This article discusses the development of early acupuncture needles as demonstrated by the artifacts excavated from the Northern part of the Yanji district, Jilin, China, during the Japanese colonial era (reported in 1941). Numerous bone needles, stone needles, and other medical devices were found in the Xiaoyingzi excavation. The stone needles from Xiaoyingzi can be categorized into three grades, based on length, of 8cm, 12–15cm, and 18cm. A set of round stones for massage were also discovered, along with obsidian blades. These relics were carefully stored in the middle of the body in the stone coffin. In addition to Xiaoyingzi, stone needles were also excavated along the lower valley region of the Tuman (Tumen, 豆滿) River. These facts indicate that the owner was involved in medical practice, and that medical procedures using stone needles were quite popular at the time. This article carefully investigates that the relics have nothing to do with weaving textile or military use. Current research on the origin of acupuncture has been confined either to stone needles from the prehistoric age or to bronze needles, as well as to literature from the Warring States period to the Han China, during which acupuncture technology was considerably expanded. However, substantial knowledge on the “gap” between stone needles and metal needles has been procured through the analysis of Xiaoyingzi, Yanji. The findings of Xiaoyingzi are also significant in providing a more detailed reconstruction of the development of acupuncture in East Asia and emergence of acupuncture throughout history. A large amount of medical items (stone and bone needles, cases for needles, massage stone type bianshi, and etc.), have been excavated from Xiaoyingzi and other neighbouring sites, Along with geographic and ecological factors, this archeological data strongly suggests the medical tradition of using acupuncture needles was practiced around Tumen River basin in the Bronze Age (10th century B.C.).
Acupuncture* ; Artifacts ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; China ; Far East ; Humans ; Massage ; Military Personnel ; Needles ; Rivers ; Textiles

Pleomorphic adenoma is the most common salivary neoplasm mainly occurring in the major salivary glands - especially in parotid gland, which is characterized by variable histopathologic appearances and high recurrence rate with malignant transformation according to surgical situations. And this benign mixed tumor occurring in minor salivary glands is believed to shows same clinicopathologic appearances and relatively low recurrent rate compared with the case in major salivary glands. But there are few comparative studies of large series of pleomorphic adenoma occurring in minor salivary glands which includes different histopathologic appearance, clinical characteristics, treatment methods, recurrence rate, and malignant transformation. We retrospectively studied the 54 patients who were pathologically confirmed with pleomorphic adenoma occurring in minor salivary glands, and analyzed the clinico-histopathological appearance, surgical methods, recurrent cases. The results obtained are as follows. 1. The incidence of the tumor was most frequent in 4th & 5th decade, and in female. 2. Palate(90%) including hard & soft palate was the most frequent site for pleomorphic adenoma in minor salivary glands. 3. The exact duration could not be known due to asymptomatic slow growth patterns of the tumor. 4. The mean tumor size was 2.3cm. 5. 28 (52%) pleomorphic adenomas were classified as Cellular type (cell-rich), 17 (31%) specimen as Intermediate type(equal cell to stroma ratio), and 9 (17%) as Myxoid type(stroma-rich). 6. Surgically 51 cases (94%) were showed well-encapsulated tumors, but histopathologically only 34 specimen (63%) were wellencapsulated. Therefore pleomorphic adenomas in minor salivary glands also have to be excised more widely, not enucleated. And in case of suspicious malignancy or large tumor, preoperative incisional biopsy can be applied in the center of the tumor for prevention of rupture of tumor cell, and total excision with use of frozen biopsy for detection of malignancy and confirming the excision m argin, and closed follow-up according to final histopathologic results is recommended.
Adenoma, Pleomorphic* ; Biopsy ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Palate, Soft ; Parotid Gland ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Rupture ; Salivary Glands ; Salivary Glands, Minor*