Acupuncture, as an important and unique part oftraditional Chinese medicine, has played a majorrole in the health care of the Chinese people,occupying a significant place in the history oftraditional Chinese medicine. This can be seenfrom the following four points:

1. Acupuncture - One of the Earliest HealingArts in China

Many primary sources show that acupuncture,perhaps together with moxibustion, emerged asone of the earliest healing methods in the historyof Chinese medicine. It has been arguably aforemost therapeutic method ever since itsdevelopment.

In the history of Western medicine certainlegendary figures, in ancient Greece for example,have been cited as originators of the art ofmedicine. Similarly in ancient China, threelegendary characters have been regarded as thefounders of Chinese medicine. The earliest is FuXi, also called Bao Xi, a legendary tribe leaderwho was believed to have made manyinnovations, such as the production of nine kindsof needles.1 The second is Shen Nong, the DivineHusbandry Man, who was said to have taught theart of husbandry, and discovered the curativevirtues of herbs by tasting a hundred differentvarieties.2 The third is Huang Di, the YellowEmperor, who was said to have discussedmedicine, including acupuncture, with hisministers and who, like Fu Xi, was credited withhaving made nine kinds of needles.3

These legends reflect, to a certain extent, thehistorical facts of the early origins of Chinesemedicine. We may think of the legendary figuresas embodiments of ancient Chinese ancestorswho, during their search for a livelihood,gathered medical experience and developedhealing methods.

The description of the earliest figure, Fu Xi, isinteresting, for it hints that acupuncture was

probably the earliest known healing method inChina, predating moxibustion and herbalmedicine. Although fire may have been used byprimitive people as a method for relieving pain,probably the first recorded use of the herb moxa(Artemisia vulgaris) for medical purposesappeared during the period of the Warring States(475-221BC). In the Meng Zi (Mencius) there is apassage, “Seek for mugwort of three years old, tocure a seven years’ disease.4 The use of moxa wasnot recorded in medical works, however, until theappearance of the Shennong’s Herbal during theWestern Han Dynasty (206BC-24AD). Thus itappears that the practice of using herbalmedicine came later than that of acupuncture, forit would have taken longer for the ancients tolearn and become familiar with the curativeproperties of herbs.

Although we do not know what kinds ofneedles were produced by Fu Xi, there is muchdocumentary and archaeological evidence toshow that, at least during the New Stone Age inChina, a kind of polished and sharpened stonecalled “Bian Shi” (stone needle) was used fortreating illnesses.

Many pieces of Bian Shi” have been excavatedfrom New Stone Age remains in various parts ofChina,5 and it has been recorded in many ancientChinese documents. Valuable information aboutit exists in the Shanhai Jing (Classics of Mountainsand Seas), a book that appeared during the periodof the Warring States (475-221BC). The bookdeals with ancient China’s geography, primitivecustoms, products, medicine, etc, and in thesection “Dong Shan Jing” (Classic of the EasternMountains), it says that there was plentiful jade inthe Mountain Gaoshi, and that at its foot therewere ample supplies of needle stones.6 In anothertext, the Shouwen Jiezi (Analytical Dictionary ofChinese Language), compiled by Xu Shen in the1st Century AD, there is a clear definition of “BianShi”: “It is a kind of stone used for treatingillnesses by pricking the body.”7 Other references

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Acupuncture: Its Place in the History ofChinese Medicine

Kan-Wen Ma

This article is based on a lecture delivered at the Millennium and 20th Birthday meeting of theBritish Medical Acupuncture Society held at Buxton in May 2000.

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exist in the Wushierbing Fang (Prescriptions forthe Fifty Two Kinds of Diseases), one of theearliest extant medical writings on silk fabrics,that was unearthed in 1973 from a 3rd CenturyBC tomb at the Ma Wang Dui Village in HunanProvince, South China. Here there aredescriptions about using “Bian Shi” for treatingillnesses such as haemorrhoids.8 Moredescriptions of its use in treating illnesses areseen in the Huangdi Neijing (The YellowEmperor’s Internal Classic), the earliest and mostcomprehensive medical work extant in China. Inhere, as in the Shanhai Jing, it says that the “BianShi” came from the East part of China.9

Quan Yuanqi, a physician and annotator of SuWen (part of the Neijing, 5th-6th Century AD),pointed out that “Bian” was an ancient tool forexternal treatment and has three names: ZhenStone, “Bian stone”, and Chan stone.10 Apart from“Bian”, quite a few bone needles have beenfound in various parts of China amongst remainsfrom the Xia (approx 21st-16 Centuries BC) andShang (approx 16th–11th Centuries BC)Dynasties.11 (Fig 1)

Four stone carvings from the Han Dynasty (25-220AD), found in Shan Dong Province, North-East China, show a half-man half-bird figurepricking a patient with a needle.12 This reflectsthe remote origins of acupuncture, for the half-man half-bird image is a symbol of totemworship.

