Studies of Moxa (part 3)

a study of millstones used in producing moxa

Abstract

Millstones used in the production of moxa were studied. Most manufacturers of moxa use handmills in the production of moxa. These handmills are about 70cm in diameter, and the upper and lower mortars are each 20cm thick. On the surface of each handmill, there are 6 demarcations, each with 6 or 7 grooves. The handmills make 30-50 rotations per minute. Low quality moxa is pulverized once by the handmill while in producing high quality moxa, the process is repeated 2 or 3 times. After pulverization, the moxa is passed through a sieve.
Millstones used in the production of moxa are processed from rough stones such as amphibole andesite and calc-alkali amphibole andesite which are produce of Hayakawa in Itoigawa city, Niigata province.
We also encountered a millstone with a unique form which had not been reported in the literature.