Library

Infantile watery diarrhea is caused by excessive dampness in the Spleen and Stomach, leading to the failure of separating the clear from the turbid, resulting in this syndrome. The manifestations include scanty and difficult urination, anorexia, loose yellow stools. Ancient methods advocate using Weiling Tang (Guizhi Decoction modified with Poria) to dispel dampness (ingredients: processed Atractylodis Rhizoma [Cangzhu], Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium [Chenpi], Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex [Houpo], processed Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma [Baizhu], Poria [Fuling], prepared Licorice Root [Gancao], Cinnamon Twig [Rougui], Alisma Rhizome [Zexie], Polyporus [Zhuling], with fresh Ginger and Red Date as guides).

If the diarrhea persists for a long time, Shengyang Chushi Tang (Shengyang Damp-Dispersing Decoction) should be used (ingredients: Atractylodis Rhizoma [Cangzhu], Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium [Chenpi], Saposhnikoviae Radix [Fangfeng], processed Massao Fermentatus [Shenqu], processed Hordeum Vulgare Fructus [Maiya], Alisma Rhizome [Zexie], prepared Licorice Root [Gancao], Cimicifugae Rhizoma [Shengma], Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix [Qianghuo], Bupleuri Radix [Chaihu], Polyporus [Zhuling], with fresh Ginger as a guide).

[Commentary by Chen Shouzhen] In treating infantile watery diarrhea, if the separation of clear and turbid is not clarified, it is appropriate to employ methods that dry dampness and promote diuresis. The prescription consists of Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae Rhizoma [Bifen] 1 qian, Atractylodis Rhizoma [Cangzhu] soaked in rice water and stir-fried 6 fen, processed Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma [Jinqiancao/Jinqianshu] 2 qian, stir-fried Polyporus [Zhuling] 2 qian, stir-fried Alisma Rhizome [Zexie] 2 qian, stir-fried Dolichos Lablab Seed [Baidou] 1 qian, stir-fried Hordeum Vulgare Fructus [Maiya] 8 fen, with roasted Ginger 1 slice as a guide, and Cinnamon Bark [Rougui] 1 fen. These are ground into powder and taken with water.

The *Classic* states: "Newly formed accumulation accompanied by pain that can shift is easy to cure; accumulation without pain or with fixed pain is difficult to cure." The nourishment infants rely on for life consists only of milk and food. Milk belongs to blood and is categorized as drinks; grains belong to dregs and are categorized as solid foods. Nursing should be timed, and eating should be regulated. If parents show excessive affection, allowing unlimited intake of milk and food, although intended as love, it actually causes harm. Spleen deficiency leads to impaired transportation, and Qi stagnation results in accumulation. Injury from hot milk or hot food creates Heat Accumulation; injury from cold milk or cold food creates Cold Accumulation. Accumulation from grains is Food Accumulation; from poultry and livestock, it is Meat Accumulation; from vegetables and fruits, it is Cold Accumulation (Note: Textual logic may vary, translated literally). Dietary accumulations must be treated with resolving and guiding methods. "Resolving" means dispersing accumulation; "Guiding" means promoting Qi movement. For mild cases, harmonizing routine formulas are used; for severe cases, drastic purgative decoctions or pills are employed. Because if turbid Yin does not descend, Clear Yang cannot ascend; if pathogenic filth is not removed, true Yuan Qi cannot recover. This is like pacifying chaos before achieving peace. One may combine resolving and tonifying, use more tonifying than resolving, or tonify first then resolve, as Li Dongyuan (Jiegu) stated: "Nourish the righteous Qi, and the accumulation will naturally dissipate." Therefore, predecessors always relied on Ginseng and Atractylodes to assist in the success of drugs that break stagnation and soften hardness. The *Classic* says: "Do not attack the evil at the expense of the righteous." This is what is meant. Hence, this treatise on resolving accumulation was composed.