Boil

A small, round, superficial swelling that is hot and painful, suppurate within a few days, and easily bursts. It is attributable to heat toxin or to summerheat-heat and usually occurs in the summer or autumn.

Biomedical correspondence: furuncle (boil).

Medicinal therapy: Clear heat and resolve toxin as for external welling-abscess.

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on local and affected channel points. One of a number of methods may be applied individually or combined:

1. Encirclement needling: For boils in the initial stage of swelling prior to suppuration, select 2–4 ouch points (阿是穴 ā shì xué) around the sites and insert needles at a slight oblique angle pointing toward the root of the boil. If the boil is over 4 cm in diameter, an appropriate number of needles can be inserted in the center. If hard and painful, it should be needled in the center. Points can be needled with supplementation or drainage depending on whether the condition is one of vacuity or repletion; generally, draining is called for. Moxa can also be used at points around the boil. If the boil has already become painful, moxa until the pain abates; if not, moxa until slight pain is felt.
2. Selection of distant points on the affected channel: Select one or two affected-channel points. For example, if the boil is on the hand yáng brightness (yáng míng) channel, select points such as LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), and LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí), needling with drainage.
3. Heat-clearing toxin-resolving formula: Prick BL-40 (Bend Center, 委中 wěi zhōng) and LU-5 (Cubit Marsh, 尺泽 chǐ zé) to bleed, and needle with drainage at LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí), and LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ). Prick GV-14 (Great Hammer, 大椎 dà zhuī) to bleed and fire-cup.
4. Selecting points according to location of the boil: For head and face, needle LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ) and LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí). For chest and abdomen, needle ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ) and SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo). For neck, needle GV-14 (Great Hammer, 大椎 dà zhuī) and GV-10 (Spirit Tower, 灵台 líng tái). For lumbus and back, needle BL-40 (Bend Center, 委中 wěi zhōng), needling with drainage.

Compare welling-abscess. See sore³.