Saturday, May 4, 2019

How Old is Acupuncture? Challenging the Neolithic Origins Theory

Although Westerners often regard this traditional Chinese medicine treatment as a "new" form of alternative medicine, acupuncture is so ancient in China that its origin is still unclear. According to the author of the book "Acupuncture System Classics", Huang Wei [AD 215-282], acupuncture therapy was first applied to the Chinese Bronze Age more than 5,000 years ago. He attributed his invention to Fuxi or the Yellow Emperor [Yellow Emperor], two legendary figures of the Five Emperors [about 3000 - 1970 BC]. Modern schools generally believe that the age of acupuncture is much larger, originating from the Neolithic Age of China more than 10,000 years ago [8000-3500 BC].

In fact, acupuncture may not be as old as people think. Rethinking all existing documents and recent archaeological findings, acupuncture can be traced back to 2100 to 2300, first in the Warring States Period [475-221 BC] and rapidly matured in the Western Han Dynasty [206 BC-24 AD].

Question the generally accepted theory of origin.

The current accepted theory of the origin of acupuncture in the Neolithic Age is based on two commitments. The first one believed that the professional sharp stone tools that appeared in the Neolithic Age in China were used for early acupuncture before the invention of metal smelting. As we all know, b stone tools have been used in many early medical procedures, starting from the Neolithic Age and continuing until the Western Han Dynasty [206 BC - AD 24]. Some of the earliest medical writings in China [the Yellow Emperor's Classics] [the Yellow Emperor's Classics, cited in the Internal Classics] have some descriptions of stone therapy [c.104 - 32 BC]. People have always believed that these Neolithic stone medical devices were the predecessors of metal acupuncture needles that were used in the Iron Age of China.

However, historical literature and new archaeological evidence clearly show that b stone tools are flat and knife-shaped, mainly used to remove pus to drain pus or draw blood [1]. They are used as surgical scalpel cuts instead of puncture needles, regardless of acupuncture. According to the Hammurabi Code, ancient residents of Mesopotamia used a similarly shaped bronze knife to cut abscesses more than 4,000 years ago.

Prehistoric Chinese have needles made of various materials, from thick thorns and feathers to bones, bamboo, pottery and stone. But just as the history of knives is not the history of surgery, the invention of needles and acupuncture is two completely different things. Needle history has always been one of the most commonly used tools of everyday life in the world. In medicine, needles are used to suture incisions, just like making clothes with darners. Hollow syringe needles [unlike solid needles used in acupuncture] are used to infuse or extract fluids into the body, but needles are inserted into the disease. The body looks strange and mysterious. In English, "giving someone a pointer" means not praising or irritating someone. Most people don't like to pierce with a needle and associate acupuncture with pain and injury. Many plants and animals have evolved thorns or feathers as powerful weapons for protection or attack. In ancient China, the needle was even used to punish. Through trial and error, therapists around the world have independently found ways to treat pain and other diseases, such as herbs, roots, wraps, blemishes, bloodletting and surgery, but acupuncture is unique to the Chinese. Considering the unique Chinese origin of acupuncture, it can be reasonably assumed that the invention of acupuncture has nothing to do with the availability of needles or flat scalpels in the Neolithic era in China.

The second premise supporting the theory of acupuncture origin in the Neolithic Age is that acupuncture is a natural product of daily life in prehistoric times. It is believed that through accidental accidents and repeated experience and experience, people find that the body needs a variety of acupuncture points to effectively treat various diseases. However, this assumption lacks basic historical evidence and a logical basis.

As everyone knows, ancient people knew that physical problems were alleviated after irrelevant injuries. This case was reported by Zhang Zihe [AD 1156-1228], one of the four outstanding doctors in the Jin and Yuan Dynasties [AD 1115-1368], and an expert in bloodletting therapy: "Zhao Zhong Bachelor of Arts degree graduate student appeared during the imperial examination Acute eye problems. His eyes become red and swollen, accompanied by blurred vision and severe pain. The pain is unbearable, so that he thinks of death. The stovepipe falls and hits the forehead, causing the wound to be about 3 inches in length and staying A lot of deep purple blood. I was able to go home alone. The next day, he could identify his ridge. "In a few days, he recovered completely. This case was not treated deliberately after treatment, but was an accidental trauma [2]. "

In fact, if this accident led to the development of acupuncture, the history of China's four thousand years of history should include many similar records related to the discovery of acupuncture points and their nature. However, my extensive research on Chinese medical genuine and other literature has only come to this case. In fact, this story provides at least one example of bloodletting therapy, which differs from acupuncture on some basic issues. The purpose of bloodletting therapy is to remove a certain amount of blood. But when the body is pierced with a solid needle, nothing on the body is added or reduced.

Bloodletting therapy is common. Throughout the recorded history, people around the world have similar experiences with the beneficial outcomes of accidental injuries, and have developed treatments based on the principle that injury and induced bleeding in one part of the body can cause problems in another. . It was beneficial for the ancient Greeks and Romans to find bleeding in cases of fever, headache and menstrual disorders. Medieval Europe uses bloodletting as a panacea for the prevention and treatment of diseases. The most useful date and time for bleeding, the correct vein, the amount of blood to be taken and the number of bleedings are detailed. Blood is usually taken by opening the vein with a lancet, but sometimes by a blood-sucking sputum or using a cupping device. Water leeches are still used in some parts of Europe and the Middle East. However, these methods of bloodletting have now evolved into a detailed and comprehensive system comparable to acupuncture. If acupuncture is indeed due to repeated empirical experience of accidental injury, it should be developed around the world, not just in China.

Historical evidence and logic have shown that there is no causal relationship between the development of materials and the techniques of making needles and the invention of acupuncture. It is also clear that accidental accidental injury is not a major factor in the development of acupuncture. Therefore, the generally accepted theory of the origin of acupuncture in the Neolithic Age based on this false promise must be incorrect. It is now necessary to reconsider whether acupuncture actually appears first and then matures.

Rethinking evidence

If acupuncture does originate in China's Neolithic Age, then acupuncture should be displayed through China's earliest written records and archaeological remains. However, this is not the case.

Early cultures believed that the world was full of supernatural and developed various methods of divination. During the Chinese Shang Dynasty [1500-1000 BC], divination was carried out by burning animal bones and tortoise shells with moxa or other materials. The bone declaration is then engraved on the bone or shell according to the resulting crack. These inscriptions survived as the earliest examples of written Chinese characters. Of the thousands of Oracle and shells found to date, 323 contains predictions related to 20 different diseases and conditions. However, these inscriptions do not mention acupuncture or any other form of treatment.

The Zhou Dynasty ritual [Zhou Li] written during the Warring States Period [475-221 BC] details the official ceremonies and regulations of the Zhou Dynasty [1000-256 BC], including medical-related ceremonies and regulations. The royal doctors at the time were divided into four categories: dietitians, who were responsible for the rulers. Diet; physicians, treating diseases and conditions with grains and herbs; surgeons, or Yang Yi, using zhuyou [mantra], drugs and debridement [using stones or metal knives to remove pus and necrotic tissue] to treat abscesses, open Sexual ulcers, wounds and fractures; veterinarians and veterinarians who treat animals. But this document does not mention acupuncture.

The internal scripture [104-32 BC] is the first known work related to acupuncture. The classic consists of two parts: Su Wen - simple question and spiritual pivot - the spiritual pivot, also known as the acupuncture classic [the classic]. Both focus on the theory and practice of acupuncture...



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