What are the origins of acupuncture therapy?

According to anthropologists, one of the most direct ancestors of human beings was the Rama Archaeopteryx, which lived about 14 million years ago. Its fossils have been found in Kaiyuan and Lufeng counties in China's Yunnan Province, indicating that our country is also one of the places of human origin. After a very long period of development, until a few million years ago, the ancient apes evolved into apes capable of making tools, and in our country we have discovered the "Yuanmou people", "Lantian people", "Beijing people", "Ding people", "Ding people", "Ding people", "Ding people", "Ding people", "Ding people", "Ding people", "Ding people", "Ding people", "Ding people" and "Ding people". Lantian Man", "Beijing Man", "Dingcun Man" and "Shanding Cave Man" and other ancient human life sites have been discovered in China. In a large number of excavated artifacts, we have found many physical materials related to medicine, with which we can infer the practice of medicine at that time. From the pre-Qin ancient books, we can also see many beautiful legends about the invention and creation of medicine by ancient sages such as Fuxi's, Shennong's, and Huangdi's to save the world from the pain of disease.

Our ancestors were faced with a harsh natural environment and extremely poor conditions for combating diseases, so the average life expectancy was extremely low, which urgently required people to use various treatments to fight against diseases.

The book Zhuangzi - The Story of the Thieves and Metatarsalgia records: "In ancient times, there were many beasts and few people. So the people all nested to avoid it, picking up acorns and chestnuts by day and perching on trees by night." This illustrates the treacherous living conditions at that time.

Primitive fire is a natural phenomenon, the human understanding of fire, control and harness through a long historical process. At the same time, fire is also extremely important in the treatment of disease. The discovery and utilization of fire not only allows human beings to eat cooked food, shorten the digestive process, intake of more nutrients, and promote the development of the body and brain, people also through a lot of practice has proved that the use of animal skins, bark wrapped in hot sand and ironing the abdomen or joints. The symptoms of abdominal pain or joint pain would be alleviated, which was the beginning of later external treatments such as hot ironing. People in the use of fire accidentally burned a part of the body, sometimes to make the pain get relief or completely disappeared, after constantly summarized, people found that the use of fire burning local skin, can treat toothache, stomach pain and other diseases, which is the prototype of moxibustion.

The traditional acupuncture therapy originated from acupuncture stone. Acupuncture is a sharp stone, mainly used to cut carbuncles, pus and blood and use it to stimulate the body's acupuncture points to achieve the purpose of healing, can be said to be the earliest medical tools. China's ancient books have records, such as the "Nei Jing" said "the eastern region, ...... its disease are carbuncles and ulcers, the treatment should be acupuncture stone. "Shuowen Jiezi" also said "acupuncture, stone prick disease also". Specifically explains the stone is through the prick of the human body to cure the disease.

So, how can acupuncture be used to cure the disease?

In the primitive society, people in order to survive often have to fight with nature, often in the more harsh environment. As a result, it will be sharp stones, branches, thorns and other cuts, bruised skin, and even bleeding; but occasionally there are in the bruises or bleeding, but the original disease is reduced or disappeared. After many reproductions, people naturally recognize that stimulating a certain part of the human body or making it bleed can cure some diseases. So after a long period of recognition, practice and accumulation, the method of treating diseases with stone acupuncture was produced.

It is generally believed that the use of stone acupuncture originated in the Neolithic era. At that time, people had already mastered the technology of beating and grinding, and were able to make relatively fine stone tools. The shape of the stone is mainly based on its use. Such as used for piercing made into a sword-shaped, needle-shaped, generally known as needle stone. Used for cutting made into a knife-shaped, generally known as engraved stone. This has been evidenced from the excavated artifacts, such as in 1963 in Inner Mongolia Duolun Banner head of the Neolithic period, unearthed a processed stone needles, needle length of 4.6 centimeters, the body of the needles is quadrangular, one end is pointed, one end is a flattened semicircular shape, there is a sharp edge, can be used for both needling and can be used for cutting.

According to the 1963 excavation of Inner Mongolia Duolun Banner head of stone needle grinding evidence, the origin of the stone acupuncture period is equivalent to the archaeological Neolithic era, about 14,000 years ago or earlier, it is the first people and the harsh living space and the fight against disease stone acupuncture tools, stimulate the body to relieve pain or bloodletting pus to cure the disease, according to the ancient literature, the origin of acupuncture legend and excavated in Shandong According to ancient literature, the legend of the origin of acupuncture and unearthed in Shandong Province, the Han Dynasty portrait stone on the human face and bird body totem needle strips medical charts, acupuncture treatment originated in the area of Shandong Province in China. The Su Wen - different method of Fang Yi Theory" said: "acupuncture, but also from the East to", "the East of the domain, the disease are carbuncle ulcer, the treatment should be acupuncture". The Classic of Mountains and Seas" said "Gao's mountain, on which there is more jade, and under which there is more Prosperity", and the Gao's mountain which produces stone is in the eastern part of China. Weishan County, Shandong Province, unearthed in the Eastern Han Dynasty, there are four with a strong mythological color acupuncture medical chart. Half man, half bird image of the gods. From the primitive era of totem worship. Ancient Dongyi tribes are characterized by bird totem worship, Shandong is the most prevalent area. According to evidence that too Wu is a primitive society in the eastern barbarians living in the area of Shandong, a famous chief of the too howl tribe. Although too howl is not a bird totem worshipper, and the Yi people are more bird totem worship habits, further confirming the acupuncture stone originated in China's Shandong area. With the widespread use and practice of stone acupuncture, people also invented the bone needle and bamboo needle. When already have the ability to burn pottery, and invented pottery needle. With the invention of metallurgical technology, people also invented copper needles, iron needles, silver needles and gold needles, which enriched the types of needles and expanded the scope of acupuncture treatment.

In 1968, nine needle tools were found in a Western Han Dynasty tomb in Mancheng, Hebei Province. In the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine, needles were developed into the so-called "nine needles", i.e., nine different shapes of needles used for different purposes, "nine needles" refers to: Engraved Needle, Round Needle, Technetium Needle, Sharp Needle, Beryllium Needle, Round Sharp Needle, Long Needle, Milli Needle, and Large Needle. The appearance and application of the nine needles marks the external stabbing technique has reached a new level.