A Brief History of Acupuncture's Journey to the West

Abstract: Acupuncture stands on the threshold of acceptance by the medical establishment in the United States. This medical philosophy and practice is challenging the basis of our understanding of health and illness. The history of acupuncture's journey to the West is chronicled in a review of milestones of medical history. The historical journey out of the orient began with Jesuit missionaries who entered China in the 16th century. By the end of the 19th century, many of France's most prominent physicians were using acupuncture. Probably the most influential French acupuncturist was George Soulie DeMorant, whose text, LAcupuncture Chinoise (Chinese Acupuncture) was published in 1939. In the United States, acupuncture was first mentioned in the medical literature in 1822, and was endorsed by Sir William Osler for the management of lumbago in his text, The Principles and Practice of Medicine, published in 1892. The news report by New York Times reporter James Reston in 1971 relating his experience with acupuncture for postoperative pain, sparked massive interest on the part of the American medical community. This interest continues to this day, and more and more physicians and nonphysician health practitioners are involved in the use of acupuncture. With increasing interest in complementary and alternative medicine, acupuncture will likely be used more commonly, and will also serve to broaden the traditional concepts of health and illness.

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