Acupuncture and moxibustion with its several thousand year history beginning with the Yellow Emperor has taken Chapter 14, KOTSUDO of the ancient classic REISU as a bass for the location of specific meridian points. All of the ancient writings were in accordance with the KOTSUDO method of locating points, however, if the lengths quoted in the various texts are compared, differences in locations and lengths will become obvious.
The length of the area from the navel to the superior ridge of the pubis is described in the REISU as 6 TSUN, 5 BU, and in the Ko-Otsu-Kyo as 5 TSUN, however, examining the Stomach Meridian according to the same Ko-Otsu-Kyo method of measurement totaling the distance from ST-25 at the level of the navel to ST-30 on the superior ridge of the pubis results in a measurement of 8 TSUN. In other words using three different methods of measuring results in 3 different measures of length for exactly the same area of the hypogastrium.
If these differences in lengths are examined and compared according to literary consultation, the use of measuring instruments, and actual physical observation a solution can be drawn.
Collecting the various descriptions of lengths from manuscripts such as Ruikyo-Fuyoku, Wakan-Sansai-Zue, Keiketsu-Ikai, Chugoku-Doryoko-Shi, etc. We discover the KISHO, the SHOSHAKU, the SHUSHAKU, etc. Designating 1m. equal to 3 SHAKU 3 TSUN and using this metric system as a basis lengths were converted to metric terms. Then to ascertain the accuracy of conversions measurements were made using Chinese measuring instruments and actual physical measurements. As for the instruments of measure, conversions were evaluated according to comparisons especially concerning literary descriptions of ancient coin diameters. As for actual physical measurement, allowing for a slight margin of error it was proven that literary measurements were fairly accurate.
In the past the “measuring stick” used in China varied with the ages and the country. Starting with the reign of the Yellow Emperor it was called KISHO, during the SHO era, SHOSHAKU, during the SHU era, SHUSHAKU. These were the three different lengths previously mentioned said to describe the hypogastric area.
The 6 TSUN 5 BU of the KISHO are the same as the 5 TSUN of the SHOSHAKU and equal to the 8 TSUN of the SHUSHAKU. It can be concluded that the aforementioned 6 TSUN 5 BU are KISHO, the 5 TSUN of the Ko-Otsu-Kyo are SHOSHAKU and the 8 TSUN of the Stomach Meridian correspond to what is called SHUSHAKU.