A character in the oracle-bone inscriptionsexcavated from remains from the Xia-ShangDynasties, reflects again the early practice ofneedling the human body.13

The oracle inscriptions were records ofdivination carried out by witches or witch-

healers, who acted as officials of the court whenthe Shang King was consulting an oracle on ritualand practical affairs, including diseases. It ispossible that, owing to the rise of highly skilledbronze metallurgy during the Shang Dynasty,bronze needles may have been used in thepractice of acupuncture.

There is a reference in the Zuo Zhuan (Zuo’sCommenta r ie s on the Spr ing -Au tumnChronological History), one of the Confucianclassics,14 to an early recorded physician whopractised acupuncture. The story goes that in theyear 581BC, the Marquis of the Jin Kingdom wassick. A witch was summoned from Sang Tian(now in Ling Bao, He Nan Province, CentralChina), who said that the Marquis was confusedby a ghost and so fatally afflicted that he wasdoomed to die before the harvest season of thenew wheat. Disappointed by this consultation,the Marquis asked for help from the QinKingdom, which was famed for its physicians. Thedoctor Huan, who was duly despatched, declaredafter his examination that the Marquis’ case wasincurable, for the disease was locatedin the “Gao Huang”, a site supposed to bebelow the heart and above the diaphragm, where neither acupuncture nor medicines couldreach.15

This story tells us that acupuncture had not onlybecome a mainstay common therapy by possiblyas early as the 6th Century BC, but also that theappearance of a medical profession that includedacupuncturists had nothing to do withwitchcraft.16

2. Acupuncture - An Indispensable Branch ofChinese Medicine

With the development of the Chinese culture andcivilisation, from the time of the Spring-Autumnperiod (770-475BC) onwards, there appeareddifferent schools of philosophical thought. It wasduring this period that the theories of Yin-Yangand Five Elements (Five Evolutive Phases) wereapplied to medicine.

Owing to the progress of metallurgy during theperiod of the Warring States (475-221BC), moretypes of metal needles were developed thatgradually replaced “Bian Stone”. That metalneedles were widely used in acupuncture isstrongly supported by archaeological findings. In1968, for instance, nine acupuncture needleswere unearthed from the tomb of Prince LiuSheng of Zong Shan and his wife, of the WesternHan Dynasty. They had been buried in the year

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Figure 1. The ‘Bian’ stones and bone needles excavated inChina.

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113BC, in Mancheng, He Bei Province, NorthChina. Of the nine needles, five silver ones weredamaged, but four made of gold are still inperfect condition.17 (Fig 2)

Needless to say, the use of metallic needlesgreatly enhanced the effect and increased theindications of acupuncture.

In the Shi Ji (Book of History), the first greatwork in China of biographies arranged inchronological order by Sima Qian, there isanother tale presenting the good effect ofacupuncture. An itinerant doctor called Bian Que(Qin Yueren), who lived around the 5th CenturyBC in Middle-North China, arrived one day in theKingdom of Guo to be told that the Prince hadjust died and that the funeral was being prepared.Having enquired about the cause of death andcondition of the Prince, Bian Que announcedthat he could bring him to life. The King orderedhim to do what he could. After taking the pulse,and examining the apparently lifeless body, BianQue diagnosed that the Prince was suffering from“Shi Jue”, a state of deep coma. He instructed hispupil Zi Yang to polish a needle on a grindstone,and he then treated the Prince, starting withacupuncture by punctuating the point Bai Hui(San Yan Wu Hui). The Prince was restored tolife.18 (Fig 3)

What is noteworthy in Bian Que’s story is thatthe term ‘Jing Luo’ (Channels and Collaterals) wasrecorded for the first time in Chinese medicalhistory, although no detailed description of itexists in this tale.

A number of works on acupuncture appearedduring this period,19 of which some remain. Twowritings on silk, for instance, were found in theHan Dynasty tomb at the Ma Wang Dui Village.

