医家以幼科为最难，谓之哑科，谓其疾痛不能自陈说也，称黄帝之言曰∶吾不能察其幼小为别是一家料理耳。
吾独谓不然。夫幼小者，精神未受七情六欲之攻，脏腑未经八珍五味之渍，投之以药，易为见功，犹膏粱之变难穷，
而藜藿之腹易效也，何谓难乎。然古今辑是科书未有能善者，如《心鉴》之芜秽，《类萃》之粗略，《新书》则有古无
今，《百问》则挂一漏万，皆行于世，未足为幼科准绳也，故吾辑为是编，而麻痘一门尤加详焉。平生聚麻痘书百数
十家，率人所宝秘、千金不传者，然多猥陋，不足采择，益可以见世之无具眼矣。或曰，夫人之病，无论男女长
幼，未有能越五脏者也，子于它科不分五脏，而独幼科分之何居？曰正以精神未受七情六欲之攻，脏腑未经八珍五
味之渍，独有脏气虚实胜乘之病耳，粗工不能精究而臆指之曰，此为内伤，此为外感，此为痰，此为惊，此为热，
妄投汤丸，以去病为功，使轻者重，重者死，亦有不重不死，幸而得愈者，然已伤其真元，夭其天年矣，吾之独分五
脏，以此也。大中丞沈太素公，从大梁寄余俸金百，以助刻费，而是书稿适成，遂鸠工刻之，又
逾年，始竣，因序而识之，使后之人有考焉。时
万历三十五年在丁未夏五十又三日
念西居士王肯堂宇泰甫书
医家认为儿科是最难治疗的，称之为“哑科”，因为患儿患病后疼痛不适无法自行陈述。引用黄帝的话说：“我不能因为患者年幼就将其作为另一类专门处理。”
我却认为并非如此。年幼者精神尚未受到七情六欲的侵袭，脏腑未曾被八珍五味（指精致油腻的食物）所浸渍，给予药物治疗，容易见效，就像富贵人家因饮食膏粱厚味导致的病变难以穷尽，而贫苦百姓粗茶淡饭引起的病症容易治愈一样，这怎么能说是难呢？然而古今编纂儿科书籍的，没有能做得好的。如《心鉴》内容芜杂污秽，《类萃》过于粗略，《新书》只有古法没有今方，《百问》则挂一漏万，这些书都流行于世，不足以作为儿科的准则，所以我编纂了这部书，其中关于麻疹和天花的章节尤其详细。平生收集有关麻痘的书籍百余种，大多是别人珍视保密、千金不传的秘籍，然而大多杂乱浅陋，不值得采纳选择，这更可以看出世间缺乏有见识的人。有人说，人的疾病，无论男女老少，没有能超越五脏范畴的，你对于其他科室不分五脏论述，唯独对儿科分五脏论述，这是为什么呢？回答说：正因为精神未受七情六欲的侵袭，脏腑未经八珍五味的浸渍，只有脏气虚实胜乘（五行生克乘侮关系中的病理变化）的疾病罢了。庸医不能精密探究而主观臆断地说，这是内伤，那是外感，这是痰证，那是惊风，那是热证，胡乱投用汤药丸剂，以去除病邪为功效，使得轻病加重，重病致死，也有不重不死、侥幸痊愈的，但已经损伤了真元，折损了天年。我之所以单独分述五脏，就是基于这个原因。大中丞沈太素公，从大梁寄给我俸禄一百两，以资助刻印费用，此时书稿恰好完成，于是召集工匠刻印，又过了一年，才竣工，因此写下序言来记录此事，使后人有所考证。时万历三十五年丁未夏五月二十三日，念西居士王肯堂宇泰甫书写。
Physicians consider pediatrics to be the most difficult specialty, referring to it as the "Mute Department" (Ya Ke), because infants and children cannot verbally describe their pain or discomfort. Quoting Huangdi (Yellow Emperor): "I cannot treat them differently simply because they are young."
I, however, hold a different view. The young have not yet been assaulted by the Seven Emotions (Qi Qing) and Six Desires (Liu Yu), nor have their Zang-Fu organs (internal organs) been soaked by rich foods like the Eight Treasures (Ba Zhen) and five flavors. When administered medicine, efficacy is easily achieved; this is akin to how diseases arising from rich, fatty diets among the wealthy are hard to exhaustively address, whereas ailments in those eating coarse grains are easier to cure. How can one say it is difficult? Yet, throughout history, no book compiled for this specialty has been satisfactory. *Xin Jian* (Mirror of the Heart) is messy and impure; *Lei Cui* (Collection of Categories) is too rough; *Xin Shu* (New Book) contains only ancient methods without contemporary ones; *Bai Wen* (Hundred Questions) omits much while listing little. These books circulate in the world but are insufficient to serve as the standard for pediatrics. Therefore, I compiled this volume, paying particular attention to the chapters on smallpox and measles. I have collected over a hundred books on these topics, mostly secret manuals treasured by others and not shared even for a thousand gold pieces. However, most are vulgar and shallow, unworthy of selection, further revealing the lack of discernment in the world. Some might ask: Diseases in humans, regardless of gender or age, do not transcend the Five Zang Organs (Wu Zang). Why do you analyze other specialties without dividing them by Zang organs, but specifically divide pediatrics by Zang organs? I reply: Precisely because their spirits are unassailed by emotions and desires, and their organs unsoaked by rich food, their illnesses are primarily due to the excess or deficiency of Zang Qi and the pathological interactions of the Five Elements (Sheng Cheng). Incompetent physicians fail to investigate precisely and instead guess arbitrarily, saying, "This is internal injury," "That is external contraction," "This is phlegm," "That is fright," "This is heat." They recklessly administer decoctions and pills, aiming to remove disease, causing mild cases to become severe and severe cases to result in death. Even if some recover by luck, their True Yuan (True Origin/Vital Energy) is damaged, and their natural lifespan shortened. This is why I separately discuss the Five Zang Organs. Shen Taisu, Grand Secretary of Surveillance, sent me one hundred taels of my salary from Daliang to assist with printing costs. At that time, the manuscript was just completed, so I organized craftsmen to carve the blocks. It took another year to finish. Thus, I write this preface to record it, allowing future generations to examine it. In the summer of the 35th year of the Wanli era, Dingwei year, May 23rd, Nianxi Jushi (Layman Nianxi), Wang Kentang, courtesy name Yutai, wrote this.