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When cold pathogenic factors invade the meridians, blood flow becomes sluggish. Sluggish blood leads to obstruction. Obstruction causes Wei Qi (Defensive Qi) to gather there and prevents it from returning, thus forming an abscess (indicating that pathogens accumulate and do not disperse). Cold qi transforms into heat; excessive heat rots the flesh. Rotten flesh turns into pus. If pus is not discharged, tendons are eroded. Eroded tendons damage bones. Damaged bones lead to marrow depletion. If the lesion is not at a bone aperture, allowing pus to drain, blood becomes depleted and vessels empty, causing tendons, bones, muscles, and flesh to lose nourishment and deteriorate mutually. Vessels break and leak, and toxic fumes熏 (smoke/irritate) the Zang organs. Damage to the Zang organs results in death. (Abscess toxins progress from superficial to deep; damage to internal organs leads to death, as described below.)

An abscess occurring in the throat is called Meng Ju (Fierce Abscess). If untreated, it turns into pus. If the pus is not discharged, blocking the throat, death occurs within half a day. For those who have formed pus, discharge the pus and consume Shi Gao (Pig Fat Decoction), taken cold for three days, and the condition will resolve. (Meng Ju refers to acute and harmful conditions. If pus is discharged, consuming Shi Gao can cure it, which refers to refined pig fat.)

An abscess occurring on the front of the neck is called Tian Ju (Heavenly Abscess). The abscess is large with red-black coloration (indicating severe toxicity). If not treated urgently, heat energy descends into the Yuanye area, damaging the Ren Mai (Conception Vessel) anteriorly, and internally steaming the Liver and Lungs. Steaming the Liver and Lungs leads to death after more than ten days.

Excessive expansion of Yang Qi (indicating extreme evil heat) consumes brain marrow and remains in the nape, called Nao Shuo (Brain Melting). The complexion is unhappy (spirit is injured). Neck pain feels like needle pricking (sharp toxicity). Those with vexed hearts have a fatal condition that cannot be treated (evil invades the Zang organs, hence untreatable).

An abscess occurring on the shoulder and axilla is called Ci Yong (Flawed Abscess). Its appearance is red and black. It requires urgent treatment. This condition causes sweating down to the feet but does not harm the Zang organs. After four or five days of onset, apply moxibustion rapidly. (Cheng means rapid; Ai Zhu refers to moxa cones.)

An abscess occurring under the hypochondrium, red and hard, is called Mi Ju (Rice Abscess). Treat with Bian Shi (Bian stones), which should be thin and long. Prick sparsely and apply Shi Gao (Pig Fat). Resolve in six days. Do not bandage. If the abscess is hard and does not ulcerate, it is called Ma Dao Jia Ying (Horse Knife Clasp Collar), which is equivalent to Luo Li (Scrofula), written as Xia Ying in the Meridian Chapter. Urgent treatment is required.

An abscess occurring in the chest is called Jing Ju (Well Abscess). Its shape resembles soybeans. If not treated early within three to four days, the toxin descends into the abdomen; if untreated, death occurs in seven days. (Abscesses in the chest can steam the Heart and Lungs. If not treated early to prevent descent into the abdomen, the toxicity is even greater, hence the rapid death.)

An abscess occurring in the anterior chest is called Gan Ju (Sweet Abscess). The color is green, and the shape resembles gourds (Gua Lou). (Refers to Gua Lou, describing the clustered shape of the abscess like grains, soft without ulceration, containing accumulation like seeds. This condition is lingering and difficult to heal, likely belonging to breast abscesses.)

An abscess occurring in the hypochondrium is called Bai Ci (Decayed Flaw). Bai Ci is a disease affecting women. Apply moxibustion. It produces a large abscess with pus. During treatment, fleshy growths resembling red adzuki beans may appear. Take one sheng each of Jia Ji root and Lian root, boil in one dou six sheng of water until reduced to three sheng. Drink strongly, wear thick clothes, sit over a cauldron to induce sweating down to the feet, and the condition will resolve. (Jia Ji refers to reed and water caltrop roots. These two roots detoxify, hence one sheng each. Ancient one sheng is approximately three modern he. Boiling one dou six sheng to yield three sheng follows similar methods.)

