典藏书目

Take a straight bamboo pole. First, measure from the transverse crease of the patient's Chize (LU-5) acupoint, following the muscle down to the tip of the middle finger, and cut off this segment. Instruct the patient to unbutton their clothes, expose their body, and straddle sit on the straight bamboo pole. Use a thin bamboo for slender individuals and a thick bamboo for robust individuals; the tailbone area should be comfortable to sit on. Then, place the previously cut segment of bamboo vertically upright on the end of the sitting bamboo, marking the spot on the spine at the highest point. This marked point is not an acupoint for moxibustion. Next, use a stalk of Setaria italica (Heegan) to measure: for males, take the left hand; for females, take the right hand. Measure the width of the two transverse creases on the middle phalanx of the middle finger as one cun, add another cun, totaling two cun. Fold these two cun in half, mark the midpoint with ink, and transfer this mark to the previously indicated spot on the spine. The ends of the Setaria italica stalk correspond to the moxibustion acupoints. Moxibustion each acupoint seven moxa cones (Zhuang); do not exceed this number. If the disease does not heal after using this method, it is because these two acupoints are pathways of the Heart Meridian (Xin Mai). All sores and carbuncles (Yongju) arise from the stagnation of Heart Qi generating toxic heat. Moxibustion here promotes the flow of Heart Qi, leading to immediate recovery, potentially rescuing patients from death.

In various critical and malignant conditions, patients with fixed gaze, picking at imaginary objects, fish-mouth breath, and panting face imminent death. If the pathogenic Qi is Excess, treatment is easier; if Deficient, it is difficult. Any swelling that is not hot, not painful, not elevated, sunken, ulcerated, with purple-black flesh indicates internal onset where muscle tissue dies first; this is invariably fatal.

Observation of the eyes: shrinking of the white sclera and black pupil by about one cun constitutes the first "Ni" (Reversal/Adverse sign); vomiting after taking medicine is the second; abdominal pain with extreme thirst is the third; stiffness and inconvenience in the shoulders and neck is the fourth; hoarseness, sallow complexion, or dysentery is the fifth. Absence of these five adverse signs indicates a favorable prognosis ("Shun").

Lung abscess (Fei Yong) presents with pulling pain in the chest and hypochondrium, rapid breathing and panting, high fever like fire, coughing with expectoration, inability to eat, symptoms alleviating during the day and worsening at night. Moxibustion should be applied to the Qizhumaxue (Bamboo-Riding Acupoint) seven times. Additionally, needle Chize (LU-5), Taiyuan (LU-9), Neiguan (PC-6), and Shenmen (HT-7) to promote Qi circulation and drain toxic vapors. If there is no improvement, apply moxibustion to Qizhumaxue again seven times. The pulse should be洪 (Surging), 紧 (Tight), 数 (Rapid), or 滑 (Slippery). To determine if pus has formed, count forty to fifty days from the onset of pain. Observe the patient's eyes: if the white sclera lacks luster, appears slightly grayish-black, and fine red blood vessels crisscross chaotically over the sclera, pus has matured. Immediately puncture the edge of the pain, near the breast, or in the axilla extending forward to the intercostal space with a large-bladed needle to drain the pus. Insert a paper wick into the wound; withdraw and re-insert it daily to prevent the hole from closing. Concurrently, decoct a large amount of green-white moss found on rocky cliffs and administer orally until cure. ○ Pulses such as Shaxou (Shrimp Swimming) and Quezhuo (Sparrow Pecking) are critical pulses indicating severe illness that is difficult to treat.

Swelling of the yin region, buttocks, or feet where the skin color remains normal but gradually becomes edematous or slightly swollen, accompanied by deep bone/muscle pain, alleviation during the day, worsening at night, and loss of consciousness, typically forms pus after forty to fifty days. Pus formation is easier in summer and harder in winter. Externally, the painful area may show red thread-like patterns with crisscrossing blood vessels, indicating mature pus. If uncertain about pus presence, test with a fine needle; if withdrawn before the pus cavity is reached, no pus will emerge. Misdiagnosing this as stagnant damp-phlegm leads to ineffective treatments, prolonged suffering, and eventual death from bone involvement. Before the condition becomes critical, use manual technique: insert a large-bladed needle through the skin, gradually deepening until entering the pus cavity, feeling as if sinking into empty space. Once inside, split the needle tip to drain the pus. After drainage ceases, insert a paper wick to keep the pore open, withdrawing and re-inserting daily to expel foul fluid and necrotic tissue, promoting new flesh growth. Gradually reduce the depth of the wick until removal; yellow discharge indicates recovery. Even during convalescence, avoid anger, alcohol, and sexual activity to prevent recurrence of swelling and pain. ○ For swelling, the pulse should be 滑 (Slippery), 数 (Rapid), 急 (Urgent), or 紧 (Tight). The most dangerous are Shaxou and Quezhuo pulses, characterized by irregular stops (e.g., one beat then stop, or three beats then stop), indicating death within a few days.