The History of Acupuncture in China

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The History of Acupuncture in China
George T. Lewith M.A., M.R.C.G.P., M.R.C.P.
(Excerpted from Acupuncture-Its Place in Western Medical Science
Published by Thorsons Publishing Group)
HealthWorld Online

The History of Acupuncture in China
Early History
Development of the Chinese Approach to Medicine and Science
The Development of Chinese Philosophy
Acupuncture Needles
Moxibustion
Therapeutic Success
Evolution of Acupuncture Points and Channels
Acupuncture Texts and Teaching Methods
Printing and Language
The 'New' Bronze Model for Teaching Acupuncture Points
Consolidation of Acupuncture Techniques
The Arrival of the Europeans
The Decline of Acupuncture and the Rise of Western Medicine in China
Communist Support for Acupuncture
New Ideas Based on Traditional Chinese Medicine
New Ideas Based on Western Medicine
Contradictions Resolved?

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The History of Acupuncture in China
Acupuncture, or needle puncture, is a European term invented by Willem Ten Rhyne, a Dutch physician who visited Nagasaki in Japan in the early part of the seventeenth century. The Chinese describe acupuncture by the character 'Chen', which literally means 'to prick with a needle', a graphic description of this therapeutic technique.
Early History
Acupuncture has a clearly recorded history of about 2,000 years, but some authorities claim that it has been practiced in China for some 4,000 years. The Chinese believe that the practice of acupuncture began during the Stone Age when stone knives or sharp edged tools, described by the character 'Bian', were used to puncture and drain abscesses. In fact the Chinese character 'Bian' means the 'use of a sharp edged stone to treat disease', and the modern Chinese character 'Bi', representing a disease of pain, is almost certainly derived from the use of 'Bian stones' for the treatment of painful complaints.

The origin of Chinese medicine is a fascinating story and acupuncture represents only one facet of their ...