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[Background Information]
Book: Puji Fang · Acupuncture and Moxibustion
Author: Zhu Zi
Dynasty: Ming Dynasty, Yongle 4th Year
Chapter: Tinea and Scabies / Back Carbuncles and Ulcers
Category: Formulas

[English Translation]
Treating scaly scabies (from *Zisheng Jing*). Select the Yangwei Vessel point.
To treat skin scaly scabies. Select Hegu (LI4) and Quchi (LI11).
Mr. Wang said: I suffered from scabies for fifteen years since childhood, which would turn into sores every winter. Someone taught me to use the roots of *Rumex japonicus* (Yangti cai gen) and *Cnidium monnieri* (Shechuangzi gen), sliced like coins, soaked in rice washing water for two or three nights. Remove them, add fresh ginger and alum, grind finely, wrap in cloth, and wipe the affected area with raw cloth dipped in the solution. Rub for a long time, then wash with clean water three or four times. This removes the root cause. If it recurs after a few years, using this method again cures it miraculously. Since this works, why use moxibustion?

Treating vitiligo. Moxibustion on the joints of the middle fingers of both hands, three cun distal to the lateral end of the transverse crease of the wrist (Laogong PC8 area contextually, but text says "Yanwai Wan", likely referring to a specific spot near Daling or Laogong, literally "Three zhuang at Yanwai Wan"). Cures permanently.
Treating vitiligo patches. On the noon hour of the Dragon Boat Festival (5th day of 5th lunar month), moxibustion on the head of the crease when bending the knee laterally, number of moxa cones according to age, apply all at once, do not move.
Treating spreading vitiligo lesions on the head, neck, and chest. Moxibustion between the two breasts, number of cones according to age, immediate cure.
Treating tinea (from *Wei Shi Fang*). At noon, moxibustion on the shadow of the lesion, three cones. Mantra: "Tinea pain (insect, Mao Rong). Rong. If you wish to cure, wait for noon."
Another method: On the 8th day of the 8th lunar month at sunrise, have the patient kneel facing east at the door, raise both hands flat. Moxibustion on the depression at the junction of the shoulder bones on both sides of the door, three or seven cones each, cured in ten days.
Treating scaly scabies. Points: Daling (PC7), Zhigou (SJ6), Yanggu (SI5), Houxi (SI3).
Treating dry tinea, when other treatments fail, look for the head of the tinea where papules appear, and moxibustion with small cones there.

Treating the discharge of excess heat from the Yang channels, preventing back carbuncles forever (from *Zisheng Jing*). Point Fengmen (BL12), frequent needle pricking.
Treating back carbuncle (Fabei), sometimes without visible pus head. Apply wet paper; the first place to dry indicates the heat/pus head. Peel garlic, slice coin-thick. Place one slice on the sore, moxibustion three cones. Replace garlic, moxibustion three cones again. Repeat indefinitely. If painful, moxa until pain stops; if painless, moxa until pain starts. For the first day, reduce intensity by nine-tenths; third day by eight-tenths; seventh day still acceptable. Then stop moxibustion. Afterwards, use Longxianqiali (a herb growing on stones), wash, grind, take juice with warm soup to purge evil matter from the root. Effective for all unnamed sores like Ding sores, head sores, Lian sores, etc.
Any swelling that is hard and has a root is called a carbuncle (Yong). The moxa cone should be placed on top. Moxibustion one hundred cones. The stone inside should break out. If not, increase cones.
All back carbuncles are caused by taking "Wubai Hansheng Gengsheng San". Some are caused by taking Congru (Stalactite). Some occur spontaneously without medication. They usually start between the two shoulder blades on the back, initially millet-sized, painful or itchy, red. People ignore them initially. They grow daily, leading to death within ten days. Near death, a sore three inches wide and one inch high appears with dozens of holes. Pressing any hole releases pus, followed by loss of voice. Therefore, those who value life should use this method immediately upon feeling unusual itching or pain on the back.
In emergencies, take pure soil, mix with water to make mud cakes, thickness three fen, width one cun half. Use large coarse moxa cones, moxibustion on the mud cake, applied directly to the sore. Replace cake with each cone. If millet-sized, seven cakes suffice. If elm-seed sized, forty-nine cakes. If coin-sized, moxa day and night without limit on cones. Then take Wuxiang Lianqiao Tang and Tiejiang (Iron Slurry) to attack the pathogen. Cure follows.
