典藏书目

Wan Quan discussed the care of children by rural women, stating that if a child has no other diseases, it is like grass and trees growing in deep mountains and large marshes, easily reaching a size where two arms can embrace them. In contrast, rare fruits and precious timber, even with cultivation, may occasionally fail to flower or bear fruit. Is this due to differences in nobility or baseness? When children are frequently exposed to wind and sunlight, their blood becomes refined and their Qi firm, their muscles hard and dense, enabling them to withstand cold and wind; this is similar to country children. Tian Shi said: Generally, if infants are kept too warm, heat arises; extreme heat generates wind (convulsions); frequent carrying leads to carbuncles; improper feeding leads to accumulations and parasites. These situations require utmost caution. Zhang Huan said: The wet nurse must massage the Fengchi acupoint on the back of the infant's neck three times daily. If the infant has high fever, moxibustion or hot compress should be applied until slight sweating occurs, which will lead to recovery. The proverb says: To care for an infant, carefully protect the Fengchi point. Fengchi is located at the sides of the tendons in the neck. Treatment is only necessary when illness is present. For mild ailments, one must not recklessly use acupuncture or moxibustion, nor should emetics or purgatives be used casually. This is because acupuncture damages the meridians, while vomiting and purging damage the Zang-Fu organs. When an infant suffers from summerheat, they should be kept in slightly cool places. The wet nurse should not forbid the infant from drinking fresh water, but intake should not be excessive. If an infant falls ill during spring and summer, one must not indiscriminately use purgative methods, as this may cause deficiency-cold in the Lower Jiao and heat in the Upper Jiao, transforming into a severe disease. Rearing infants requires observing differences in innate constitution due to northern and southern geographical variations, caused by different climatic conditions. Two months after birth, the infant's pupils are formed, they can smile and recognize people; the wet nurse should not allow strangers to hold them, nor let them see unusual objects. At one hundred days, the Ren Mai (Conception Vessel) develops, and they can roll over; the wet nurse should regulate emotions and maintain appropriate temperature. At half a year, the sacral bone is formed; the wet nurse should teach the infant to sit. At two hundred days, the metacarpal bones are formed; the wet nurse should teach the infant to crawl on the ground. At three hundred days, the patella is formed; the wet nurse should teach the infant to stand independently. At one year old, the knee bones are formed; the wet nurse should teach the infant to walk. These are fixed rules. People often fail to observe these limits, holding infants too long and damaging bones and sinews; this must be avoided for good health. Luo Qianfu said: A child in May suffered abdominal pain after eating cold starch food. He bought Shenxiong Wan (Shenxiong Pill) from a pharmacy. Consequently, cold pain in the umbilical and abdominal regions worsened intermittently, lasting for seven or eight years without cessation. Recalling the ancient saying "treat cold with heat," a skilled physician would not abandon standard principles. The ingested substance was cold, and the administered medicine was also cold. Double cold injuring the Stomach explains the cold pain. Human Spleen and Stomach prefer warmth and dislike cold. Infants have weak Qi and Blood and cannot tolerate cold, leading to latent Yang and lingering cold pathogens. Treating disease requires addressing the root; thus, herbs to harmonize the Middle Jiao and nourish Qi were used to remedy the previous error, resulting in recovery after more than a month. Alas, when Kang Zi offered medicine to Confucius, Confucius bowed and accepted it but did not taste it because he did not understand its nature. This highlights the importance of preserving life. Why do ordinary people remain silent and rely solely on pulse diagnosis, believing it reveals all? Pulse reflects Qi and Blood moving through the meridians: heat causes rapid pulse, cold causes slow pulse, excess presents with force, deficiency with weakness. How can one determine the specific pathogenic factor from the pulse alone? Physicians must carefully investigate the etiology, and families must disclose it. In this case, the father did not inform the doctor of the cause but sought medicine at a shop. The pharmacist dispensed medicine without investigating the cause, leading to chronic illness for seven or eight years due to ignorance of this principle. Sun Simiao said: Inquiry before diagnosis is most accurate. Su Dongpo said: Seek cure, do not burden the physician. Their words benefit the world greatly.