The relationship between acupuncture and meteria medica is an important issue for acupuncture and materia medica. In the past few centuries discusstion of the relationship has mainly focused on combining acupuncture and materia medica, and has therefore been less centred on a sufficient understanding of the genernal rationale of acupuncture and materia medica. Ma Shi and Wu Kun, two clinical physicians in the Ming Dynasty, systematically described the relationship between acupuncture and meteria medica in terms of their rationale and principles. They believed that acupuncture and meteria medica shared the same rationale, but they interpreted their ideas from the two ends of the relationship. The former gained insight into materia medica by drawing on acupuncture but the latter identified the nature of acupuncture by using materia medica. Their interpretation of the similarities between acupuncture and materia medica indicated that ancient physicians attempted to integrate acupuncture and materia medica clinically and theoretically and tried to minimise barriers between acupuncture and materia medica, which existed in those times. It is helpful to further understand the relationship between acupuncture and materia medica by examining the interpretation of Ma Shi and Wu Kun and developing reasonable and effective applications clinically.
对针药关系的探讨是针灸学科乃至中医学科中的重要内容，长期以来无论是古代医家论述还是现代研究多关注针药结合的方法与运用，对针药共同所据之理（针药同理）的认识相对不足。马莳与吴崑是古代医家中对针药同理论述较为系统者，但其阐述的逻辑向度并不相同，前者以针明药，后者以药明针，最终都指向用针之理与用药之理的相通乃至相同。有关针药同理的论述反映了古代医家试图在更高、更抽象的理论层面来统一用针与用药，旨在消除长久以来一直存在的针药疗法之间的隔阂。通过对针药同理的深入探讨有助于深刻理解用针与用药的关系，从更广阔的视角去审视针灸，促进针灸更广泛、更合理、更有效地运用于临床。.