Ink and brush drawing from a handwritten copy of the anonymous text Dingchuang yaojue (Essential Art of Boils), executed in 1874 (13th year of the Tongzhi reign period of the Qing dynasty). Xiang ding (nape boil) occurs at both sides of the nape. If the boil is located relatively high, the treatment is needling and opening (tiaoci) at the Tiger's Mouth (hukou) - the area between the thumb and the index finger) towards the top of the palm; if it is located lower down, the treatment is needling and opening at the Tiger's Mouth, towards the base of the palm. Erxiang ding (ear and nape boil) occurs at the back of the neck, behind the ear. It is treated with needling and opening at the Tiger's Mouth and Flower Arrangement (chahua) locations. Ya yong (dental abscess) occurs on the gum. It is treated with needling and opening at the end of the thumb. Errong ding (ear tragus boil) occurs on the outer ear. It is treated with needling and opening at the base of the thumb. Sheshang ding (boil on the surface of the tongue) occurs on the tongue. It is not suited to treatment with needling and opening. It must be treated with an infusion of Golden Thread (huanglian) and lotus pith (lianzi xin), held in the mouth and then swallowed.
