Library

The *Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon* states: "It is easier to treat ten adult men than one child." This is because children have delicate and tender Zang-Fu organs, their Qi and Blood are not yet stabilized, and their meridians and pulses are weak and fine like a single hair. Their conditions easily shift from deficiency to excess or vice versa, with alternating cold and heat. They cannot verbally describe their symptoms nor point to the painful areas with their hands. If one does not first consult medical formulas before treating them blindly, one will be like an observer lost in the game, ultimately unable to do anything but wait for death. I often feel a pain akin to the loss of my own child when dealing with pediatric illnesses. Last autumn, the monk Zheng Xun showed me a booklet from his sleeve, saying, "This is *Bao You Xin Bian* (New Compilation for Preserving Childhood), written by Mr. Wu Ji, whose name was Si Wen during the Ming Dynasty, though his personal name remains unknown." The book discusses symptoms and formulates prescriptions in great detail, but physicians of the time treated it as a mere document, leading to its deterioration. Fearing that it would be lost over time, Zheng Xun funded its printing and requested a preface from you.

I am truly ignorant in medicine and cannot judge the depth of its theories. Furthermore, due to old age, illness, and busyness, I had no time for this throughout the year. Recently, while browsing through old books, I found a copy of his transmission. Its theories originate from ancient classics, supplemented by new formulas, deleting redundancy and extracting essentials, avoiding the difficulty of searching through vast texts. It integrates the theory of Six Qi transformations, applies the Five Elements, observes Yin and Yang, and considers timing. When applied to specific syndromes, it is effective as accurately as matching halves of a tally stick. Now that it can be widely disseminated, every household may keep a copy and recite it. Even those not specialized in medicine can understand it at a glance, administer timely remedies, and rescue infants from critical conditions, guiding them together on the boat of compassion to the realm of longevity. Confucians criticize Buddhism because they believe Buddhists focus only on emptiness and nirvana. Yet here, amidst the austere life of a monk, we find such a heartfelt effort to save lives. Who would say that what Confucians cannot achieve is achieved by Buddhists? I deeply regret seeing this book so late and write this preface with humility and shame.

Written by Lu Guanglv, the sick man of Wuzhai, on the Qixi Festival of the Yisi Year.

First: In cases of sudden pediatric emergencies, consulting formulas on the spot is like being lost in the situation, often resulting in missed treatment opportunities. It is advisable to study this text thoroughly before any illness occurs, so that one clearly understands various syndromes and prepares necessary materials in advance, thereby enabling treatment before the condition becomes critical.

Second: Sudden pediatric diseases often require potent medicinal materials, which are difficult for poor rural families to obtain suddenly, leaving them helpless. This contradicts the intent of saving young lives. Therefore, from existing decoctions, powders, and pills, we have selected the most effective and urgent formulas, reduced the use of rare materials, and substituted them with locally available alternatives of similar properties. Although this may seem presumptuous, it may serve as a help in saving lives.

Third: Ancient healers had different intentions and created complex formulas. In sudden crises, without time to carefully select the appropriate formula, mixing various prescriptions can lead to confusion between root and branch, causing disorder. Some patients are saved, others are not; how can one not fear this? Pediatric diseases generally involve fright, heat, wind, and phlegm. Although formulas differ, the ingredients used are largely similar. Thus, with humble insight, I have deleted harsh and toxic materials, selected mild flavors, and combined them into general-purpose formulas. For other specific combinations, addition and subtraction methods are provided separately; if not combinable, separate formulas are established for easy reference.

Fourth: Decoctions should be divided into smaller doses to avoid excessive intake. For one- to two-year-old children, one dose should be divided into five or six servings; for five- to six-year-old children, into two or three servings. Adjust according to circumstances.