🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Night blindness is a folk term; in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it is known as “High Wind Quail Eye,” while Western medicine calls it “retinitis pigmentosa.”
TCM defines night blindness as the primary symptom, named “High Wind Quail Eye” as early as 1345 AD in a classical Chinese ophthalmology text titled *Shi Yi De Xiao Fang*, predating the Western medical naming of this condition by Dr. Donche in 1857 by 512 years.
Night blindness is a hereditary, progressive chronic eye disease, commonly occurring in children of consanguineous marriages. It typically manifests between ages 10 and 20, affects both eyes, and is more prevalent in males. Multiple family members may be affected simultaneously. If onset occurs later in life, progression is slower; earlier onset leads to faster progression, with poor prognosis and eventual complete blindness.
Clinical manifestations include initial night blindness—clear vision during daylight, but blurred vision at night. Early stages show gradual narrowing of visual field, progressing to tunnel vision in late stages, where only central vision remains and peripheral vision is lost.
Ophthalmoscopic examination reveals initial bone-cell-like pigment deposits in the peripheral retina, gradually spreading toward the center, eventually affecting the macula and causing blindness.
Regarding treatment, night blindness is a difficult retinal condition in ophthalmology. Western medicine currently lacks effective therapies. However, renowned contemporary TCM ophthalmologists such as Chen Dafu, Pang Zanxiang, Yao Heqing, Cao Renfang, Lu Nanshan, and Yao Fangwei all agree that TCM treatment—especially through syndrome differentiation and treatment—can control disease progression, improve symptoms, and even achieve cures, particularly in early stages.
On the 14th of this month, I was invited by the Malaysian Medical Research Institute to deliver a research report on acupuncture treatment of eight cases of night blindness at their grand auditorium in Kuala Lumpur. Nearly a hundred Western ophthalmologists attended, followed by joint discussions on managing this condition.
The acupuncture points used in treating the eight cases were as follows:
One: For progressive decline in vision, select the Three Eyes Points on the head, or use Baihui (GV20) needled through Muxuan (GB14), then apply electroacupuncture stimulation for 30 minutes.
Two: For progressively narrowing visual field, select Muxuan (GB14) directed toward Sizhukong (GB1), then needle Sizhukong (GB1) through Tongziliao (GB14), followed by electroacupuncture stimulation for 30 minutes.
Three: Auxiliary points: Liangdian (Extra), Mangdian (Extra), Qingming (BL1), Dongming (Extra), Zhengming (Extra), Wanli (Extra), Tou Guangming (Extra), and Zu Guangming (BL37).
Post-treatment observation:
Six cases showed improved vision, increasing from 0.2 to 1.5.
Five cases showed expanded visual field, increasing from 90 degrees to 135 degrees.
Among the eight clinical cases, two showed marked effectiveness, three were effective, and two were ineffective, yielding a total effective rate of 62.5%.
In summary, acupuncture treatment for night blindness definitely shows therapeutic value.
TCM vs. Western medicine perspectives on night blindness: Western medicine considers night blindness incurable; TCM, however, demonstrates significant results after acupuncture or herbal treatment, confirming it as treatable. This opens a path of hope for patients, making it worthy of promotion and widespread adoption.