Western Medicine in China

In 1822 a government decree actually banned the practice of acupuncture from the Imperial Medical College, because undressing (even for medical examination) was considered improper.

In Republican China (1911-1949) the Kuomintang government tried to ban traditional medicine in 1929, but there were so many protests from traditional doctors that the attempt failed.

However, acupuncture seems to have survived less well in the cities than in the country at this time. After Liberation and the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949, there was a great resurgence of interest in acupuncture at a national level, especially in combining its use with Western medicine.

Books and papers were published, acupuncture departments were established in hospitals, and a thorough modernization and systematization of old methods was carried out. Investigations were also made into ear, finger, nose, face and scalp needling.

Around 1958, acupuncture began to become renowned for its effectiveness in pain control. At first it was primarily used in this way for post-operative care, but later it was introduced for anaesthesia during operations.

Experimentation started with minor operations such as tooth extraction, then was extended to tonsillectomy, thyroidectomy, repair of hernias and finally to major operations on the limbs, thorax and abdomen.