A TREATISE
ON
ACUPUNCTURATION, &c.
DEDICATED, BY PERMISSION,
TO
ASTLEY COOPER, Esq. F. R. S.
Plummer and Brewis, Printers, Love Lane, Eastcheap.
A TREATISE
ON
ACUPUNCTURATION;
BEING
A DESCRIPTION OF A SURGICAL OPERATION ORIGINALLY PECULIAR
TO THE JAPONESE AND CHINESE, AND BY THEM
DENOMINATED
ZIN-KING,
Now introduced into European Practice,
WITH
DIRECTIONS FOR ITS PERFORMANCE,
AND
CASES ILLUSTRATING ITS SUCCESS.
BY
JAMES MORSS CHURCHILL,
MEMBER OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS IN LONDON.
LONDON:
PUBLISHED BY SIMPKIN AND MARSHALL,
STATIONER’S COURT;
SOLD BY E. COX AND SON, ST. THOMAS’S STREET; J. CALLOW,PRINCE’S STREET, SOHO; MESSRS. UNDERWOOD, FLEETSTREET; BURGESS AND HILL, WINDMILL STREET; AND J.COX, BERNERS STREET, OXFORD STREET.
TO
ASTLEY COOPER, ESQ.
THE STEADY FRIEND AND PATRON OF HUMBLE MERIT,
THE AUTHOR RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBES
THIS LITTLE TREATISE;
LESS FROM PRESUMPTION OF ITS DESERVING
HIS APPROBATION,
THAN
AS A MARK OF RESPECT
FOR SPLENDID ACQUIREMENTS,
AND OF
GRATITUDE,
TOWARDS A GREAT MASTER.
TREATISE
ON
ACUPUNCTURATION.
Preliminary Remarks.
IF the medical profession merit thereproach, of being easily deluded intoan admiration of novelty, then I needuse no apology for introducing the followingpages to notice, nor will my subjectstand in need of prefatory allurementsto obtain attention; but if on theother hand, a rational theory, built on4sound logical reasoning, be the only evidenceto which any value can be attached,then will my efforts have been unavailingand fruitless. Under the impression,however, that there exists a desire forspeculation and discovery on the onehand, regulated and qualified by a moderateand proper degree of scepticismon the other, I shall presume a mediumof the two extremes, and proceed withoutapology or preface to my subject, trusting,that the interesting facts which I have torelate, will elicit such attention andinvestigation, as will kindle a desire insome men, at least, to become acquaintedwith a process, which appears to rivalthe most successful operations for therelief of human sufferings.
I should not have taken the tales whichare told of the wonderful cures effectedby this operation amongst the originalfounders of it, as sufficient authority forrecommending it, nor would I admit thefables which are promulgated by thesepeople, as evidence of its ef