《下经》云∶古来灸病，忌松、柏、枳、橘、榆、枣、桑、竹八木，切宜避之。凡取火
，若得火珠曜日，以艾承之，得火为妙。次有火镜曜日，亦以艾引得火亦良。余用铁 击KT 石，
得火亦可。今人有清油点灯，传火点艾是也，兼滋润灸疮，至愈不疼痛，用蜡烛更佳。
《千金》云∶欲行针灸，必先知本人行年宜忌，尻神及人神所在，不与禁忌相干即可。
故男
会，男女气怯，下手即死，达人智士拘于此。若夫急难之际，卒暴之疾，命在须臾，宜速治
之。若泥于禁忌，已伦于鬼神，岂不误哉。但一日止忌一时，如子午八法，不拘禁忌。若治
未形之病，虽择良日服药针灸当也，亦宜架天时日恶。午以后不可灸，谓阴气未至，灸无不
着，午前及早，恐人气虚，有眩晕之咎。急卒亦不可拘。若值大风大雨雷电，宜抽停之，必
待晴明又灸可也。
凡着艾，须要疮发，所患即瘥。不得疮发，其疾不愈。《甲乙经》云∶灸疮不发者，用
故履
余遍，其疮三日自发。亦有用麻油搽之而发者，亦有用皂角煎汤，候冷频点之而发者。又恐
气血衰，宜服四物汤滋养者，盖不可一概而论。灸后务令疮发而去病也。凡贴疮，古人春用
柳絮，夏用竹膜，秋用蜡叶，冬用兔腹上白细毛，猫腹上毛更佳。今人每用膏药贴之，日一
二易，则疮易愈。无若一日两贴一易使疮脓出多而疾除也。若欲用膏，必须用真麻油入治病
之药，或祛风散气滋血疗损之药，随证入之为妙。
《下经》说：自古以来治疗灸病，忌讳使用松、柏、枳、橘、榆、枣、桑、竹这八种树木的木材作为燃料，务必避开它们。凡是取火的方法，如果用火珠对着太阳，将艾草承接在焦点上引燃，这是最好的方法。其次是用火镜对着太阳，也用艾草引火，效果也很好。其余可以用铁器敲击燧石取火，也可以。现在的人用清油点灯，传递火焰点燃艾草，这也是可行的方法，并且能滋润灸疮，直到痊愈都不疼痛，使用蜡烛效果更好。
《千金方》说：想要进行针灸治疗，必须预先知道患者本人的行年（虚岁年龄）的宜忌，以及尻神和人神所在的位置，只要不与禁忌相冲突就可以施治。所以男子遇到某些特定年份或情况时，如果气机怯弱，下手即可能导致死亡，明智通达的人士对此有所拘泥。但是在紧急危难之际，突发暴烈的疾病，生命垂危在顷刻之间，应当迅速治疗。如果拘泥于禁忌，那就等同于迷信鬼神，难道不是错误吗？只是一天中只忌讳一个时辰，比如子午流注八法，就不受一般禁忌的限制。如果是治疗尚未显现症状的疾病，虽然选择良辰吉日服药和针灸是合适的，但也应该避开“天时日恶”（凶日）。午时以后不可施灸，说是因为阴气尚未到来，施灸没有不留下瘢痕的；午前及早施灸，恐怕人气虚弱，会有眩晕的祸患。但在急症情况下也不可不拘泥于此。如果遇到大风大雨雷电天气，应当暂停施灸，一定要等到晴朗明亮时再施灸才可以。
凡是施灸，必须使灸疮发出，所患疾病才能痊愈。如果不使灸疮发出，疾病就不会痊愈。《甲乙经》说：灸疮不发者，用旧鞋底的余料摩擦患处，三天后疮口会自然发出。也有用麻油涂抹使其发出的，也有用皂角煎汤，冷却后频繁点涂使其发出的。又担心气血衰弱，适宜服用四物汤滋养的，大概不能一概而论。灸后务必令疮口发出以祛除病邪。凡是贴敷疮口，古人春天用柳絮，夏天用竹膜，秋天用蜡叶，冬天用兔子腹部的白细毛，猫腹部的毛更好。现在的人常用膏药贴敷，每天更换一两次，则疮口容易愈合。不如一天贴两次并更换，使疮口脓液排出多而疾病除尽。如果想要使用膏药，必须使用真正的麻油加入治病之药，或者是祛风散气、滋血疗损的药物，根据证候加入其中为妙。
The *Xia Jing* (Classic of the Lower Section) states: Since ancient times, when treating conditions with moxibustion, one must avoid using wood from eight types of trees: pine (*Pinus*), cypress (*Cupressus*), bitternut hickory (*Carya cordiformis*), orange (*Citrus reticulata*), elm (*Ulmus*), jujube (*Ziziphus jujuba*), mulberry (*Morus alba*), and bamboo (*Bambusoideae*). It is crucial to steer clear of these. Regarding the method of obtaining fire, if a fire lens (fire ball) is used to focus sunlight onto mugwort (*Artemisia argyi*) to ignite it, this is the best method. Alternatively, using a concave mirror to focus sunlight to ignite the mugwort is also effective. Another method is striking flint with iron to create sparks, which is also acceptable. Nowadays, people use lamps filled with refined oil to transfer flame to ignite the mugwort; this method is viable and also helps moisten the moxibustion sore, preventing pain until healing is complete. Using candles is even better.
