The History of Acupuncture in the United States. Part 2 Nixon and the New York Times

James Reston in background

"At that precise moment, or so it now seems, the first stab of pain went through my groin," Reston wrote in a story titled "Now Let Me Tell You the Story of My Operation in Beijing" printed in the New York Times on July 26, 1971.

James Barrett Reston (Scotty) was a journalist for the New York Times and served as the associate editor from 1964 to 1968, executive editor from 1968 to 1969 and vice president of the Times from 1969 to 1974. Reston interviewed many of the world's leaders including Kennedy and Khrushchev.

Reston suffered an appendicitis while in China in 1971. His appendix was removed through surgery at the Anti-Imperialist Hospital in Beijing. The post operative pain was treated with acupuncture which was immediately effective. James Reston was so impressed that he wrote an article for the Times about this experience. This was the first time most Americans had heard of acupuncture.

For years it was thought that Dr. Li Chang-yuan, was the acupuncturist who treated James Reston. It was recently discovered that the misspelling of the acupuncturist's name by Reston had left him in oblivion for more thatn 30 years. He name was Dr. Li Zhanyuan.