达生编一书。古人立法。可谓尽善尽美。予学医四十余年。每遇难产之症。无不奉为
圭臬。无一误事者。但其书不惮烦。再三告诫。亦恐不详细。有误于人也。惟篇页过多。
虽作者之苦心。而阅者反嫌其琐屑。岂非欲详备而反致疏略乎。予年六十有七。养
淮上。闲暇无事。揣摩是编。因择其至要者。集为一本。易于翻阅。凡稍涉繁冗者。概
置不录。并不敢妄为删除。实欲简便而令人易从也。抄集既成。爰弁数语于篇首。亦
济世之婆心。而世之难产者。亦可无虑矣。
同治戊辰年四月中浣安徽歙县洪门武林连氏
胎产非患也。而难产则为人患。人患不殄。则归之于天。天何尤乎。亦惟求之人事
而已。此编专为难产而设。盖区区一得之愚。亦即区区一点真诚之念。倘能熟看
谨行。皆可先生如达。于是人患弭而天德协矣。然知之而不言非也。闻之而不传
亦非也。好生者见之。宜为广布。有力者重刻通行。无力者手抄数册。口授数人。
随分所至。未必非吾儒同胞同与之一事。吾人利济为怀。原非求福。然积善余庆。
必有攸归。达天德也。但此编揣摩印证。委系无疑。凡重刻手抄时。不必改动。尤不
必增入方药。以相矛盾耳。
胎产一事。自产宝诸书以后。代有发明。其保胎临产。及产后调理之法。率皆至精至
密。似无遗义。又何俟今之多言。但或专精方药而未及其所以然。或略一及之而
未竟其旨。徜非究心有素之人。未易明而用之也。仓卒之际。殊难得力。兹特倡明
天德自然之说。不厌烦絮重复。以期于畅。使平日可以预防。临时可以应急。从此
天下后世产母婴儿。同登寿域。岂不快哉。然亦特曲遵古人之意而条达之。非创
为异说也。
此编只是反复以言其理。至于方药殊未之及。偶载一二。皆取先贤古方。极平极稳
者。盖极平常之事。须用极平常之药。一切矜奇炫异之方。概置不录。且保护得法。
虽平常之药。亦无所用之矣。倘必欲用。则他刻自有。原不相妨。
凡胎前临产。产后调护之法。一一备载。不厌烦复。盖原系家居日用闺房琐屑之事。
一有不到。皆足致病。与其服药于病后。曷若致谨于平时。
此编言语俚俗。未免见笑大方。但原为妇人而设。识字者固不必言。不识字者令人
诵之。皆可通晓。然须平时讲令心中明白。临时自有主张。不但产母宜知。一应老
幼男妇。皆当知之。与其看戏文。听说书。不如此等有益也。
此编虽为人所当知。而富贵之家。尤宜熟讲。盖闺人平时娇养。口厌肥甘。身安逸乐。
体气脆薄。且性情骄傲。不听人言。到此时才一知觉。即不能耐。点灯着火。上呼下
应。房中挤簇多人。内外嚷成一片。稳婆络绎。各要争功。脉未离经。胎未转下。即便
坐草。及至不顺。奇方珍药。纷纷乱投。以致母子两误者多矣。岂不惜哉。但能留意
此编。自可平安清吉。
胎产之书。可以汗牛。今此戋戋。特为难产而设。其胎前产后。特略载一二。以存其概
而已。若曰。此编足以尽之。则重予过矣。
开卷即载临产者何。盖临时仓卒。不及细检。因以切要者。载之首篇。且令开门见山。
人人熟习。专意行持。自可无误。若平时讲说。原不妨从保胎顺序看之也。
试痛一篇。尤为紧要。盖知试痛之误。方知正生之易。正与临产一篇。互相表里。最宜
细看。仍采先贤格言之足相发明者。数条载之。聊以征予言之不谬。然尝鼎一脔。
亦足以知其概矣。
语云。勿以善小而不为。此篇固小之小者。然诚有见于胎产。为生人之始。随时随地。
体验而成。且身经目击。口授耳闻。千试不爽。忘其猥陋。出以语人。漏万之讥。固所
不免。世之君子。原其心焉可矣。
《达生编》这本书，古人制定的法则，可以说是尽善尽美。我学习医学四十多年，每当遇到难产的病症，无不将其奉为圭臬（准则、标准），没有一次出现失误的。但是这本书不厌其烦，再三告诫，又恐怕不够详细，从而对人产生误导。只是篇章页数过多，虽然体现了作者的苦心，但阅读者反而嫌弃其琐碎细碎，这难道不是想要详尽完备，反而导致疏漏吗？我六十七岁时，在淮上居住，闲暇无事，揣摩研究这部书，于是选取其中最重要的内容，汇编成一本，便于翻阅。凡是稍微涉及繁冗的内容，一概不予收录，也不敢妄自随意删除，实在是为了简便而让人容易遵从。抄录汇编完成后，便在篇首写上几句话，这也是救世济人的婆心（慈悲之心），世间难产的人，也可以没有忧虑了。
同治戊辰年（1868年）四月中的安徽歙县洪门武林连氏
胎产本身并不是祸患，但难产却成为人的祸患。人的祸患如果不消除，就归咎于天，天有什么可责怪的呢？也只能从人事方面去寻求解决之道罢了。这部书专门针对难产而设，大概是我一点点的愚见，也是一点真诚的念头。如果能够熟读并谨慎施行，都可以像先生所说的那样顺利分娩（“先生如达”意为顺产）。这样人的祸患消除了，天的恩德也就协调了。然而知道了却不说不行，听到了却不传播也不行。爱惜生命的人看到它，应该广泛传播；有能力的人重新刻印通行；没有能力的人手抄几册，口授给几个人。根据各自的能力去做，未必不是儒家所说的“民胞物与”（视百姓为同胞，万物为同伴）的一件事。我们怀着利人济世的心，原本不是为了求福，但积累善行留下的福庆，必然有所归宿，这就是通达天德。只是这部书经过揣摩印证，确实毫无疑问。凡是在重刻或手抄时，不必改动，尤其不必增入方药，以免相互矛盾。
