The Historian Channel: Acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Documentary, The History of Acupuncture, Discovery History Health
 |
| Traditional and modern Japanese guiding tube needles |
Early development in China, Establishment and growth:
In the first half of the 1st century AD, acupuncturists
began promoting the belief that acupuncture's effectiveness was influenced by
the time of day or night, the lunar cycle, and the season. The
Science of the Yin-Yang Cycles (Yün Chhi Hsüeh) was a set of beliefs that
curing diseases relied on the alignment of both heavenly (thien) and earthly
(ti) forces that were attuned to cycles like that of the sun and
moon. There were several different belief systems that relied on a
number of celestial and earthly bodies or elements that rotated and only became
aligned at certain times. According to Needham and Gwei-djen, these
"arbitrary predictions" were depicted by acupuncturists in complex
charts and through a set of special terminology.
Acupuncture needles during this period were much thicker
than most modern ones and often resulted in infection. Infection is caused by a
lack of sterilization, but at that time it was believed to be caused by use of
the wrong needle, or needling in the wrong place, or at the wrong
time. Later, many needles were heated in boiling water, or in a
flame. Sometimes needles were used while they were still hot, creating a
cauterizing effect at the injection site. Nine needles were recommended
in the Chen Chiu Ta Chheng from 1601, which may have been because of an ancient
Chinese belief that nine was a magic number.
Other belief systems were based on the idea that the human
body operated on a rhythm and acupuncture had to be applied at the right point
in the rhythm to be effective.[30]:140-141 In some cases a lack of balance
between Yin and Yang were believed to be the cause of disease.
In the 1st century AD, many of the first books about
acupuncture were published and recognized acupuncturist experts began to
emerge. The Zhen Jiu Jia Yi Jing, which was published in the mid-3rd century,
became the oldest acupuncture book that is still in existence in the modern
era. Other books like the Yu Kuei Chen Ching, written by the Director of
Medical Services for China, were also influential during this period, but were
not preserved. In the mid 7th century, Sun Simiao published
acupuncture-related diagrams and charts that established standardized methods
for finding acupuncture sites on people of different sizes and categorized
acupuncture sites in a set of modules.
Acupuncture became more established in China as improvements
in paper led to the publication of more acupuncture books. The Imperial Medical
Service and the Imperial Medical College, which both supported acupuncture,
became more established and created medical colleges in every province. The public was also exposed to stories about royal figures being cured of their
diseases by prominent acupuncturists. By time The Great Compendium
of Acupuncture and Moxibustion was published during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644
AD), most of the acupuncture practices used in the modern era had been
established.
Decline
By the end of the Song dynasty (1279 AD), acupuncture had
lost much of its status in China. It became rarer in the following
centuries, and was associated with less prestigious professions like alchemy,
shamanism, midwifery and moxibustion. Additionally, by the 18th century,
scientific rationality was becoming more popular than traditional superstitious
beliefs. By 1757 a book documenting the history of Chinese medicine called
acupuncture a "lost art". Its decline was attributed in part
to the popularity of prescriptions and medications, as well as its association
with the lower classes.
In 1822, the Chinese Emperor signed a decree
excluding the practice of acupuncture from the Imperial Medical Institute.
He said it was unfit for practice by gentlemen-scholars. In China
acupuncture was increasingly associated with lower-class, illiterate
practitioners. It was restored for a time, but banned again in 1929 in
favor of science-based Western medicine.
Credits: Wikipedia
