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Acupuncture
    Recently acupuncture has fast become a household word. We come across it in the papers; we read about it in magazines and we see it on TV from time to time. What exactly is acupuncture?
    The word "acupuncture" was not even listed in some of the dictionaries that came out in this country in the early
    1960’s. The 1966 edition of the American College Dictionary by Random House, for example, didn’t include the word i° acupuncture" at all. In the 75 edition of College Dictionary by Random House, "acupuncture" is listed, and the definition reads as follows: A traditional practice in Chinese folk medicine of attempting ot cure illness by puncturing specified areas of the skin with needles. In other words, acupuncture is an ancient Chinese method of treating a disease or relieving pain by injecting one or more needles at certain point or points of the human body.
    Acupuncture was performed in China long before the study of metals was known. In very ancient times pieces of sharp stones were used to press or prick a certain section of the body in order to cure an illness. This was acupuncture in the very early stage of development. Later, needles were made from bone and bamboo. In the course of time, the Chinese people learned to make needles out of copper, iron, and silver. Today acupuncture needles are made of stainless steel.
    The ancient Chinese use nine types of needles. Some were about one and half inches long; others were about three and half inches. Some were round, and others were flat with two sharp edges. The size and shape of the needle is not the only important factor in treatment. An acupuncturist must also master certain basic techniques in inserting the needles. Precise rules must be followed as to how the needle is inserted, rapidly or slowly, perpendicularly or in a tilted manner. The depth of the insertion is also a factor to be considered. Still a third factor is the length of time the needle should be left in the body, and finally, the number of needles used in each treatment must be carefully determined. Acupuncture can be a preventive as well as a curative treatment if it is properly administered, but in the wrong hands, the needle can be a dangerous weapon. It can kill like a sword.
    The earliest recorded acupuncture cure took place about 2000 years ago. The most important book on acupuncture, however, did not appear until the Qin Dynasty (256 A. D.--420 A. D.). In the book, Internal Medicine, for the first time, the 349 basic acupuncture points were listed, and a total of 649 points in a human body defined. This book discussed the theory of acupuncture, the location of the points, the manipulation of the points and prohibition. From then on acupuncture was developed steadily and was taught throughout the country and studied abroad.
    In 1822 the Qing government banned the practice of acupuncture. In 1929 the Kuomintang government banned the practice of Chinese medicine altogether. But most of the people continued to practice acupuncture among themselves, because they found it simple and effective.
    How did the Western World begin to know about acupuncture? Credit must be given to a man by the name of George Soulie de Morant, the French Councilor in Shanghai at the beginning of this century. When he was sent to Yunnanfu, where a cholera epidemic was raging, he was surprised to find that in the hospitals treatment by means of needles had better results than the medicine available at the time. Impressed by this treatment, he began to study the practice. When he returned to France, after twenty years in China, he demonstrated the power of acupuncture by curing a woman whose arms had been paralyzed for several years. After inserting three needles, she was able to use her arm again. Thus the west became aware of this special brand of Chinese medicine called acupuncture. From then on people in France and in other parts of Europe began to show an interest in acupuncture and stared research in this area.
    In 1945 Mao Tsetung set up an acupuncture clinic in Yon An, the first in 100 years. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, acupuncture was once again encouraged. Due to the tremendous need for medical care in the rural areas, acupuncture became a popular treatment for various illnesses such as paralysis, arthritis, deafness and blindness.  It was not until 1958 that the Chinese began to use acupuncture as an anesthesia. Medical workers first applied acupuncture to alleviate post-operation pain. When this proved successful, they tried using it for dental operations.