Ormiston has become home to Scotland’s only college for Chinese medicine.

Jonathan Clogstoun-Willmott, who has studied Chinese medicine for nearly 50 years, has launched the college, where he hopes to educate individuals on the ancient practice.

Focussing mainly on the practice of acupuncture, Mr Clogstoun-Willmott hopes to teach what he believes are the benefits of the treatment on a range of medical conditions.

Mr Clogstoun-Willmott began his studies in 1975 under London practitioner Dr Mary Austin.

He had consulted her for what he now knows was mild bronchitis, for which the prescription from his doctor had made no difference.

Dr Austin took his pulse and then put needles in his head, chest and arm.

Mr Clogstoun-Willmott claimed he slept much better that night and his cough and breathing improved.

He had another treatment a few days later, after which his cough ceased and his breathing returned to normal.

He then went on to study Chinese medicine in China, before moving to Edinburgh in the 1980s and, later, to Ormiston, where he provides acupuncture treatment from his home.

He told the Courier: “I think there is a real lack of understanding about the benefits of Chinese medicine. Their methods go back thousands of years and there are records of them working.

“Many of the concepts are increasingly mirrored by modern western medicine.

“For instance, well over 1,000 years ago they started doing for smallpox what we now recognise as inoculation, introduced to the west only in 1721.

“This college will not teach people how to do acupuncture or give them a qualification – perhaps further down the line – but right now we want to give people a better understanding of Chinese medicine to make them see that it is an option.”

Mr Clogstoun-Willmott said that he hoped more education on the matter would combat doubts held by some medical professionals.

He said: “Chinese medicine like this is not recognised as an official treatment for illnesses in the west. But many medical professionals have acknowledged its benefits and, while they can’t recommend it as a treatment, can suggest that a visit may help.

“It can’t be recommended medically mostly due to legal reasons as there is no guarantee it will work. But Chinese medicine does have a track record of helping people.”

The college is running an introductory course on Chinese medicine, starting this Saturday, over four Saturday mornings, each for three hours at fortnightly intervals. The course is at 1 Cockburn Halls, George Street, Ormiston.

For more information, email jonathan@lothianacu puncture.com