关于胎产一事，自从《产宝》等书籍问世以后，历代都有新的发明和阐述。那些保胎、临产以及产后调理的方法，都极其精妙严密，似乎没有遗漏的含义。那又何必等待今天的多言呢？但是，有的医生专精于方药而没有探究其所以然的原因，有的稍微提及但没有穷尽其旨意。如果不是平时用心钻研的人，不容易明白并加以运用。在仓促紧急之际，很难得到得力帮助。这里特别倡导阐明“天德自然”（顺应自然规律）的说法，不厌其烦地絮叨重复，以期表达通畅，使平时可以预防，临时可以应急。从此天下后世的产妇和婴儿，都能同登长寿之境，难道不快乐吗？但这只是特别曲折地遵循古人的意思而条理清晰地表述出来，并非创制异端学说。
这部书只是反复用言语来阐述其中的道理，至于方药很少涉及。偶尔记载的一两个，都是选取先贤的古方，极其平和稳妥的。大概是极平常的事情，须用极平常的药。一切标新立异、炫耀奇特的方子，一概不予收录。而且保护方法得当，即使是平常的药，也没有使用的必要了。如果一定要用药，那么其他刻本中自有记载，原本并不妨碍。
凡是胎前、临产、产后调护的方法，一一详细记载，不厌其烦重复。因为原本就是居家日常、闺房中的琐碎小事，有一点不到之处，都足以导致疾病。与其在生病后服药，不如在平时就谨慎对待。
这部书语言俚俗，难免被行家笑话。但它原本是专门为妇女设立的，识字的人自然不用说，不识字的人让人诵读给她听，都可以通晓。然而必须平时讲清楚让她心中明白，临时自然就有主张。不但产妇应当知道，所有老幼男女，都应当知道。这比起看戏文、听说书，更有益处。
这部书虽然是每个人都应当知道的，但富贵人家尤其应该熟读讲解。因为闺阁女子平时娇生惯养，口中厌恶肥甘厚味，身体贪图安逸享乐，体质脆弱单薄，且性情骄傲，不听人言。到了这个时候才一有知觉，就不能忍耐，点灯着火，上呼下应，房中挤满多人，内外嚷成一片，稳婆络绎不绝，各要争功。脉象尚未离经，胎儿尚未转下，即便让产妇上床待产。等到生产不顺时，奇方珍药纷纷乱投，以致母子两误的情况很多了，岂不可惜吗？只要留意这部书，自然可以平安清吉。
关于胎产的书，可以多得让牛出汗（形容书籍极多），如今这本篇幅短小，仅仅是为了难产而设。其中的胎前产后内容，只是略微记载一二，以保存其大概而已。如果说这部书足以涵盖所有胎产知识，那就太看重我了。
开篇就记载临产的内容是什么？因为临时仓促，来不及细细检查，所以将切要的内容载于第一篇，并且让人开门见山，人人熟悉，专心实行，自然可以不出错。如果在平时讲解，原本不妨按照保胎的顺序来看。
试痛一篇，尤为紧要。因为只有知道试痛的误区，才知道正产（正式分娩）的容易。这与临产一篇互相表里，最宜仔细看。仍然采录先贤格言中足以互相阐明的几条记载其中，姑且用来证明我的话没有谬误。然而尝鼎一脔（吃一块肉就知道整锅汤的味道），也足以知道大概了。
俗话说：不要因为好事小而不去做。这一篇固然是小之又小的事，但我确实看到胎产是人生的开始，随时随地体验而成，并且亲身经历、亲眼目睹、口授耳闻，千次尝试都没有差错。忘记了自己的浅陋粗俗，拿出来告诉别人，万分之一有遗漏的讥讽，固然在所难免。世上的君子，体谅我的用心就可以了。
The book *Da Sheng Bian* (Guidelines for Bearing Children), established by the ancients, can be said to be perfect in every aspect. I have studied medicine for over forty years; whenever I encountered cases of dystocia (difficult childbirth), I held this book as the ultimate standard (Guibie, 圭臬), and there was not a single case of error. However, this book is not afraid of being tedious, repeatedly giving warnings, yet it might still be considered insufficiently detailed, potentially misleading people. The excessive number of pages, while reflecting the author's painstaking effort, makes readers find it trivial and fragmented. Is this not an attempt to be comprehensive that ironically leads to oversight? At the age of