Hàn Dynasty Moxibustion Techniques

by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac.

[email protected]
Nèi Jīng did not describe the technical aspects of moxibustion in any detail. Therefore, to try to
understand how a Hàn dynasty moxibustionist practiced, we need to refer to other early sources.
Even with these sources, much speculation is necessary.

How did Hàn practitioners get moxa floss? What quality was it?
Mugwort, the most common material used for moxibustion, was known and used long before Nèi
Jīng was written.

《詩經》 Shī Jīng (Book of Songs) is a collection of poetry and folk songs from 10th through the
7th century BCE. It contains a number of poems that refer to mugwort, and is the earliest
Chinese reference we have to this plant. For example, Song 76 says:

彼采葛兮，一日不見，如三月兮！
彼采蕭兮，一日不見，如三秋兮！
彼采艾兮，一日不見，如三歲兮！
Picking kudzu (gé), one day not seeing him is like three months!
Picking southernwood (xiāo), one day not seeing him is like three autumns!
Picking mugwort (ài), one day not seeing him is like three years!

This shows that mugwort was known at the time and had some value; otherwise they would not
have picked it. However, we do not know if they used it as food, medicine, or moxibustion.

《孟子》 Mèngzǐ, known in the west as Mencius (approximately 372 – 289 BCE), said: 七年之
病求三年之艾。《孟子·離婁》 “A disease of seven years requires three-year-old mugwort.”
While Mèngzǐ used this image to describe a political situation, people must have been able to
understand his meaning. They must have known that mugwort is used for moxibustion and that
high-quality floss should be aged for a long time. This cannot refer to food or decocting
medicine, as mugwort is not aged for those purposes. We can then surmise that if someone is
willing to age mugwort for three years, he probably also used fairly refined moxa floss; a person

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who wants something cheap and quick will not wait three years. This tells us that care was given
to the quality of the moxa floss.

However, this is all assuming that mugwort floss was used for moxibustion. Is this a valid
assumption? The 馬王堆 Mǎwángduī medical manuscripts were excavated from an early Hàn
tomb in Changsha, Hunan province. This tomb was closed up in 168 BCE and was rediscovered
in 1973. It contained many silk and bamboo books. One of them, 《五十二病方》 Wǔ Shí Èr
Bìng Fāng (Formulas for Fifty-Two Diseases), discussed many treatment modalities, but never
mentioned acupuncture with the fine needle.

Formulas for Fifty-Two Diseases prescribed moxibustion as one of five types of heat treatment.1
Several materials besides mugwort were specified to be used for moxibustion. For example,
Clause 64 prescribes local moxibustion by burning cord from a used cattail mat to treat warts.
Clause 127 uses hemp and mugwort together on the crown of the head for inguinal swelling.
Clause 135 contains its only mention of applying moxibustion according to channel theory. It
says, for “inguinal swelling… cauterize the Great Yin and the Great Yang.” (Translated by
Donald Harper) Mugwort was also burned to fume hemorrhoids in Clause 155. There are other
clauses with moxibustion, but from this sample, we can see that mugwort was one of many
possible materials that could be burned therapeutically.

There are also written records, at least in later dynasties, of moxibustion using 燈心草 Dēng Xīn
Cǎo, peach twigs, mulberry twigs, and many other substances.

In Sù Wèn and Líng Shū, the term 灸 jiǔ (moxibustion) is frequently used but in most cases, the
material to be burned is not mentioned. However, the only substance that is mentioned in
connection with moxibustion is 艾 ài (mugwort). For example, Sù Wèn, Chapter 14 and Líng
Shū, Chapters 12, 53, and 73 use the phrase 針艾 zhēn ài (needles and mugwort). Líng Shū,
Chapter 51 mentions moxibustion using 艾 ài.

Nèi Jīng mentions other materials for use in various heat therapies (such as ironing), but it seems
that Nèi Jīng only used 艾 ài for moxibustion.

Based on the above background, we will assume that in the Hàn dynasty, Nèi Jīng-style
practitioners used 艾 ài for moxibustion. Based on Mèngzǐ, we will assume that the moxa floss
was of good quality: aged for three years and highly refined. How did they get their moxa floss?

This is a question on which we can only speculate. The answers do not survive on the printed
page. Here is what we know. Mugwort grows everywhere, like a weed, in temperate climates. A
number of different Artemisia species make soft floss that has appropriate burning qualities.
Probably the common people went out and gathered it for food, for internal use in medicine, for
its ability to keep away the spirits, and for moxibustion. Some would be used immediately, some
dried for later use in medicine. A lot would be made into moxa floss.

1
The others were roasting (by applying herbs then heating the affected part near a fire), ironing (hot-pressing),
fumigating with steam or smoke, and medicinal soaks or baths.

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If the Hàn was like later times, many folk doctors or grandmothers applied moxibustion. It may
have been used frequently in the women’s quarters. Families probably sent their children out to
gather it. The women probably processed it into floss. Every household was likely to have a
stash. It is an inexpensive but effective medicine than can be mastered even by the illiterate. It
must have been very popular among the common people, as well as with the scholar-physicians.

The leaves would be dried. Then they would be ground in a coarse mortar and pestle.
Periodically during the manufacturing process, the floss would be sifted in sieves woven with
horsehair or bamboo strips. Maybe a winnowing process could be used. After repeated sifting
and grinding, the floss was left to age for at least three years.

Perhaps certain families made extra and sold it to or traded it with doctors; or maybe doctors had
their wives, children, apprentices, and servants make the floss.

Much of this is based on speculation, but this is the best we can do until we find a text with more
details.

How big were the cones in the Hàn dynasty?

陳延之《小品方》 Xiǎo Pǐn Fāng (Short Sketches of Formulas) was written by Chén Yánzhī in
the Southern and Northern dynasties (written approximately 454-473). This book was lost, but
large portions of it were quoted in later works, such as the Japanese medical classic 《醫心方》
Ishimpo (Medical Heart Formulas). What we have today is a reconstruction of the book. Xiǎo
Pǐn Fāng seems to be the earliest extant book that gives much detail on the techniques of
moxibustion. Xiǎo Pǐn Fāng says:

黃帝曰∶ 灸不三分，是謂徒冤。解曰：此為作炷欲令根下廣三分為適也。減此為不
覆孔穴上，不中經脈，火氣則不能遠達。
Huáng Dì said: Moxibustion that is not three fēn is called only a waste. The explanation
says: This means that you should make the base of the cone three fēn wide. If you
decrease it, the cone will not cover the point and will not hit the channel-vessel; the fire
qì will not be able to reach far.

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There is no statement like this is in Sù Wèn or Líng Shū. This statement must be from another
book or chapter attributed to Huáng Dì, a book that has since been lost. However, it seems to be
an ancient statement at the time Xiǎo Pǐn Fāng was written, needing commentary to explain it. It
is also attributed to the Huáng Dì tradition. And since we have no instructions from Nèi Jīng on
the size of the cone, we might as well use this guidance.

There are ten fēn in one cùn, so three fēn is about a third of a cùn. This would be about one third
of the width of the thumb joint. Or, during the Eastern Hàn dynasty, one cùn equaled 2.3
centimeters.2 If using standard cùn (not same-body cùn), three fēn would equal about 0.7
centimeters (7 millimeters, slightly more than a quarter inch). Ancient people were not as
obsessed with precision as modern people, so no need to get out your ruler. You can see that they
were not using moxa threads. At this time, there was no mention of grain-of-rice or grain-of-
wheat size cones.

There is no mention of any technique other than direct moxibustion in Nèi Jīng. Burning a cone
of this size on the skin will cause a moxa sore (more on that below). A smaller cone is called
‘only a waste’ because the patient will suffer some level of pain but without getting results, as
the cone will not cover the point and the fire qì is not very powerful.