One is entitled Zubi Shiyimai Jiujing (ElevenChannels for Moxibustion of the Arms and Feet),and the other Yin Yang Shiyimai Jiujing (ElevenChannels for Moxibustion in the Yin and YangSystems). They discuss pain, spasm, numbnessand swellings along the Channels, and symptomsof the mouth and sense-organs, etc., that areamenable to moxibustion.20 Althoughacupuncture is not specifically mentioned, it isrecognised that acupuncture and moxibustionhave been sister therapies in China since ancienttimes. These writings help us to trace thedevelopment of the theory of Channels(Meridians).

The most important and influential work of thisperiod is the Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor’sInternal Classic), previously referred to in thistext. Although it is said to have been written bythe legendary Yellow Emperor, it waspredominantly the work of a number of scholarsand physicians living between the 5th and 1st

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Figure 2. Gold needles found in the tomb of the Han princeLiu Sheng (113BC) at Mancheng, North China.

Figure 3. Bian Que (Qin Yueren), the well-known physicianwho was skilful in acupuncture, and lived circa 500BC.

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Centuries BC, with some sections being added bysubsequent authors.

A large proportion of the Neijing deals withacupuncture and its related subjects, indicatingthat acupuncture had by this time developed intoa special branch of Chinese medicine with itsown sphere of learning.

The Neijing contains two parts, the Su Wen(Plain Questions) and the Ling Shu (MiraculousPivot).

Of the 81 chapters of the Su Wen, 12-14 dealwith therapies that include acupuncture, Bianstone, moxibustion, etc; 22-30 with internalorgans, clinical use of Channels and Collateralsfor the diagnosis and treatment of diseases; and49-65 with acupoints, their names, locations,methods of manipulation of needles, etc.

Of the 81 chapters of the Ling Shu,21 about4/5th deal with acupuncture, the theory ofChannels and Collaterals, and other relatedsubjects, viz: Chapters 1-9 with the nine kinds ofneedles, acupoints, methods of needling, etc; 10-18 with the human body’s Channels andCollaterals, etc; 19-30 with the needling methodsfor many kinds of diseases; 42-46 with the FiveElements and the Five Shu, ways of needling, etc;47-55 with important acupoints and contra-acupoints, etc; and 67-81 with more discussionson the nine kinds of needles, methods ofmanipulation of the needles, etc.

The Neijing adopted the natural philosophythen in vogue, of Yin-Yang and the Five Elementtheories, and expounded fundamental medicalprinciples in holistic terms. It emphasises that thehuman body should be treated as an entity, thatattention should be paid to maintain it inharmonious balance within itself and in relationto its external environment, and that a patient’scondition and symptoms and signs should beanalysed. The book also applies all of theseprinciples to acupuncture.

In the Neijing, for the first time in the history ofChinese medicine, a systematic and significantdescription was recorded of the theory ofChannels and acupoints, principles and methodsof manipulation of needles, and the indicationsand counter-indications for the use ofacupuncture. In addition, 295 points, 12 RegularChannels and 15 Main Collaterals weredescribed in the human body.

As the Neijing says: “ The twelve Channels areinternally related to the viscera and externallylinked with the limbs and joints.”22 It is throughthe Channels that the Qi and blood circulate, andthere are points on the body surface where the Qi

of the deep internal organs lies just below thesurface. These points can be punctured to curediseases by regulating the flow of the Qi andblood.

The theory of Channels and Collaterals dealswith physiological and pathological changes ofthe human body, and serves as a guidingprinciple of diagnosis and treatment for thepractice of acupuncture. The Ling Shu says: “Wemust have a deep understanding of the Channelsbecause, through them, life and death can bejudged, diseases diagnosed, deficiency andexcess regulated.”23 Other fields of Chinesemedicine later adopted the basic principle of theChannels. Zhang Zong-jing (2-3AD), for instance,the Sage of Chinese medicine, initiated thedoctrine of analysing and differentiating febrilediseases in accordance with the theory of thedifferentiation of Six Channels for the treatment ofdiseases. Zhang Yuansu, an outstanding physicianof the 12th Century AD, established the doctrineof prescribing herbs in accordance with thetheory of Channels.

It is likely that the discovery and formation ofthe theory of Channels was closely linked withthe long term practice and development ofacupuncture, and in particular with theobservation of the phenomenon of propagation ofthe needling sensation.

