[Formation, evolution and differentiation of acupunctology discipline in view of interdiscipline]

Acupuncture-moxibustion, acupunctology and acupunctology discipline are three closely related concepts, with the first one being covered by the later one. In the present paper, we analyzed the formation, evolution and differentiation of acupunctology discipline and its significance. The knowledge system and academic institutions of acupuncture-moxibustion combine together to construct the acupunctology discipline. The introduction of interdisciplinary methods and academic perspectives is the core motivation of the formation, development and evolution of the acupunctology discipline, which not only enriches its problema-tic domains, but also interacts with the academically organizing force. The participation of interdiscipline promotes the broader and deeper development of the knowledge of acupunctology, and the knowledge expansion is also the inevitable result of infiltration of cross-disciplines. Hence, the maturity of the acupuntology discipline unavoidably leads to differentiation of the subject. At present, the acupunctology discipline can be divided into four main branches: clinical acupuncture-moxibustion, techniques, mechanisms and humanities of acupuncture and moxibustion. Currently, the acupunctology subject has formed a direction of expansion in multiple dimensions of the knowledge system due to continuous collision, nourishment and infiltration from many other related disciplines. However, because it is from the classical learning, its knowledge system inevitably has the characteristics of inertial stability, insufficient motivation and vitality in breaking the traditional framework. These issues now need being faced up to and being solved at the moment.