Acupressure

Acupressure (Lat., 'pressure with a needle'), a mode of arresting hemorrhage from cut arteries, introduced by the late Sir James Y. Simpson. It consists in the insertion of a needle through the tissues on both sides of the bleeding vessel, in such a manner that the elasticity of the tissues, aided sometimes by a wire firmly looped round the projecting ends of the needle, presses the artery against the needle and closes its tube. It is now rarely used; and only under special circumstances. Acupressure has also occasionally been used in the treatment of Aneurysm (q.v.).