History Of Acupuncture - part 1

Acupuncture is based on a completely different set of theories from those of Western medicine. In the West a doctor will base his diagnosis of a patient's illness on his knowledge of anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and pathology; then, having put a name to the disease, he will decide whether to treat the patient with medications, surgery, or other techniques. However, there are some patients whom doctors find it very difficult to treat because, although they are clearly unwell, all the tests are normal and a diagnosis cannot be made. For these patients acupuncture (like many other complementary therapies) is perfectly suitable: it does not require a diagnosis in Western terms for the patient to be treated successfully.

Acupuncture is one of the oldest therapies known to humanity; having been in use for well over two thousand years. And although developments have occurred, from time to time, its basic theory and practice are still much the same as when it was practiced twenty centuries ago. This theory also forms the foundation of Chinese herbal medicine, with which acupuncture is frequently used in the East. When acupuncture first became popular in the West it was usually used alone, but many practitioners now train in herbal medicine as well so that they can offer both therapies.

The oldest-known book on the theory of Chinese medicine is the Nei Ching, which has been published in English under the title The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine. The Yellow Emperor is said to have lived in the twenty-seventh century B.C. In fact, there is disagreement among scholars as to whether he lived at all or was just a mythical character-perhaps one originally based on a real person who, over the centuries, has been endowed with far more greatness than he actually warranted. It is rather like the arguments that take place in Britain as to whether there really was a King Arthur. However, even if the Yellow Emperor was a real person, it is highly unlikely that the Nei Ching in its present form can be attributed to him or even dated to his reign.

In the twenty-seventh century B.C. written Chinese was still in a fairly primitive form known as archaic, or prehistoric, ideographs. The Nei Ching is an extremely profound work, and it would have been impossible for much of it to have been expressed in this primitive script. The most recent thinking is that the Nei Ching is made up of several different treatises, possibly originating from particular medical theorists or schools: it is felt that these treatises were written at different times between about 200 B.C. and A.D. 100 then put together at the end of this period. This, of course, still makes it a work of considerable antiquity.

However, although the Nei Ching is the oldest book on Chinese medicine that has come down to us, it was unlikely to have been the first book ever written on the subject. It was not written in a way that suggests it is introducing something new and original. Indeed, by the time it was written, acupuncture was obviously widely understood and practiced in China. The Nei Ching gives the reader no instructions whatsoever on basic theory or on the points and techniques to be used - it is assumed that he already knows these. The book covers only the more esoteric aspects of theory, such as "the transmission of the essence and the transmission of the life-giving principle" and "the seasons as patterns of the viscera." The Yellow Emperor asks questions, which are then answered at length by Ch'i Po. Some of the questions are very profound, running to several pages, and among the things that Ch'i Po is asked to explain are "how it is possible that the twelve viscera send each other that which is precious and that which is worthless" and "whether the brain and the marrow govern the viscera or whether it is the stomach that governs the viscera, or whether the viscera govern the six bowels." The Yellow Emperor-real or mythical - obviously had a very good grasp of the basic theories of Chinese medicine.

Stories of great acupuncturists have also come down to us from two thousand or more years ago. A century or two before the Nei Ching is thought to have been written, although somewhat after the time of the Yellow Emperor himself, there lived a famous itinerant Chinese physician and teacher of medicine called Pien Chueh. His actual dates are unknown but, traditionally, he is said to have lived in the fourth century B.C. One story told about him describes a time when he was visiting the province of Kuo with some of his students, or apprentices. Upon reaching the town in which the king and his court resided, they saw many sacrifices being offered at the temples and arrangements being made for a funeral. When Pien Chueh asked what was happening he was told that the king's son had suddenly fallen ill and lapsed into a coma from which the court physicians had been unable to rouse him. It seemed inevitable that he would die. Pien Chueh asked his informant whether he could arrange for him to be introduced at court; he thought he might be able to prevent the boy from dying. Arrangements were made accordingly, and the king willingly allowed Pien Chueh to examine the comatose prince.

After a thorough examination Pien Chueh made a diagnosis based on his extensive knowledge of Chinese medicine. He then treated the prince, placing acupuncture needles in his head, chest, arms, and legs, after which the boy rapidly regained consciousness. Pien Chueh continued to treat him and monitor his progress for three weeks. In addition to acupuncture, he used heat treatment and herbal remedies. At the end of this period the prince was restored to full health. What happened to the court physicians the story does not tell, but it is possible that the king made arrangements for them to learn the basics of acupuncture.

The description of Pien Chueh using heat to treat his patient may be referring to moxibustion, a method - still in use today - in which the acupuncture points are stimulated by heat. The name derives from an herb known as moxa, which is burned to supply the heat. Nowadays the usual practice is to attach a small wad of moxa to the end of an acupuncture needle that has already been inserted into the patient; when this is lit the heat travels down the needle and into the point without running the risk of burning the skin. Originally, however, the custom was to put the moxa directly onto the skin or on a slice of ginger placed over the relevant acupuncture point, and this latter method is still used by some practitioners. How moxibustion fits into the chronology of acupuncture is uncertain. Some people think it may predate acupuncture, since some ancient texts have been found that mention moxa but not acupuncture. Although these particular texts were found in a tomb that dates back to the Han dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220-a time during which, as we know from other sources, acupuncture was already widely used), they may have been copies of others that were considerably older. And although moxa has been used therapeutically for many centuries, the healing quality of warmth applied to the acupuncture points was probably known long before the burning properties of moxa leaves were discovered and before needles were used to treat the points. Perhaps twigs and grass were originally used to produce a similar effect. Records show that various other substances, such as charcoal, bamboo, and sulfur, have all been used in the past.

Moxa, like cannabis or that other dried leaf of ill repute, tobacco, has the ability to burn slowly and steadily: it is used primarily to treat diseases said to have been caused by cold or damp. And although it was, and still is, often found to be useful in its homeland of China, it has been used to a far greater extent in Japan. Being made up of islands, Japan tends to have a much more humid climate than the great expanse of China, so its incidence of diseases associated with damp is much greater. It is therefore appropriate that the name by which this treatment is known in the West-moxa-should, in fact, be Japanese in origin, derived from two words that mean "burning herb." The Chinese name for moxa is chiu, which means "to cauterize or blister."

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