典藏书目

The growth and development of infants require proper care in swaddling, and the methods must be appropriate. During the spring and summer months, which are times when all things grow, it is suitable to teach the child to lie on the ground so as not to go against the qi of growth. During the autumn and winter months, which are times when all things store energy, it is suitable to keep the child in a warm place so as not to go against the qi of storage. In this way, blood will coagulate properly and qi will harmonize, preventing various diseases from entering.

Generally speaking, clothing should not be too warm; if too warm, sweating occurs, leading to deficiency at the exterior (Wei Qi), making it easy for wind-pathogens to invade. Breastfeeding should not be excessive; if excessive, the stomach becomes weak and prone to injury, making stagnation difficult to digest. *Gezhi Yulun* states: "Young boys do not wear fur or silk." The lower body governs Yin; getting cold promotes the growth of Yin, while getting warmth diminishes Yin. Therefore, avoiding heavy layered silk garments for the lower body is to prevent hindering the growth of Yin Qi. Furthermore, infants have vigorous blood and qi, and food digests easily, but their intestines and stomachs are still fragile and narrow. All foods that are sticky, dry, hard, sour, salty, spicy, including fish, meat, fruits, wet noodles, roasted, baked, simmered, or fried items—anything that generates heat and is hard to digest—should be strictly prohibited. Ignorant women, fearing the infant's crying, give them anything, accumulating chronic illnesses, leaving no room for regret later. Thus, children raised with indulgence in wealthy families often suffer from illnesses. Why? Because wealthy families keep infants hidden within curtains and wrapped in thick layers of quilts, causing their bones and sinews to become lax and weak, similar to plants in shady places that lack exposure to wind and sunlight, rarely becoming solid. This is indeed not a method of proper nurturing. In contrast, rural infants, never overly protected, exposed to the elements all day, sometimes hungry or cold, rarely suffer from other illnesses. This is due to the power of experiencing wind and sunlight and connecting with the earth's qi. Is there really a difference in principle between nobility and humility? Understanding this, one masters the way of nurturing.

Newborns rely on milk for life, so the method of breastfeeding must be handled with caution. Milk is transformed from the mother's Ying Blood (Nutritive Blood). The nursing mother must particularly regulate her diet and emotions. When food is swallowed, milk flows freely; when sexual desire arises, the milk transforms into pathogenic qi and reaches the infant. If the milk becomes stagnant, and the infant receives such milk, illness will immediately manifest, presenting as vomiting or diarrhea, sores or fever, aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers), convulsions, night crying, or abdominal pain. At the onset of illness, the infant's urine output will likely be scant. One must inquire about the situation and treat according to the syndrome. If the mother is well, the child will be well, allowing prevention of disease before it takes shape.

Therefore, in summer, breast milk should not be too hot, as heat causes vomiting and regurgitation; in winter, it should not be too cold, as cold causes coughing and dysentery. The mother should not be angry, as anger causes rebellious qi and mania; the mother should not be drunk, as drunkenness causes body heat and abdominal pain. Nursing while the mother is vomiting or having diarrhea leads to emaciation; nursing while the mother has accumulated heat causes jaundice and anorexia; nursing shortly after marriage results in thinness and inability to walk with crossed legs; nursing after a fresh bath causes vomiting; nursing when the mother is fatigued and overheated causes yellow diarrhea; nursing when the mother is chilled causes green diarrhea. Improper regulation of cold and heat leads to accumulation in the chest and diaphragm, forming phlegm-fluid retention, resulting in high fever. Unremitting vomiting and heat may lead to fright-epilepsy. Feeding an infant who is still crying unsettledly causes rebellious qi that fails to dissipate, resulting in breast lumps (lactational mastitis or related issues). Nursing during pregnancy causes the child to become sallow, thin, with a distended abdomen and weak legs, named "Mei Disease" (demon disease). Breastfeeding must not be excessive. It is said that infants' common illnesses stem from overeating. It is also stated that "enduring one-third hunger and eating until seventy percent full" is a profound truth.