Xiǎo Pǐn Fāng continues:

今江東及嶺南地氣溫，風寒少，當以二分以還極一分半也，遂人形闊狹耳，嬰兒以
意作炷也。
Nowadays in Jiāngdōng (Jiāngsū) and Lǐngnán (Guǎngdōng and Guǎngxi), the qì of the
place is warm, with little wind and cold; it is suitable to use two fēn [4.6 millimeters]
[down] to the [lower] limit of 1.5 fēn [3.5 millimeters]. Base it on the width or
narrowness of the person’s body; use this idea when making cones for babies.

2
The size of a cùn varied in earlier and later dynasties, but it remains close to this size during the time period of
interest.

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It is unclear whether this is a continuation of the above explanation, or if this is the opinion of
Xiǎo Pǐn Fāng’s author. However, we are told that we can make smaller cones if we are in
warmer climates or if the person is smaller. 1.5 fēn [3.5 millimeters] can be used for babies.

Xiǎo Pǐn Fāng says, regarding moxibustion on the chest and abdomen:

艾炷不須大，以竹箸頭作炷，正當脈上灸之。
The mugwort cones must not be large; they should be the size of the head of a bamboo
chopstick. Apply moxibustion right on the vessel.

Can we assume that ancient chopsticks were the same size as today? It is hard to tell the size in
the picture below. Also, which end is the head, the business end or the handle?

Hàn dynasty chopsticks

How many cones did Hàn practitioners use on a point?

While Nèi Jīng discusses moxibustion in a number of chapters, it only clearly mentions the
number of cones in five places within two chapters. Sù Wèn, Chapter 60 describes a moxibustion
treatment for cold and heat (‘aversion to cold and fever’). Many points are mentioned in this
section without listing the number of cones. However, we are told to use the same number of
cones as the age of the patient on Dà Zhuí (Dū 14 or the big vertebra at the base of the neck) and
the peg bone (Jué Gǔ) which may refer to Cháng Qiáng (Dū 1). In later times, many authors used
this equation for determining the number of cones on various points.

Sù Wèn, Chapter 60 also prescribes three cones of moxibustion for the site of a dog bite.

Líng Shū, Chapter 22 discusses diān-kuáng (withdrawal-mania). Two of its prescriptions are for
twenty cones of moxibustion to the sacral bone.

Nèi Jīng does not go beyond this, so we will have to look to other books for more guidance.

皇甫謐 Huángfǔ Mì compiled the 《針灸甲已經》 Zhēn Jiǔ Jiǎ Yǐ Jīng (Systematic Classic of
Acupuncture and Moxibustion) during the 晋 Jìn dynasty. The Jiǎ Yǐ Jīng is based on the
contents of three books: Sù Wèn, Líng Shū, and 《明堂孔穴针灸治要》 Míng Táng Kǒng Xué

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Zhēn Jiǔ Zhì Yào (Acupuncture-Moxibustion Treatment Essentials of the Bright Hall of Points),
a Hàn dynasty source.3

The Míng Táng listed the number of cones for each point and Jiǎ Yǐ Jīng passed on this
information. Most of today’s points of the fourteen channels are listed.4 The number of cones
ranged from one to ten, with three or five cones being the most common. Only 曲垣 Qū Yuán (SI
13) receives ten cones. Almost invariably an odd (yáng) number of cones was used. Besides the
one entry for ten cones, 浮白 Fú Bái (GB 10) receives two cones. A few points were
contraindicated for moxibustion. Sometimes a reason for the contraindication was listed, but
sometimes not. See the table in appendix.

Rather than memorizing the number of cones for each point, we can generalize based on the area
of the body receiving moxibustion. Xiǎo Pǐn Fāng tells us:

腹背宜灸五百壯，四肢則但去風邪，不宜多灸，七壯至七七壯止，不得過隨年數。
如巨闕、鳩尾雖是胸腹之穴，灸不過七七壯，艾炷不須大，以竹箸頭作炷，正當脈
上灸之。
Five hundred cones of moxibustion are suitable for the abdomen and back, [but use
enough] just to eliminate wind evils on the four limbs; they are not suitable for a lot of
moxibustion. Use seven cones, up to seven times seven cones and then stop. Do not use
more cones than the patient’s age. When moxibustion is applied to Jù Què (Rèn 14) or Jiū
Wěi (Rèn 15), it should not exceed seven times seven cones, even though these points are
on the chest and abdomen. The mugwort cones must not be large; they should be the size
of the head of a bamboo chopstick. Apply moxibustion right on the vessel.

While five hundred cones sound like a huge number, certain ancient authors have favored this
style for points like Guan Yuan (Rèn 4), Shen Que (Rèn 8) Shen Shu (UB 23), Gao Huang (UB
43), and a few other points. It is not uncommon to see 100, 300, 500, 700, or a thousand cones
prescribed for such points. These were probably applied in sessions, not all at once, unless it was
an emergency treatment. More on sessions below.

Xiǎo Pǐn Fāng establishes the guideline of ‘more moxibustion on the trunk, less on the limbs.’
Later doctors also say to use less on the upper body and more on the lower body to avoid
accumulation of heat above. So the limbs may have 7 to 49 cones (but not to exceed the patient’s
age), while the trunk can have 500 with the exception of some points related to heart (which is
already fire so it easily over-heats).5

3
The author of Míng Táng is unknown and the book has been lost, but much of it was preserved in the Jiǎ Yǐ Jīng. It
is also known as 《黃帝明堂經》 Huáng Dì Míng Táng Jīng, 《黃帝内經明堂》 Huáng Dì Nèi Jīng Míng Táng,
or simply 《明堂》 Míng Táng.
4
I should point out here that Míng Táng seems to come from a different (point oriented) tradition, whereas Nèi Jīng
is much more channel-vessel oriented. Therefore, while the information from Míng Táng may be relevant to Hàn
moxibustion practices in general, it may only confuse Nèi Jīng moxibustion practices.
5
For this reason, Xin Shu (UB 15) was often contraindicated for moxibustion in the old books. It corresponds to fire
element and is in the upper body, so moxibustion can agitate the spirit. However, other ancient authors have no
problem with prescribing moxibustion on Xin Shu (UB 15).

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By the way, if a point is to receive seven cones and you are treating bilaterally, that means seven
cones on each side. Also, if there is a point formula with more than one point and the book says
seven cones, it means seven on each point on each side, unless specific numbers are given point
by point.

Styles of Choosing the Number of Cones

There seem to be different styles for choosing the number of cones. Nèi Jīng used a few styles
(three cones, twenty cones, or the same number of cones as the age of the patient).

In Xiǎo Pǐn Fāng

• larger prescriptions include multiples of tens: 20, 30, 40, 50, or 100 cones per point (Líng
Shū Chapter 22 also mentions 20 cones)
• the same number of cones as the age of the patient (like Sù Wèn, chapter 60)
• multiples of seven such as two times seven, or seven times seven cones.
• 1 cone (on the face), 3, 7, or 9 cones (often on the limb) (like Sù Wèn, chapter 60)

Moxibustion Sessions
Moxibustion was often given in a set of sessions. For example, in Xiǎo Pǐn Fāng, one of the
prescriptions for deviation of the mouth from wind stroke says:

灸吻邊橫紋赤白際，逐左右風乘不收處，灸隨年壯，日日報之，三報且息。三日不
效，復三報之。
Apply moxibustion to the horizontal crease to the side of the corners of the mouth at the
border of the red and white [skin]. Use the left or right side according to the site that did
not contract wind [the unaffected side]. Apply the same number of cones as the age of the
patient. Give another session every day. Take a rest after three sessions. If it is not
effective in three days, give another three sessions.

A formula for wasting-thirst says:

灸關元一處，又俠兩旁各二寸二處，各灸三十壯，五日一報，至百五十壯。
Apply thirty cones of moxibustion each to the one site of Guān Yuán (Rèn 4) and the two
sites that are two cùn lateral to it. Give one session every for five days, up to 150 cones.

