Book excerpt: Soulie de Morant's masterpiece is the most detailed study of acupuncture available in a Western language. It was nominated for a Nobel prize and provided the foundation for French acupuncture. This text is divided into 5 parts: the energetics of acupuncture, the application of the energetics, physiology, meridians and points, and treatment. This book is a unique historical document, but more than this, it is the most practical of texts and has already served a generation of clinicians well.