The summary of the knowledge and techniquesof acupuncture contained in the Neijing signifiesthat acupuncture had developed into a uniqueand indispensable therapy to Chinese medicine,playing a great role in the development of theChinese medical fundamentals.

In or around the 1st Century BC there appeareda book that was a supplement to the Neijing. It isentitled Nanjing (Classic of Medical Catechism),whose authorship is ascribed to Qin Yueren. Thisbook describes the concept of the Eight Extra-Channels, and puts forward the theory of theEight Influential Points that were not included inthe Neijing. It, together with the Neijing, exertedmuch influence upon the development ofacupuncture in ancient China.

In another book, the Li Ji (Book of Rituals), thereis a passage that says that one should not takemedicines from practitioners not versed in threemajor works; the Yellow Emperor’s book onacupuncture and moxibustion, the Shen Nong’sherbal, and the Su Nu’s book on pulsation.24

The Li Ji is one of the important classics ofConfucianism. It contains a vast amount ofhistorical material, collected by disciples ofConfucius, on the social circumstances, systems

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and rituals of ancient China, before the Qin (221-207BC) and Han (206BC- 220AD) Dynasties.From this book we know that acupuncture waswell established in Chinese medicine before the3rd Century BC.

The history of Chinese medicine is littered withexamples of outstanding doctors who wereversed in acupuncture. Of these, Chunyu Yi(approx 205BC - unknown), a native of Lin Zi,now in Shandong Province, was particularlyfamous for keeping clinical case records. In onecase he reportedly cured the Prince of Zi-Chuan’ssevere headache by puncturing a point on theFoot-Yangming Channel. He passed his learningin Channels and Collaterals, acupoints, methodsof using Bian needles and moxibustion to Gao Qiand Wang Wu, two physicians attached to PrinceJi Bei. They later also became skilfulacupuncturists.25

Fu-Wong, another popular doctor, who lived inthe 1st Century AD in South-West (Sichuan)China, achieved immediate effect in patients hetreated with acupuncture. He wrote a bookentitled Zhen Jing (Classic of Acupuncture) whichwas unfortunately lost. His pupil, Cheng Gao,who was also skilled in acupuncture, trainedanother, called Guo Yu, who became a courtphysician, (89-105AD) and who enjoyed areputation of achieving wonderful results withacupuncture.26

Zhang Zong-Jing (approx 150-219AD), the“Medical Sage”, a native of Nan-Yang, now in HeNan Province, was particularly well-known forhis book Shanghan Zabing Lun (Treatise of FebrileDiseases), one of the most influential books in thehistory of Chinese medicine. As well as adoptingthe theory of Channels in differentiating febrilediseases, the author recommended the use ofacupuncture in combination with herbalmedicine.

Hua To (approx 108-203AD), the “Father ofSurgery”, from Middle-South China, the BoCounty, now in An Hui Province, was well-known for both his great skill in surgery, and forachieving remarkable results with acupunctureby puncturing no more than two points. It is saidin his biography that when he was treatingpatients, he would tell them the direction of thepropagation of the needling sensation and bidthem inform him when it occurred. Hesuccessfully treated the severe headache of thenotorious historical figure Cao Cao, then Emperorof the Wei Kingdom. He has been attributed witha group of 17 extra points called Huatuo Jiajipoints, which are still used today. These points are

for indications such as chronic illnesses of theinternal organs, neurasthenia, and disorders ofthe spine, etc. His pupil, Fan E, was also noted inacupuncture.27

Ge Hong (284-363), a native of Ju Rong, now inJiang Su Province, a well-known Taoist physician,who was also known for alchemy, included muchinformation on acupuncture in his work,Zhouhou Beiji Fang (Handbook of Prescriptionsfor Emergency).

Chao Yuan-Fang (550-630), in his well-knownbook, Zhubing Yuanhou Zonglun (GeneralTreatise on Aetiology and Symptomatology ofDiseases) included over 100 indications foracupuncture.