The *Qian Jin Fang* (Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold) states: Before performing acupuncture and moxibustion, one must first know the auspicious and inauspicious years for the patient's age, as well as the locations of the "Kao Shen" (Buttock Deity) and "Ren Shen" (Human Deity). As long as these do not conflict with taboos, treatment may proceed. Thus, for men encountering certain years or conditions where Qi is deficient, immediate needling could be fatal; wise individuals are cautious about this. However, in emergencies involving sudden, acute diseases where life hangs in the balance, rapid treatment is necessary. If one adheres strictly to taboos in such cases, it equates to superstition regarding ghosts and gods, which would certainly be a mistake. Generally, only one specific time period within a day is tabooed; for instance, the Eight Methods of Ziwu Liu Zhu (Midnight-Noon Ebb-Flow) are not bound by general taboos. When treating diseases that have not yet manifested symptoms, although selecting an auspicious day for medication and acupuncture/moxibustion is appropriate, one should still avoid inauspicious days ("Tian Shi Ri E"). Moxibustion should not be performed after noon, as it is believed that Yin Qi has not yet arrived, and moxibustion will invariably leave a scar. Performing moxibustion early in the morning might cause dizziness due to deficiency of Human Qi. However, in acute cases, these restrictions can be relaxed. If there is heavy wind, rain, or thunderstorms, treatment should be suspended and resumed only when the weather clears.
Whenever moxibustion is applied, it is necessary for a moxa sore (burn blister/ulcer) to form; only then will the disease heal. If the sore does not form, the illness will not resolve. The *Jia Yi Jing* (Classics of the Yellow Emperor on the Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion) states: For moxa sores that do not open, rubbing the area with remnants of old shoe soles will cause the sore to naturally open within three days. Other methods include applying sesame oil (*Sesamum indicum*) to induce opening, or frequently applying cooled decoction of soap bean (*Gleditsia sinensis*) to promote opening. Furthermore, if Qi and Blood are considered deficient, it is advisable to administer Si Wu Tang (Four Substances Decoction) for nourishment; however, this cannot be applied universally. After moxibustion, it is essential to ensure the sore forms to expel the pathogen. For dressing the sore, ancients used willow catkins in spring, bamboo membrane in summer, wax leaves in autumn, and fine white hair from rabbit bellies in winter; hair from cat bellies was considered superior. Nowadays, people commonly use medicated plasters, changing them once or twice daily to facilitate healing. It is more effective to change the plaster twice a day to allow for greater discharge of pus and complete removal of the disease. If using plasters, one must use genuine sesame oil mixed with medicinal herbs suitable for the condition, such as those that dispel wind, dissipate Qi stagnation, nourish blood, or heal injuries, tailored to the specific syndrome.