It is likely that when a hundred or five hundred cones are prescribed, they are spread out into a
few sessions, as in the above quotation.

The old books frequently say to give three times seven, or five times seven, or seven times seven
cones on a point. While not everyone agrees, I feel that most of the time when it says seven times
seven cones, it means seven sessions with seven cones each time.

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Using an Excessive Amount of Moxibustion

Líng Shū, Chapter 12 《經水第十二》 Channel-Waters:

其少長、大小、肥瘦，以心擦之，命曰法天之常，灸之亦然。灸而過此者，得惡火
則骨枯脈澀，刺而過此者，則脫氣。
Use your heart-mind to examine whether the patient is young or old, big or small, fat or
thin. This is called the constant law of heaven. Applying moxibustion is also this like this.
If you exceed this [law of determining what is appropriate] when you apply moxibustion,
you create malign fire. You make the bones wither and the vessels dry out [or the pulse
becomes rough]. Qì deserts if you exceed this [law of determining what is appropriate]
when pricking.

Xiǎo Pǐn Fāng says:

若灸胸腹，艾炷大灸多，令人永無心力。如頭頂穴若灸多，令人失精神。臂腳穴灸
多，令人血脈枯竭，四肢細瘦無力。既復失精神，又加於細瘦，即脫人真氣。
If the mugwort cones are large and you apply a lot of moxibustion on the chest and
abdomen, it gives the person perpetual weakness of the heart. If you apply a lot of
moxibustion to points on the crown of the head, it makes the person lose jīng-shén. If you
apply a lot of moxibustion to the arms and legs, it makes the person’s blood and vessels
dry up, and it makes the four limbs weak and feeble. If the patient has already lost jīng-
shén and further becomes weak and feeble, his true qì will desert him.

This reveals the side-effects of an improperly administered treatment.

The Dosage of Moxibustion

The dosage for moxibustion refers to the number and size of the cones and the frequency of
treatment. Ultimately, determining the appropriate dosage depends on many factors:
• The age of the patient
• The size of the patient
• The severity of the disease
• The nature of the disease (for example, cold or damp diseases probably receive a higher
dosage)
• The location of the site to receive moxibustion (face, limbs, trunk, etc.)
• The number of sessions to be given
• The style or philosophy of the practitioner

Points versus Channel-Vessels

In the above discussion, I assumed we are applying moxibustion to points, but this may not be
the case. Nèi Jīng often refers to the channel-vessel or to an anatomical landmark, and rarely
discusses points as we understand them today. Because we have been trained to think in terms of
acu-moxa points, we see them even when they are not really there. For example, when Sù Wèn,

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Chapter 60 《骨空論篇第六十》 says to apply moxibustion to 大椎 Dà Zhuí, we think Dū 14.
But if you read it within the context of the book as a whole, it is more likely to mean the
anatomical landmark of the vertebra rather than the modern point.

The 馬王堆 Mǎwángduī medical manuscripts were even more channel-vessel oriented. 《足臂
十一脈灸經》 Zú Bì Shí Yī Mài Jiǔ Jīng (Moxibustion Classic of the Eleven Leg and Arm
Vessels) and 《陰陽十一脈灸經》 Yīn Yáng Shí Yī Mài Jiǔ Jīng (Moxibustion Classic of the
Eleven Yīn and Yáng Vessels) do not discuss points at all. After describing the pathway and
possible ailments of each vessel, Zú Bì Shí Yī Mài Jiǔ Jīng says ‘apply moxibustion to the
vessel.’6 How this is done is never described. The techniques were probably passed from teacher
to student, or were known by everyone, so there was no need to record it.

Líng Shū, Chapter 10 《經脈第十》 is similar in some ways to the two 馬王堆 Mǎwángduī
texts. These three texts describe the channel-vessels one by one and some of the wording
matches. Líng Shū, Chapter 10 says after every channel-vessel, “陷下則灸之。When sunken
down/caved in, apply moxibustion to it.” While this chapter also recommends different treatment
modalities for other conditions of the vessels, this tells us we must palpate the vessels and if we
find a sunken or caved in place, that is where we should apply moxibustion.

It might be easy to say this means looking for 呵是 ā shì points, but it is not really the same.
Today, the term ā shì is frequently used to mean the most painful spot in the affected region. The
sunken place Líng Shū seeks may not be painful at all, and may be far away from the diseased
region. So in all likelihood, the Hàn moxibustionist palpated the relevant vessel(s) and applied
moxibustion based on what his or her fingers found.

How would a Hàn dynasty person light a moxa cone?

Today we often use incense sticks to light moxa cones. However, incense was probably not made
into sticks during the Hàn period; there do not seem to be Hàn references to incense sticks.7 So
how did they light moxa cones two thousand years ago? Huáng Dì Nèi Jīng never discussed this;
therefore, we must look to other sources for the answer.

Historically there has often been discussion of the different qualities of fire, based on how it is lit
or the materials that are burned. During the Míng dynasty, 李時珍 Li Shízhēn devoted one
volume of 《本草綱目》 Běn Cǎo Gāng Mù to the characteristics of different types of fire. If
we look toward earlier sources, 《小品方卷• 第十二》 Xiǎo Pǐn Fāng,8 Volume 12 says:

6
Yīn Yáng Shí Yī Mài Jiǔ Jīng does not specify a treatment in the text, but since the title includes ‘Moxibustion
Classic,’ we can assume the treatment is similar.
7
It is likely that in Hàn times, people burned fragrant woods in a fire for incense or heated fragrant substances over
a fire (such as powdered aromatics mixed with honey). These were common methods of using incense, even into
much later times. Incense manuals from the Sòng and Míng dynasties give recipes for these types of incense but not
for making sticks of incense, so it is likely that incense sticks came later.
8
All quotations in this section are from Xiǎo Pǐn Fāng, Volume 12 unless otherwise noted.

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 《蝦蟆經》云 Há Má Jīng9 says:
松木之火以灸即根難愈；
柏木之火以灸即多汗；
竹木之火以灸即肉傷；
橘木之火以灸即傷皮肌；
榆木之火以灸即傷骨，多壯即骨枯；
枳木之火以灸即陷脈，多壯即脈潰；
桑木之火以灸即傷肉；
棗木之火以灸即傷髓，多壯即髓消。
Moxibustion using fire from pine wood (sōng mù) makes it difficult for the root (gēn) to
recover;
Moxibustion using fire from cedar wood (bǎi mù) makes a lot of sweating;10
Moxibustion using fire from bamboo wood (zhú mù) damages the flesh;
Moxibustion using fire from tangerine wood (jú mù) damages the skin and flesh;
Moxibustion using fire from elm wood (yú mù) damages the bones; a lot of cones dry out
the marrow;
Moxibustion using fire from trifoliate orange wood (zhǐ mù) makes sunken vessels; a lot
of cones make ulcers in the vessels;
Moxibustion using fire from mulberry wood (sāng mù) damages the flesh;
Moxibustion using fire from jujube date wood (zǎo mù) damages the marrow; a lot of
cones disperse the marrow.
凡八木之火，皆害人肌血筋脈骨髓，不可以灸也。
Generally, fire from all eight types of wood harm people’s flesh, blood, sinews, vessels,
bones, and marrow; you cannot use them for moxibustion.

Vivienne Lo, in her discussion of Há Má Jīng,11 wrote that it is not clear whether these woods
were used for moxibustion itself or for lighting the cones. While it is possible that the woods
were used as moxibustion, I will assume that mugwort cones were burned. How then would
these woods be used for lighting mugwort cones? There are two possibilities.

One possibility is that this refers to the wood fire of the kitchen stove or brazier for the room. It
could refer to the wood directly or charcoal made from these woods. Fire from these woods
should not be transferred into the moxa cones or else the patient will suffer harm.

