夫小儿半周两岁为婴儿。三四岁为孩儿。五六岁为小儿。七八岁为龆龀。九岁为童子。
十岁
为稚子矣。小儿半岁之间有病。当于额前眉端发际之间。以名中食三指。轻手满额按之。儿
头在左用右手。在右用左手。食指为上。中指为中。名指为下。若三指俱热。主感受风邪。
鼻塞气粗。发热咳嗽。若三指俱冷。主外感内伤。发热吐泻。若食中指热。主上热下冷。名
中指热。主夹惊。食指热。主胸膈气满。乳食不消。又要观形察色。假如肝之为病。则面青
心之为病。则面赤。脾之为病。则面黄。肺之为病。则面白。肾之为病。则面黑。先要分
别五脏形症。次看禀受盈亏。胎气虚实。明其标本而治之。无不可者。
观形察色辨因由。阴弱阳强发硬柔。若是伤寒双足冷。要知有热肚皮求。
鼻冷便知是疮疹。耳冷应知风热症。浑身皆热是伤寒。上热下冷伤食定。
\r观形察色面目图\pt164a1.bmp\r
左腮属肝。其色青者为顺。白者为逆。若色赤主肝经风热。发热拘急。青黑主惊风腹痛
淡赤主潮热。痰嗽。
右腮属肺。其色白者为顺。赤者为逆。若赤色甚者。主咳嗽喘急闷乱。饮水传于肾。则
小便赤涩。或淋闭不通。
额上属心。其色赤者为顺。黑者为逆。若青黑主惊风。腹痛螈 啼哭。微黄主盗汗。头
发干燥。惊疳骨热。
鼻属脾。其色黄者为顺。青者为逆。若色赤主脾经虚热。饮食少思。深黄主小便闭而鼻
燥衄血。
颏属肾。其色黑者为顺。黄者为逆。若色赤主肾与膀胱有热。而小便不通。
又
面赤心家热。面黄脾有积。面白肺家寒。面青肝有风。唇赤心家热。唇黄脾有积。唇白
肺虚
寒。唇燥脾有热。眼赤心经热。眼青肝有惊。眼黄脾有积。眼白肺有惊。鼻青主吐泻。人中
青感风。人中赤肺家痰。人中黑腹虫痛。风池红多蹄。风池黄吐逆。山根紫伤食惊。承浆黄
主吐青主惊。唇红面赤主伤寒。脸青唇黑惊风。唇青面白疟疾。面黄如土食症。痢下眉头
皱
惊风面颊红。渴来唇带赤。热甚眼朦胧。面黄多食积。青色是惊风。面白多成泻。伤寒色
紫红。
小儿半岁至两岁称为婴儿。三至四岁称为孩儿。五至六岁称为小儿。七至八岁称为龆龀（换牙期儿童）。九岁称为童子。十岁称为稚子。
小儿在半岁之间患病，应当在额头前方、眉毛上方发际线之间的区域进行检查。用中指、食指和无名指这三根手指，轻轻用力按满整个额头。如果孩子的头偏向左侧，则用右手检查；偏向右侧，则用左手检查。其中，食指对应上部，中指对应中部，无名指对应下部。如果三指按压处都感觉发热，主因是感受风邪，症状表现为鼻塞、呼吸粗重、发热和咳嗽。如果三指按压处都感觉发冷，主因是外感风寒兼有内伤，症状表现为发热、呕吐和腹泻。如果食指和中指处发热，主因是上热下寒。如果无名指和中指处发热，主因是夹带惊风（惊悸抽搐）。如果仅食指处发热，主因是胸膈气机壅滞、胀满，乳食不消化。此外，还要观察形体和面色。例如，肝脏患病，面色发青；心脏患病，面色发红；脾脏患病，面色发黄；肺脏患病，面色发白；肾脏患病，面色发黑。首先要辨别五脏的形态和症状，其次查看先天禀赋的盈亏、胎气的虚实，明确病证的标本缓急后进行治疗，就没有治不好的病。
通过观察形体和面色来辨别病因：阴气虚弱阳气强盛时，身体会出现僵硬或柔弱的变化。如果是伤寒病，双足会发冷；要判断体内是否有热，需查看腹部是否发热。鼻子发冷便知是疮疹（天花或麻疹等出疹性疾病）；耳朵发冷应知是风热证。浑身发热是伤寒；上身热下身冷则是饮食积滞所致。
左腮部属肝。颜色青为顺证，颜色白为逆证。如果颜色赤红，主肝经风热，伴有发热、肢体拘挛紧急；颜色青黑主惊风和腹痛；淡红色主潮热、痰嗽。
右腮部属肺。颜色白为顺证，颜色赤红为逆证。如果赤色严重，主咳嗽、气喘急促、胸闷烦乱。若热传于肾，则小便赤涩，或淋沥闭塞不通。
额头属心。颜色赤红为顺证，颜色青黑为逆证。如果青黑，主惊风、腹痛、抽搐啼哭；微黄色主盗汗、头发干燥、惊疳（小儿因营养不良或寄生虫引起的慢性消耗性疾病）、骨蒸潮热。
鼻子属脾。颜色黄为顺证，颜色青为逆证。如果颜色赤红，主脾经虚热、食欲减退；深黄色主小便闭结、鼻干衄血（鼻出血）。
下巴（颏）属肾。颜色黑为顺证，颜色黄为逆证。如果颜色赤红，主肾与膀胱有热，导致小便不通。
另外：面赤红是心家热；面黄是脾有积滞；面白是肺家寒；面青是肝有风邪。唇赤红是心家热；唇黄是脾有积滞；唇白是肺虚寒；唇燥是脾有热。眼睛赤红是心经热；眼睛青色是肝有惊；眼睛黄色是脾有积滞；眼白发青是肺有惊。鼻子青色主吐泻；人中（鼻下沟）青色是感受风邪；人中赤红是肺家有痰；人中黑色是腹中有虫痛。风池穴部位发红多啼哭；风池穴部位发黄是呕吐逆气。山根（两眼之间鼻梁根部）紫色是伤食兼惊；承浆穴（下巴中央凹陷处）黄色主呕吐，青色主惊。唇红面赤主伤寒；脸青唇黑是惊风；唇青面白是疟疾；面黄如土色是食症（严重的饮食积滞）；痢疾发作时眉头皱起；惊风时面颊发红；口渴时嘴唇带赤色；热势严重时眼睛朦胧不清；面黄多是食积；青色是惊风；面白多是泄泻；伤寒病色呈紫红。
Infants aged between half a year and two years are called *ying'er* (infants). Those aged three to four years are called *hai'er* (young children). Those aged five to six years are called *xiao'er* (children). Those aged seven to eight years are in the *taochen* stage (period of changing teeth). Nine-year-olds are called *tongzi* (boys/children). Ten-year-olds are called *zizi* (young boys).
