Library

The auspicious days are: Wuchen, Jisi, Gengwu, Renshen, Yihai, Wuyin, Jiashen, Bingxu, Xinmao, Yiwei, Bingwu, Dingwei, Xinhai, Jiwei. Avoid the "Kai" (Opening) and "Po" (Breaking) days. The day of Xinsi is taboo as it is the death day of Bian Que.

Auspicious days include: Dingmao, Gengwu, Jiaxu, Bingzi, Dingchou, Renwu, Jiashen, Bingxu, Dinghai, Xinmao, Renchén, Guichou, Yimao, Bingchen, Jiwei, Renxu, Yihai, Wushen (original text error: "Xu Shen"), Wuxu, Renzi, Bingshen, Jiachen, Bingwu.

Days associated with Tianyi, Tianwu, Tianjie, Anqi Sheng, Huoyao, Tiande (Heavenly Virtue), and Yue De (Monthly Virtue), especially when Tiande and Yue De coincide, are suitable for taking medicine. It is taboo to take medicine on the death day of Bian Que; men should avoid the "Chu" (Elimination) day, and women should avoid the "Po" (Breaking) day. For acupuncture and moxibustion, avoid the directions where malevolent spirits reside, such as Baihu (White Tiger), Heidao (Black Path), Yueyan (Monthly Disgust), Yuesha (Monthly Killer), Duhuo (Solitary Fire), Shousi (Receiving Death), Renbie (Human Separation), Xuezhi (Blood Support), and Xueji (Blood Taboo), as well as the 6th, 15th, 18th, 23rd, 28th days of the lunar month and the Xiaojin (last day of a short month). Treating illness on these days will cause the disease to linger and make the patient uneasy for a long time.

All sentient beings receive their Qi from the Five Elements; preserving life requires following physiological principles, otherwise one falls ill with the Six Diseases. If one extensively explores profound principles like Qibo and Huangdi, follows ancient classics, and combines acupuncture with moxibustion, prioritizing Qi as the root, regardless of age, many will contract this disease. Infants and children, through transmission, suffer even more bitterly. The manifestations of this affliction include: dry and erect hair, which may clump together or scatter; lumps in the abdomen or small nodules on both sides of the back of the head, sometimes up to five or six; night sweats during sleep, dreams of intercourse with ghosts, clear vision but weak limbs; upper Qi rebellion, poor appetite, gradual emaciation, and eventual death despite prolonged duration.

I formerly served as Sima of Luozhou and once cured thirteen people with moxibustion within thirty days; the total number of cured patients exceeded two hundred. Regarding the use of fox bone or otter flesh, I had only heard of them in the past for treating evil qi or fixed masses. If the illness is severe and widespread, the number of cured patients cannot be fully recorded. Here, I briefly outline the general principles, fearing that errors in transmission might mislead future generations. Therefore, I have detailed the diagrams and acupoint locations so that readers may easily understand and disseminate these methods locally. One need not urgently seek famous doctors or search for superior prescriptions elsewhere. Restoring souls and reviving spirits—what difficulty is there? Those encountering this disease should certainly pay attention!

Preface by Cui Zhiti, Vice Director of the Secretariat of the Tang Dynasty.

Acupoint Location Method:
First, determine two acupoints. Have the patient stand upright. Take a thin string, hold it firmly without stretching or shrinking, place it flat against the sole of the foot, pressing tightly. For males, use the left foot; for females, the right foot. Align the front end of the string with the tip of the big toe, and the rear end with the center of the heel. Extend the string backward along the calf muscle until the popliteal crease, then cut it at this point and mark it. Note: The ink mark is not the moxibustion site.

Take another string. Have the patient close their mouth, place the string across the corners of the lips, lift the center of the string to the root of the nose bridge. Cut the string when it aligns with the lip corners. Straighten this string. On the previously marked spot on the spine, measure horizontally to ensure levelness. Mark the center of the string with ink using the middle finger. Unfold the string horizontally, placing the central ink mark exactly over the spinal ink mark, ensuring both ends are level. Mark the two ends of the string with white circles; these white circles indicate the moxibustion sites.
This completes the first set, locating two acupoints.

Next, locate two more acupoints. Have the patient sit upright with arms slightly retracted. Take a string, wrap it around the neck forward, letting both ends hang down level with the Jiawei acupoint (Jiawei is located at the xiphoid process. If the xiphoid process is indistinct, measure one cun below the junction of the two costal cartilages at the chest). Cut both strands. Flip the string to the back, aligning the midpoint with the heart position, directly opposite the Adam's apple. Let the two ends hang down along the neck, parallel to the spine, and mark the spine with ink. Note: The ink mark is not the moxibustion site.

Take another string, have the patient close their mouth and measure horizontally across the lip corners, then cut. Place this string horizontally on the spine relative to the previous ink mark, following the same method. Mark the two ends of the string with white circles. These white circles are the moxibustion sites.
This completes the second set. In total, four acupoints are treated simultaneously, each receiving seven moxa cones. Continue moxibustion until reaching one hundred or one hundred fifty cones, which is ideal. When the sores are about to heal, treat two additional acupoints according to the following method.

For the next two acupoints, use the string that measured the lip corners. At the endpoints of the double-string marks from the second step, mark two points with white circles at the ends of the upper and lower strings. These white circles are the moxibustion sites.
This completes the third set, totaling two acupoints. These are called the Sihua Acupoints. Moxibustion is applied to these two points, one hundred cones each. In total, six Sihua points are treated across three sessions.

Select Li days (days corresponding to the Li trigram in the sexagenary cycle) for treatment after measurement. Apply fire immediately. Moxa collected on the third day of the third lunar month is best. After recovery, strictly control diet and sexual activity for one hundred days, and rest in a quiet environment. If symptoms persist after one month, repeat moxibustion on the initial acupoints.
Diagrams and cone counts are provided subsequently.

Symptoms arising after Bone Steaming can be identified in twenty-two types, all treated with the above moxibustion method.

1. Bladder Steaming: Red and yellow urine.
2. Sexual Desire Steaming: Nocturnal emission and spermatorrhea in men and women; irregular menstruation in women.
3. Brain Steaming: Dizziness, heat, and stuffiness in the head.
4. Marrow Steaming: Sensation of boiling heat.
5. Bone Steaming: Blackening of teeth.
6. Tendon Steaming: Brittle and scorched nails.
7. Blood Steaming: Scorched and brittle hair.
8. Pulse Steaming: Irregular pulse rhythm.
9. Liver Steaming: Occasional blurred vision.
10. Heart Steaming: Scorched tongue or ulcers, occasional chest fullness.
11. Spleen Steaming: Scorched lips or oral ulcers.
12. Lung Steaming: Dry mouth with ulcers.
13. Kidney Steaming: Dry and scorched ears.
14. Bladder Steaming: Heat in the right ear.
16. Stomach Steaming: Pain under the tongue.
17. Small Intestine Steaming: Incontinence of diarrhea.
18. Large Intestine Steaming: Pain in the right nostril.
19. Sanjiao Steaming: Alternating chills and fever.
20. Flesh Steaming: Others feel heat, but the patient feels cold.
21. Skin Steaming: Skin develops gooseflesh-like bumps.
22. Qi Steaming: Generalized high fever and inability to rest peacefully.