Research On Acupuncture Education In The Republican Times

The Republican times is an important transition stage for Chinese acupuncture education,in which many educators founded multiple kinds of acupuncture schools and wrote abundant acupuncture teaching textbooks.This education transition has been making influence on acupuncture up to today.To a certain extent,past studies have discussed the Chinese medicine education that more or less related to the discussion of the acupuncture education in the Republican times,but a comprehensive and systematic research is still absent.This thesis aims to investigate acupuncture schools,school forms,acupuncture teaching textbooks and explore the evolution of meridians and acupoints,acupuncture and therapeutics,and then analyze influencing factors of acupuncture and its effect on acupuncture education after the founding of the People's Republic of China by analyzing acupuncture education in the Republican times.At first,this research makes a brief review on the background of Chinese schools education in the Republican times and the transition process of acupuncture education from the traditional teaching mode to school education,listing the relevant historical events of modern Chinese medicine education.Then,the paper analyzes the characteristics of formal school education,correspondence classes,short-term class,and other forms during the Republican times.In general,formal school education was the mainstream in school education,with long duration and different level education.Acupuncture course' status in normal Chinese medicine school was not emphasized.Specialized acupuncture school embarked curriculum differentiation,with reference to the western academic system.Teaching contents was standardized and practical with defined schedule and clinical practice courses.Correspondence class was mainly relying on schools to run,partially founded by students,using same teaching materials of normal course,which were rarely related to western medical subjects.Meanwhile,correspondence class was short and easy to complete.Short-term class were made up by specialized classes and small workshops to shorten acupuncture education,in which some training classes were ran in wartime.Based on the specific study of acupuncture education,this research collects materials of acupuncture schools in Republican times and analyzed their features,in respects of school running,students enrolling,curriculum setting and courses teaching.In general,acupuncture schools at that time were established by private organizations,and developed correspondence education initially.These schools were mainly relying on advertisements to enroll students,some partially getting government supports.The students were on different levels.The systematic acupuncture education structure was set up,which clinical practice teaching began to be introduced into.Most schools absorbed western contents into courses,while few schools still taught traditional theories.The education model of acupuncture school during the republic of China was continued after the foundation of the nation,especially lay the foundation for the establishment of department of acupuncture.Simultaneously,based on the analysis of the school education forms and the characteristics of the acupuncture schools,it is found that there are great differences in the edited modes and content of the teaching materials in different schools and education forms.The author reviews the ancient acupuncture materials,combing the compiling process of medical textbook during the Republican times.67 teaching textbooks in the Republican times have been collected and divided into three stages according to their edited modes and edited time:early(1912-1937),middle(1938-1939)and late(1940-1949).The contents of earlybooks were more focusing on traditional idea such as meridians and acupoints,preliminary being involved in western medicine.The middle's had 2 kinds of modes;one was constructed by 2 sections of western medicine and acupuncture,while another was a series sections of"introduction,acupoint,operation(acupuncture),treatment".Both of them had absorbed plenty of western anatomy,physiology and pathology,underlining clinical practice.But some textbooks still persisted traditional theory.The late system was in "acupuncture science,moxibustion science,acupoint,therapeutics",added in diagnosis contents,or "introduction,acupoint,treatment",more scientific than the former.Diagnostic technique and point application were more emphasized.The edited mode and contents of acupuncture books in late Republican period had been making influence up to today.Following the analysis of the textbook content and style,this paper used previous classification method of acupuncture materials,expatiating detailedly the theory of evolution in meridian acupoints,acupuncture and treatment in the textbooks.The early books were more focusing on meridians and acupoints,especially,which limited to the discussion of twelve meridians from the traditional contents.Although the "nerve" was introduced in,the acupuncture textbooks was very little westernized,which still followed the old tradition.Only few superficially explanation about meridian essence emerged,as well as skeleton graphs and anatomical physiology were employed.Investigating acupoints were followed the traditional path in respect of meridian and number.Advanced understanding of the essence of meridians is constantly updated from single neural or vascular to a variety of organizations." Eight extrameridians " had highlighted in the middle,treating them as lymph or nerves with the knowledge of physiology and pathology in traditional and western medicine.Being neglected in the early stage,acupuncture was emphasized in the introduction of new needling instruments,mild moxibustion and acupuncture disinfection,leading into acupuncture manipulation,reinforcing and reducing,taboo and so on in the middle.Contents focused on "acupuncture process" easily and practically.The treatment,early emerged in indications of acupoints that reflect the importance of"acupoint" itself and emphasize the clinical effect of single point,and some presented directly with acupuncture songs.In the middle and late stage,therapeutics used term of western medicine to illustrate the mechanism of acupuncture,and guided for acupuncture points selection,to explain the etiology and pathological mechanism.Meanwhile acupuncture prescription pattern presented a form of " the principle,method,prescription,acupoints " by inspiration of traditional Chinese medicine recipe ideas.This part takes "palpitations hyperthyroidism(palpitations)" "beriberi" as examples to explain the disease of classification etiology and acupuncture treatments.Based on the above research in acupuncture schools,teaching material and acupuncture theory in the Republican times,the paper analyzed the reasons of acupuncture education transformation at that time in respects of medical system reform,Japanese acupuncture,scientization of TCM and acupuncture educators.Last,the author discusses acupuncture education in PRC and attempts to figure out the effects caused by acupuncture education transformation in Republican times.