The Origin of Acupuncture
In ancient times, people sometimes were accidentally hit by some sharp objects such as rocks, thistles, thorns and etc in a certain part of the body, they felt that the pain was unexpectedly relieved. It brought people's attention after the similar situations had repeated for many times.
They began to consciously sting some parts of the body or prick the skin to make it bleed with some sharp rocks for relieving the pain. As it turns to the Neolithic Age, people had mastered the skills of digging and grinding. They could make some relatively fine lithic tools which were suitable for pricking into the body to treat diseases. This kind of lithic tools are the oldest medical instrument “the Stone Needle”. Besides using it for pricking into the body to treat diseases, the Stone Needle was also often used in a primitive surgery of suppurative infection for the incision and discharging suppuration at that time, therefore, it was also called “Needle Stone” or “Stone Trowel”. It can be said that the Stone Needle is the foundation and predecessor of the modern tools like knives and needles.
The Origin of Moxibustion
Moxibustion was probably invented on the foundation of the heat ironing therapy.
It is inferred that primitive people could sometimes be hurt by the sparks that burst out onto their skin when they getting warm from a fire, boiling food or making a fire to keep away beasts, but this kind of local burns could possibly relieve the symptoms of some diseases at the same time. It inspired people after the similar situations had repeated for many times. They began to consciously select some wizened stems and leaves of plants as the fuel for heating to stimulate parts of the body. And moxa leaves were inflammable, fragrant, rich in resources and easy to process and preserve etc. therefore, all of these characteristics of moxa leaves had made them become the most main materials of moxibustion afterwards.
