ABSTRACT
This chapter sheds light on the processes of differentiation and localisation in the movement of Chinese medical knowledge, and shows how acupuncture in France and Italy reveals a landscape of intersections between colonial politics and individual motivations. Chinese medicine – or rather Chinese medicines and their techniques – is defined as ‘global’ medical knowledge, since it has resulted in both medical knowledge and medical practices that are now pursued in the majority of countries in the world. The emergence, implementation and transmission of medical knowledge between China and France, then France and Italy, Italy and China and also between Italy and other European countries and the Americas, provide evidence of non-linear movements of medical knowledge and practices among China, Europe and the rest of the world. This analysis highlights national strategies, the dynamics of exchange and the movements of transnational actors.