Besides this, people may have taken a long sliver of wood, perhaps soaked in sesame oil, lit it in
a cooking fire or oil lamp, and touched it to the moxa cone to ignite it. These eight types of wood
should not be used in this manner either.

Historically, Chinese medicine and related sciences have taught that the source of fire or water
has an influence on the results of its use. For example, traditionally mulberry wood is said to

9
《黄帝虾蟆经》 Huáng Dì Há Má Jīng was a Hàn dynasty book on acupuncture-moxibustion.
10
Some editions have 汁 zhī juice rather than 汗 hàn sweat. Vivienne Lo in her discussion of Há Má Jīng says this
means cedar has a lot of sap. But damage from all the other woods are related to bodily harm, so I doubt this.
11
Huangdi Hama jing (Yellow Emperor's Toad Canon), Asia Major, Volume 14, part 2, 2001.

Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 10

make the best fire for cooking herbs, although here it is not favored for moxibustion. Li Shízhēn
quoted 《抱樸子》 Bàopǔzǐ12 as saying: “一切仙藥，不得桑煎不服。桑乃箕星之精，能助
藥力。 No medicine used for becoming immortal can be taken internally unless it is decocted
with fire from mulberry. Mulberry is the essence of the winnowing basket constellation.13 It is
able to support the strength of the medicine.” The source of the fire, then, can influence the
effects of food or medicine cooked over it, or the moxa cones lit by it.

Xiǎo Pǐn Fāng continues:

太上用陽燧之火，其次䃈石之火，天陰以槐木之火為良也。
The best fire is from a yáng mirror (yáng suì). Next is fire of the jiē stone.14 When the sky
is overcast, it is good to use the fire of sophora wood (Huái Mù).15
陽燧，是火珠耀日取火也。天陰無日時，則鑽槐木取火也。
The yáng mirror is [like] a fire bead (huǒ zhū), obtaining fire from the rays of the sun.
When the sky is overcast and there is no sun, drill sophora wood (Huái Mù) to obtain fire.

陽燧 yáng suì (yáng mirrors) were used at least as far back as the Hàn dynasty according to
Volume 4 of Needham’s Science and Civilization in China. A yáng mirror is a parabolic reflector
that focuses the rays of the sun to make fire. Here, yáng refers to the sun, which is often called
太陽 Tài Yáng, the greatest yáng. One would make a torch, perhaps using cloth soaked with
alcohol or oil and hold it so the rays of the sun reflected from the mirror are focused on it.
Eventually it will smolder and burst into flames.

12
Bàopǔzǐ refers to both Gé Hóng 葛洪 (283-343 CE) and a book of that name attributed to him.
13
The winnowing basket (jī xīng) is one of the twenty-eight constellations. These twenty-eight constellations were
discussed at least as far back as 《淮南子》 Huáinánzǐ. The winnowing basket was mentioned in 《詩經》 Shī
Jīng, the Book of Songs. The winnowing basket is associated with the water element and is considered a lucky
portent. It is located in the northeast, in the direction corresponding to the beginning of spring.
14
䃈 jiē is some kind of mountain stone, a black stone resembling jade. It probably means a flint stone.
15
This paragraph is quite similar to one in Há Má Jīng and seems to be the original statement. The next sentence
appears to be further explanation or commentary.

Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 11

 陽燧 yáng suì (yáng mirror)

I have purchased a modern parabolic reflector for starting fires. It has an arm in the center that
holds tinder, such as moxa floss, at the place where the reflected rays converge. Even when the
sun is no longer high overhead, it can start the mugwort smoking almost instantaneously. Late in
the afternoon, it takes a little longer but still works. The smoking mugwort floss is then removed
with sticks or tweezers. Larger tinder is put on the ember or it is put in a ‘nest’ of fine tinder.
Then, when fanned, the tinder bursts into flames. I have no doubt that this was an effective fire
starter in ancient times.

One type of 火珠 huǒ zhū (fire bead) was a crystal of transparent quartz. This is a naturally
occurring stone that was shaped and polished like jade. Glass beads were made during the
Warring States Period and later. Both of these were used as lenses to make fire, according to
Volume 4 of Needham’s Science and Civilization in China. There is textual evidence of these

Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 12

fire lenses that dates to sometime between the third century BCE and the first century CE. This is
more or less the equivalent of using a magnifying glass or a Fresnel lens to start a fire.

Both the yáng mirror and the fire bead were considered good sources of fire for use in
moxibustion because the sun is 太陽 Tài Yáng, the source of healthy yáng qì for humans. The
problem with these two methods is that fire can only be started on a sunny day.

The ancient Chinese also knew how to make fire by striking flint against certain metals, although
the text seems not to prefer it here. Later books, such as Běn Cǎo Gāng Mù say this is because
fire from metal and stone is considered more ‘fierce’ than fire from grasses and woods. In the
volume on fire, Běn Cǎo Gāng Mù quotes 邵康節 Shao Kangjie as saying “火無體，因物以爲
體。 Fire lacks its own body; it relies on other things to use as its body.” This implies that the
source has a profound influence on the nature of the fire.

The last option mentioned above for making fire is by drilling sophora wood (Huái Mù). This is
an early method for making fire by friction.16 It takes more physical effort and skill than the
other methods listed, but it can be done day or night, rain or shine. Anyone with a knife can
make the necessary tools. And it does not give the fierce fire of stones or metal.

Drilling wood for fire using a bow

Why is sophora preferred? Běn Cǎo Gāng Mù says it grows everywhere. It is a relatively hard
wood. Huáinánzi•Fàn Lùn Xun 《淮南子•氾論訓》 says: “老槐生火，久血為磷，人弗怪也。
Old sophora [wood spontaneously] makes fire; old blood [in corpses in a cemetery] becomes
luminescent; people no longer find this strange.” While this is an unusual statement, it seems
sophora wood has a reputation for catching fire and is readily available.

16
The bow drill was developed in what is now Pakistan between the fourth and fifth millennia BCE. While it may
have also developed independently in other locations, it seems likely that this technology would have been known in
ancient China at an early time due to trade. So far, I have not found detailed information on how the Hàn drilled
wood for fire. Hopefully we will eventually be able to determine this.

Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 13

All methods of starting fire require tinder for making the initial ember. Needham wrote that
mugwort and 燈心草 dēng xīn cǎo, a common kind of rush,17 were used as tinder to ‘catch’ or
build the fire. This was probably the case whether the fire came from a yáng mirror, fire bead,
flint, or drilling. Xiǎo Pǐn Fāng:

今世但令避此八木之火耳，當用人間相傳之火也。以摩膏布纏延之，以艾莖延之，
皆良也。
Currently we still avoid fire from these eight types of wood. We should use the traditions
for fire handed down among people. Cloth or twine rubbed with fat or mugwort stems are
good for spreading the fire.

The cloth or twine rubbed with fat works on the same principle that enables oily rags to combust
spontaneously. They will light easily and stay lit long enough to light the mugwort cones. Dried
mugwort stems may be used to transfer fire from the source to the moxa cones, or as tinder for
the fire.

Běn Cǎo Gāng Mù tells us we can light a mugwort stem in the flame of a sesame oil lamp and
touch it to the top of the cone. Sesame oil lamps and even beeswax candles were used during the
Hàn dynasty18 according to Volume 4 of Needham’s Science and Civilization in China. An oil
lamp is extremely easy to make. Just pour a little sesame oil in a dish. Put a strand of Dēng Xīn
Cǎo in the oil with one end of the strand resting on the edge of the dish. Light this end and it will
burn very nicely.

燈心草 dēng xīn cǎo

(photo by Nicole Sheldon, the Spice Doc)

17
The name means ‘lamp wick herb.’ This plant was used as the wick for oil lamps. And as an aside, this herb is
also used in a type of folk treatment as moxibustion, although this type of moxibustion was not recorded until later.
18
Candles of this time used a thin strip of bamboo as the wick. Oil lamps may have used wicks of dēng xīn cǎo.

Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 14

 Simple homemade oil lamp
using sesame oil and 燈心草 dēng xīn cǎo

Since it is likely that families made their own moxa floss rather than buy it, the mugwort stems
would also be readily available. Běn Cǎo Gāng Mù and Zhēn Jiǔ Dà Chéng both mention that
using the flame from an oil lamp or candle helps moisten moxa sores so they are less painful
while healing. Since sesame oil lamps, beeswax candles, and mugwort stems were available
during the Hàn dynasty and their use is suggested in the above text, this was probably one of the
ways moxa cones were lit. Xiǎo Pǐn Fāng:

相傳之火者，皆非臨時鑽截所得也，皆眾薪雜木延之，已變以木勢厲，不復為害，
是可用也。
Not all the traditions for fire that have been handed down obtain it by drilling and cutting.
The masses spread fire using miscellaneous firewood, so the woods that are considered
evil have already changed, and those that are no longer considered harmful can be used
[today].

I am not confident of the translation in this paragraph. If I understand it, it means that while these
eight woods were prohibited in earlier times, the common people use whatever wood is on hand.
If a type of wood has been used for a long time without causing obvious harm, perhaps we can
use it, regardless of the prohibitions. We can probably also use various other fire technologies if
they have been tested by time.

Discussion and conclusions on fire-starting: In ancient times, people did not need to light a fire
each time they were ready to give a moxa treatment. There was always a fire in the kitchen, and
depending on the season and time of day, there were also braziers or lamps throughout the house.
Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 15
The kitchen fire was surely never allowed to go out. If it did, the family could probably borrow
an ember from a nearby neighbor. A household fire may have been started months or maybe
even years earlier so this is not an everyday concern. However, if one does need to start a fire to
be used for moxibustion, then fire from the sun (the yáng mirror or the fire bead) is best. A
drilling (friction) method is also good, especially when sophora wood is used.

Once the fire is lit, there are eight types of wood to avoid. Many of us today do not use wood
fires in our homes and clinics. But if we have a wood stove or a fire place, we should be careful
regarding what type of wood is used when it is the source of fire for lighting moxa cones.

Candles and oil lamps were available in Hàn times and are acceptable for use in lighting cones.
However, candles should be made of beeswax, not paraffin (which comes from petroleum and
therefore gives a ‘fiercer’ flame). The best oil for an oil lamp is probably sesame. The worst
would be some kind of mineral oil.

We can then use a fire, candle, or oil lamp to light a mugwort stem or strip of wood (as long as it
is not from one of the eight prohibited woods). We then light the moxa cones from this stem or
strip, which only needs to hold an ember; it does not need to have a flame as mugwort lights
easily. Today, we often use incense to light moxa cones. While this may not have been done in
the Hàn dynasty, it is probably fine, under the guideline of ‘those no longer considered harmful
can be used.’ However, perhaps incense should not be made from one of the eight prohibited
woods and should be made of natural ingredients without chemicals that are often added to help
it burn better.

Lighting a cone with a piece of mugwort stem

This also makes one wonder about the suitability of using matches, modern lighters, or the flame
from a gas stove. As an aside, matches were more or less invented in China around 577 CE.
Small pine strips were impregnated with sulfur. While they could not be lit by striking them,
these pre-matches caught fire easily and stayed lit better, so they could be used to more easily
light lamps or candles (Needham, Volume 4).

Huáng Dì Nèi Jīng did not write about lighting moxa cones. While this discussion is not based on
Nèi Jīng, it mostly relies on sources close to the time of Nèi Jīng and on technology available at
that time.

Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 16

To find more on these materials or to try to purchase them: Search on-line for concave mirror or
solar lighter (yáng mirror); Fresnel lens (equivalent of fire bead); bow and drill fire making; flint
and steel.

How were moxa cones put on the body?

So far none of the early source we have come across discuss whether something was applied to
the site to help stick the moxa cone in place while it was burning or to buffer the heat. If the site
is parallel to the floor, the cone could have been set directly on the site and burned. If more than
one cone were used, it could be put on the ashes of the previous cone, or the site could be
cleaned first and then the next cone placed down.

In direct moxibustion today, often something is smeared on the site before a cone is put on it or
the base of the cone is pressed into something moist and then put into place. In the Korean
tradition, often the saliva of the practitioner is used. Perhaps the thumbnail is licked and the
bottom of the cone pressed into it, then placed on the site. Because saliva is not considered very
appealing, today many people keep a moist cotton ball nearby and press the base of the cone into
it before it is placed on the patient. This helps keep the moxa cone from falling off and may also
give a little bit of cooling before the cone burns to the skin. It may also make the moxa treatment
a little less drying. Remember, some part of saliva comes from kidney essence.

Others today use an ointment, such as 紫雲膏 Zǐ Yún Gāo (Shiunko in Japanese). Of course, this
is a much later recipe, but Hàn moxibustionists may have used saliva, water, oil, fat, or an
ointment to help stick on the cones.

When using a mugwort stem to light the floss, it tends to pick up the cone, which sticks to the
mugwort stem. This is less of an issue with incense. This leads me to conclude that the ancients
probably used something to help stick the cones on. When Zǐ Yún Gāo was used on the point
first, the cones easily stayed on. I tried moistening the base of the cone by dipping it in water.
This also greatly helped. So perhaps the ancients used saliva or water to help stick on the cones.

Currently, there is no answer to this question. More experimentation is necessary.

Supplementing and draining with moxa

We have draining and supplementing techniques with acupuncture. Likewise, moxibustion also
has draining and supplementing techniques.

Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 17

Líng Shū, Chapter 51 《背腧第五十一》 Back Shù-Transport Points says:

以火補者，毋吹其火，須自滅也；
To use fire [moxibustion] to supplement, do not blow on the fire; you must let it burn
itself out naturally.
以火瀉之，疾吹其火，傳其艾，須其火滅也。
To use fire to drain, quickly blow on the fire to transmit the mugwort so that the fire will
burn out [more rapidly].

The first sentence in this statement is clear and commentators do not disagree on its meaning.
The second phrase is more problematic. When a statement is hard to understand, often you will
find changes in the different versions of text.
• Líng Shū has “傳其艾 (chuán qí ài) transmit/spread/propagate/summon19 [the heat or qì
of] the mugwort…
• 《太素•氣穴》 Tài Sù has “傅其艾 (fù qí ài) assist the mugwort so that the fire will
burn out [more rapidly]…
• Jiǎ Yǐ Jīng has “拊其艾 (fǔ qí ài) pat/tap/slap [around] the mugwort… (This is a
technique that is used to help reduce the pain of the moxibustion.)

Many later doctors have tried to explain this passage. 楊上善 Yáng Shàngshàn commented in the
parallel section of Tài Sù: “灸燒其處，正氣聚，故曰補也。吹令熱入，以令攻其病，故曰
瀉也。傅音付。以手擁傅其艾吹之，使火氣不散也。 Moxibustion burning on the site
gathers right qì to it; thus, it is said to be supplementing. Blowing on it makes the heat penetrate
in order to attack the disease; thus, it is said to be draining. 傅 fù (assist/support) is pronounced
like 付 fù. Use your hand to surround the mugwort and blow on it to prevent the fire qi from
scattering.”

Zhū Dānxī wrote in 朱丹溪《丹溪心法•拾遺雜論九十九》 Dānxī Xīn Fǎ, Dānxī’s Heart

Methods [of Treatment]: 灸法有補火瀉火，若補火，艾炳至肉。若瀉火，不要至肉，便掃
除之，用口吹風主散。 In moxibustion, there is the method of supplementing with fire and the
method of draining with fire. To supplement with fire, the mugwort burns down to the flesh. To
drain with fire, it should not reach the flesh; clear it away. Blowing wind from the mouth
governs scattering [the evils].” This seems to be a different interpretation.

