上古羲农黄帝及臣岐伯所作《天元玉册》、《本草》、《灵枢素问》三经为医书之鼻祖，厥后而汉唐而宋元
而明清，代有传书，独儿科专集寥落如晨星，且皆缺而不全，杂而不纯，泥古而不通今，构虚而不核实。虽鄙陋
如守真，愚钝如守真，犹知医之难在乎顺天之时，测气之偏，适人之情，体物之理，合名物象数兼赅之为难也。
儿科之难在乎不精方脉妇科，透彻生化之源者不能，作儿科之尤难上难也。婴儿肌肤薄，营卫疏，触感则万端传
变；脏腑柔，骨筋脆，遇伤则全体动摇。前贤云∶小儿有病，外不过六淫，内不过胎毒饮食。创是说者辄谓治小
儿之病不难，孰知小儿之喜怒哀乐较成人更专且笃乎。无病之儿赖父母，有病之儿赖乎医。父母唯恐其儿之饥而
不虑其过饱，唯恐其儿之寒而不虑其过暖，实不知饱暖太过即致病之媒也。儿有病而延医，则治病之权责在医。
昔医云小儿纯阳，此丹灶家言谓其未曾破身耳。因误会纯阳二字，有病恣用苦寒，苦能渗湿，殊不知人 虫也，
儿体本属湿土，湿重者肥，湿轻者瘦，安可尽渗其湿而令儿枯槁乎。寒能泻火，更不知唯壮火可减，少火则儿所
赖以生者，愈泻愈瘦，愈化愈燥，重伐胃汁，势不变为痉厥者几希。甚至感本外标，用羌、防、柴、葛、麻黄、
细辛以虚其腠理；邪非内实，用蝎、蚣、脑、麝、芫花、大戟以削其元精，小儿何辜，冤成大错，言之痛心。李
士材曰∶用古方疗今病，不啻折旧料改新房。诚哉是言也。夫药以治疗，有是病而服是药病当之，无是病而服是
药气当之。治未药之病则但求其中的，治误药之病则病不免于牵缠。守真不才，爰将生平实验着儿科，颜曰萃精，
以表阅两寒暑聚精会神之微意也。
窃谓小儿稚阳未充，稚阴未长，证宜详表里阴阳虚实寒热，方宜按君臣佐使性味功能，稍呆则滞，稍重则伤，稍不
对证则莫知其乡，本斯意以成编。谁非父母，谁无儿子，所愿注目先机防汛，永庆筑堤之固，罗胸定算，临渴无忧掘井
之艰，天下之儿皆寿，此守真朝夕虔 ，寿世寿民之一瓣心香也。
民国十八年十月既望闽侯陈守真自序于汉口法租界三德里之医室
上古时期，伏羲、神农、黄帝及其臣子岐伯所著的《天元玉册》、《本草》（药物学著作）、《灵枢》与《素问》（合称《黄帝内经》，中医理论奠基之作）三部经典是医书的鼻祖。此后历经汉、唐、宋、元、明、清各代，虽有传承书籍，但专门针对儿科的集大成之作却寥若晨星，且大多残缺不全，内容驳杂不纯，拘泥古法而不通晓今义，构建虚理而缺乏实证。
虽然像我陈守真这样鄙陋愚钝的人，也知道医学之难在于顺应天时，推测气候偏胜，适应人的情志，体察事物的规律，将名物象数兼收并蓄是很困难的。而儿科之难，更在于若不精通方脉和妇科，不能透彻理解生命生化之源，就无法胜任；这是比一般医学更难中的难点。婴儿肌肤薄弱，营卫之气疏浅，一旦感触外邪则病情变化万千；脏腑柔弱，骨骼筋脉脆弱，一旦受损则全身动摇。前贤说：小儿生病，外不过六淫（风、寒、暑、湿、燥、火六种外感病邪），内不过胎毒和饮食不当。创立这种说法的人往往认为治疗小儿疾病不难，殊不知小儿的喜怒哀乐比成人更加专注且深厚。无病的小儿依赖父母，有病的小儿依赖医生。父母只担心孩子饥饿，却不虑及过饱；只担心孩子寒冷，却不虑及过暖，实在不知道过饱和过暖正是致病的媒介。孩子生病延请医生，那么治病的责任就在医生。
过去有医生说小儿是“纯阳”之体，这其实是炼丹家说的话，指他们未曾破身（未经历房事）。因为误解了“纯阳”二字，有病时肆意使用苦寒药物。苦能渗湿，却不知道人也是虫类（古人认为人是禀受天地之气而生，亦属自然万物之一），小儿体质本属湿土，湿气重者肥胖，湿气轻者消瘦，怎么能全部渗利其湿气而使小儿干枯憔悴呢？寒能泻火，更不知道只有壮火（亢盛的病理之火）可以削减，少火（正常的生理之火）则是小儿赖以生存的根本，越泻火小儿越瘦，越化燥越伤阴，严重损伤胃汁，势必导致变为痉厥（抽搐昏迷）的情况极少见。甚至感受的是表证，却用羌活、防风、柴胡、葛根、麻黄、细辛等药来虚损其腠理（皮肤毛孔及纹理）；邪气并非内实，却用全蝎、蜈蚣、冰片、麝香、芫花、大戟等药来削弱其元气精髓，小儿何辜，冤成大错，想起来令人痛心。李士材说：用古方治疗今天的病，无异于用旧材料改建新房。这话真是千真万确啊。药物是用来治疗的，有病而服相应的药，病会被消除；没有这个病却服用这个药，正气反而受损。治疗尚未发生的病，只求药中靶心；治疗因误药导致的病，则病情难免纠缠不清。我陈守真不才，于是将生平实验的儿科经验著录成书，命名为《萃精》，以表明经过两个寒暑聚精会神的微意。
我认为小儿稚阳未充，稚阴未长（指小儿阴阳气血均未成熟），辨证应当详查表里、阴阳、虚实、寒热，处方应当遵循君臣佐使的原则，考虑性味功能。稍显呆板则气机滞涩，剂量稍重则损伤正气，稍不对证则不知病位所在。本着这个意图编成此书。谁不是父母，谁没有儿子，希望人们能注目先机，像防汛一样提前准备，永远庆祝堤坝坚固；胸中有定算，临渴时无需担忧掘井的艰难，让天下的孩子都能长寿，这是我陈守真朝夕虔诚祈祷，为世人谋寿、为民造福的一瓣心香。
民国十八年十月十六日，闽侯陈守真在汉口法租界三德里的医室自序。