Any swelling on the back with a white head like millet/sorghum, surrounded by connected red/black swelling, causing mental confusion, is named Fabei. Abstain from sex, alcohol, meat, garlic, and noodles. If not treated with moxibustion, invasion leads to death. Moxibustion seven to eight hundred cones on the sore. Those who mistake it for general swelling die. Experts treat Fabei carbuncles by moxibustion on the sore, often two to three hundred cones, always curing. Use small cones so patients endure more cones, ensuring efficacy. Lack of this method causes failure. However, do not rigidly adhere to this. Recently, a surgeon famous for external medicine treated a Fabei case where the sore was bowl-sized with holes, untreatable by herbs. He covered the sore with moxa and moxibusted. Initially painless due to necrotic tissue. Later medicated and cured unexpectedly. Previously, Wang Qu had a back carbuncle. Zhang Sheng applied moxa from morning to evening, 150 cones, stopping when pain returned. Next day, black scabs removed, pus drained, skin reddened, no pain. Medication applied morning and evening, removing dead flesh. Cured in a month. That autumn, seven scholars in the capital died of carbuncles; I alone survived. This is fate, but also proper management. Ignorance leads to misfortune.
Treating Ying Ju (Camp Abscess). Point Shangqiu (SP5).
Treating knee patella carbuncle. Point Dubi (ST34).
Treating Ying Ju (or Gu Ju/Bone Abscess), severe onset, neck pain radiating to head/eyes, treating carbuncle-induced headache and irritability. Point Xiaoyin (GB02).
Treating Ju suddenly affecting five fingers, tendons tight unable to flex/extend. Moxibustion on the tip of the ankle bone dozens of cones, or up to one hundred.
Treating Fugu Ju (Bone-attaching Abscess). Point Jianshi (PC5), one cun posterior, moxibustion age-based cones, immediate cure.
Treating Lung Abscess with expectoration of pus/blood, Qi stagnation. Point Tiantu (CV22).
Treating Lung Abscess, cough, Qi rebellion, hemoptysis, anorexia, chest fullness/blockage. Point Zhongfu (LU1).
Treating Stone Carbuncle (Shi Yong), hard swelling with root. Song (from *Zisheng Jing*): Evil disease is Stone Carbuncle, not needling but medicine/treatment, moxa one hundred cones on top, stones come out like rain.
Treasing ulcer swelling with chills. Point Xiaohai (SI8).
Treating frequent lip carbuncle swelling. Point Quanliao (SI18).
Mr. Wang said: In my preface for Liu Heshu's formula for moxibustion on carbuncles, I stated: Must use toxic drugs internally to attack the root, and fire/moxa externally to vent the toxin. This is the complete method. Early moxibustion plus Da Huang (Rhubarb) ensures cure (adjust Da Huang based on deficiency/excess). Prince Wang had arm abscess, Beijing surgeons deemed incurable. A Xu person taught him moxibustion with date-sized cones, nearly one thousand cones. Huang Tingjian also cured back sores via moxibustion. Moxibustion is the primary method.
Treating back carbuncle (from *Waike Jingyao*). Feel back swelling/hardness/pain. Apply wet paper; dry spot is the carbuncle head. Use ten garlic cloves, half he of Dan Dou Chi (Fermented Soybean), one piece of Ru Xiang (Frankincense) size of longan, grind fine. Make bamboo ring width two fen, place on head, fill with powder, moxibustion. Moxa painful area until itchy, itchy area until painful. Hundred cones as standard. Do NOT use this for head or neck sores; moxibustion worsens them.
Treating Fabei, initial red swelling with small sore, intolerable pain. Prick seven-eight times with needle. Splash cold water repeatedly day and night until pain/swelling subsides.
Treating Fabei, head not yet formed sore, or other swellings. Wet paper application shows dry spot as rising heat/pus head. Moxibustion immediately. If painful, moxa until pain stops. Use pain as guide.
Treating foot Ju and itch in tendon creases with yellow exudate, named Feng Ju. Moxibustion between big toe and second toe twenty-one cones. Also good to moxa big toe tip.
