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课文

One of the most famous Chinese medical treatments is the art of magic needles or Chinese acupuncture. It was developed long ago. Perhaps as early as 2000 BC. There is evidence that acupuncture began during the Stone Age when stone tools called Bian were used pressed areas of the body. As acupuncture developed, the simple Bian stones were replaced by stone needles. Eventually , metal needles began to appear and took the place. There were nine different kinds of needles. This included a needle with the hat like an arrow used for making shallow holes in the surface of the skin; a needle with a round tip used for pressing tissue under the skin; a dull needle used for tapping against pressure points and the needle like a small sword used for letting out liquid out of the body parts which have swollen up. These needles could be made of different metals, such as gold and silver. Some acupuncturists today still use golden and silver needles, but the majority use only the stainless steel ones. The main needles now used for acupuncture is fine and sharp. Most of the others have been replaced by more complex medical instruments. For example, the needle looking like a sword has been replaced by sharp knife the doctor use in operations. Acupuncture use a stainless needles that are put to into the skin at certain points of the body so that disease can be cured or health problems solved. These points are called acupuncture points. 

When acupuncture was first practiced, there were 365 such points. The number of acupuncture points was the same as the number of days in a year. However, over the last 2000 years, this number has gradually increased to about 2000. Some acupuncturists insert needles at or near the body part affected by the disease while others select points according to the symptoms that the patient has. If you go to an acupuncturist, he or she will ask you questions about your medical history and your way of life. The acupuncturist will look at the color of your skin and your tongue, listen to your breathing and check your pulses. Western medicine only recognizes one pulse which indicates the heartbeat. However, according to the traditional Chinese medicine, there are 12 different pulses. Six on edressed and every one of them is connected with major body organ or its function. By checking all the pulses, the acupuncturist can find out which channel does not have enough energy. Some of the medical problems that can be treated by acupuncture, include severe pains, headaches, injuries, stomach problems and high blood pressure. Some people have also use acupuncture to treat smokers, alcoholics and people who are addicted to drugs. How acupuncture reduces pain isn’t clear. One theory explaining the phenomenon suggests that acupuncture blocks pain signals from reaching the brain. Another theory relates acupuncture to the production of chemicals in the body which reduce pain. A lot people now subscribe to these theories. As a unique contribution of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture spread to many Asian countries such as Japan as early as the 6th century. It was introduced to the west in the 17th century. Today acupuncture has become popular around the world as have other traditional Chinese medicines. The world health organization recommends acupuncture as a good treatment over forty medical problems while doubts about its safety have faded away. Interest continues to grow.