Acupuncture Therapy: Current Chinese Practice.

Abstract

Acupuncture is a phenomenon that has caught the imagination of the public dramatically in the past two years. Because it has no clear scientific basis, the medical profession tends to treat it with suspicion and disdain. The claims of success in a wide variety of conditions increase this distrust and, as with any panacea, it is regarded as shamanism. However, the possibility exists that it may have some application, and thus it deserves trial, preferably by people with a medical background. No reputable schools of acupuncture exist in this country, and the only books so far available tend only to confuse the would-be practitioner. <i>Acupuncture Therapy: Current Chinese Practice</i>, written by a urologist, an acupuncturist, and an authority on oriental medicine, is probably the most useful book to appear on the market to date. At the same time it has severe limitations. It basically describes clearly, if somewhat roughly, at