Stasis” will have marks left on their skin. The duration it takes for these marks to disappear can give insight into the state of one’s metabolism, and therefore, the level of fatigue in the internal organs. Based on clinical experience, the following guideline can be considered:
– Disappears in 1 day: Generally healthy
– Disappears in 2 days: Slightly fatigued
– Disappears in 3 days: Physical fatigue present
– Disappears in 4 days: Mild internal organ fatigue
– Disappears in 5 days: Internal organ fatigue present
– Disappears in 6 days: Potential risk of organ disease
– Disappears in 7 days: High probability of organ disease
– If it doesn’t disappear for more than 8 days, it is likely that there is an existing disease.
These are only general guidelines. For example, in cases of cirrhosis, the color of the Blood Stasis may not change at all even after more than three weeks. Blood Stasis treatment can also be a useful tool for diagnosis.
Blood has a lifespan. Red blood cells live for about 120 days, while white blood cells live for about 90 days. Blood is produced in the bone marrow and broken down in the liver and spleen. When the components of the blood age, their activity decreases, and the cells begin to stick together and become immobile. Blood Stasis is believed to be clumps of red blood cells that have adhered together.
Blood Stasis can be a factor in cerebral thrombosis or stroke. Blood Stasis Treatment (cupping) is considered one of the most effective treatments for removing Blood Stasis. While blood-thinning medications are effective in emergencies, cupping therapy helps create a body that avoids emergency or critical conditions.
Blood Stasis Treatment (cupping) is also an excellent form of medical care for warming the body, strengthening internal organs, and promoting overall health management and maintenance.
References:
Seino Acupuncture and Osteopathy (Bone-Setter) Clinic HP http://seino-1987.jp/
“What is Traditional Chinese Medicine? 64”, My Best Pro, Asahi Shimbun jijico
**Journal of Japanese History of Medicine**, Vol. 65, No. 2, p. 197, Issue No. 1574, published on June 20, 2019
Paper presented at the 120th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for the History of Medicine, May 18-19, 2019