[New exploration on the types and forms of stone needle]

The basic use of stone needles in curing disease is cutting the carbuncles and purulences and pricking and draining off the sores. As a result, the forms of stone needle need to have a sharp cutting edge or slender point. Combining with corresponding unearthed material objects of archeology, the microlithic stone needle of mainly consists of a scraper, tip-like device and stone arrowheads. The stone needle of polished stone implements can be divided into three categories according to different forms and functions, that is conical-tip stone needles for pricking, e. g. lithostyle, coup de poing and stone arrowhead etc. ; sickle-shaped needle stone for cutting, e. g. stone knife, stone sickle, stone adze and stone chisel etc; spear-shaped stone needle for both cutting and pricking, e. g. stone spear, stone sword, jade (stone) spear etc. From the usage cases recorded in the ancient literature, the conical-tip stone needle for pricking ought to be the most used of the ancient stone needles. Use of the stone needle for hot stroking, massage and knocking at the body surface, which was raised by some related scholars, does not belong to the domain of ancient stone needles.