Treating active Lung Abscess with continuous pus/blood expectoration. Moxibustion Feishu (BL13) twenty-one cones, below 3rd thoracic vertebra, 1.5 cun lateral. And moxa Danzhong (CV17) twice twenty-one cones, 6th thoracic vertebra, 3 cun lateral, arms folded.
Treating Fabei, carbuncles, Ding sores, various toxins. Initial small bumps like fish eyes, depressed tops, purple-black without heads, painful/thirsty/nauseous are malignant. This method reduces swelling.
Quickly slice single garlic clove, cover lesion. Large moxa cones, many applications. Make painless areas painful, painful painless, itchy non-itchy, non-itchy itchy. Toxin exits with fire, cured. If swollen without head, wet paper covers dry spot (head). Moxa with garlic slices as before. For large swelling, Five-Flower Moxibustion, more cones better. This is the #1 method in *Waike Jingyao*. Five-Flower Moxibustion: [Description of technique]. More is better, avoid excessive heat, remove when painful, replace burnt garlic, do not damage skin. Dry body parts need not be moxa. Highly effective.
Treating Xuan Yong (Hanging Abscess). Choose auspicious day. Morning empty stomach, drink one bowl of Baiyao Jian powder mixed well water. Mild laxative effect. Then get Qiu Hulu (Autumn Gourd/Ku Bu Lao), bitter ones grown on racks. Slice skin, place on sore, moxa twenty-one cones. One person cured yearly affliction with one session.
Bamboo-Horse Moxibustion Method. Treats carbuncles/Fabei, effective for all genders.
Method: Patient leans elbow on table, arm straight. Measure bamboo strip from wrist crease to fingertip (excluding nail), male left, female right. Cut as standard. Have patient ride bamboo pole, naked, upright, feet off ground, assisted. Measure from sitting point (coccyx) up spine using previous strip. Mark center with ink (not acupoint). Take another strip, measure middle finger joint crease width, male left, female right. From marked center, measure this width to both sides. Ends are acupoints. Moxa five or seven cones each side. Do not exceed. Works for any location.
Alternative view: Moxa opposite side of lesion, or both if severe. Classic: "All pain/sores/itch belong to Heart." These points are on Heart meridian pathways. Moxa regulates Heart Fire, promotes blood flow, better than herbs. Also moxa Zusanli (ST36) and Qihai (CV6) to draw heat/toxicity downward. Excellent methods.
Treating adult/child carbuncle swelling. Moxa odd point on big toes, follow lesion side.
Treating carbuncles/ulcers. Early stage, small/large/grain-sized. Monitor closely, attack urgently. No medicine? Moxa head one hundred cones, or seven-eight hundred. Large lesions: moa four sides and center two-three hundred cones. Also needle head four fen deep with large needle.
Treating carbuncle swelling. Needle the carbuncle. Based on size/depth, large/deep needs multiple/deep needles. Insert needle straight.
Treating Fabei carbuncle swelling, suppurated or not (from *Shenghui Fang*). Use Xiang Chi (Fermented Black Bean) three sheng, mix water, pound into cake, thickness three fen. Do not cover holes. Place bean cake on sore, arrange moxa on top, moxa until warm but not burning. If hot pain, rinse with hot water. Twice daily. If suppurating, stop when fluid drains. Axillary carbuncle high fever: prick Foot Shaoyang five times. Fever persists: prick Hand Jueyin three times. Do not delay treating carbuncles. Unknown location, unresponsive to pressure, intermittent: prick Hand Taiyin lateral three times, and Yin vessels two times each.
Treating facial swelling, eye carbuncle swelling. Prick Xiangu (GB7) bleeding, immediate cure.
Treating Head Da Qin Tan (Spreading Impetigo). Point Jianshi (PC5).
Treating Intestinal Abscess and various swellings. Moxa elbows tips, seven cones each side. Also big toe web spaces, three cones each. Treats all swellings. Also elbows: moa sharp bone at elbow head one hundred cones each, pus/blood drainage cures.
Carbuncles, ulcers, tumors, Stone Carbuncles, Tubercles, Scrofula (Luo Li) must NOT be needled with horn needles. Horn needling rarely avoids disaster.