Sun Si-Miao (581-682), “King of Medicine”, anative of the County Yao, now in Shan XiProvince, emphasised the special function ofacupuncture in treating diseases. He included inhis monumental work Beiji Qianjin Yaofang (TheThousand Golden Remedies for Emergency) threelarge size charts showing anterior, posterior andlateral views of the body, with the 12 Channelsmarked out in coloured lines, and the eight extraChannels in green. He also included many extra-channel points based on his clinical experience.He coined the term “A Shi Xue” (Oh Yes Point,Non-fixed point). He summarised about 400 ofthe acupuncture prescriptions of his predecessorsfor the treatment of various kinds of illnesses. Hediscussed various topics relating to acupuncture,such as types of needles for different illnesses,skill of manipulation of the needles, indications,contraindications, duration of treatment, etc. Healso discussed two methods of handling theaccidental breaking of needles inserted into thebody; one using ivory water to smear theacupoint, and the other a piece of magnetite toextract it out.

Three physicians of the 11th and the 12thCenturies, well known for their study of febrilediseases, paid much attention to acupuncture,and acupuncture in combination with herbalmedicine, for the treatment of febrile diseases.

One of them, Zhu Hong (11th Century AD), anative of Wucheng, now Wuxing, ZejiangProvince, held that in treating febrile diseases,one had to know Channels and Collaterals. In theyear 1118 he compiled a work entitled NeiwaiJing Tu (Illustrations of the Internal and ExternalImages of the Body).

The second physician, Xu Shuwei (1080-1154),a native of Zhenzhou Baisha, now Yizheng, inJiangsu Province, not only adopted ZhangZongjing’s principle of using herbs, but also

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succeeded and developed his method of usingacupuncture for treating febrile diseases. He wasthe first physician to compile in verserecommendations on the suitability ofacupuncture for treating febrile diseases.

The third, Guo Yung (1104-1187), originally anative of Luo Yang (He Nan Province), who latermoved to Xiazhou, now Yichang, HubeiProvince, revised and made supplements toZhang Zongjing’s work on the treatment of febrilediseases with acupuncture.

The renowned representatives of the FourSchools of the Jin (1115-1234) and Yuan (1271-1368) periods, Liu Wansu (1120-1200), LiGao(1180- 1251), Zhang Congzheng (1156-1226), and Zhu Zhen-Heng (1282-1358), alladopted acupuncture, apart from herbs, intreating diseases.

Liu Wan-Su, for instance, concentrated on theWushu Xue (Jing, Rong Shu, Jing and He), the fivepoints located along each of the Twelve Channelsfrom the distal ends of the limbs to the elbow orknee. He applied acupuncture in the treatment ofillnesses based on his theory of “purging the heartof pathogenic fire” and “nourishing the kidney”.

Li Gao reported many cases that he had treatedsuccessfully with acupuncture, includinganorexia, difficulty in swallowing (often causedby cancer of the oesophagus), vomiting, etc.

Zhang Cong-Zheng, in his book Rumen Shiqin(Confucius’ Duties to Their Parents), cited manycases that he had treated with acupuncture,including malaria, long-standing intermittentheadache, inflammation of the throat, suddenloss of vision, numbness of the arm, etc.

The Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911)Dynasties also saw physicians who paid attentionto acupuncture. Wu Kun (1552-1620), a native ofthe County Xi, An Hui Province, emphasised thata good doctor should combine acupuncture andherbs in his practice. Among his works, theZhenfang Liuji (Six Volumes of Acupuncture andHerbs, 1618), includes comprehensivediscussions on fundamental issues aboutacupuncture. In it, Wu Kun compares the relativebenefits of acupuncture and herbal medicine bysaying: “Up to now there are 1892 kinds of herbsthat have been recorded in the herbal work. Howcomplicated they are! As for needles, there arejust nine. How few they are! There are peoplewho have been taking herbal medicine for yearswithout effect but improved immediately afterbeing treated with acupuncture. With thetreatment of acupuncture, those who had beenconfined to bed were able to stand up, and those

who were crippled could walk upright. This iswhat we say that the large quantity of herbs maynot be better than a few needles. However,acupuncture can easily treat cases of excess type,it is difficult to treat cases of deficiency type withneedles. Cases of weakness and feebleness haveto be treated with herbs of sweet nature. This isbecause the tonic effect of acupuncture is nobetter than that of herbs.” 28

3. Acupuncture - An Officially RecognisedSpecial Branch of Chinese Medicine

From the 3rd Century AD onwards, acupuncturebecame a more specialised discipline in Chinawith many outstanding specialists, and numerousvaluable books devoted exclusively toacupuncture.