In 馬蒔《黃帝内經靈樞注証發微》 Huáng Dì Nèi Jīng Líng Shū Zhù Zhèng Fā Wēi, Mǎ Shí
wrote: “凡以灸火而補之者，毋吹其火，必待其火之自滅可也。以灸火而瀉之者，當疾吹
其火，即傳遞其艾以繼之，須其火之速滅可也。 Whenever supplementing with moxibustion
fire, do not blow on the fire. You must wait for the fire to extinguish itself. To drain with

19
傳 chuán is specifically used in phrases such as 傳熱 chuán rè to radiate or conduct heat, for example: 火傳也，
不知其盡也。《莊子·養生主》 The fire is propagated (傳 chuán). We do not know its limits. Zhuāngzi, in the
Principles of Nourishing Life. It can also mean to hasten. 《說文解字》 Shuō Wén Jiě Zì says: 傳：遽也。傳
chuán means jù 遽 (rapidly, quickly, suddenly).

Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 18

moxibustion fire, you should quickly blow on the fire, meaning to transmit/deliver/transfer the
mugwort in order to connect it. The fire must quickly burn out.”

Zhāng Jièbīn’s 張介賓《類經》 Lèi Jīng says: “凡欲以火補者，勿吹其火致令疾速，必待其

從容自滅可也。凡欲以火瀉者，必疾吹其火，欲其迅速，即傳易其艾，須其火之速滅可也。
此用火補瀉之法。 Whenever you want to supplement with fire, do not blow on the fire to make
it fast. You must wait for it to unhurriedly extinguish itself. Whenever you want to drain with
fire, you must quickly blow on the fire desiring its speediness, meaning to transmit and exchange
the mugwort. The fire must quickly burn out.”

Summary: To supplement, let the moxa cone burn slowly and extinguish itself to gather right qi
to the region. (Each cone goes out naturally before the next is added.)

There are various views on the method of draining. In all cases, we quickly blow on the mugwort
fire. Besides that, ancient doctors have said:
• pat around it [to reduce the burning sensation]. (Jiǎ Yǐ Jīng)
• surround the burning mugwort with your hand while you blow on it (Yáng Shàngshàn’s
comments on Tài Sù)
• remove the cone before it burns to the flesh (Zhū Dānxī)

What about moxa sores?

Are they good or bad?
What was done to insure they occur?
Were they treated, and if so, how?

Mugwort and moxibustion are mentioned a few times in 《莊子》 Zhuāngzǐ (said to be 370-301
BCE). In the chapter called Robber Zhi, Confucius is satirically quoted as saying “丘所謂無病
而自灸也，病走料虎頭，編虎須幾年不免虎口哉。 I am like someone who burns
moxibustion on himself without being sick. I rushed to stroke the tiger’s head and played with
the tiger’s whiskers, and I narrowly escaped the tiger’s mouth.” This seems to imply that
moxibustion is dangerous and better not to mess with it if you want to avoid injury. Perhaps this
refers to the pain of moxa sores.

Suppurative moxibustion and its close cousins, scarring and blistering moxibustion, are types of
direct moxibustion, allowing the cone to burn down to the skin. A blister forms, sometimes it
fills with pus, and a scar may be left once it heals. Doctors have discussed moxa sores for untold
years.

Zhāng Zhòngjǐng’s Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet (Hàn dynasty) mentions moxa
sores, but in this case, they are part of the problem, not part of the cure. Zhāng says in chapter
two:
痙病有灸瘡，難治。張仲景《金匱要略·痙濕暍病脈證治》
It is difficult to treat tetany in a patient with moxa sores.

Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 19

The Jiǎ Yǐ Jīng is the first extant book implying that moxa sores are desirable. At the end of
Volume 3, just after the section on points from Míng Táng, it states,

欲令灸發者，炙履底熨之，三日即發。
If you want to make moxa [sores] erupt, heat the sole of a shoe and use it to iron [the site
of the moxibustion treatment]; in three days [the sores] will erupt.”

It is unclear if this particular sentence is a comment of Huángfǔ’s or if it is also taken from Míng
Táng.

Later books discuss the making and treatment of moxa sores, including ointments, ways to make
them suppurate, ways to keep them from being too painful as they heal, self-care including diet
while they heal, and so forth. However, this type of information is not found in early sources,
although it may have been passed down orally. Later books also speak of the necessity of making
sores for treatment of disease with moxa, but this discussion is also not found in early books.
Still, the previous quote from Jiǎ Yǐ Jīng implies that moxa sores are desirable.

What techniques were not used in Hàn times?

There is no mention of the following in any early received texts:
• indirect moxibustion,
• moxa sticks,
• direct moxa with grain-of-rice or grain-of-wheat size cones,
• moxa devices,
• and so forth
The earliest mention of any of these is indirect moxibustion in Gé Hóng’s Zhǒu Hòu Bèi Jí Fāng
葛洪《肘後備急方》. Moxa sticks were not invented until the Míng dynasty.
***
This is still a draft and I have written no conclusion. I hope this information is interesting and/or
useful.

Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 20

 Appendix: The Number of Moxa Cones for Each Point
According to 《甲乙經》 Jiǎ Yǐ Jīng
皇甫謐 Huángfǔ Mì compiled the 《針灸甲已經》 Zhēn Jiǔ Jiǎ Yǐ Jīng (Systematic Classic of
Acupuncture and Moxibustion) during the 晋 Jìn dynasty. The Jiǎ Yǐ Jīng is based on the
contents of three books: Elementary Questions, Magic Pivot, and 《明堂孔穴针灸治要》 Míng
Táng Kǒng Xué Zhēn Jiǔ Zhì Yào (Acupuncture-Moxibustion Treatment Essentials of the Bright
Hall of Points), a Hàn dynasty source. The author is unknown. The book has been lost but much
of it was preserved in the Jiǎ Yǐ Jīng. It is also known as 《黃帝明堂經》 Huáng Dì Míng Táng
Jīng, 《黃帝内經明堂》Huáng Dì Nèi Jīng Míng Táng, or simply 《明堂》 Míng Táng. The
number of cones for each point comes from this source.

Points of the Hand Tai Yin Lung Channel

Point Number of Cones
LU 1 中府 zhong fu 5
LU 2 雲門 yun men 5
LU 3 天府 tian fu forbidden, moxibustion causes counterflow qi
LU 4 俠白 xia bai 5
LU 5 尺澤 chi ze 3
LU 6 孔最 kong zui 5
LU 7 列缺 lie que 5
LU 8 經渠 jing qu forbidden, moxibustion damages spirit-brightness
LU 9 太淵 tai yuan 3
LU 10 魚際 yu ji 3
LU 11 少商 shao shang 1

Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 21

 Points of the Hand Yang Ming Large Intestine Channel
Point Number of Cones
LI 1 商陽 shang yang 3
LI 2 二間 er jian 3
LI 3 三間 san jian 3
LI 4 合谷 he gu 3
LI 5 陽溪 yang xi 3
LI 6 偏歷 pian li 3
LI 7 溫溜 wen liu 3
LI 8 下廉 xia lian 3
LI 9 上廉 shang lian 3
LI 10 手三里 shou san li 3
LI 11 曲池 qu chi 3
LI 12 肘髎 zhou liao 3
LI 13 手五里 shou wu li 3
LI 14 臂臑 bi nao 3
LI 15 肩髃 jian yu 3
LI 16 巨骨 ju gu 5
LI 17 天鼎 tian ding 3
LI 18 扶突 fu tu 3
LI 19 禾髎 he liao unspecified
LI 20 迎香 ying xiang unspecified

