[Analysis on the key factors affecting the inheritance of the acupuncture learning]

On the basis of systematicly reviewing the developmental history of acupuncture and moxibustion and profoundly understanding its academic connotations, the authors of the present article make a summary and analysis on the key factors influencing the development of acupuncturology. These key factors are (1) the emergence of "microacupuncture needle regulating-Qi" and the establishement of their corresponding theory system, (2) a large number of practitioners who inherited the learnings of acupuncturology generations by generations, and abundant medical classical works which recorded the valuable academic thoughts and clinical experience of the predecesors, (3) the application of acupuncture charts and manikins, and (4) modernizing changes of acupuncture learnings after introduction of western medicine to China. Just under the influence of these key factors, the acupuncture medicine separates itself from the level of the simple experience medicine, and has formed a set of special theory system and developed into a mature subject.