In ancient times, the *Tianyuan Yuce* (Jade Register of the Heavenly Origin), *Bencao* (Compendium of Materia Medica), and the *Lingshu* (Spiritual Pivot) and *Suwen* (Basic Questions) — collectively known as the *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) — authored by Fuxi, Shennong, the Yellow Emperor, and his minister Qibo in antiquity, served as the progenitors of medical literature. Subsequently, through the Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, although books were transmitted from generation to generation, specialized collections for pediatrics remained as rare as morning stars. Moreover, those that existed were incomplete, mixed with impure content, rigidly adherent to ancient methods without understanding contemporary practices, and constructed on empty theories lacking empirical verification.
Even someone as humble and dull-witted as I, Chen Shouzhen, know that the difficulty of medicine lies in conforming to the timing of Heaven, measuring the bias of Qi (vital energy/climatic factors), adapting to human emotions, and comprehending the principles of things; it is difficult to encompass both nomenclature and numerical symbolism simultaneously. The difficulty of pediatrics lies particularly in the fact that one cannot practice it effectively without mastering pulse diagnosis and gynecology, nor without thoroughly understanding the source of biological transformation; this is the most difficult aspect among all medical difficulties. Infants have thin skin and sparse Ying (Nutritive Qi) and Wei (Defensive Qi); upon contact with pathogens, their conditions can transform in myriad ways. Their Zang-Fu organs are soft, and bones and sinews are brittle; upon injury, the entire body is shaken. As the sages said: "Children's illnesses stem externally no further than the Six Evils (Wind, Cold, Summerheat, Dampness, Dryness, Fire), and internally no further than fetal toxins and dietary irregularities." Those who proposed this theory often claimed that treating children's diseases was not difficult. Who could know that children's joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness are more focused and profound than those of adults? Healthy children rely on their parents, while sick children rely on doctors. Parents fear only their children's hunger but do not consider overfeeding; they fear only their children's cold but do not consider overheating. They fail to realize that excessive fullness and warmth are indeed the mediators of disease. When a child falls ill and a doctor is summoned, the responsibility for treatment lies with the physician.
