《本草纲目》苍耳草虫治疔方，余以治多人无不获效。其法于夏秋之交，取苍耳草茎憔悴有
穴孔处拍开取虫，（虫如蚕而小，长不过四五分，其行甚速），以纸包裹，置火炉上烘极干，
藏瓶中，勿出气，用时研细末，掺在疔疮膏药（药店有之。）中心，贴向疔疮头上，（先用银
针向疔疮头上微挑开。）当有水流出，阅六时许，疔根自拔。按∶《三因极一病证方论》有
治一切疔肿神方，苍耳草（根茎苗子但取一色便可用。）烧为灰，醋泔淀和如泥涂上，干即换
之，不过十度，即能拔出根，（此法本《千金方》。）又按∶刘云密《本草述》云∶一切疔肿
危困者，用苍耳根叶捣和小儿尿绞汁冷服一升，日三服，拔根甚验。此二方余未经亲试，如
用之获效，无事取虫伤物命矣。特识之。
痈疽宜灸，而疔独忌灸。痈疽药每用酒煎，而疔独忌酒。皆以其助火也。又治疔膏药忌
用桐油纸，惟当用布，刺疔针忌用铜针，惟宜用根。
夏日宜灸，汪石山驳正之甚是，一近事尤堪为戒。钱塘陈氏子患哮，得一方云∶夏日于日中
灸背，当可见愈。如法行之，至深秋得伏暑症甚重，医治不效而卒。古者针灸之法与药并重
，后世群尚方剂，投药无功，始从事于针灸，又往往不能获效，或转增重，则以精此技者甚
少，且未审病之宜针灸与否也。叶天士谓针灸有泻无补，但治风寒中穴之实症，（见《来苏集
》批本。）此言信然。尝见有痫症挟虚，因针而转剧；痿症挟热，因灸而益重。是不可以不
慎也。
孟子求三年之艾，赵氏注云∶艾可以为灸人病，干久益善，故以为喻，按∶《说文·火
部》云∶灸，灼也。从火久声，俗读“炙”，误也。
《本草纲目》中记载的苍耳草虫治疗疔疮的方子，我用来治疗多人，无不获得疗效。其方法是：在夏秋之交，选取苍耳草茎秆枯萎且出现孔洞的地方，拍开取出里面的虫子。（这种虫子像蚕但较小，长度不超过四五分，行动非常迅速。）用纸张包裹，放在火炉上烘至极干，存入瓶中，注意不要漏气。使用时研成细末，撒在疔疮膏药（药店有售）的中心，贴在疔疮的顶端。（先用银针向疔疮顶端轻轻挑破。）此时会有水流出，经过约六个小时，疔疮的根部就会自行脱落。
按语：《三因极一病证方论》中有一个治疗各种疔肿的神效方子：将苍耳草（根、茎、叶、果实只要颜色一致即可使用）烧成灰，用醋和淘米水沉淀物调和成泥状涂在患处，干了就更换，不超过十次，就能拔出根部。（此法源自《千金方》。）另外，刘云密在《本草述》中说：对于一切危重的疔肿患者，将苍耳根叶捣碎，取小儿尿液绞汁，冷服一升，每日三次，拔除疔根非常有效。这两个方子我没有亲自尝试过，如果用了能获效，就不必为了取虫而伤害生命了。特此记录。
痈疽适宜艾灸，而疔疮唯独忌讳艾灸。治疗痈疽的药物多用酒煎煮，而疔疮唯独忌讳饮酒。这都是因为酒会助长火邪的缘故。另外，治疗疔疮的膏药忌讳使用桐油纸，只应当使用布；刺疔的针忌讳使用铜针，只宜用银针。
夏天适宜艾灸的说法，汪石山驳斥纠正得非常正确，最近发生的一件事尤其值得引以为戒。钱塘陈家的儿子患有哮喘，得到一方说：夏天在烈日下灸背部，应当可以看到痊愈。按照这个方法施行，到了深秋却得了严重的伏暑症，医生医治无效而死亡。古代针灸的方法与药物并重，后世人们崇尚方剂，用药无效后，才开始从事针灸，却又往往不能获效，或者反而加重病情，这是因为精通这项技艺的人很少，而且没有审察病症是否适宜针灸。叶天士说针灸只有泻法没有补法，只治疗风寒侵袭穴位导致的实证。（见《来苏集》批注本。）这话确实可信。我曾见过癫痫夹杂虚证的病人，因为针刺而病情加重；痿证夹杂热邪的病人，因为艾灸而更加严重。这是不可以不谨慎的。
孟子寻求三年的艾草，赵氏注释说：艾草可以用来灸治人的疾病，放置得越久越好，所以以此作比喻。按：《说文解字·火部》说：灸，就是灼烫的意思。从“火”旁，“久”声，俗读作“炙”，是错误的。
The prescription for treating Ding (carbuncle/furuncle) using the insect from the Cocklebur plant (Xanthium sibiricum), as recorded in *Bencao Gangmu* (Compendium of Materia Medica), has been used by me to treat many patients with consistent success. The method is as follows: At the transition between summer and autumn, select the stems of the Cocklebur plant that are withered and have holes; crack them open to extract the insects inside. (These insects resemble silkworms but are smaller, no longer than four or five *fen*, and move very rapidly.) Wrap them in paper, dry them thoroughly over a fire stove, store them in a jar ensuring it is airtight, and grind them into fine powder when needed. Sprinkle this powder onto the center of a Ding paste plaster (available at pharmacies), apply it directly to the head of the Ding lesion. (First, gently prick the head of the Ding lesion with a silver needle.) Fluid will then flow out. After approximately six hours, the root of the Ding will detach spontaneously.
