A standard international acupuncture nomenclature: memorandum from a WHO meeting

The WHO Scientific Group to Adopt a Standard International Acupuncture Nomenclature met in Geneva from 30 October to 3 November 1989. The main features of the recommended nomenclature are the use of the English translation of the name of each meridian and an alphanumeric code derived from the English names, and the use of the Chinese phonetic alphabet (Pinyin) names and the Han character names of the meridians and acupuncture points. This standard nomenclature will facilitate the teaching, research and clinical practice of acupuncture, as well as exchange of information globally.