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Excerpt from A Journey Through the Chinese Empire <p>As to the physiological e'ects of acupuncture, inde pendently of the relief afforded, which has been te marked, especially in cases of rheumatism and neural gia, they have mostly been observed to be the following. The introduction of the needle is not very painful, if care is previously taken to distend the skin, and if the needle is turned, instead of being driven straight forward. In general, its extraction is more painful than its intro duction; there issues very little blood from the pune ture; at most, only a few drops. The skin rises round the instrument, preserving its natural color; but it soon sinks again, and there is formed a red circle round it. The sick person then feels shootings directed toward the part; muscular contractions take place numbness, following the course of the great trunks of the nerves and feverish shiverings. It is not uncommon to see a sweat break out over the part corresponding with the seat of pain; and in that case it has ceased, or at all events be come diminished, or has shifted its place. Toward this time there have come faintings, more or less complete, and more or less durable, and which can scarcely be attributed to the pain of the puncture, since they have taken place when the painful sensation has ceased. This, it appears, is the only accident ever known to result from acupuncture. There might be, perhaps, cause to fear serious wounds and fatal consequences if the needle should traverse the great nervous trunks, or the organs essential to life. Some surgeons have asserted that the extreme. Fineness of the needle was a sufficient guarantee against consequences of this kind; but although in ex periments made on animals, it has been found possible to pierce with them the stomach, the lungs, and even the heart, without any bad result, it is, nevertheless. <p>About the Publisher <p>Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forg