Acupuncture has been described as it is practiced in the People's Republic of China. To understand fully the preoccupation of the Chinese with this mode of treatment one must be familiar with its economic, historical and cultural background. Since conditions in Western countries are totally different from those in China it is obvious that acupuncture cannot be transplanted in toto from country to country, but that it requires reassessment of its usefulness as a treatment modality. Although further basic and clinical studies must be carried out, it would appear at the moment that acupuncture may have a useful place as yet and additional means of treating pain, especially in areas in which present treatment is less than satisfactory. At the moment no clear indication is obvious for acupuncture anaesthesia in countries in which this specialty is well developed and where adequate numbers of trained anaesthetists are available.