Reference; https://mbp-japan.com/tokyo/seino-1987/column/5107924/
Modified and translated by CFJA
Explanation for [4]
Cheng Dan’an’s analysis of Japanese moxibustion therapy is amazing. This time, we introduced some of the different types of moxibustion therapy, but Cheng Dan’an has analyzed other moxibustion therapies from various angles. However, he has only studied in Japan for eight months, from 1934 to 1935 (the 9th to 10th year of the Showa period). In Japan, there are varieties of styles and the mainstream teaching method is oral transmission. Thus, it is impossible to observe all moxibustion therapies. Dr. Seino has spent 40 years visiting all 47 prefectures in Japan to observe different types of acumoxa therapies in Japan. Nonetheless, he feels that this is not enough. He does not have the confidence to strongly say that he has sufficient knowledge to fully understand the essence of moxibustion therapy.
When Dr. Seino was in his 20’s, he asked his master, Meiyu Okada 岡田明裕, whether or not it was necessary to learn about kanpo medicine (herbal therapy). His response was, “Even learning acupuncture alone is challenging enough, let alone learning moxibustion.” Dr. Seino, in his early periods, thought that it was important to learn anything and everything. For several years, he diligently learned about shoyaku 生薬 (herbs) and the effects of kanpo 漢方 (herbal medicine). When looking at the names of the medicines, Dr. Seino learned to understand their efficacy by examining the contents of herbs. However, with the vast variety of herbs and their differing effects depending on their place of origin, he realized that no matter how much effort he put into it, it would be impossible to fully enhance the knowledge to the extent of versatile prescriptions.
Looking back now, Dr. Seino believes that Master Okada meant to say, “Focus on studying acupuncture and moxibustion.” He thinks the exploration of the essence of moxibustion therapy continues until the end of his life. As of today, he is still pursuing his research.
Explanation for [5]
Cheng Dan’an was born in 1899 and died in 1957, before reaching his sixtieth birthday. It was also around this time, in 1956, when Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) was officially been revived as a national medicine and Jiangsu College of Chinese Medicine 江蘇省中医進修学校 (now Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine 南京中医薬大学) which was established in Nanjing. It has just begun in China. If he had lived for 20 more years, Japanese moxibustion therapy might have been rooted in China.
Moxibustion therapy that was practiced during the period of Cheng Dan’an, the method is thought to be warming-heat moxibustion 温熱灸, and they were practicing “The Divine Needle” Moxibustion Technique 「太乙神針」灸法 ※3 and “Thunder and Fire Divine Needle” Moxibustion Technique「雷火神針」灸法 ※3. This is a method of warming the body by igniting the tip of the moxa stick – made by mixing several types of herbs into moxa, wrapping it with paper to create a stick – and holding it slightly distant from the body. Although it is one of non-scarring moxibustion 無痕灸, this is categorized as warming moxibustion温灸. Based on the shape of the tool, it is also called, gaijyokyu 艾条灸. However, since it has been turned into a stick, it is generally called, stick moxibustion 棒灸 (Jp. bokyu).
※3 “The Divine Needle” Moxibustion Technique 「太乙神針」灸法 and “Thunder and Fire Divine Needle” Moxibustion Technique 「雷火神針」灸法… In the 9th year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (1883), when “Secrets of Moxibustion 灸法秘伝” (transmitted by Jin Yetian, edited by Lei Shaoyi) was compiled, Liu Guoguang published it, appending a volume of “The Divine Needle 太乙神針” and including an article “Thunder and Fire Needle Technique 雷火針法” at the end. The main feature of “Secrets of Moxibustion 灸法秘伝” is the “Silver Saucer Moxibustion 銀盞灸,” which developed from Ye Gui’s “Facial Bowl Moxibustion 面碗灸,” along with clinical records of 70 conditions treated with this moxibustion apparatus. As the moxibustion points and techniques in “Secrets of Moxibustion 灸薬神方” generally align with those of The Divine Needle 太乙神針, Liu combined the two works, adding the “Thunder and Fire Needle Technique 雷火神針” (a stick moxibustion with medicinal herbs mixed with moxa) separately at the end, as it originates from the “Thunder and Fire Divine Needle 雷火針法.” “Divine Needle 神針” is a term unfamiliar to Japanese people. Li Shizhen (1518–1593), a physician in Ming Dynasty China, compiled detailed information on Chinese materia medica. In his work “Compendium of Materia Medica 本草綱目,” he described the “Divine Needle 神針” under the section on fire inventions.
