Acupuncture and Moxibustion
钍炙
Acupuncture and moxibustion, with a history of thousands of years in China, is at the core of Chinese medicine; it includes two old therapeutic methods, i. e. acupuncture therapy and moxibustion therapy. Acupuncture therapy involves jabbing specially made metal needles of different lengths into the patient’s body at certain acupuncture points, treating the patient by twirling or lifting the needles. Moxibustion therapy requires the placement of burning crushed dry moxa near or on the skin at certain acupuncture points, treating the diseases by the irritation of heat. In ancient China, there were many well-known doctors using acupuncture and moxibustion therapy to treat the patients, such as Bian Que of the Spring and Autumn Period and Hua Tuo of the Eastern Han Dynasty, who had cured some difficult and complicated diseases, and thus were acclaimed as miracle-working doctors. In 1027, a medical official of acupuncture and moxibustion of the Song Dynasty Wang Weiyi designed and made two bronze human figures marked with acupuncture points, and carefully carved 12 channels and vessels and 354 acupuncture points on the figures for people to use when learning the therapy.This was the earliest bronze human figure for medical use in China. Nowadays,acupuncture and moxibustion therapy is not only widely used in China to relieve people of their diseases, but it has also spread around the world.
钍灸在中国已有几千年的历史，是中国医学宝库中一颗璀璨的明珠。针灸术包括中国两种古老的治病方法：针法和灸法。针法是用特制的不同长度的金属针，按一定穴位，刺入病人体内，用捻、提等手法治疗疾病。灸法是把烧着的艾绒按一定的穴位，靠近皮肤或放在皮肤上，利用热的刺激来治疗疾病。中国古代有很多用针灸术为人治病的名医，像春秋时的扁鹊、东汉时的华佗等，他们治过不少疑难杂症，被誉为能使人起死回生的“神医”。公元1027年，宋代针灸医官王惟一，创造了针灸史上一大奇迹。他设计铸造了两具针灸铜人模型，在铜人体上精细地刻了十二经脉和354个穴位，供人学习针灸时使用。这是中国最早的医用铜人模型，也是中国针灸教育事业上的一个创举。今天，古老的针灸术不但在中国广泛使用，为人们解除病痛，而且还漂洋过海，传到了全世界各个地方。