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Ming Jiu (Direct Moxibustion) refers to the method where the moxa cone is applied directly to the skin. Patients should not abandon treatment due to fear of pain; enduring momentary pain can spare them from severe suffering over many days. For individuals aged forty and above who suffer from toxic sores such as "Fa Bei" (Back Carbuncle), early treatment is urgent. The key to treatment lies in the efficacy of burning moxibustion, which surpasses that of herbal medicine. It allows toxic pathogens to dissipate outward, possessing the power to move Qi and scatter stagnation; it directs heat inward to attack pathogens, possessing the ability to eliminate and expel them, thereby resolving coagulated blood and stagnant Qi. If residing in remote rural areas, deep mountains, or valleys, or traveling for official duties or commerce in boats, vehicles, inns, and post stations where medical care is unavailable, this moxibustion method is particularly suitable, yielding very rapid effects. Ming Jiu is also applicable to Yin toxins and stubborn, numb, non-painful malignant sores. For Yang syndrome sores and swellings, garlic-slice moxibustion is appropriate. The most effective method uses a large single-clove garlic, sliced three fen thick; alternatively, red-skinned garlic mashed into a cake or sliced. Ancient texts mention methods using fermented soybean (Dou Chi), pepper, ginger, salt, and green onion mixed and mashed into cakes for moxibustion. Sulfur moxibustion, fermented soybean cake moxibustion, and pure earth moxibustion are all excellent methods, chosen for their convenience. In the initial stage, it is used to attack and disperse pathogens; after ulceration, it is used to replenish Yang Qi. If the sore does not open widely and the flesh is not necrotic, the wound heals easily, demonstrating the miraculous power of moxibustion. After moxibustion, appropriate treatments should be administered according to the specific condition, which can lead to complete recovery.

When Fa Bei fails to rise or pus-filled tissue fails to ulcerate, it indicates deficiency of Yang Qi. Burn mulberry branches (Sang Zhi), extinguish the open flame, and hold it close to the skin to apply its heat to the affected area for a short time. Perform this three to five times daily to help reduce swelling and promote suppuration. If already ulcerated with slow new flesh growth, moxibustion around the periphery of the wound is suitable. This method is also suitable for scrofula (Luo Li), flowing abscesses (Liu Zhu), malignant sores, and chronic non-healing ulcers. Before ulceration, it detoxifies, relieves pain, and resolves stasis; after ulceration, it tonifies Qi, disperses residual toxins, and generates muscle tissue. For Yang syndrome in its initial stage, this method causes toxic fluids to discharge and resolve internally; if used for long-standing conditions, even if ulcerated, the depth will be shallow, achieving great miraculous results. Do not disregard it because it seems simple.

Zhu Ma Jiu Diagram [Image File]

To treat all types of carbuncles, furuncles, swellings, and toxins, while various moxibustion methods are effective, this method is particularly capable of eliminating disasters before they manifest. Physicians prioritize this method, yet it is rarely used in modern times, indicating a lack of understanding of its subtleties. The procedure requires the patient to rest their elbow on a table, raising the arm and wrist. Take a strip of bamboo splint, starting from the end of the crease at the wrist joint, measuring along the arm flesh to the tip of the middle finger, excluding the nail. For males, use the left hand; for females, the right hand. Take a bamboo pole, have the patient disrobe and straddle it upright, supported by two people lifting it so the feet do not touch the ground. Ensure the patient remains straight forward, supported by two people to prevent falling backward or forward. Place the measured bamboo splint vertically on the bamboo pole, starting from the edge of the coccyx under the sitting position, measuring along the spine to the end of the splint. Mark this point with ink; this is merely to find the midpoint, not an acupoint. Use another thin bamboo splint to measure the middle segment of the patient's middle finger, taking the distance between the tips of two transverse creases as one cun. At the previously marked ink point, measure laterally to both sides until the end of the finger-width splint; these are the moxibustion sites. Apply five or seven moxa cones (Zhuang) to each of the two points; do not apply too many. Regardless of where the carbuncle appears, including breast carbuncles, applying this method ensures recovery. If the carbuncle appears on the left side of the body, moxicate the left side; if on the right, moxicate the right; if severe, moxicate both sides. These two points lie along the pathway of the Heart Meridian. The Classics state: "All pain, itching, sores, and ulcers belong to Heart Fire." It also states: "The Heart governs Blood; when Heart Qi stagnates, Blood cannot flow, leading to counter-flow in the muscle tissue and generating carbuncles." Moxibustion here regulates Heart Fire and unblocks the Blood vessels, ensuring efficacy and potentially restoring life from death.