The first extant book devoted exclusively toacupuncture is the Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing (A Classic ofAcupuncture and Moxibustion) compiled byHuangfu Mi (214-282) between 259 and 260. Anative of Anding Chaona, now in Pingliang,Gansu Province in North-West China, HuangfuMi was originally a literary man, who developedarthritis, and in an attempt to treat himself, beganto study medicine, particularly acupuncture. As aresult he became a well-known acupuncturistand compiled his book by summarising theaccomplishments of his predecessors inassociation with his own clinical experiences.

In this book, the name and number of points ofeach Channel and their exact locations aredefined and systematised, and the properties andindications of each point and the methods ofneedling are presented in great detail. Theacupoints of the four limbs are arrangedaccording to the Three Yin and Three YangChannels of the feet and hands. The acupoints ofthe head and the trunk are described anddiscussed in relation to the head, face, chest andabdomen. The number of acupoints is increasedfrom the 295 listed in the Neijing to 349. Thetreatments for over 160 internal, surgical,gynaecological and paediatric diseases are listed,including, as we understand from thedescriptions in his work, febrile diseases, pain ofvarious parts of the body, diarrhoea, vomiting,carbuncles, malaria, cholera, dysentery, goitre,insanity, manic depression, amenorrhoea,menorrhagia, and infantile convulsions. HuangfuMi’s book exerted much influence in later timesand was used as a required textbook for students.

As a special profession, acupuncture was oftenhanded down through the generations. In the Xu

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family, for example, acupuncture started with XuXi, who flourished in the early 4th Century AD,and continued to his descendent Xu Min-Qi inthe 7th Century, all well-known acupuncturists.29

Similarly the Xi family all enjoyed goodreputations as acupuncturists,30 starting with XiHong (probably 11th Century) and continuing tothe family’s twelfth generation.

Historical documents support the contentionthat, probably due to its wide therapeutic rangeand good results, acupuncture was popular withall social classes, including high governmentofficials and the imperial court. The annals of theTang Dynasty contain stories about Zhen Quan(541-643), a well-known physician andacupuncturist, who cured the governor of LuZhou (now in Shandong Province) of severeshoulder trouble that so much affected his arm hecould not draw a bow. When Zhen Quan wassummoned, he told the governor to face the targetwith bow and arrows in hand and try to shoot. Asthe governor did so, Zhen Quan punctured theJian Yu point on his shoulder and instantly thearrow hit the target.31

Zhen Quan also treated another prefecturegovernor called Cheng Jun-Chou at Shen Zhou(now in He Bei Province), who suffered from anacute swelling of the neck and inflammation ofthe throat, and who had not been able to swallowfood or drink for three days. When Zhen Quanpunctured the Shang Yang point at his right handhe rapidly felt much relieved and was able to takefood and drink as usual the next day. Zhen Quanwas so famous that, in the year 643, the EmperorTai Zong paid a visit to his house and made hima high official. He was also appointed by thegovernment to check and revise the acupunctureatlas. He wrote several books on acupuncture,which are now unfortunately lost.32

Another story tells of a court physician, QinMinghe (early 7th Century AD), who, in the year683, was summoned to treat the Emperor TangGaozhong’s headache, which was so bad that theEmperor was having trouble with his vision. QinMinghe diagnosed that the case was due to awind devil that attacked the Emperor’s head, anddeclared that it could be cured by causing somebleeding of the head with acupuncture. TheQueen shouted from behind a curtain that thephysician should be beheaded, for the head ofthe Son of Heaven should not be bleeding. TheEmperor said that the medical man should not bepersecuted when he was discussing medicalproblems, and that the heavy feeling of his headwas unbearable. He ordered Qin Minghe to carry

out the treatment. Qin Minghe then cured theEmperor by puncturing the Bai Hui and Nao Hupoints in his head.33

As a result of its development and popularity,acupuncture was officially recognised by theImperial Medical Bureau of the TangGovernment, founded in the year 618, as anindependent speciality. Among the four medicaldepartments attached to this Bureau was adepartment of acupuncture with a professor, anassistant professor, 10 acupuncturists, 20demonstrators and 20 students.34 This was the firstofficial establishment for training acupuncturistsin the history of Chinese medicine. Governmentsof later generations maintained the department,although it was recognised that most acupuncturetraining took place through apprenticeships andfamily teaching.

