Chinese woodcut: 'Kidney' abscess

Woodblock illustration of 'kidney' abscess (shen yong) from Waike tushuo (Pictorial Manual of External Medicine), published in 1856 (6th year of the Xianfeng reign period of the Qing dynasty). The illustration indicates the site of this pathology and its external symptoms, i.e. redness, heat, pain and swelling of the scrotum. The condition is termed kidney abscess because the scrotum is known as the external kidneys (waishen). The author of the manual advocates internal drug treatment as well as surgical incision to drain the pus. According to the captions on the illustration, moxibustion can also be employed.

PICTURE TITLE: Shen yong (kidney abscess). OTHER LETTERING: Kidney abscess (shen yong). It closes off the fluid for both. For the left one, carry out moxibustion on the left. For the right one, carry out moxibustion on the right.