气不和脉弦急,伤食脉沉缓,虚惊脉促急,(一作促结)风脉浮,寒脉沉细,脉乱不治。
寇氏《全幼心鉴》云∶小儿一岁以前,看虎口食指寅卯辰三关,以验其病。(寅卯辰即风
气命三关也)脉纹从寅关起不至卯关者易治,若连卯关者难治,若寅侵卯,卯侵过辰者,十
不救一。其脉纹见有五色,如因惊必青,泻痢必紫,当以类而推之。一岁后则可用一指转侧辨其三部脉弦急浮
沉。四五岁后脉七八至而细数者为平,九至者伤,十至者困,六至五至者为虚,为寒,弦紧为风痫,弦急为客忤。
左腮为肝,右腮为肺,额上为心,鼻为脾,颏为肾,若色赤者热也,随证治之。
目内色赤者心实热,淡红者心虚热;青者肝实热,淡青者肝虚热;黄者脾实热,微黄者
脾虚热;白而混者肺实热;目无精光者肾虚也。
心主惊,实则叫哭,发热饮水而搐;虚则卧而悸动不安。视其睡,口中气温,或合面睡,
及上窜切牙,皆心热也。心气实则喜仰卧。
肝主风,实则目直,大叫,呵欠,项急,烦闷。(一作顿)虚则切牙多欠。肝热则手寻衣
领,及乱捻物,壮热,饮水,喘闷,目赤,发搐。肝有风则目连札,(一作眨目动也)得心热则
发搐,或筋脉牵系而直视。风甚则身反张,强直不搐,心不受热也,当补肾治肝。
脾主困,实则困睡,身热饮水;虚则吐泻生风,面白腹痛,口中气冷,不思饮食,或吐清
水。呵欠多睡者,脾气虚而欲发惊也。
肺主喘,实则闷乱喘促,有饮水者,有不饮水者;虚则哽气长出气。肺热则手捣眉目鼻
面。肺盛复感风寒,则胸满气急,喘嗽上气。肺藏怯则唇白闷乱,气粗喘促。哽气者难治,肺虚甚也。
肾主虚,无实也。惟疮疹肾实则变黑陷。若胎禀虚怯,神气不足,目无精光,面白颅解,此皆难育,虽育
不寿,或更加色欲,变证百出,愈难救疗。或目畏明下窜者,盖骨重而身缩者,切牙者,肾水虚而不能制心火也。
When Qi mechanism is disharmonious, the pulse is wiry and rapid; food injury presents with a deep and slow pulse; deficiency fright presents with a hurried and rapid pulse (alternatively described as hurried and intermittent); wind invasion presents with a floating pulse; cold invasion presents with a deep and fine pulse; a chaotic and disordered pulse indicates an untreatable condition.
Kou in *Quan You Xin Jian* (Complete Pediatric Heart Mirror) states: For infants under one year old, observe the three sections—Yin, Mao, and Chen—at the Tiger's Mouth on the index finger to verify the disease. (Yin, Mao, and Chen correspond to the Wind, Qi, and Life sections respectively.) If the pulse vein starts at the Yin section but does not reach the Mao section, it is easy to treat; if it connects to the Mao section, it is difficult to treat; if the Yin section invades the Mao section, or the Mao section extends beyond the Chen section, only one in ten can be saved. The pulse veins may show five colors; for instance, due to fright, it must appear green; due to diarrhea and dysentery, it must appear purple; other cases can be inferred by analogy.
After one year of age, one can use the single-finger rolling method to distinguish the wiry/rapid, floating/deep qualities of the Cun, Guan, and Chi pulses. After four or five years of age, a pulse rate of seven to eight beats per breath that is fine and rapid is considered normal (Ping); nine beats indicate injury; ten beats indicate critical condition; six or five beats indicate deficiency and cold; a wiry and tight pulse indicates wind epilepsy; a wiry and rapid pulse indicates Ke Wu (external pathogenic invasion).
The left cheek corresponds to the Liver, the right cheek to the Lung, the forehead to the Heart, the nose to the Spleen, and the chin to the Kidney. If the complexion is red, it indicates heat; treatment should follow the syndrome.
Redness inside the eyes indicates Heart Excess Heat; pale red indicates Heart Deficiency Heat; green indicates Liver Excess Heat; pale green indicates Liver Deficiency Heat; yellow indicates Spleen Excess Heat; slightly yellow indicates Spleen Deficiency Heat; white and turbid indicates Lung Excess Heat; lack of luster in the eyes indicates Kidney Deficiency.
The Heart governs fright. In excess conditions, there is crying and shouting, fever, thirst for water, and convulsions. In deficiency conditions, there is restlessness while lying down. Observing sleep: warm breath from the mouth, sleeping face down, upward staring, and teeth grinding all indicate Heart Heat. When Heart Qi is in excess, the child prefers supine position.
The Liver governs wind. In excess conditions, there is straightened eyes, loud crying, yawning, neck stiffness, and irritability. In deficiency conditions, there is frequent teeth grinding and yawning. Liver Heat causes grasping at clothes, random fidgeting, high fever, thirst, panting and oppression, red eyes, and convulsions. Liver Wind causes eyelid twitching (or blinking); if combined with Heart Heat, it causes convulsions, or tendon pulling leading to fixed gaze. Severe wind causes opisthotonos (body arched backward), rigidity without convulsions, indicating the Heart is not affected by heat; treatment should tonify the Kidney and regulate the Liver.
The Spleen governs fatigue. In excess conditions, there is drowsiness, body heat, and thirst. In deficiency conditions, there is vomiting and diarrhea generating wind, pale face, abdominal pain, cold breath, anorexia, or vomiting clear fluid. Frequent yawning and sleeping indicate Spleen Qi deficiency predisposing to fright.
The Lung governs panting. In excess conditions, there is chest oppression, confusion, and rapid breathing; some desire water, others do not. In deficiency conditions, there is sighing and long exhalations. Lung Heat causes rubbing of eyebrows, eyes, nose, and face. If Lung Qi is excessive and complicated by wind-cold, there is chest fullness, urgent breathing, coughing, and rebellious Qi. Lung timidity causes pale lips, chest oppression, coarse breathing, and panting. Sighing indicates a difficult-to-treat condition due to severe Lung deficiency.
The Kidney governs deficiency and has no excess condition. Only in severe cases of pox/rash does Kidney excess manifest as black sinking. If congenital endowment is deficient, Shen Qi is insufficient, eyes lack luster, face is pale, and fontanelles are open, these are difficult to nurture; even if survived, lifespan is short. Further sexual indulgence leads to myriad complications, making rescue even harder. Eyes fearing light and looking downward, heavy body with curling up, and teeth grinding all indicate Kidney Water deficiency failing to control Heart Fire.