1/ How is the moxa stick produced?
The production of moxa sticks is very simple, that is, two materials: moxa and roll paper. Roll paper is classified into Xuan paper and mulberry paper. Many sellers here particularly emphasize the benefits of so-called handmade mulberry paper, which is actually unnecessary. The root of treating moxa sticks lies in moxa, and the roll paper, no matter how good, can only be an aid, so we don't have to care about the paper problem when buying moxa sticks, anything will do, not much difference. Besides, the difference between moxa and moxa lies in the proportion (the proportion will be discussed below). With different proportions, moxa presents different postures. Artemisia argyi is mainly a flocculent substance left by crushing and screening Artemisia argyi leaves, and the screened Artemisia argyi powder. The more crushing times, the less moxa will be and the more delicate it will look. Simply put, after the leaves of wormwood are dried, they are crushed by a machine, leaving a part of wormwood, and then rolled into strips with paper, which is the moxa stick.
What does the ratio of 2/ moxa stick mean?
For example, 8: 1 means 8 kg of wormwood leaf production 1 kg of wormwood, which means purity. For example, crushing twice may be 8: 1, and then crushing twice may become 15: 1. The higher the proportion, the higher the purity and the finer it is. That is to say, the ratio of15:1is finer than that of 8:1,and there are fewer "impurities". The impurity here is not to say that it is doped with other things, but only the difference caused by different techniques. As a plant, wormwood has different parts such as mesophyll, vein and petiole, just like people have skin, flesh, bones and hairs. After production, each part has different colors and postures. As far as the current raising level in China is concerned, no matter how fine the processing is, there will always be a little stalk fiber of wormwood, which is commonly referred to as "impurity". It is impossible to have no "impurity" at all! It's like the difference between corn residue and corn flour.
3/ The problem of the size of the cigarette.
There are too many problems involved in the big or small cigarette of the moxa stick, which is related to the characteristics and use of the moxa stick itself. The main component of wormwood is wormwood, which is actually an ordinary plant. No plant can burn without smoke. Generally speaking, the proportion of moxa sticks is relatively high, less paper is used, rolled tightly and dried, and there is relatively less smoke when burning. Therefore, I personally don't want to delve into the problem of tobacco. No smoke, no moxa, so the real moxa sticks are what they look like when they burn. It's really unbearable. It's recommended to add smoke exhaust equipment.
4 is the variety of wormwood very important? Is it true that wormwood is the best wormwood? I really don't want to say more about this issue for fear of offending people. Looking at the ancient books in China, we can find that there are four places where wormwood is the most famous. These four kinds of wormwood are called north wormwood, sea wormwood, mugwort and qi wormwood. Different wormwood corresponds to different areas. As for whether these four kinds of wormwood are the best, I can't study them. Today, the Artemisia argyi is the most popular one. Because of Li Shizhen's recommendation, many people also recognize it. Everyone knows that Artemisia argyi is a kind of Artemisia argyi in Qichun, Hubei Province, and it grows very tall. However, I don't understand why "Compendium of Materia Medica" states that wormwood takes "short seedlings as good ones", which is just the opposite of Artemisia argyi. This simply means that our small leaf wormwood in Shandong is humble. Ha ha. Finally, I would like to talk about my personal point of view. Moxibustion has spread to thousands of households. Since ancient times, the wormwood used must be taken from nearby materials. As the saying goes, one side raises one side, please believe that the wormwood around you is good wormwood.
Is there any difference between wild wormwood and workers planting wormwood?
This question is actually very big and difficult to answer. For example, which is better, wild ginseng or artificial ginseng? But there are also many excellent varieties of crops, all of which are artificially bred in the wild. Take wormwood as an example. I'm not a scientist. I can't give you a scientific identification method. I just hope that the seller of wormwood will tell the truth. As for the wild or artificial cultivation, the majority of buyers judge for themselves.
Where is the price difference of different proportions of moxa sticks?
The price difference is mainly in different proportions. The higher the proportion, the more expensive it is. Because the high proportion has been purified many times, the moxa produced by the same folium Artemisiae Argyi is less and less, so it is expensive.
7 Why are some sellers' moxa sticks so cheap?
At present, the moxa of many manufacturers is not produced by pure moxa leaves, but the whole moxa rod is crushed together, so the cost is very low, and basically one year is good. In addition, it is basically planted artificially, and it is collected several times a year. In addition, many cheap gold moxa sticks look golden, but in fact, a low proportion of moxa is mixed with moxa powder. This kind of moxa sticks has a golden surface and is tightly rolled.
