The first written text of acupuncture was by the great grandson of Benjamin Franklin, Dr. Franklin Bache. In 1825 he wrote an article titled “Memoirs on Acupuncture” and translated French acupuncture textbooks into English. Acupuncture was used during the US Civil War. William Osler, one of the most famous physicians of the 19th century, in his 1892 textbook, Principles of Practice of Medicine, recommended acupuncture for the treatment of many conditions, especially back pain and sciatica. He wrote, “For lumbago, acupuncture is, in acute cases, the most efficient treatment”.
As with homeopathy acupuncture fell into disfavor in the early 1900 with the advent of the pharmaceutical trade. It was only after President Nixon’s trip to China that there began to be a rebirth of acupuncture use in the US. In the 25 years that I have practice acupuncture I have seen a dramatic rise in acceptance among the medical profession to where most physicians recognize it as a valid for of treatment.