小儿自弥月而至于三岁，犹未可以诊切，非无脉可诊，盖诊之难而虚实不易定也。小儿每怯生人，初见不
无啼叫，呼吸先乱，神志仓忙，而迟数大小已失本来之象矣，诊之何益？不若以指纹之可见者，与面色病候相
印证，此亦医中望切两兼之意也。
令人抱儿对立于向光之处，以左手握儿食指，以我右手拇指推儿三关，察其形色，细心体认，亦惟辨其表
里寒热虚实足之矣。世人好异，不从实地用功，以此为浅近之谈，不屑留意，不知临证能辨此六者，便为至高
之手。盖表里清，则知病之在经在腑，而汗下无误；寒热明，则知用寒远热，用热远寒，或寒因寒用，热因热
用，因事制宜，用无不当；虚实辨，则知大虚有盛候，大实有羸状，不为假证眩惑，凡真虚真实易知，假虚假
实难辨，真假既明，则无虚虚实实之患。于此切要关头，不知体会，但以不经之言欺世诳俗，谓何者为人惊，
何者为畜惊，不特欺人，而且自欺，不特无益治疗，而且误人生命，是谁之咎哉？
\r指纹三关图\p03-b34a1.bmp\r
部位未可以定轻重安危，由古有三关之说，姑存之耳
初起风关证未央，气关纹现急须防。乍临命位诚危急，射甲通关病势彰。
（纹见风关，为病邪初入之象，证尚轻微，体亦未困，治之甚易；纹现气关，邪气正盛，病已沉重，治之宜
速。倘三关通度，纹出命关，则邪气弥漫，充塞经络，为至重之候；设透关射甲，则邪气无所容，高而不能降，
为亢龙有悔之象，治之者切宜留心，慎毋轻视。）
小儿从满月至三岁期间，尚不能通过切脉来诊断病情，并非没有脉搏可诊，而是因为诊察困难，虚实难以确定。小儿往往害怕陌生人，初次见面难免啼哭叫喊，导致呼吸先乱，神志惊慌，此时脉象的迟数、大小已经失去了原本的状态，诊脉又有什么益处呢？不如观察可见的指纹，与面色、病候相互印证，这也包含了医生望诊和切诊相结合的意思。
让人抱着孩子站在光线充足的地方，用左手握住孩子的食指，用右手拇指推按孩子的三关部位，观察其颜色和形态，细心体会辨认，只要能辨别表里、寒热、虚实这六个方面就足够了。世人喜好新奇，不在实处下功夫，认为这是浅显之谈，不屑于留意，却不知道临证时能辨别这六者，就是最高明的医术。因为表里清楚，就知道病在经还是在腑，汗法或下法就不会出错；寒热明确，就知道用寒药要避开热证，用热药要避开寒证，或者寒因寒用（以寒治寒）、热因热用（以热治热），根据具体情况制宜，用药没有不恰当的；虚实辨别清楚，就知道大虚可能有盛实的假象，大实可能有羸弱的假象，不被假证迷惑，凡是真虚真实容易知道，假虚假实难辨别，真假既然明了，就没有犯“虚虚实实”（使虚者更虚，实者更实）的错误。在这个关键的关头，如果不加以体会，只用不经之语欺骗世人，说什么是什么是被人惊吓，什么是被动物惊吓，这不仅欺骗别人，也是自欺，不仅对治疗无益，而且会误人性命，这是谁的过错呢？
【指纹三关图】
指纹的部位本身不能决定病情的轻重安危，由于古有三关的说法，姑且保留这种说法罢了。
初起风关证未央，气关纹现急须防。乍临命位诚危急，射甲通关病势彰。
（指纹见于风关，是病邪刚进入的迹象，症状尚轻微，身体也未困顿，治疗很容易；指纹显现于气关，邪气正盛，病已沉重，治疗应当迅速。如果三关贯通，指纹透出命关，则邪气弥漫，充塞经络，属于极重的证候；如果透关射甲，则邪气无处容纳，高亢而不能下降，出现亢龙有悔的危象，治疗者务必留心，千万不要轻视。）
From the age of one month to three years, pediatric patients are not yet suitable for pulse diagnosis. This is not because there is no pulse to diagnose, but because it is difficult to assess and determine deficiency or excess. Children are often afraid of strangers; upon first meeting, they inevitably cry and shout, causing their breathing to become disordered and their spirit to be panicked. At this time, the slowness or rapidity, and the large or small nature of the pulse have already lost their original characteristics, so what is the benefit of diagnosing the pulse? It is better to observe the visible fingerprint patterns and corroborate them with facial color and disease manifestations. This also embodies the combined intent of inspection (Wang) and palpation (Qie) in medical practice.
Have someone hold the child standing in a well-lit place. Use your left hand to grasp the child's index finger, and use your right thumb to push along the Three Passes (San Guan) of the finger. Observe the color and shape, carefully experiencing and recognizing them. It suffices to distinguish between exterior/interior (Biao/Li), cold/heat (Han/Re), and deficiency/excess (Xu/Shi). People nowadays favor novelty and do not exert effort in practical work, regarding this as shallow talk and deigning not to pay attention. They do not know that being able to distinguish these six aspects during clinical practice constitutes the highest level of skill. Because if the exterior and interior are clear, one knows whether the disease is in the meridians or the fu organs, ensuring that sweating or purging methods are not mistaken; if cold and heat are distinct, one knows to avoid using cold remedies when treating heat conditions, and hot remedies when treating cold conditions, or to employ "cold for cold" (treating false cold with cold) and "hot for hot" (treating false heat with heat), adapting to specific circumstances so that medication is never inappropriate; if deficiency and excess are distinguished, one knows that severe deficiency may present with excessive symptoms, and severe excess may present with emaciated symptoms, avoiding confusion by false signs. True deficiency and true excess are easy to know, while false deficiency and false excess are difficult to distinguish. Once truth and falsehood are clarified, there will be no danger of exacerbating deficiency with deficiency or excess with excess. At this critical juncture, if one fails to comprehend this, instead relying on unfounded statements to deceive the world—claiming certain things are caused by human fright and others by animal fright—one not only deceives others but also oneself. This is not only useless for treatment but also endangers lives. Whose fault is this?
[Image: Fingerprint Three Passes Diagram]
The position of the fingerprint itself cannot determine the severity or safety of the condition. The theory of the Three Passes exists since ancient times and is retained here tentatively.
When the wind pass shows early signs, the illness has not yet reached its peak;
When the qi pass reveals the pattern, urgent prevention is required.
Suddenly appearing at the life pass is indeed critical;
Penetrating the nail and passing through indicates the disease's prominence.
(When the pattern appears at the Wind Pass [Feng Guan], it indicates the initial entry of pathogenic factors; the symptoms are still mild, the constitution is not yet exhausted, and treatment is very easy. When the pattern appears at the Qi Pass [Qi Guan], the pathogenic factor is vigorous, the illness is heavy, and treatment should be swift. If the Three Passes are fully traversed and the pattern emerges at the Life Pass [Ming Guan], the pathogenic factor is widespread, filling the meridians and collaterals, representing an extremely severe condition. If it penetrates the joint and shoots toward the nail tip [She Jia], the pathogenic factor has nowhere to reside, becoming hyperactive and unable to descend, resembling the image of "the soaring dragon repents" (a state of extreme arrogance leading to disaster). Practitioners must pay close attention and must not underestimate this.)