SPEAKER_05: Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, and this is Womanica. Today we're talking about one of the first licensed acupuncturists in America. She traveled across the world learning new skills and techniques to pass on to future generations. And she led the campaign to popularize and legalize acupuncture in California. Let's talk about Miriam Lee. Miriam Lee was born on December 8, 1926, in Shandong Province, China. Little is known about her childhood, but as a teenager, she studied to become a nurse and midwife. She practiced these professions in China before leaving the country in 1949. When Miriam was 27, she moved to Singapore, where she found work as a bank teller. It was during that time that she became interested in acupuncture. Miriam attended the Chinese Acupuncture Medicine General College. In 1966, she graduated and joined the staff as an acupuncturist. Three years later, Miriam immigrated to the United States. When she settled in Palo Alto, California, Miriam found a job as an assembly line worker at a Hewlett-Packard factory. At the time, the practice of acupuncture was illegal in California, but Miriam was distressed by the disease and bodily aches she witnessed in her co-workers and community members. She suspected that she could treat these symptoms in a way that the dominant Western medical approach had not. Miriam decided to covertly treat patients out of her home. One of her first patients was a friend's son who had been paralyzed during surgery. After several acupuncture treatments, he was reportedly able to walk again. Miriam also treated co-workers complaining of shoulder and neck pain. As word spread about Miriam's practice, she attracted more and more patients. In 1973, a doctor, Harry Ochsenhandler, allowed Miriam to use his office during his off hours. With a larger, more professional space, Miriam was able to increase business. She saw about 75 to 80 patients per day between the hours of 5 a.m. and 1 p.m. Because of the variety of ailments her patients came in with, Miriam began to research the causes and solutions for the health challenges faced by America's stressed, depressed, and overworked population. But she had such a high volume of patients that she didn't have time to do the comprehensive diagnosis she was trained to give each patient. This lack of capacity, but desire to help, led Miriam to one of her most significant contributions to the world of acupuncture. She developed the 10-point protocol called one combination of points can treat many diseases. This method allowed Miriam to treat a bodily issue despite not fully understanding its root cause. In 1973, Miriam traveled to Taiwan to learn from Master Tung-Ching Chang. His method of acupuncture involved very few needles, but results were miraculous and almost immediate. After his guidance, Miriam learned his technique, called Master Tung's Magic Points, and introduced it to Western acupuncture when she returned to the United States. The following year, in 1974, then-Governor Ronald Reagan vetoed a bill that would have legalized acupuncture in California. Shortly after the veto, on April 16, 1974, Miriam was arrested for practicing acupuncture without a medical license. When it came time for her hearing, Miriam's patients packed the courthouse and showed up day after day in protest of her arrest. The public outcry persuaded the state legislature to understand acupuncture as an issue of social and cultural importance as well as a medical issue. In response, Governor Reagan legally made acupuncture an experimental procedure. Following this win, Miriam opened an acupuncture practice in Palo Alto. Business boomed from the new location, and in 1976, Governor Jerry Brown officially legalized acupuncture in the state. Miriam continued to be a pioneer in the field. She founded the Acupuncture Association of America in July of 1980, and she ran the organization until her retirement. The organization got more acupuncturists licensed and secured primary care physician status with insurance providers. In 1992, Miriam published two popular books, Master Tongue's Acupuncture, an Ancient Alternative Style in Modern Clinical Practice, and Insights of a Senior Acupuncturist. After suffering a stroke, Miriam retired and moved to Southern California. She died on June 24, 2009, at the age of 82. Miriam Lee was not the first acupuncturist in California, but she was undeniably influential in furthering the practice. Her impact moved the needle forward for the entire profession in America. This month, we're highlighting women who changed the landscape of health and wellness. For more information, check out our Facebook and Instagram, at Womanica Podcast. Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator. Talk to you tomorrow!
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