8 Why are the tightness of moxa sticks different?
Generally speaking, a low proportion of moxa sticks is more important than a high proportion of moxa sticks, because the low proportion of moxa sticks is not so fluffy, so it is easy to roll. Of course, there are also problems of artificial level and equipment involved. In the normal process, moxa is difficult to roll tightly, because the good moxa without adulteration has great expansion force. If it is rolled too tightly, the moxa paper is easy to crack, so sometimes the moxa paper looks more. This is not to reduce the cost, but mainly to prevent the paper from cracking. If the roll of moxa sticks is tight, one is the hard roll method that may be used, and the output is very low. The other is that the moxa powder is mixed, and the moxa is not fluffy and easy to roll. Nowadays, many people think that it is good to be tight, but ignore the essence of moxa. Personally, I think that the middle level is good, because many people like to use moxibustion box now, and it is required to seal the smoke, which is easy to extinguish if it is too tight.
9 Which proportion of moxa sticks is of good quality?
Many new customers often ask me, "What's wrong with me? What kind of moxa stick should I choose?". The proportion of moxa sticks has nothing to do with the quality of moxa sticks, and it also has nothing to do with what diseases are treated. The different proportions only compare the different production processes of moxa. It doesn't mean that a high proportion is a good moxa stick. What kind of moxa sticks are suitable for everyone depends on personal feelings and physical condition. I don't recommend high proportion, because excessive crushing in high proportion will destroy the medicinal properties of wormwood itself, and too low proportion will cause too much smoke and slag. The ancient ratio was only 3: 1. 8: 1 relative 15: 1 has great firepower and smoke. What about this feeling? Different people have different feelings. If your body is cold and wet, when you use the moxa stick of 15: 1, you may feel that the firepower is not enough, it is too gentle and has no effect. At this time, 8: 1 is very suitable. Similarly, if your body is not too cold and wet, you will feel too dry when you use 8: 1, and it will be much more comfortable when you use 15: 1. Different proportions have different characteristics, and your body is clear to you. I suggest you try it yourself and feel it. If anyone advocates a high proportion of moxa sticks without impurities, they are basically online, and I prefer to recommend a low proportion.
10 What is the so-called 3-year-old, 5-year-old, 10 year in Chen Dou?
Three-year aging means that mugwort leaves are stored for three years, and then processed into moxa, mainly Fang Chen mugwort leaves, which is different from new mugwort leaves processed into moxa leaves and stored for three years. Because this year is difficult to identify, and now it is all publicity years, the more the quality, the better, so many businesses are marked with high years. The actual situation is that more than 90% of the moxa sticks are basically the new moxa sticks of that year, and only a few are aged in 1 year, and even less in 3 years. As for those aged in 5 years1year, they are all nonsense. Folium Artemisiae Argyi occupies a large area, and no one dares to store it for 10 years. The annual maintenance cost is money, so how expensive it is. The key point is that I personally don't think that the older the moxa stick is, the better. In fact, wormwood is an ordinary plant. After a long time, there is only plant fiber left, and there is no smell, so there is no curative effect. So I think 1 year to 3 years old Chen Ai Tiao can be used. The older one is just a joke.
1 1 Do you have handmade moxa sticks?
Yes, limited to their own production and use. It is impossible to sell in bulk by hand. The so-called pure handwork is to pound moxa with a stone mortar. In fact, the daily output is extremely low, and the manpower output is too large. At present, the labor cost, just think about how much the moxa sticks cost. There is also a kind of stone mortar moxa stick or a moxa stick that looks like a hand. In fact, in many cases, it is not started by hand from the first step. Many of them are crushed by machines at the initial stage, and then the so-called hand-made moxa stick is carried out at the end, which also looks good and has a high output. Today, when industrialization is so developed, we should see the convenience brought by scientific and technological progress. Machine manufacturing is similar to the so-called pure manual work.
Moxibustion, a traditional medical method in China, can grow and develop today without the promotion of the country and its good reputation in treating diseases. The production of moxa sticks has also benefited from the promotion of moxibustion and is becoming more and more perfect. The moxa stick industry has become a relatively perfect industry, which not only brings us profits, but also hopes that everyone will come to Do not forget your initiative mind. Moxibustion is a cure for diseases and can make money, but I hope not to be heartless. It is essential to produce good, real and effective moxa sticks.