An abscess occurring on the thigh and calf is called Gu Ting Ju (Thigh-Calf Abscess). The appearance changes little (shape is not prominent), but pus adheres to the bone (pus sticking to bone, known today as osteomyelitis or贴着bone abscess). If not treated urgently, death occurs in thirty days. If located in the inner thighs, untreated death occurs in ten days. (The inner thigh is where Yin Qi gathers, between acupoints Jimen, Xuehai of Foot Taiyin, and Wuli, Yinbao of Foot Jueyin. Untreated, death ensues. If both thighs are affected, Yin is extremely damaged, leading to faster death.)

An abscess occurring on the knee is called Ci Yong. The abscess is large, color unchanged, feeling cold and hard like stone. Do not pierce with Bian stones; piercing leads to death. Wait until it softens before piercing; then survival is possible. (Piercing a knee abscess before suppuration damages the house of tendons, causing death. If soft, pus has formed, and piercing is harmless.)

Abscesses and ulcers occurring at joints with corresponding symptoms above/below or left/right are untreatable. Those occurring in Yang channels result in death in one hundred days; those in Yin channels result in death in thirty days. (Joints are pathways for Shen Qi (Spirit Qi) circulation. They should not harbor toxins. Corresponding symptoms indicate severe harm, making them untreatable. However, those in Three Yang channels have shallow toxicity, delaying death slightly; those in Three Yin channels have deep toxicity reaching Zang organs, causing death within a month.)

An abscess occurring on the lower leg is called Tu Nie (Rabbit Bite). The redness extends to the bone. Urgent treatment is required; otherwise, it harms life. (Tu Nie resembles a rabbit bite injury.)

An abscess occurring at the medial malleolus is called Zou Huan. The symptom is an abscess with unchanged color. Repeatedly pierce its Shu points (pierce the swollen area and stop). If accompanied by chills and fever, death does not occur. However, if occurring on the foot, urgent treatment is required; otherwise, True Yin declines daily, leading to death beyond three months.

An abscess occurring on the side of the foot is called Li Yong (Malignant Abscess). The size is small, initially like a finger. Urgent treatment is required to remove blackened tissue. If it does not subside, it grows. (If untreated when initially finger-sized, it grows daily.) Untreated, death occurs in one hundred days.

An abscess occurring on the toes is called Tuo Tong (Sloughing Gangrene). The color is red-black; this is fatal and untreatable. If not red-black, it is not fatal. If it does not recede, amputation is urgently required; otherwise, death ensues. (Abscesses on the foot are often ominous. Toes are exits of the Six Jing Well points. Red-black color indicates severe toxicity. Without recession, amputation is necessary to preserve life; otherwise, toxic vapors connect to Zang organs, leading to death.)

Ying Qi (Nutrient Qi) and Wei Qi (Defensive Qi) stagnating in the meridians cause blood to become sluggish and cease flowing. Lack of flow causes Wei Qi to follow and become obstructed, blocked and unable to move, resulting in intense heat. Excessive heat rots flesh, turning it into pus. However, it does not penetrate the bone, nor does it scorch the marrow or injure the Zang organs. Thus, it is named Yong (Abscess). (This distinguishes superficial, surface-level abscesses.)

Intense heat sinking into the skin causes tendons and marrow to dry up, connecting internally to the Zang organs and exhausting Qi and Blood. Beneath the abscess, tendons, bones, and healthy flesh are destroyed. Thus, it is named Ju (Deep Ulcer/Gangrene). (This describes deep-seated Ju toxicity, connecting internally to Zang organs and externally destroying tendons, bones, and flesh.)

Characteristics of Ju: The skin on top is pale, stiff, and hard, resembling the skin of an ox's neck (indicating dark, dull, lusterless skin). Characteristics of Yong: The skin on top is thin and glossy. These are the distinguishing signs.