The teaching of Western medicine does not change much from one country to another. Subjects, methods, techniques, procedures, diagnosis, treatment options and practical applications are similar. The entire curriculum is established by medical understanding, under the supervision of a ministry or a government official agency. The extensive network of medical communications worldwide ensures consistent. There are some differences, mostly depending on the level of financial resources or the development of a country.
The case of acupuncture technique is rather special.
1. This is not the direct product of the evolution of Western medicine over the past 150 years, so it is natural fit within the frame.
2. There was more than two thousand years ago in a country where the level of knowledge, culture, behavior, depending on the profile of civilization at that time.
3. Because the characteristics of civilization evolution and improvements are slow. But the body of acupuncture will be presented in China shows some development, especially in the last 100 years, and especially since the communist regime took in China. Since then, throughout China, each Institute, College, University, the material of what is considered as Chinese acupuncture is the same. This is the result of government decisions. The contents of the manual seem to bring the essence of what is sometimes affected the “tradition”, as something that can not be questioned. The general impression that since remote times to all professionals and authors agree with each topic that only a large school of thought and a way of Practicing the techniques.
This flagrant contradiction to the way it presents Chinese Acupuncture in 1972 out when archaeologists discovered a tomb near Mawangdui, in Hunan province and near Chansha. It is not found or looted. more than three thousand items are excavated, including medical text very revealing. He called the meridians or channels, with some differences between the text and the oldest book we have the issue. The method of treatment consists of using heat to the meridians. But there was nothing to acupuncture points or the use of needles!
What is interesting that the tomb may be dated very accurately in 168 BC. This does not mean that professionals do not use the instrument to needle points, but very likely that some schools. This is certainly a logical situation which remained until recently, as evidenced by the various theories and trends in old books and manuals. But the findings are a kind of shame on the united front presented by China now, and rarely mentioned anywhere, except sinologists newspapers.
4. The nature of teaching acupuncture in China, apart from brief moments that few checks by the central government, especially depending on local initiative, and mainly relied on master-apprentice system of knowledge transfer. This situation led to a certain degree of freedom in the conduct and content of education. Must add one to the general Chinese doctors or acupuncturists not really addressed by scholars long and difficult learning research conducted at a decent level in the administrative network reach.
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