The Reality of Ancient Wisdom: Acupuncture and TCM Weren’t So Great
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PainSci notes
This article is essential, morbidly fascinating reading. I didn’t think I could get any more cynical about ancient folk medicine. I was wrong! Dr. Hall packages up a few excerpts from an old book by a physician working in China in the late 19th Century. His matter-of-fact reports of the actual medical habits of the Chinese at that time are chilling, and a harsh reminder that traditional Chinese medicine was not wise and profound, but rather cringe-inducingly horrible, just as brutal and bizarre as any pre-scientific European “medicine.” In particular, the stories concerning acupuncture expose a mess of superstitious and vicious excess. Bloodletting was the tip of the iceberg.
Little wisdom is possible in a state of profound ignorance.
~ Paul Ingraham, PainSci Publisher
Related Content
- “Acupuncture and history: The “ancient” therapy that’s been around for several decades,” David Ramey, ScienceBasedMedicine.org.
- “The Acupuncture and Fasciae Fallacy,” Ben Kavoussi, ScienceBasedMedicine.org.
- “A true history of acupuncture,” Ramey et al, Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies, 2004.
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