California Forbids Chinese Bloodletting

[HuckleB]

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=7599

"In November 2010, the California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) finally decided to act responsibly and forbid the prevalent practice of Chinese bloodletting by licensed acupuncturists. The practice became a concern for the DCA when allegations of unsanitary bloodletting at a California (CA) acupuncture school surfaced.

The incident allegedly occurred during a “doctoral” course for licensed practitioners. The instructor was reportedly demonstrating advanced needling and bloodletting techniques. During the process, he took an arrow-like lancing instrument that is called a “three-edged needle” (三棱针), sharpened it with sandpaper, cleaned it with alcohol, and then asked a student-volunteer to roll a towel around his neck (similar to what is depicted in Image 1). The instructor then cleaned the student’s temporal region with alcohol, and punctured a superficial blood vessel with the arrow-like instrument. The student then held his head over the garbage can, gushing blood for a while.


The ancient practice of bloodletting, with or without cupping, is still widely used in Chinese medicine to remove “stagnant blood, expel heat, treat high fever, loss of consciousness, convulsion, and pain.”1 The amount of blood let depends on the condition, and the location of the incision. A contemporary book recommends letting a tiny amount from a point adjacent to the thumbnail for a condition described as “wind-heat invasion” of the lung. The symptoms associated with this unscientific nomenclature include chills and fever, sore throat, stuffy or runny nose, and a yellow discharge,2 which could correspond to many respiratory conditions, including the common cold, influenza, pneumonia, etc.

Bloodletting with cupping, also known as “wet cupping,” consists of placing suction cups on top of an incision to expurge “bad,” “excessive,” or “stagnant” blood. This is the dirty version of “dry cupping” where cups are placed over an area of intact skin to draw underlying blood and fluids to the surface.3

..."


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I've posted the first four paragraphs only. The story includes photos for those who enjoy such things.

:hi:

[somone]

1. Pretty affordable medicine there

All you need is a razor blade and a garbage can!

[hobbit709]

2. Isn't bleeding what helped kill George Washington?

[ZombieHorde]

3. Can't they just donate blood? nt

[HuckleB]

6. That would make more sense. -eom-

[Morning Dew]

19. But, but, but....

that blood is "bad", "excessive" or maybe even "stagnant".


YUCK!

[xchrom]

4. Recommend - I guess I'm a tad taken aback that

Such a thing would still be offered moreso that
Any one would want it.

[HopeHoops]

5. Bloodletting is where the barber pole came from.

You don't see many of those anymore. We've still got a few old barber shops in the area that have them out. One is even within walking distance of my house but I've never been in it - I don't cut my hair.

[HuckleB]

7. Interesting. Thanks. -eom-

[Odin2005]

26. A lot of barbers also used to be surgeons.

[leveymg]

8. What's with all the gory China-hate posts since 10am this morning?

First it was the Chinese threaten CFC release (pay them or they'll destroy the atmosphere) post, then the Chinese slaughter endangered rhinos in Africa, now this.

20-minute Hate East Asia this morning?

[HuckleB]

10. Where's the hate?

:shrug:

[leveymg]

15. If you have to ask . . .

[HuckleB]

16. So there's no hate?

Or does California taking action for public safety equate to hate?

[leveymg]

17. Looked like, waddled like, quacked like . . . but, maybe it was just a duck.

Just remarking on the weird confluence of those three articles appearing close to each other this morning.

No, I don't think the California legislature hates the Chinese. Maybe in the 1880s . . . Today, I'd say there are lots of other entities with an axe to grind, particularly economic and trade.

[Heywood J]

21. Perhaps we should be asking what's with the Chinese that all this stuff is happening?

If they weren't slaughtering endangered animals, there would be no news about it.

[slackmaster]

9. Cue Theodoric of York, Medieval Barber

?w=314&h=235

[SidDithers]

12. Beat me to it...

Took too long to get the pic in my photobucket account :)

Video here, I think. I can't see NBC clips in Canada.
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/theodoric-of-york/2888/

Sid

[HuckleB]

20. +1

[Kalyke]

11. I thought this was going to be an article on the trade deficit.

:hi:

[HuckleB]

13. The headline does work for both matters, doesn't it?

:toast:

[AngryAmish]

14. What about local, ancient knowledge...the wisdom of the ancients...

Good show, California. Now get rid of all the other quackery.

[TexasObserver]

18. Health care today is still mainly blood letting.

Figuratively speaking, of course.

Two hundred years ago, they only drained you of blood you had. Now, they'll drain you of the blood you'll have for years to come.

[HuckleB]

22. True enough.

[TexasObserver]

23. Our for profit health care system = #1 cause of bankruptcies

Isn't that pathetic?

We crush people who can't pay their medical bills, and most of them had insurance.

[HuckleB]

24. Yes, it's quite pathetic.

:hi:

[Odin2005]

25. BLOODLETTING? Christ, we really ARE going back to the Dark Ages!