Acupuncture
Acupuntura
- Date
- c. 113 BCE · confidence low
- Place
- Mancheng, Hebei, China
- Credited to
- Physicians of the Han dynasty
- Field
- Life & health
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
A technique of inserting needles at points on the body according to the theory of qi channels, codified in the Huangdi neijing. The gold and silver needles from the tomb of Prince Liu Sheng (113 BCE) are considered possible acupuncture needles, although it is not certain they were used for that purpose.
The Mawangdui texts (168 BCE) describe the channels but not needles. Its efficacy beyond placebo is debated in modern clinical trials.
What it led to
- systematised traditional Chinese medicine
- spread to Korea, Japan and Vietnam and, in the 20th century, to the West