networking acupuncture in vietnam

278 Pages·2011·4.81 MB·English

NETWORKING ACUPUNCTURE IN VIETNAM

GILLIAN FIONA DALGETTY

A Thesis Submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of
The Australian National University

March 2010

This thesis is the original work of the author
except where otherwise stated.

Gillian Fiona Dalgetty
Department of Anthropology
Research School of Pacific Asian Studies
The Australian National University

In memory of a dear friend,
Richard Arthur Walsh

“we shall never cease from exploration”
– T.S Elliot

Contents
List of Figures & Tables
Acknowledgements
Abstract
Introduction: Medical Knowledge as Network 5
Chapter One Making a New Medicine 40
Chapter Two Constructing Acupuncture Objects 71
Chapter Three Trust before Truth 108
Chapter Four Shaping Clinical Encounters 142
Chapter Five Generating Noise 172
Chapter Six Vision Interrupted 203
Conclusion 232

References Cited 240
List of Figures & Tables
Figure 1 Placing Pedagogy 41
Figure 2 Hai Thuong Lan Ong: A Scientific Hero 45
Figure 3 Technicalities in Acupuncture 76
Figure 4 The Thái Cực 82
Figure 5 A Miniature Body 93
Figure 6 What the Dragon-Horse Told 115
Figure 7 What the Turtle Told 116
Figure 8 Eight Trigrams 120
Figure 9 Contraindicated Points (left) and Indicated Points 124
(centre) Invert to give a Point Prescription (right)
Figure 10 In the Public Eye 149
Figure 11 A Shape of Treatment 166
Figure 12a Humanitarian Medicine 198
Figure 12b Humanitarian Medicine 198
Figure 13 The Guide-tube Innovation 209
Figure 14 Anatomical Models Used by Blind Students in Japan 210
Figure 15 Needling Through a Guide-tube 214

Table 1 Nomenclature 90
Table 2 The Pulse 121
Table 3 Qi Flow through the Pulse 122
Table 4 Two Treatments 161
Acknowledgements
Duyen số has been very important for this project. From chance meetings in England,
to lucky junctures in Australia and fortuitous connections in Vietnam, I owe much to
Serendipity.

Without an Australian National University Scholarship and the European Endeavour
International Postgraduate Research Scholarship, I could not have taken up this
PhD. My gratitude goes to the University of Humanities and Social Sciences in Ho
Chi Minh City for sponsoring my research visa and continuing visa support during
fieldwork in Vietnam.

I wish to say a big Thank You to Dr Philip Taylor for his continuous and
generous support, not least for encouragement during the long application process
and for keeping me on track with the whole programme. Without him, I would be
lost deep in some academic forest with no guide to get me out. I was very privileged
that I came to know Dr Richard Eves and am grateful for his friendship and care in
supervising this thesis, for his meticulous reading of early and late draft chapters, for
long conversations with lots of coffee and for access to his extensive personal
library. I have also greatly benefitted from the warm and helpful guidance of Doreen
Montag and welcomed her enthusiasm for this project when mine was flagging. Not
least, I wish to thank Professor Monique Skidmore for her steely, practical advice
which was invaluable during pre-fieldwork preparations.

I particularly indebted to Dr Huynh Kim Quang for connecting me to a treasure
trove of acupunctures and with his boundless energy, enthusiasm and ideas, showed
me truly how to work. I am beholden to Master Nguyen Phuong for accepting a
novice foreigner into his acupuncture classes and opening up for me a new way to
know logic. I am also profoundly obliged to Dr Thu Van, at the University of
Pedagogy, Ho Chi Minh City, without whose assistance my translations would be
much poorer.

Joy accompanies memories of acupuncture learning, teaching and adventuring with
Anthony, bác An, chị Anh, em Giang, chị Ha, em Hang, em Khanh, chị Kieu, Marcella,
Molly, bác Phuoc, chị Trish, chú Uy, chị Van, em Vu Thuy and Wendy. Cám ơn rất nhiều
for our shared friendships in Vietnam and Cambodia.

My gratitude goes to Penelope Judd, Fay Castles and Helen Parsons for their
assistance throughout the PhD programme. To Dr Stephen Meatheringham for his
unfailing kindnesses, grazi mille di cuore. I would also take this opportunity to express
my appreciation to the Division of Pacific Asian History for hosting me while
writing and making that time much fun. I have particularly benefitted from the
companionship of Michael Churchman, Andy Connelly, George Darroch, Rob
Hurle, Mark Nizette, Matthias Hammer, Induranee Sandanam, Daniel Sanderson and
Oanh Collins. I wish to express my gratitude to Maxine MacArthur for so kindly
proof-reading a late draft of this manuscript.

Thank-you, Gary Kildea for your mentorship in all things film and the best piece of
advice anyone ever gave me in Australia. I am grateful to Brett Dywer for beers in
need in Saigon, to Richard Walsh who allowed me to see his world, to Geoff
Buchanan for introducing me to Chaos Theory and to Ana Dragojlovic, Simon
Creak, Anika Koenig, Philip Fountain, Traci Smith, Bo Seo, Kamal Fadzil, Phoenix
Freeman, Darja Hoenigman, Graeme Smith, Keri Mills, Sin Wen Lau, Ma Khin Mar
Mar Kyi, Karen Green, Ross Burdon, Michael Palmer, Kylie Moloney and Tom
Foley for the intellectual stimulation of extended conversations, the reading of draft
chapters and, most especially, for the sustenance of friendship and laughter.

The philosophy, humour and song of that sparkling diamond Le Thanh Khanh Hai
have sincerely supported me over the last few years. I have also much appreciated
living close to my Uncle John and Aunt Patricia again, together with my cousins, old
and young, who took care of me Down Under. I am grateful that I had this chance
to share your lives for a while. Finally I thank my family at Home: Mam and Dad,
Alison, Audrey, Raymond with Audrey, Erin, Orlaith and Liam. You have helped me
sustain not only this project but all my intermittent globetrotting during the sad days
that I was away from the croft. I am truly blessed that we are together. Because of
you all, I am grateful to God for this lucky birth.