Note: *Sanyin Ji Yi Bing Zheng Fang Lun* (Treatise on the Three Causes and Their Disease Formulas) contains a miraculous formula for treating all types of Ding swellings: Burn the Cocklebur plant (roots, stems, leaves, or seeds, provided they are of the same color) to ash, mix the ash with vinegar and rice-washing water sediment to form a mud-like paste, and apply it to the affected area. Replace it when it dries. Within ten applications, the root can be extracted. (This method originates from *Qianjin Fang*.) Furthermore, Liu Yunmi states in *Bencao Shu*: For critical cases of Ding swellings, crush the roots and leaves of the Cocklebur plant, mix with urine from a young child, squeeze out the juice, and take one *sheng* cold orally, three times a day. This is highly effective in extracting the root. I have not personally tested these two formulas. If they prove effective, there would be no need to harm living creatures to obtain insects. I record this here.
Yong (boils/carbuncles) are suitable for moxibustion, whereas Ding lesions strictly contraindicate moxibustion. Medications for Yong are often decocted with wine, whereas alcohol is strictly contraindicated for Ding. This is because wine aids and exacerbates Fire pathogenic factors. Additionally, plasters for treating Ding should not use tung oil paper; cloth should be used instead. Needles for puncturing Ding should not be made of copper; silver needles are preferred.
The notion that summer is an appropriate time for moxibustion was correctly refuted by Wang Shishan. A recent incident serves as a stern warning. The son of Mr. Chen in Qiantang suffered from asthma (Xiao). He received a prescription stating: "Moxibustion on the back under the midday sun during summer will lead to recovery." Following this method, by late autumn, he developed severe latent summerheat syndrome (Fu Shu). Despite medical treatment, he died. In ancient times, acupuncture and moxibustion were valued equally with herbal medicine. Later generations favored herbal formulas; only when herbs failed did they turn to acupuncture and moxibustion, yet often without success, or even causing worsening conditions. This is due to the scarcity of practitioners proficient in these skills and the failure to assess whether a condition is suitable for acupuncture or moxibustion. Ye Tianshi stated that acupuncture and moxibustion primarily employ draining methods rather than tonifying methods, and are only suitable for excess syndromes caused by Wind-Cold invading the acupoints (as noted in the commentary of *Lai Su Ji*). This statement is credible. I have observed patients with epilepsy complicated by deficiency whose condition worsened after acupuncture; and patients with Wei syndrome (flaccidity syndrome) complicated by heat whose condition aggravated after moxibustion. Therefore, caution is imperative.
When Mencius sought three-year-old mugwort, Zhao's annotation explained that mugwort is used for moxibustion to treat human diseases, and the older and drier it is, the better; thus, it serves as a metaphor. Note: *Shuowen Jiezi* (Explanations of Simple Graphs and Analysis of Compound Characters), section on Fire, states: "Jiu" means burning/scalding. It consists of the radical "Fire" and the phonetic component "Jiu". The common pronunciation as "Zhi" is incorrect.