L. KOCH 

Regarding the efficacy of acupuncture, the conclusion is relatively easy. The conclusions of the conférence that took place two years ago in the United States are far from negative; they don't say that acupuncture is charlatanisra or that it should be dismissed. On the contrary, a certain number of beneficial effects have been evidenced. Therefore it can be said that acupuncture is effective, that's been proven in a certain number of cases, which does not mean that in the cases where there is no proof there is no effectiveness.

Another issue addressed at the NIH conférence is the scientific explanation. In actual fact the French work of twenty or so years ago proved scientifically the existence of acupoints. Mrs MINGAM's thesis and the other work quoted are highly enlightening in this respect.

Two years have elapsed since the NIH conférence. If I understood well, 50 million dollars has been invested in research, and progress bas probably been made, which I am personally unaware of. It would be useful if acupuncture specialists obtained more precise information. To obtain knowledge of the mechanisms, the right measurement instruments have to be found-the instruments used until now do not appear to me to demonstrate anything tangible.

Lastly, a lot has been said of acupuncture during this half hour but little of pneumoconiosis. Nobody except Dr WANG has mentioned the direct efficacy of acupuncture in treating pneumoconiosis.

But pneumoconiosis is not on its own, there are all the associated complications which can entail pain, feelings of general discomfort or quite simply an absence of well-being; 1 believe acupuncture can be beneficial to pneumoconiotics in this respect too.