Points of the Foot Yangming Stomach Channel

Point Number of Cones
ST 1 承泣 cheng qi forbidden
ST 2 四白 si bai 7
ST 3 巨髎 ju liao unspecified
ST 4 地倉 di cang unspecified
ST 5 大迎 da ying 5
ST 6 頰車 jia che 3
ST 7 下關 xia guan forbidden if there is earwax
ST 8 頭維 tou wei forbidden

Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 22

 ST 9 人迎 ren ying forbidden
ST 10 水突 shui tu 3
ST 11 氣舍 qi she 5
ST 12 缺盆 que pen 3
ST 13 氣戶 qi hu 5
ST 14 庫房 ku fang 5
ST 15 屋翳 wu yi 5
ST 16 膺窗 ying chuang 5
ST 17 乳中 ru zhong forbidden
ST 18 乳根 ru gen 5
ST 19 不容 bu rong 5
ST 20 承滿 cheng man 5
ST 21 梁門 liang men 5
ST 22 關門 guan men 5
ST 23 太乙 tai yi 5
ST 24 滑肉門 hua rou men 5
ST 25 天樞 tian shu 3
ST 26 外陵 wai ling 5
ST 27 大巨 da ju 5
ST 28 水道 shui dao 5
ST 29 歸來 gui lai 5
ST 30 氣衝 qi chong 3, but moxibustion may cause difficulty breathing
ST 31 髀關 bi guan 3
ST 32 伏兔 fu tu forbidden
ST 33 陰市 yin shi forbidden
ST 34 梁丘 liang qiu 3
ST 35 犢鼻 du bi 3
ST 36 足三里 zu san li 3
ST 37 上巨虛 shang ju xu 3
ST 38 條口 tiao kou 3
ST 39 下巨虛 xia ju xu 3
ST 40 豐隆 feng long 3
ST 41 解溪 jie xi 3
ST 42 沖陽 chong yang 3
ST 43 陷谷 xian gu 3
ST 44 內庭 nei ting 3
ST 45 厲兌 li dui 1

Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 23

 Points of the Foot Taiyin Spleen Channel
Point Number of Cones
SP 1 隱白 yin bai 3
SP 2 大都 da du 3
SP 3 太白 tai bai 3
SP 4 公孫 gong sun 3
SP 5 商丘 shang qiu 3
SP 6 三陰交 san yin jiao 3
SP 7 漏谷 lou gu 3
SP 8 地機 di ji 5
SP 9 陰陵泉 yin ling quan 3
SP 10 血海 xue hai 5
SP 11 箕門 ji men 3
SP 12 沖門 chong men 5
SP 13 府舍 fu she 5
SP 14 腹結 fu jie 5
SP 15 大橫 da heng 5
SP 16 腹哀 fu ai 5
SP 17 食竇 shi dou 5
SP 18 天谿 tian xi 5
SP 19 胸鄉 xiong xiang 5
SP 20 周榮 zhou rong 5
SP 21 大包 da bao 3

Points of the Hand Shaoyin Heart Channel

Point Number of Cones
HT 1 極泉 ji quan 5
HT 2 青靈 qing ling 7
HT 3 少海 shao hai 3
HT 4 靈道 ling dao 3
HT 5 通里 tong li 3
HT 6 陰郤 yin xi 3
HT 7 神門 shen men 3
HT 8 少府 shao fu 3
HT 9 少沖 shao chong 1

Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 24

 Points of the Hand Taiyang Small Intestine Channel
Point Number of Cones
SI 1 少澤 shao ze 1
SI 2 前谷 qian gu 3
SI 3 後谿 hou xi 1
SI 4 腕骨 wan gu 3
SI 5 陽谷 yang gu 3
SI 6 養老 yang lao 3
SI 7 支正 zhi zheng 3
SI 8 小海 xiao hai 7
SI 9 肩貞 jian zhen 3
SI 10 臑俞 nao shu 3
SI 11 天宗 tian zong 3
SI 12 秉風 bing feng 5
SI 13 曲垣 qu yuan 10
SI 14 肩外俞 jian wai shu 3
SI 15 肩中俞 jian zhong shu 3
SI 16 天窗 tian chuang 3
SI 17 天容 tian rong 3
SI 18 顴髎 quan liao unspecified
SI 19 聽宮 ting gong 3

Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 25

 Points of the Foot Taiyang Urinary Bladder Channel
Point Number of Cones
UB 1 睛明 jing ming 3
UB 2 攢竹 zan zhu 3
UB 3 眉沖 mei chong not in Jiǎ Yǐ Jīng
UB 4 曲差 qu cha 5
UB 5 五處 wu chu 3
UB 6 承光 cheng guang forbidden
UB 7 通天 tong tian 3
UB 8 絡卻 luo que 3
UB 9 玉枕 yu zhen 3
UB 10 天柱 tian zhu 3
UB 11 大杼 da zhu 7
UB 12 風門 feng men 5
UB 13 肺俞 fei shu 3
UB 14 厥陰俞 jue yin shu not in Jiǎ Yǐ Jīng
UB 15 心俞 xin shu forbidden
UB 16 督俞 du shu not in Jiǎ Yǐ Jīng
UB 17 膈俞 ge shu 3
UB 18 肝俞 gan shu 3
UB 19 膽俞 dan shu 3
UB 20 脾俞 pi shu 3
UB 21 胃俞 wei shu 3
UB 22 三焦俞 san jiao shu 3
UB 23 腎俞 shen shu 3
UB 24 氣海俞 qi hai shu not in Jiǎ Yǐ Jīng
UB 25 大腸俞 da chang shu 3
UB 26 關元俞 guan yuan shu not in Jiǎ Yǐ Jīng
UB 27 小腸俞 xiao chang shu 3
UB 28 膀胱俞 pang guang shu 3
UB 29 中膂俞 zhong lü shu 3
UB 30 白環俞 bai huan shu forbidden
UB 31 上髎 shang liao 3
UB 32 次髎 ci liao 3
UB 33 中髎 zhong liao 3
UB 34 下髎 xia liao 3
UB 35 會陽 hui yang 5
UB 36 承扶 cheng fu 3
UB 37 殷門 yin men 3

Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 26

 UB 38 浮郤 fu xi 3
UB 39 委陽 wei yang 3
UB 40 委中 wei zhong 3
UB 41 附分 fu fen 5
UB 42 魄戶 po hu 5
UB 43 膏肓俞 gao huang not in Jiǎ Yǐ Jīng
UB 44 神堂 shen tang 5
UB 45 譩譆 yi xi 5
UB 46 膈關 ge guan 3
UB 47 魂門 hun men 5
UB 48 陽綱 yang gang 3
UB 49 意舍 yi she 3
UB 50 胃倉 wei cang 3
UB 51 肓門 huang men 3
UB 52 志室 zhi shi 3
UB 53 胞肓 bao huang 3
UB 54 秩邊 zhi bian 3
UB 55 合陽 he yang 5
UB 56 承筋 cheng jin 3
UB 57 承山 cheng shan 3
UB 58 飛揚 fei yang 3
UB 59 跗陽 fu yang 3
UB 60 昆侖 kun lun 3
UB 61 僕參 pu can 3
UB 62 申脈 shen mai 3
UB 63 金門 jin men 3
UB 64 京骨 jing gu 3
UB 65 束骨 shu gu 3
UB 66 通谷 tong gu 3
UB 67 至陰 zhi yin 3

Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 27

 Points of the Foot Shaoyin Kidney Channel
Point Number of Cones
KI 1 涌泉 yong quan 3
KI 2 然谷 ran gu 3
KI 3 太溪 tai xi 3
KI 4 大鐘 da zhong 3
KI 5 水泉 shui quan 5
KI 6 照海 zhao hai 3
KI 7 復溜 fu liu 5
KI 8 交信 jiao xin 3
KI 9 築賓 zhu bin 5
KI 10 陰谷 yin gu 3
KI 11 橫骨 heng gu 5
KI 12 大赫 da he 5
KI 13 氣穴 qi xue 5
KI 14 四滿 si man 5
KI 15 中注 zhong zhu 5
KI 16 肓俞 huang shu 5
KI 17 商曲 shang qu 5
KI 18 石關 shi guan 5
KI 19 陰都 yin du 5
KI 20 通谷 tong gu 5
KI 21 幽門 you men 5
KI 22 步廊 bu lang 5
KI 23 神封 shen feng 5
KI 24 靈墟 ling xu 5
KI 25 神藏 shen cang 5
KI 26 彧中 yu zhong 5
KI 27 俞府 shu fu 5

Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 28

 Points of the Hand Jueyin Pericardium Channel
Point Number of Cones
PC 1 天池 tian chi 3
PC 2 天泉 tian quan 3
PC 3 曲澤 qu ze 3
PC 4 郤門 xi men 3
PC 5 間使 jian shi 3
PC 6 內關 nei guan 3
PC 7 大陵 da ling 3
PC 8 勞宮 lao gong 3
PC 9 中沖 zhong chong 1

Points of the Hand Shaoyang San Jiao Channel

Point Number of Cones
SJ 1 關沖 guan chong 3
SJ 2 液門 ye men 3
SJ 3 中渚 zhong zhu 3
SJ 4 陽池 yang chi 3
SJ 5 外關 wai guan 3
SJ 6 支溝 zhi gou 3
SJ 7 會宗 hui zong 3
SJ 8 三陽絡 san yang luo 9
SJ 9 四瀆 si du 3
SJ 10 天井 tian jing 3
SJ 11 清冷淵 qing leng yuan 3
SJ 12 消濼 xiao luo 3
SJ 13 臑會 nao hui 5
SJ 14 肩髎 jian liao 3
SJ 15 天髎 tian liao 3
SJ 16 天牖 tian you 3
SJ 17 翳風 yi feng 3
SJ 18 瘈脈 qi mai 3
SJ 19 顱息 lu xi 3
SJ 20 角孫 jiao sun 3
SJ 21 耳門 er men 3, but forbidden with pus in ear or earwax
SJ 22 和髎 he liao 3
SJ 23 絲竹空 si zhu kong forbidden, man make the eyes small and blind

Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 29

 Points of the Foot Shaoyang Gall Bladder Channel
Point Number of Cones
GB 1 瞳子髎 tong zi liao 3
GB 2 聽會 ting hui 3
GB 3 上關 shang guan 3
GB 4 頜厭 han yan 3
GB 5 縣顱 xuan lu 3
GB 6 縣厘 xuan li 3
GB 7 曲鬢 qu bin 3
GB 8 率谷 shuai gu 3
GB 9 天衝 tian chong 9
GB 10 浮白 fu bai 2
GB 11 頭竅陰 tou qiao yin 5
GB 12 完骨 wan gu 7
GB 13 本神 ben shen 3
GB 14 陽白 yang bai 3
GB 15 頭臨泣 tou lin qi 3
GB 16 目窗 mu chuang 5
GB 17 正營 zheng ying 5
GB 18 承靈 cheng ling 5
GB 19 腦空 nao kong 5
GB 20 風池 feng chi 3
GB 21 肩井 jian jing 5
GB 22 淵腋 yuan ye forbidden, causes swelling and saber lumps
GB 23 輒筋 zhe jin 3
GB 24 日月 ri yue 5
GB 25 京門 jing men 3
GB 26 帶脈 dai mai 5
GB 27 五樞 wu shu 5
GB 28 維道 wei dao 3
GB 29 居髎 ju liao 3
GB 30 環跳 huan tiao 5
GB 31 風市 feng shi not in Jiǎ Yǐ Jīng
GB 32 中瀆 zhong du 5
GB 33 膝陽關 xi yang guan forbidden
GB 34 陽陵泉 yang ling quan 3
GB 35 陽交 yang jiao 3
GB 36 外丘 wai qiu 3
GB 37 光明 guang ming 5

Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 30

 GB 38 陽輔 yang fu 3
GB 39 縣鐘 xuan zhong 5
GB 40 丘墟 qiu xu 3
GB 41 足臨泣 zu lin qi 3
forbidden, patient will become emaciated and die
GB 42 地五會 di wu hui
within three years
GB 43 俠溪 xia xi 3
GB 44 足竅陰 zu qiao yin 3

Points of the Foot Jueyin Liver Channel

Point Number of Cones
LV 1 大敦 da dun 3
LV 2 行間 xing jian 3
LV 3 太沖 tai chong 3
LV 4 中封 zhong feng 3
LV 5 蠡溝 li gou 3
LV 6 中都 zhong du 5
LV 7 膝關 xi guan 5
LV 8 曲泉 qu quan 3
LV 9 陰包 yin bao 3
LV 10 足五里 zu wu li 5
LV 11 陰廉 yin lian 3
LV 12 急脈 ji mai not in Jiǎ Yǐ Jīng
LV 13 章門 zhang men 3
LV 14 期門 qi men 5

Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 31

 Points of the Dū (Governing) Vessel
Point Number of Cones
Dū 1 長強 chang qiang 3
Dū 2 腰俞 yao shu 5
Dū 3 腰陽關 yao yang guan not in Jiǎ Yǐ Jīng
Dū 4 命門 ming men 3
Dū 5 縣樞 xuan shu 3
Dū 6 脊中 ji zhong forbidden, moxa causes wei patterns
Dū 7 中樞 zhong shu not in Jiǎ Yǐ Jīng
Dū 8 筋縮 jin suo 5
Dū 9 至陽 zhi yang 3
Dū 10 靈台 ling tai not in Jiǎ Yǐ Jīng
Dū 11 神道 shen dao 5
Dū 12 身柱 shen zhu 5
Dū 13 陶道 tao dao 5
Dū 14 大椎 da zhui 9
Dū 15 啞門 ya men forbidden, moxa causes loss of voice
Dū 16 風府 feng fu forbidden, moxa causes loss of voice
Dū 17 腦戶 nao hu forbidden, moxa causes loss of voice
Dū 18 強間 qiang jian 5
Dū 19 後頂 hou ding 5
Dū 20 百會 bai hui 5
Dū 21 前頂 qian ding 5
Dū 22 囟會 xin hui 5
Dū 23 上星 shang xing 5
Dū 24 神庭 shen ting 3
Dū 25 素髎 su liao unspecified
Dū 26 水溝 shui gou (人中 ren zhong) 3
Dū 27 兌端 dui duan 3
Dū 28 齦交 yin jiao 3

Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 32

 Points of the Rèn (Conception) Vessel
Point Number of Cones
Rèn 1 會陰 hui yin 3
Rèn 2 曲骨 qu gu 3
Rèn 3 中極 zhong ji 3
Rèn 4 關元 guan yuan 7
Rèn 5 石門 shi men 3 in males, forbidden in females, causes infertility
Rèn 6 氣海 qi hai 5
Rèn 7 陰交 yin jiao 5
Rèn 8 神闕 shen que 3
Rèn 9 水分 shui fen 5
Rèn 10 下脘 xia wan 5
Rèn 11 建里 jian li 5
Rèn 12 中脘 zhong wan 7
Rèn 13 上脘 shang wan 5
Rèn 14 巨闕 ju que 5
Rèn 15 鳩尾 jiu wei forbidden
Rèn 16 中庭 zhong ting 5
Rèn 17 膻中 shan zhong 5
Rèn 18 玉堂 yu tang 5
Rèn 19 紫宮 zi gong 5
Rèn 20 華蓋 hua gai 5
Rèn 21 璇璣 xuan ji 5
Rèn 22 天突 tian tu 3
Rèn 23 廉泉 lian quan 3
Rèn 24 承漿 cheng jiang 3

Draft by Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 11/10/2017 33