| Description |
Many people think acupuncture is another silly, "miracle cure" gimmick often seen on late night television. They brush it aside with all the other commercials for instant hair tonics, overnight teeth whiteners and quick energizing vitamins. Yet many claim that acupuncture really works. These people claim that acupuncture cures certain diseases, relieves pain and adjusts temperament. Doctors in China have even used acupuncture as anesthesia for surgery. While the debate over the legitimacy of acupuncture continues today, the understanding of the original purpose of acupuncture remains vague. Because of the current stereotyping of acupuncture, its original function is lost. So the real question remains: What is the historical goal of acupuncture as a medical treatment for humans? This paper does not focus on the legitimacy of acupuncture, but researches its historical purpose through a linguistic analysis. A better understanding of the history will naturally define the goal. The Chinese character system allows the method of research to be very unique. To analyze the history of acupuncture, each specific Chinese character associated with acupuncture is researched. Certain characters are broken down into their basic components, called radicals. Each radical has a very distinct and fundamental meaning. When the radicals are clearly defined in this way, a greater insight to the character is revealed. This type of analysis is like taking apart a car piece by piece. Each piece defines the entire car. Only until each piece is analyzed, will a true understanding of how the car works be gained. Through this analysis, I discover the "true meaning" of the philosophies behind acupuncture. I compare this with current Western philosophies of medicine and discuss how the two may benefit each other. I conclude that acupuncture requires more scientific research from the Western medical communities. The Chinese philosophies discovered in my analysis could help Western medicine as well. |