Chinese medicine and acupuncture was firstintroduced into neighbour countries in the 6thCentury AD. In the year 552 the Chinese EmperorWen, of the Liang Dynasty,35 presented to theJapanese Emperor Qin Ming an acupuncturebook Zhen Jing. In 562, a Chinese man, ZhiCong, originally a native of Wu (Jiangsu), broughtMing Tang Tu (Illustrations of Channels andPoints) and other medical works to Japan.36 In608, two Japanese monk pharmacists Hui Re andFu Yin went to China to learn medicine.37 Thehealth service regulations proclaimed by theJapanese government in 701, 702 and 718 werefundamentally based on the Chinese systems thathad been stipulated by the Tang Dynasty, inwhich students of acupuncture were required tostudy Chinese medical classics, including theZhen Jing.38

The official attention paid to acupuncture inChina and Japan, as well as other neighbouringcountries, strengthened its position as animportant and indispensable medical discipline,and promoted its development and spread toother countries of the world.

By the time of the Song Dynasty (960-1127)printing had developed in China, and engravedand typographic printing methods were used toprint medical works. In 992 a 100-volume medicalwork, the Taiping Shenhui Fang (The Peaceful,Holy and Benevolent Prescriptions), waspublished. In 1057 the Song governmentestablished the Bureau for Revising MedicalWorks, which collated and published some of themedical classics like the Neijing, Zhen Jiu Jia YiJing, etc.

39Between 1111 and 1117 the Song

Government published a monumental work, theShengji Zunlu (General Collection for Holy Relief).

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In 1023 the Song government ordered a courtphysician, Wang Weiyi (approx 987-1067), torevise and compile a work on acupuncture toverify acupoints and Channels. He spent threeyears on the task, and in the meantime had twolife-size bronze acupuncture figures cast andinscribed with Channels and points. The bookwas entitled Tong Ren Shu Xue Zhen Jiu Tu Jing(Illustrated Classic of Acupuncture andMoxibustion Points as Demonstrated on theBronze Figure), and it discussed the acupoints indetail and marked out a total of 359 points,clearly arranged on the fourteen Channels on thehuman body. It also described the depth forpuncture of each point and the indications for itsuse. Wang Weiyi’s work did much to clarify anumber of confusions that had arisen before the11th Century about the points and Channels.Shortly after it was published in 1026, the workwas distributed to every prefecture of the countryas an official text and the contents of the bookwere engraved on two enormous stone tabletserected in the Song capital for all students to seeand follow.40 The bronze acupuncture figureswere used for teaching and examination ofstudents. Students were asked to puncture certainpoints on the figure, which was filled with waterand coated with wax. The accuracy of thestudent’s needling was thus easily determined bywhether or not the water leaked out.41

The popularity of acupuncture, and theattention paid to it at this time by the Chineseelite and the ruling class, is illustrated in the caseof the Emperor Ren Zong. In the year 1034, theEmperor was sick and imperial doctors werehaving no success in treating him. A doctornamed Xu Xi, a native of Kai-Feng, Central China,was recommended and summoned. Heexamined the Emperor and announced that hecould cure him if he were allowed to insertneedles between the external membranes belowthe Emperor’s heart. Court physicians thought theprocedure extremely dangerous. Some of them,together with the court eunuchs, were obliged totest the method first on their own bodies. When itwas observed that no harm was done, Xu Xi wasallowed to proceed. The Emperor recovered. XuXi was handsomely rewarded and was appointedmedical officer of the Imperial Medical Institute.42

Regard for acupuncture reached new heightsduring the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) whenacupuncture and moxibustion were included inthe 13 medical departments of the ImperialMedical Academy. In 1443 the Ming governmentrecast the bronze acupuncture figure of the Song

Dynasty, and renewed the engraved stone tabletsof acupuncture.43 (Fig 4)

In 1406 Teng Hong et al compiled a 426volume medical work under the patronage ofPrince Zhu Su (unknown - 1425), the fifth son ofthe Emperor Zhu Yuan-Zhang. The work wasentitled Pu Ji Fang (Prescriptions of UniversalRelief). Within it a special section dealt withacupuncture and moxibustion. It summarised avast amount of material on these subjects fromrelated works of past dynasties.

Further evidence of official attention paid toacupuncture can be found in the preface of a

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DECEMBER 2000 VOL 18 (2)

ACUPUNCTURE IN MEDICINE

Figure 4. This bronze acupuncture figure is a reproductionbased on the one cast in 1443AD during the Ming dynasty.

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