凡候小儿脉,当以大指按三部,一息六七至为平和。十至为发热,五至为内寒。(一作
胀)脉紧为风痫,沉缓为伤食,促急为虚惊,弦急为气不和,沉细为冷,浮为风,大小不匀为
恶候,为鬼祟,浮大数为风为热,伏结为物聚,单细为疳劳腹痛多喘呕。而脉洪者为有虫,沉
(一作浮)而迟潮热者胃寒也,温之则愈。予尝作歌以记之,歌曰∶小儿脉紧风痫候,沉缓伤
食多吐呕,弦急因知气不和,急促虚惊神不守,冷则沉细风则浮,牢实大便应秘久,腹痛
之后紧而弦,脉乱不治安可救。变蒸之时脉必变,不治自然无过谬,单细疳劳洪有虫,大
小不匀为恶候,脉沉(一作浮)而迟有潮热,此必胃寒来内寇,(内一作作)泻利浮大不可医,
仔细斟量宜审究。凡婴儿未可脉者,俗医多看
虎口中纹颜色,与四肢冷热,验之亦有可取。予又以二歌记之。虎口色歌曰∶紫热红伤寒,
青惊白色疳,黑时因中恶,黄即困脾端。冷热证歌曰∶鼻冷定知是疮疹,(一作痘症)耳冷应
知风热证,通身皆热是伤寒,上热下冷伤食病。若能以色脉参伍,验之所得亦过半矣。
凡盛出之际宜解肌,以托其出,不宜汗,汗则气弱而陷;宜和里以纾其壅,不宜下,下
则毒反入内;宜化毒以济其阴,不宜凉折,凉折则毒闭不出。此通弊也,学人不可不知。
When examining a child's pulse, one should use the thumb to press the three positions (Cun, Guan, Chi). Six to seven beats per respiration cycle indicate a harmonious pulse. Ten beats per cycle indicate fever; five beats per cycle indicate internal cold. (Another version suggests abdominal distension.) A tight pulse indicates wind-phlegm epilepsy (Feng Xian); a deep and slow pulse indicates food stagnation; a rapid and hurried pulse indicates deficiency fright; a wiry and tense pulse indicates disharmony of Qi; a deep and thin pulse indicates cold; a floating pulse indicates wind; an irregular pulse in size indicates a malignant prognosis or supernatural affliction; a floating, large, and rapid pulse indicates wind-heat; a hidden and knotted pulse indicates accumulation of pathogenic factors; a single thin pulse indicates malnutrition consumption (Gan Lao) with abdominal pain, often accompanied by wheezing and vomiting. A surging pulse indicates the presence of parasites; a deep (another version says floating) and slow pulse with tidal fever indicates stomach cold, which can be cured by warming. I once composed a song to record this: "Child's tight pulse signals wind-phlegm epilepsy, deep and slow indicates food stagnation with much vomiting, wiry and tense reveals Qi disharmony, rapid and hurried shows deficiency fright where spirit does not reside, cold presents as deep and thin, wind as floating, firm and solid stool should be constipated for long, after abdominal pain if pulse is tight and wiry, chaotic pulse is beyond salvation. During the period of transformation and evaporation (Bian Zheng), the pulse must change, untreated it naturally causes no error, single thin indicates malnutrition consumption, surging indicates parasites, irregular size indicates malignant prognosis, deep (another version floating) and slow with tidal fever, this must be stomach cold invading internally, (internally another version says acts as) diarrhea with floating and large pulse is incurable, carefully ponder and investigate." For infants who cannot yet have their pulse taken, folk doctors often examine the color of the veins at the Tiger's Mouth (Hukou) and the temperature of the four limbs, which also has its merits. I further composed two songs to record this. Song on Tiger's Mouth Color: "Purple indicates heat, red indicates wind-cold (Shang Han), green indicates fright, white indicates malnutrition, black indicates sudden evil invasion, yellow indicates spleen distress." Song on Cold and Heat Syndromes: "Cold nose definitely indicates pox/rash, (another version says smallpox) cold ears should indicate wind-heat syndrome, whole body hot indicates wind-cold, upper hot lower cold indicates food stagnation." If one can combine color and pulse for verification, the results obtained will be more than half correct.
When the rash is about to erupt, it is appropriate to resolve the muscle layer to support its emergence; sweating is contraindicated, as sweating weakens Qi and causes sinking. It is appropriate to harmonize the interior to relieve congestion; purgation is contraindicated, as purgation causes the toxin to re-enter the interior. It is appropriate to transform the toxin to nourish Yin; cold-natured suppression is contraindicated, as cold suppression causes the toxin to close and fail to emerge. This is a common error, which students must not ignore.