Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A cone or cylinder prepared from the dried leaves of certain plants, especially mugwort, placed on the skin and ignited in order to produce counterirritation.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A soft downy substance prepared in China and Japan from the young leaves of Artemisia Moxa, used as a cautery.
- noun The plant from which this substance is obtained.
- noun In medicine, a vegetable substance, either cut or formed into a short cylinder, which when ignited will burn without fusing, used as a cautery or a counter-irritant by being applied to the skin.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Med.) A soft woolly mass prepared from the young leaves of
Artemisia Chinensis , and used as a cautery by burning it on the skin; hence, any substance used in a like manner, as cotton impregnated with niter, amadou. - noun (Bot.) A plant from which this substance is obtained, esp.
Artemisia Chinensis , andArtemisia moxa .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun
Mugwort root, as used inmoxibustion . - noun Any other plant used in moxibustion.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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It borrowed acupuncture and the moxa from the Japanese heathen, and was taught the use of lobelia by the American savage.
Medical Essays, 1842-1882 Oliver Wendell Holmes 1851
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It borrowed acupuncture and the moxa from the Japanese heathen, and was taught the use of lobelia by the American savage.
Complete Project Gutenberg Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. Works Oliver Wendell Holmes 1851
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“Moxibustion is a therapy that uses a Chinese herb called moxa,” she said.
Times Two Kristen Henderson 2011
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“Moxibustion is a therapy that uses a Chinese herb called moxa,” she said.
Times Two Kristen Henderson 2011
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A more practical idea of the requirements of married life may be deduced from the annexed woodcut, representing the application of moxa, which is very commonly used as a remedy for rheumatism, and to promote circulation.
Sketches of Japanese Manners and Customs Jacob Mortimer Wier Silver
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Japanese, young and old, rich and poor, indiscriminately, are said to be singed with a "moxa" made from the Mugwort.
Herbal Simples Approved for Modern Uses of Cure William Thomas Fernie
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He stripped himself to the waist and with face downward on the deck one of his companions applied the "moxa" in little cones and set fire to it at the top, on either side of the spine a few inches apart.
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I arrived home after the appointment reeking of moxa.
Times Two Kristen Henderson 2011
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In indirect moxibustion, a practitioner lights one end of a moxa stick roughly the shape and size of a cigar and holds it an inch or two away from the skin to bring mild warmth to the area without burning, until the skin becomes slightly red.
Hollye Harrington Jacobs: Exploring the World of Alternative Breast Cancer Treatments Hollye Harrington Jacobs 2011
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In direct moxibustion, a small, cone-shaped amount of moxa is placed on top of an acupuncture point and burned.
Hollye Harrington Jacobs: Exploring the World of Alternative Breast Cancer Treatments Hollye Harrington Jacobs 2011
avivamagnolia commented on the word moxa
Moxibustion (Chinese: �?�; pinyin: jiǔ) is an oriental medicine therapy utilizing moxa, or the herb known as "mugwort, "Artemesia vulgaris," and "ai ye."
It plays an important role in the traditional medical systems of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Tibet, and Mongolia.
Suppliers usually age the mugwort and grind it up to a fluff; practitioners burn the fluff or process it further into a stick that resembles a (non-smokable) cigar. They can use it indirectly, with acupuncture needles, or sometimes burn it on a patient's skin.
January 18, 2009
avivamagnolia commented on the word moxa
Moxa and Moxibustion
The actual Chinese character for acupuncture, translated literally, means "acupuncture-moxibustion." The purpose of moxibustion, as with most forms of traditional Chinese medicine, is to strengthen the blood, stimulate the flow of qi, and maintain general health.
Mugwort () has a long history of use in folk medicine. Research has shown that it acts as an emmenagogue that is, an agent that increases blood circulation to the pelvic area and uterus and stimulates menstruation. This could explain its use in treatingbreech birth and menstrual cramps.
January 18, 2009