Moxibustion, is a form of counter-irritation procedure whereby a small cylinder or cone (the moxa) comprised of dried herbs, oak galls, and rolled cotton or linen, is placed on or in close proximity to the skin and ignited to ultimately produce a blackish colored eschar, a little crisped,  and which penetrates to the desired depth.  Long established in China and Japan, this method of counter-irritation was employed in Europe from the 16th century onward for such conditions as rheumatic joints, chronic lung disorder and sciatica.  During the 19th century a prote-moxa was devised so that the burning moxa could be retracted instantly andcombustion was accelerated by blowing air through a moxa-pipe.