If you read any Japanese literature or history, you see moxa and moxa treatments mentioned. Basho in his travel writings discusses getting a moxa treatment before he travels. But what is moxa? What did it treat?
Moxa treatments, often called moxibustion, is a folk treatment used to treat cholic, arthritis, gout, cancer, gastrointestinal problems, and many other things. The treatment involves burning moxa on the pain point or acupoint associated with the problem. Moxa can be burned directly on the skin using a cone or burned on an inserted acupuncture needle to warm the deep tissue area (moxa is still practiced today). The smoke that comes from moxa appears to have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. Lab rats have shown positive effects from moxa treatment, including increases sperm production (Xu, 2020). However, of the 294 compounds found in Qing moxa smoke, 112 are toxic. Many of the others are antixodients (Xu,2020). In a study of 284 acupuncturists who administered moxa treatments, coughing and colds and minor irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat were common side effects. As the study concluded (Yu, 2019):
In the course of this study, we learned that most acupuncturists who have worked for more than 20 years and frequently exposed to moxa smoke did not feel any obvious respiratory reaction caused by long-term exposure.
Our findings therefore support that the occurrence of respiratory symptoms and diseases of acupuncturists was more closely related ot their own history of respiratory diseases, family history of respiratory diseases, gender, smoking status, and so on.
In the study, women responded differently than men, so more research is needed. The study also has a small sample size and seemed to ignore the different mixes of moxa available.
Moxa is mainly made from the Artemisia plant family. Mugwort, wormwood, and various others are in this family. Some are used for French cuisine, and in the past, they were used to treat malaria. As Kaempfer accounts in observations dating to 1692:
Moxa is a soft down, or flaxy substance, of a grey or ash-colour, very apt to take fire, though it burns but slowly, and with a moderate heat, there being scarce any sparkling observed, till it is quite consumed into ashes. It is made of the dry leaves of the Artemisia vulgarius latifolia, or common mugwort with broad leaves, which are pluck’d off, when the Plant is very young and tender, and hung out in the open air for a long while. The Japanese say, that it is not at all times equally proper to gather the mugwort for making the Moxa, but that it must be done only on such days, which have been by their Astrologers singled out for this purpose, and have the advantage of a particular benign influence of the Heavens and stars, whereby the virtues of this Plant are greatly increas’d.
Most often, moxa was used as a preventative, such as what Basho suggests; he would take treatment before traveling or to treat lingering problems like arthritis. It seems most people took a treatment every 6 months. Even people in prison were granted this treatment (Kaempfer, 1906). Westerners who did business in China and Japan during the 1600s took up the practice (Kaempfer, 1906):
Even the Dutch in the Indies have lately experienced, what a good effect may be expected from burning with the Moxa in arthritick, gouty, and rheumatick distempers.
Moxa didn’t burn quickly, nor did it seem to have as painful as other treatments of the time (Kaempfer, 1906):
It burns so slowly, that scarce any sparkling can be discern’d, and it might be doubted, whether it burns at all, were it not for a thin scarce visible smoak arising from it, which however is not at all disagreeable to the smell. The pain is not very considerable, and falls far short of that which is occasion’d by other Causticks, or actual Cauteries.
Surface treatments left burn scars on the body. The back and bottom were the most common areas of treatment (Kneeland, 1883) ; although, as Kaempfer shares in the above illustration, the abdominal area had prescribed treatment methods. Despite the visibility of the scars, they were so common that they didn’t draw much attention:
The scars weren’t considered a problem:
But to whatever degree they be disfigured by the Moxa in this and other parts of their body, their beauty is, according to their notions, not in the least lessen’d thereby.
Moxabustion is still common in Chinese folk-medicine. It appears to have some benefits, but more study needs to be. So whenever you encounter mention of moxa, sometimes referred to as moxa sticks, you now know it was a mainly preventative treatment, a sort of innoculation, that people did as regularly as every 6 months or before going on a journey. Men and women and even children had the treatment despite the scarring some versions of the treatment left behind. Acupuncturists used gold and silver needles to deliver the heat deeper into the problem areas. This also served to rebalance the person’s “winds and vapours” or what we now understand as chakras.
Like many aspects of Japanese culture and practices, moxabustion–at least as far as we know–was imported from China. Interestingly, in the historical literature I could find on it, most Westerners first encountered it in Japan or used the Japanese transliterations or versions of the treatment. The connection the West has had with Japan extends far back into history.
References
Kaempfer, Engalbert; et al. (1906 translation) The History of Japan, Together with a Description of the Kingdom of Siam 1690-92. Princeton Theological Seminary Library.
Xu, X., Shan, S., Wang, W., & Liu, H. (2020). Analysis of the Components in Moxa Smoke by GC-MS and Preliminary Discussion on Its Toxicity and Side Effects. Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine (ECAM), 1–13. https://doi-org.oh0164.oplin.org/10.1155/2020/2648759
Yu, C., Zhang, N., Zhu, W., Zhang, Y., Yang, J., Wang, Y., Song, X., Hu, L., Wu, Z., Liu, Q., Tang, Y., Wu, Q., & Yu, S. (2019). Does Moxa Smoke Have Significant Effect on the Acupuncturist’s Respiratory System? A Population-Based Study. Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine (ECAM), 1–10. https://doi-org.oh0164.oplin.org/10.1155/2019/4
Much Chinese herbal medicine (and I’m referring to that obtained at a grandfathered traditional apothecary through prescription by a trusted source) is genuine medicine, often with objectively measurable effects. (Think: blood-pressure, insulin levels…) That said, moxa is in an interesting category. I’m not too sold on the “Chi-energy balancing” thing. But there’s something going on.
Placebo-effect and wishful thinking aside, mugwort (wormwood) is curious as a pharmaceutical. Artemisia in general contain various “terpenoids”, which have a huge range of biological interactions, from steroid precursors and affecting calcium-regulation in smooth muscles to CNS-antagonists and psychoactives. My suspicion is that the smoke itself is likely the biggest source of an effect.
I often see white papers looking into traditional medicine–Chinese and Native American in particular–and finding much of it does heal and help. We forget that the ancient world was quite sophisticated and developed. For example, Roman culture understood PTSD, which is one reason why Triumphs were held. The practice and other support systems–such as being granted substantial farmland to soldiers–reduced what we would call PTSD in Roman soldiers.
Much Chinese herbal medicine (and I’m referring to that obtained at a grandfathered traditional apothecary through prescription by a trusted source) is genuine medicine, often with objectively measurable effects. (Think: blood-pressure, insulin levels…)
That said, moxa is in an interesting category. I’m not too sold on the “Chi-energy balancing” thing. But there’s something going on.
Placebo-effect and wishful thinking aside, mugwort (wormwood) is curious as a pharmaceutical. Artemisia in general contain various “terpenoids”, which have a huge range of biological interactions, from steroid precursors and affecting calcium-regulation in smooth muscles to CNS-antagonists and psychoactives. My suspicion is that the smoke itself is likely the biggest source of an effect.
BTW — Check out “kusa mochi”.
I often see white papers looking into traditional medicine–Chinese and Native American in particular–and finding much of it does heal and help. We forget that the ancient world was quite sophisticated and developed. For example, Roman culture understood PTSD, which is one reason why Triumphs were held. The practice and other support systems–such as being granted substantial farmland to soldiers–reduced what we would call PTSD in Roman soldiers.