sixty-seven, residing in Huai Shang during my leisure time, I pondered this compilation. I selected its most essential points and compiled them into a single volume for easy reference. Any content deemed slightly redundant was generally excluded, and I dared not arbitrarily delete anything, truly aiming for simplicity so that people could easily follow. Upon completing this transcription and compilation, I added a few words at the beginning, expressing a compassionate heart to save the world, so that those suffering from difficult childbirth need no longer worry.
Wulin Lian Shi of Hongmen, Shexian County, Anhui, Mid-April of the Wuchen Year of Tongzhi (1868)
Childbirth itself is not a calamity, but difficult childbirth becomes a human affliction. If human afflictions are not resolved, they are blamed on Heaven; what fault does Heaven have? One must only seek solutions through human efforts. This book is specifically designed for difficult childbirth, representing my humble愚见 (opinion) and sincere intention. If one can read it thoroughly and practice it cautiously, one can achieve smooth delivery ("Xiansheng Ruda", 先生如达 - delivering as easily as stated). Thus, human afflictions will cease, and the virtue of Heaven will harmonize. However, knowing without speaking is wrong; hearing without spreading is also wrong. Those who cherish life should widely disseminate it; those with resources should reprint and circulate it; those without resources should copy a few volumes by hand or teach it orally to a few people. Acting according to one's capacity may well be an act of "Minbao Wuyu" (Tongyu, 同与 - regarding all people as compatriots and all things as companions), a concept from Confucianism. Our intent to benefit others originates not from seeking blessings, but accumulated good deeds will inevitably yield rewards, which is to understand the Virtue of Heaven. This book has been carefully verified and is undoubtedly correct. When reprinting or copying, do not make changes, especially do not add herbal prescriptions to avoid contradiction.
