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Moxibustion techniques for tonification and sedation: For the tonifying method, allow the moxa fire to burn naturally until it touches the skin; for the sedating method, do not let the moxa fire reach the skin, but remove it promptly. This is because blowing air with the mouth primarily promotes dispersion (from *Dan Xin*). ○ The fire tonification method involves not blowing on the flame, allowing it to extinguish naturally; the fire sedation method involves rapidly blowing on the flame and quickly replacing the moxa cone until the fire extinguishes (from *Ling Shu*).

Contraindications for Acupuncture: ○ Do not needle a person who has just engaged in sexual intercourse, and avoid sexual intercourse after needling. ○ Do not needle a person who is already intoxicated, and avoid needling someone in a state of drunkenness. ○ Do not needle a person who has just become angry, and avoid angering someone who has just been needled. ○ Do not needle a person who is newly fatigued, and avoid exertion after needling. ○ Do not needle a person who has just eaten a full meal, and avoid eating immediately after needling. ○ Do not needle a person who is newly hungry, and avoid fasting immediately after needling. ○ Do not needle a person who is newly thirsty, and avoid dehydration immediately after needling. ○ For individuals experiencing severe fright or terror, wait until their Qi and blood have stabilized before needling. ○ For patients arriving by carriage, let them lie down and rest for about the duration of a meal before needling; for those arriving on foot, let them sit and rest for a period equivalent to walking ten *li* before needling (from *Ling Shu*). ○ Do not needle someone in a state of heavy intoxication, as this may cause chaotic Qi; do not needle someone in a state of great anger, as this may cause rebellious Qi; do not needle someone severely fatigued; do not needle someone who has just eaten heavily; do not needle someone severely hungry; do not needle someone severely dehydrated; do not needle someone greatly frightened (from *Nei Jing*). ○ In cases where the pulse is fine and rapid, caution must be exercised against using moxibustion, as fire pathogens can induce irritability and rebellion, chasing deficiency and pursuing excess, causing blood to scatter within the vessels. Although the fire energy appears slight, its internal attack is powerful, potentially scorching bones and damaging sinews, making blood recovery difficult. ○ When the pulse is floating and heat is severe, treatment should involve sweating to release the exterior; if moxibustion is used instead, the pathogen has no outlet and becomes exacerbated by the fire, leading to heaviness and numbness from the waist downward, termed "Fire Reversal" (*Huo Ni*). ○ If the pulse is floating with intense heat, and moxibustion is erroneously applied, this constitutes "reinforcing excess and weakening deficiency." The fire pathogen will move, inevitably causing dry throat and vomiting of saliva mixed with blood (from *Zhong Jing*).

Diseases of the five Zang organs are like thorns in the body, stains on cloth, knots in ropes, or blockages in channels. A skilled acupuncturist treats these diseases much like removing thorns, cleaning stains, untying knots, or opening blockages. Even if the disease has persisted for a long time, it can still be cured; if it is said to be incurable, it is due to a lack of proper technique (from *Ling Shu*). ○ When cold and heat contend, they can be harmonized; when deficiency and excess are adjacent, one knows how to resolve and unblock them. If the left side is imbalanced, push and uplift the Qi above; if the right side is imbalanced, accumulate and follow the Qi below. If both Yin and Yang are deficient, fire (moxibustion) should be applied to tonify them (from *Ling Shu*).

The superior physician (*Shang Gong*) treats disease before it arises, while the average physician (*Zhong Gong*) treats disease after it has arisen. What does this mean? It is said that treating disease before it arises means recognizing that liver disease will transmit to the spleen; therefore, one first strengthens the Spleen Qi to prevent the Liver pathogen from invading the Spleen. This is called treating disease before it arises. The average physician, seeing liver disease, does not understand the theory of transmission between organs and focuses solely on treating the liver; thus, this is called treating disease after it has arisen (from *Nan Jing*).