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The nose is the external orifice of the Lung. In the water-variola inoculation method (Shuimiao Zhongfa), the variola seed is inserted into the nose; its qi first transmits to the Lung. The Lung governs the skin and hair, and transmits to the Heart. The Heart governs the blood vessels, and transmits to the Spleen. The Spleen governs the muscles, and transmits to the Liver. The Liver governs the sinews, and transmits to the Kidney. The Kidney governs the bones, and the variola toxin hides within the bone marrow. Upon contracting the seed qi and manifesting the disease, the toxin travels from the bone marrow completely to the sinews, resolving the Kidney's toxin; from the sinews completely to the muscles, resolving the Liver's toxin; from the muscles completely to the blood vessels, resolving the Spleen's toxin; from the blood vessels completely to the skin and hair, resolving the Heart's toxin; from the skin and hair completely to the granules (the stage before scabbing), resolving the Lung's toxin. The toxins of the five Zang organs are resolved in a sequential manner, after which the toxin transforms into pus, forming pustules, followed by involution (Shouye) and scab shedding. This is the sequence of toxin transmission in variola inoculation, which must not be ignored.

In the dry-variola inoculation method (Hanmiao Zhongfa), a silver tube approximately five or six cun long, with a curved neck, is used. The variola scabs are ground extremely fine and placed at the end of the tube. Following the principle of male left and female right, it is blown into the nostril, causing fever on the seventh day. Currently, this method is widely used, likely because it is simple, convenient, and avoids the risk of the seed falling out and leaking the seed qi. However, there is concern that future practitioners may use it improperly: blowing lightly prevents rapid entry, while blowing heavily results in intensity that is difficult to bear. Moreover, excessive rhinorrhea may carry the seed away, often rendering it ineffective. To establish a method for posterity, one should select a peaceful, steady, and foolproof method to emulate. This is why only the water-variola method is exclusively adopted.

When children develop smallpox, during the time when the pustules are full of pus, the variola qi is abundant. One may take the inner garments worn closely by the patient and have uninfected children wear them for two or three days, without removing them at night. Fever begins on the ninth or eleventh day; this is called "garment transmission" (Yichuan). However, the qi may be too weak to penetrate, resulting in cases where there is no fever and no eruption. Since this method is unreliable, it should not be used.

Select children who have had a favorable course of smallpox, wipe their pustular fluid with cotton, and insert it into the nostrils according to the male-left/female-right rule, which can also induce smallpox. However, obtaining the pustular fluid without the family's knowledge involves rupturing the pustules and stealing the material for inoculation, causing the child's true qi to leak and the toxin to remain unresolved. This is a cruel and unethical act. Those with shared principles should detest and reject it utterly; how could one possibly follow such an example?