Regarding obstetrics, since the publication of books like *Chanbao* (Treasures of Childbirth), each dynasty has made new discoveries. Methods for preserving pregnancy, managing labor, and postpartum care are extremely precise and meticulous, seemingly leaving no gaps. Why then the need for further elaboration today? Some physicians specialize in herbal formulas without exploring their underlying principles; others mention them briefly without fully elucidating their meaning. For those who have not studied diligently, it is difficult to understand and apply them correctly. In emergencies, such knowledge is hard to rely upon. Here, we specifically advocate clarifying the theory of "Tiande Ziran" (Natural Virtue/Spontaneity), repeating details不厌其烦 (without tiring of repetition) to ensure clarity, enabling prevention in daily life and emergency response when needed. May mothers and infants of future generations attain longevity together, how joyful would that be! This merely follows the ancients' intent and organizes it logically, rather than creating heterodox theories.
This book focuses on explaining principles through words, rarely involving herbal prescriptions. The few recorded are ancient formulas from sages, extremely mild and stable. Ordinary matters require ordinary medicines. All eccentric or flashy prescriptions are excluded. Moreover, if protection methods are proper, even ordinary medicines become unnecessary. If medication is insisted upon, other texts already contain them, causing no harm.
Methods for prenatal care, labor management, and postpartum nursing are recorded in detail, without fear of repetition. These are essentially domestic and private matters; any negligence can cause disease. It is better to be cautious in daily life than to take medicine after illness occurs.
The language of this book is colloquial and may be laughed at by experts. However, it is designed for women. Literate women need no explanation; illiterate women can have it read to them and understand. They must comprehend it beforehand to maintain composure during labor. Not only should mothers know this, but all men, women, old, and young should learn it. This is more beneficial than watching plays or listening to storytellers.
Although everyone should know this, wealthy families especially should study it carefully. Women from affluent backgrounds are often pampered, accustomed to rich foods, leading to delicate constitutions and proud temperaments that ignore advice. When labor begins, panic ensues: lights are lit, cries echo, rooms crowd with people, midwives compete for credit. Before the pulse deviates or the fetus descends, the mother is placed on the bed. When complications arise, strange and precious medicines are indiscriminately administered, often harming both mother and child. How tragic! Paying attention to this book ensures safety and peace.
Books on obstetrics are numerous enough to make oxen sweat (Han Niu, 汗牛). This small volume is set specifically for difficult childbirth. Prenatal and postnatal contents are briefly mentioned only to preserve the general outline. To claim this book covers everything would be an overestimation of my work.
Why start with labor? Because in emergencies, there is no time for detailed checking. Essential points are placed first for immediate familiarity and application, ensuring no errors. During normal times, one may read it sequentially starting from pregnancy preservation.
The section on false labor pains (Shitong, 试痛) is particularly crucial. Understanding false labor helps recognize true labor, complementing the labor section. I included several aphorisms from sages to corroborate these points. Tasting one piece of meat reveals the flavor of the whole pot (Chang Ding Yi Luan, 尝鼎一脔); similarly, this brief account suffices to grasp the essence.
As the saying goes, "Do not fail to do good because it is small." This section is indeed minor, but recognizing childbirth as the beginning of human life, based on personal experience and observation, tested thousands of times without failure, I share it despite my inadequacy. Criticism of overlooking details is inevitable. Gentlemen of the world should appreciate my intentions.