When an infant under six months of age is ill, examination should be conducted on the forehead, specifically between the eyebrows and the hairline. Use the middle, index, and ring fingers to gently press across the entire forehead. If the child's head is turned to the left, use the right hand; if turned to the right, use the left hand. The index finger corresponds to the upper region, the middle finger to the middle region, and the ring finger to the lower region. If all three fingers feel hot upon pressing, it indicates contraction of Wind Pathogen (Feng Xie), with symptoms such as nasal congestion, coarse breathing, fever, and coughing. If all three fingers feel cold, it indicates external contraction combined with internal injury, manifesting as fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. If the index and middle fingers feel hot, it indicates heat above and cold below. If the ring and middle fingers feel hot, it indicates complication with Jing Feng (Convulsions). If only the index finger feels hot, it indicates Qi stagnation and fullness in the chest and diaphragm, with indigestion of milk and food. Furthermore, one must observe the physical form and complexion. For instance, disease of the Liver manifests as a greenish face; Heart disease as a red face; Spleen disease as a yellow face; Lung disease as a white face; Kidney disease as a black face. One must first distinguish the morphological and symptomatic signs of the Five Zang Organs, then assess the constitution's abundance or deficiency, and the excess or deficiency of fetal Qi. By clarifying the root and branch of the pathology, treatment can be effective without exception.
Observing form and complexion helps identify the cause: Yin deficiency with Yang excess leads to stiffness or flaccidity. In Shang Han (Cold Damage) syndrome, both feet are cold; to determine if there is internal heat, check if the abdomen is hot. A cold nose indicates Chu Zhen (exanthematous diseases like smallpox or measles); cold ears indicate Wind-Heat syndrome. Generalized body heat indicates Shang Han; heat in the upper body and cold in the lower body indicates Food Stagnation.
The left cheek belongs to the Liver. A greenish color is a favorable sign (Shun); a white color is unfavorable (Ni). A reddish color indicates Liver Meridian Wind-Heat, accompanied by fever and limb rigidity. Green-black indicates Jing Feng and abdominal pain; pale red indicates tidal fever and phlegm-cough.
The right cheek belongs to the Lung. A white color is favorable; a red color is unfavorable. Severe redness indicates cough, wheezing, rapid breathing, and chest distress. If heat transmits to the Kidney, urine becomes red and scanty, or may be obstructed and difficult to pass.
The forehead belongs to the Heart. A red color is favorable; a black color is unfavorable. Black-green indicates Jing Feng, abdominal pain, convulsions, and crying. Slight yellow indicates night sweats, dry hair, Jing Gan (pediatric malnutrition/wasting syndrome), and bone-steaming fever.
The nose belongs to the Spleen. A yellow color is favorable; a green color is unfavorable. Redness indicates Spleen Meridian Deficiency Heat and poor appetite; deep yellow indicates urinary retention, dry nose, and epistaxis.
The chin (Ke) belongs to the Kidney. A black color is favorable; a yellow color is unfavorable. Redness indicates Heat in the Kidney and Bladder, leading to urinary obstruction.
Additionally: A red face indicates Heart Heat; a yellow face indicates Spleen Food Stagnation; a white face indicates Lung Cold; a green face indicates Liver Wind. Red lips indicate Heart Heat; yellow lips indicate Spleen Stagnation; white lips indicate Lung Deficiency Cold; dry lips indicate Spleen Heat. Red eyes indicate Heart Meridian Heat; green eyes indicate Liver Jing (Shock/Fright); yellow eyes indicate Spleen Stagnation; white sclera with green tint indicates Lung Jing. A blue nose indicates vomiting and diarrhea; a blue philtrum (area under the nose) indicates Wind contraction; a red philtrum indicates Phlegm in the Lung; a black philtrum indicates abdominal pain from intestinal parasites. Redness at Feng Chi (GB20) suggests excessive crying; yellow Feng Chi suggests vomiting and regurgitation. Purple Shan Gen (root of the nose between eyes) indicates Food Stagnation complicated by Fright. Yellow Cheng Jiang (point on the chin) indicates vomiting; blue Cheng Jiang indicates Fright. Red lips and a red face indicate Shang Han; a blue face and black lips indicate Jing Feng; blue lips and a white face indicate Malaria; a sallow, earth-yellow face indicates severe Food Syndrome (Shi Zheng). Furrowed brows during dysentery indicate Jing Feng; red cheeks indicate Jing Feng; red lips when thirsty indicate Heat; blurred vision indicates severe Heat; a yellow face often indicates Food Stagnation; a green face indicates Jing Feng; a white face often indicates Diarrhea; Shang Han presents with a purplish-red hue.