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). It indicates the disease location for 'scorpion boil at the side of the throat' (houpang xiezi). This occurs inside the throat. It is said to caused by residual poisons collecting and proliferating in the lungs, in the aftermath of pox diseases (douzhen). The preferred therapy is needling and opening (tiaoci) with a silver needle, in conjunction with the external application of dried toad venom (chansu bing); or else needling and opening at points in the angle of the Tiger's Mouth (hukou) - the area between the thumb and the index finger - and on the thumb. Heart-Covering Sweet Dew beverage (zhaoxin ganlu yin), etc. may also be administered orally.