Ancient physicians stated that children possess a "Pure Yang" constitution. This was actually a statement from alchemists referring to the state before sexual maturity. Due to the misunderstanding of the term "Pure Yang," practitioners indiscriminately used bitter-cold herbs when children were ill. Bitterness can drain dampness, yet few realize that humans, like other creatures, belong to the element of Wet Earth. Children with heavy dampness tend to be obese, while those with light dampness tend to be thin. How can one completely drain their dampness and leave them emaciated and withered? Coldness can purge fire, but few understand that only "Zhuang Huo" (Blazing Fire/pathological hyperactivity) should be reduced, whereas "Shao Huo" (Mild Fire/physiological vital fire) is what sustains life. The more one purges, the thinner the child becomes; the more one transforms, the drier the condition becomes. Severely damaging the stomach fluids inevitably leads to Jing-Jue (spasms and convulsions). Even when contracting exterior syndromes, practitioners use herbs such as Qianghuo (Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix), Fangfeng (Saposhnikoviae Radix), Chaihu (Bupleuri Radix), Gegen (Puerariae Lobatae Radix), Mahuang (Ephedrae Herba), and Xixin (Asari Radix et Rhizoma) to weaken the Cou-Li (skin pores and interstices). When pathogens are not interior excess, they use Scorpion (Quanxie), Centipede (Wugong), Bingpian (Borneolum Syntheticum), Shexiang (Moschus), Yuanhua (Genkwa Flos), and Daji (Euphorbiae Pekinensis Radix) to deplete the primordial essence. What guilt have children committed to deserve such great errors? Speaking of this pains my heart. Li Shicai said, "Using ancient formulas to treat modern diseases is like using old materials to rebuild a new house." These words are truly true. Medicines are used for treatment; if there is a disease, taking the corresponding medicine eliminates the disease. If there is no such disease, taking the medicine damages the Qi. Treating potential diseases requires precise targeting; treating iatrogenic diseases caused by erroneous medication results in lingering ailments. Being untalented, I have compiled my lifelong experimental experiences in pediatrics into a book titled *Cuijing* (Essence of Pediatrics), to express the meticulous effort concentrated over two winter-summer cycles.
I believe that children's "Zhuyang" (Immature Yang) is not yet full, and their "Zhuyin" (Immature Yin) is not yet grown. Diagnosis should carefully examine the Exterior/Interior, Yin/Yang, Deficiency/Excess, and Cold/Heat. Prescriptions should follow the Jun-Chen-Zuo-Shi (Monarch-Minister-Assistant-Courier) principles, considering properties, flavors, and functions. Slightly rigid application leads to stagnation; slightly heavy dosage causes damage; slightly mismatched prescriptions make the location of the pathology unknown. Based on these intentions, this volume was compiled. Who is not a parent? Who does not have a son? It is my hope that everyone will watch for opportunities in advance, like preparing for flood control, forever celebrating the solidity of the dyke. With calculations settled in the chest, one need not worry about the hardship of digging wells when thirsty. May all children in the world enjoy longevity. This is the single incense stick of my heart, which I devoutly offer day and night to bless the world and benefit the people.
On the 16th day of the 10th month of the 18th year of the Republic of China, Chen Shouzhen of Minhou wrote this preface at his medical clinic in Sandeli, Hankou French Concession.