《千金》云∶人有老少,体有长短,肤有肥瘦,皆须精思斟量,准而折之。又以肌肉文
理、节解、缝会、宛陷之中,及以手按之,病者快然,如此仔细安详,用心者乃能得之耳。又云
∶或身短而手长,或身长而手短,或胸腹长或胸腹短,或大或小,又不可以一概而论也。凡
点穴
立点则立灸。反此一动,则不得真穴矣。凡灸先阳后阴,先上后下,先少后多,皆宜审之。
黄帝曰∶灸不三分,是谓徒冤,炷务大也,小弱也乃小作之。凡小儿七日以上,周年以
还,
炷欲大,惟头与四肢欲小耳,但去风邪而已。
《千金》云∶凡言壮数者,若丁壮病根深笃,可倍于方数。老少羸弱,可减半。扁鹊灸
法,
入六分灸三壮,更无余论。故后人不准,惟以病之重轻而增损之。凡灸头顶,上于七壮,积
至七七壮之。《铜人》若治风,则灸上星、前顶、百会,皆至二百壮。腹背宜灸五百壮,若
鸠尾、巨阙亦不宜灸多,多灸则四肢细而无力。又足三里穴乃云∶多至三二百壮。心俞禁灸
,若中风则急灸至百壮,皆视其病之轻重而用之,不可泥一说,而又不知其有一说也。下经
只云若是禁灸穴,《明堂》亦许灸一壮至三壮,恐未尽也。斯所谓五百壮、千壮,岂可一日
而尽,必待三、五、七日,以至三年、五年,以尽其数乃可得也。
The *Qianjin Fang* (Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold) states: People vary in age (young and old), body length (tall and short), and physique (fat and thin). One must carefully ponder and measure, using accuracy as the standard for determination. Furthermore, one should consider the muscle fibers, joint fissures, tendon intersections, and depressions. By pressing with the hand, if the patient feels relief or comfort (indicating the pathogen is being addressed), such meticulous and serene attention allows one to locate the acupoint. It also states: Some individuals are short in stature but long in arms; some are tall but short in arms; some have long chests and abdomens, others short; some large, some small. These cannot be generalized. When marking an acupoint, moxibustion should be applied immediately after marking. If this sequence is reversed or the position shifts, the true acupoint will not be found. In general, moxibustion should follow the order of Yang meridians before Yin meridians, upper body before lower body, and fewer applications before more applications; all these should be examined prudently.
The Yellow Emperor said: If the moxa cone does not reach a thickness of three fen, it is considered a futile suffering for the patient; the moxa cone should be made large. For those with weak constitutions, it should be made smaller. For infants older than seven days but under one year old, the moxa cones should be large, except on the head and four limbs, where they should be small, solely to dispel wind pathogens.
The *Qianjin Fang* states: Regarding the number of "zhuang" (moxa cones/cones burned): If the patient is robust and the disease root is deep and severe, the number can be doubled compared to the standard prescription. For the elderly and the emaciated/weak, the number can be halved. Bian Que’s moxibustion method involves inserting the needle six fen deep and burning three zhuang, with no further discussion. Therefore, later generations did not adhere to fixed standards but increased or decreased the dosage based on the severity of the illness. For moxibustion on the top of the head, up to seven zhuang are used, accumulating to forty-nine zhuang (7 x 7). The *Tongren* (Illustrated Manual of Acupoints and Meridians) states that for treating wind diseases, points Shangxing (GV23), Qding (GV21), and Baihui (GV20) are moxibusted up to two hundred zhuang. The abdomen and back are suitable for five hundred zhuang. However, for Jiwei (CV15) and Jueque (CV14), excessive moxibustion should be avoided, as too much may cause the four limbs to become thin and weak. It is also stated that for Zusanli (ST36), the number can reach two to three hundred zhuang. Xinshu (BL15) is contraindicated for moxibustion; however, in cases of stroke, emergency moxibustion up to one hundred zhuang is applied. All depend on the severity of the illness. One must not rigidly adhere to one saying while ignoring another. The *Xia Jing* (Lower Classic) only states that for contraindicated points, the *Mingtang* (Hall of Brightness) permits one to three zhuang, which may be incomplete. How can hundreds or thousands of zhuang be completed in one day? It requires waiting three, five, or seven days, or even three to five years, to exhaust the total number.