【原文 Original Text】
時珍曰:神針火者,五月五日取東引桃枝,削為木針,如雞子大,長五、六寸,乾之。用時以綿紙三、五層襯於患處,將針蘸麻油點著,吹滅,乘熱針之。又有雷火神針法,用熟蘄艾末一兩,乳香、沒藥、穿山甲、硫黃、雄黃、草烏頭、川烏頭、桃樹皮末各一錢,麝香五分,為末,拌艾,以濃紙裁成條,鋪藥艾於內,緊卷如指大,長三、四寸,收貯瓶內,埋地中七七日,取出。用時,於燈上點著,吹滅,隔紙十層,乘熱針於患處,熱氣直入病處,其效更速。並忌冷水。
(English translation of the Original Text)
Shizhen said: The divine needle fire, on the fifth day of May, take a peach branch extending to the east, carve it into a wooden needle the size of a chicken egg, five or six inches long, and dry it. When using it, place three to five layers of cotton paper on the affected area, dip the needle in sesame oil, light it, blow it out, and apply the needle while hot. There is also the method of the divine needle of thunder and fire, which uses one or two liang of mature mugwort powder, one qian each of frankincense, myrrh, pangolin scales, sulfur, realgar, herbaceous peony root, corydalis tuber, and peach bark, and five fen of musk. Mix these into a powder, mix them with mugwort, cut thick paper into strips, spread the medicine on the mugwort, tightly roll it up to the size of a finger, three to four inches long, store it in a bottle, bury it underground for forty-nine days, and take it out. When using it, light it on a lamp, blow it out, place ten layers of paper, and apply the needle to the affected area with heat, so that the hot air goes directly into the diseased area, and the effect is faster. Avoid cold water.
【解釈 Interpretation】
時珍曰く:神針火とは、五月五日に東方へ伸びた桃の枝を取り、大さ雞子(けいし)の如く,長さ五、六寸の木針に削って、乾したものである。これを用いる時は、綿紙三から五枚重ねて患部に当て、針に麻油を蘸(つ)け、火を點(つ)けて、吹き滅し,熱に乘じて針をする。又、雷火神針の法が有る。熟蘄艾末(じゅくきかいまつ)一兩、乳香、 没藥、穿山甲、硫黃、雄黃、草烏頭、川烏頭、桃樹皮末を各一錢、麝香五分、以上を末にして、艾に混ぜ、濃紙(みのがみ・厚くて強い和紙)を数條に裁成し、藥を鋪(し)きつめ艾の內に入れ、指の大きさくらいに固く巻き,長さ三、四寸、瓶の內に貯めおき,地中に四九日埋め、取り出したものを用いる。用いる時は、燈火で火を點(つ)け、吹き滅し、紙十枚を隔て、熱に乗じ患部に針をすると、熱氣が直ちに病所に入り、その効果はつとに速い。いずれも冷水を忌む。
(English translation of the Interpretation)
Shizhen said: The divine needle fire is made by taking a peach branch extending to the east on the fifth day of May, carving it into a wooden needle the size of a chicken egg, five or six inches long, and drying it. When using it, place three to five layers of cotton paper on the affected area, dip the needle in sesame oil, light it, blow it out, and apply the needle while hot. There is also the method of the divine needle of thunder and fire. This method involves using one or two liang of mature mugwort powder, one qian each of frankincense, myrrh, pangolin scales, sulfur, realgar, herbaceous peony root, corydalis tuber, and peach bark, and five fen of musk. Mix these into a powder, mix them with mugwort, cut thick paper into strips, spread the medicine on the mugwort, tightly roll it up to the size of a finger, three to four inches long, store it in a bottle, bury it underground for forty-nine days, and take it out. When using it, light it on a lamp, blow it out, place ten layers of paper, and apply the needle to the affected area with heat, so that the hot air goes directly into the diseased area, and the effect is faster. Both methods should avoid cold water.This shows that, herb-mixed stick moxibustion 棒灸 has been practiced since the 1500s.
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