TCM Unearthed: Bronze Bian-needle

This small bronze artifact, unearthed in Inner Mongolia, is a perfect combination of a surgical knife and an acupuncture needle from the Warring States period. One end features a sharp, three-edged tip for insertion into acupuncture points to treat disease. The other end is a flat blade used to prick skin for bloodletting or to drain pus. This bronze Bian-needle proves that over 2,000 years ago, Chinese physicians had already mastered complex techniques in both acupuncture and minor surgery. It is now housed in the Shaanxi Medical History Museum.

Portions of this article were adapted from research materials originally published on National Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine.