小儿气怯神弱。猝见异形。猝闻异声。最伤心胆之气。内经云。大惊猝恐。则气血分离
。阴
阳破散。经络厥绝。脉道不通。阴阳相逆。经脉空虚。血气不次。乃失其常。又惊则气散。
又恐伤肾。惊伤胆。其候则面青粪青。多烦多哭。睡卧惊惕。振动不宁。治法急宜收复神气
为要。宜秘旨安神丸。或独参汤。茯神汤之类主之。若妄进金石脑麝之品。是犹落井而又下
之以石矣。
乳儿之母。嗜食肥甘。或酒后乳儿。或将护失宜。衣衾太暖。致令小儿邪热郁蒸。积于
心而
传于肝。盖心藏神而肝藏魂。猝被惊触。神魂恐怖。心肝之气亦伤。心虚则邪热得以乘之。
肝虚则内风旋绕。以致夜卧不稳。或笑或哭。忽尔闷绝。目直上视。牙关紧急。口噤不开。
手足搐掣。身热面赤。脉数引饮。口中气热。二便黄赤。或秘。搐而有力。为邪气实。宜导
赤
散。更加干地黄防风竹叶。连进三服。或兼辰砂抱龙丸。少少与之。用以导心经之邪热
。息肝脏之虚风。其病即愈。倘肆用香散走窜。或寒凉攻伐之剂。必变为虚寒败症。不治者
多矣。宜兼详虚实二论。
凡小儿病后。或吐后泻后。或脾胃素虚。或误服药饵。或过服克伐之剂。或感受风寒。
而致
气微神缓。昏睡露睛。手足厥冷。身体或冷或热。或吐或泻。涎鸣气促。口鼻气冷。惊跳螈
。搐而无力。乍发乍静。面色淡白。或眉唇青赤。脉象沉迟散缓。或细数无神。此盖举世
共诧为慢惊风者是也。殊不知病本于虚。脏腑亏损已极。无风可逐。无惊可疗。全属虚寒败
症。不必尽由惊吓而致。盖脾虚不能摄涎。故津液妄泛而似痰。火虚则身寒。口中气冷。木
虚故搐而无力。每见世医狃于陋习。辄作惊风施治。致令百无一救。此无他。良由前人立名
之不慎以致此耳。若更乞灵于无知妇人。则其死更速。盖斯时一点真气。已届半续半离之际
。一经动摇。鲜有不随手而脱者。吁可哀也。主治之法。急宜温补脾胃为要。如四君子汤。
五
味异功散。加当归酸枣仁。东垣黄 汤。若脾土虚寒甚者。六君子加炮姜木香。不应者。急
加附子。脾肾虚寒之甚。或吐泻不止者。附子理阴煎。或六味回阳饮。若但泄泻不止者。
胃关煎。若元气亏损已极。而至昏愦者。急灸百会穴。(百会在头顶正中。取之之法。
用线量前后发际及两耳尖。
折中乃是穴也。)
兼服金液丹。凡此贵在辨之于早。而急为温补之。始克有济。倘稍涉迟疑。则必致不救
。慎之慎之。宜兼详虚论。
The child's constitution is characterized by Qi deficiency and weak Shen (Spirit). Sudden exposure to strange shapes or sudden hearing of strange sounds most easily damages the Qi of the Heart and Gallbladder. The *Neijing* states: "Great fright and sudden terror cause the separation of Qi and Blood, the scattering of Yin and Yang, the cessation of meridians, the blockage of pulse pathways, the reversal of Yin and Yang, the emptiness of meridians, the disorder of Qi and Blood, thereby losing their normal state." Furthermore, fright causes Qi to scatter, and fear injures the Kidney. Fright injures the Gallbladder; its manifestations include a bluish complexion, bluish stool, irritability with frequent crying, sleep disturbance with startles, and restless trembling. Treatment urgently requires recovering the Shen and Qi as the priority. Suitable formulas include Mizhi Anshen Wan, or Dushen Tang (Ginseng Decoction) and Fushen Tang (Poria Decoction). If one recklessly administers minerals, borneol, or musk, it is like dropping a stone into a well where someone has already fallen.
For a nursing infant, if the mother indulges in rich and sweet foods, nurses the baby after drinking alcohol, or provides improper care such as overdressing the child, it leads to the accumulation and steaming of pathogenic heat in the child. This heat accumulates in the Heart and transmits to the Liver. Since the Heart houses the Shen and the Liver houses the Hun (Ethereal Soul), sudden shock and fright injure the Qi of both organs. Heart deficiency allows pathogenic heat to invade; Liver deficiency causes internal wind to swirl, resulting in unstable night sleep, intermittent laughter or crying, sudden fainting, upward staring eyes, locked jaw, inability to open the mouth, convulsions of hands and feet, fever with red face, rapid pulse with thirst, hot breath from the mouth, yellow-red urine and stool, or constipation. Forceful convulsions indicate an Excess of Pathogen. The appropriate treatment is Daochi San (Guide Out the Red Powder), supplemented with Shu Di Huang (Prepared Rehmannia Root), Fang Feng (Saposhnikovia Root), and Zhu Ye (Bamboo Leaf), administered for three doses. Alternatively, Chen Sha Bao Long Wan (Cinnabar Embracing Dragon Pill) may be given in small amounts to guide out pathogenic heat from the Heart Meridian and extinguish deficient wind in the Liver. The disease will then resolve. If fragrant, dispersing, or cold-purgative agents are used indiscriminately, the condition will inevitably transform into a Deficient-Cold Collapse Syndrome, often proving untreatable. One should refer to the discussions on both Excess and Deficiency patterns.
After any illness in children, or following vomiting and diarrhea, or due to inherent Spleen-Stomach deficiency, misuse of medication, excessive use of draining agents, or contraction of Wind-Cold, the child may present with weak Qi, lethargy, sleeping with eyes partially open, cold extremities, alternating body temperature, vomiting or diarrhea, phlegm-rattling breath, cold breath from nose and mouth, startle jumps and clonic-convulsive movements (Chi Zhong), weak convulsions, alternating episodes of activity and stillness, pale complexion, bluish-red eyebrows and lips, and a deep, slow, scattered, or slow pulse, or a fine, rapid pulse without spirit. This is universally known as Slow Convulsion Wind (Man Jing Feng). However, the root of the disease is Deficiency; the Zang-Fu organs are extremely depleted. There is no wind to expel and no fright to treat; it entirely belongs to Deficient-Cold Collapse Syndrome, not necessarily caused solely by fright. Spleen deficiency fails to control fluids, causing them to overflow and appear as phlegm; Fire deficiency causes cold body and cold breath; Wood deficiency results in weak convulsions. It is common to see physicians adhering to bad habits and treating this as Convulsion Wind, leading to almost no survivors. This is due to the imprudent naming by predecessors. If one then seeks help from ignorant women, death occurs even faster. At this moment, the vital True Qi is on the verge of separation; once disturbed, recovery is rare. Alas, how tragic! The primary treatment method is to urgently warm and tonify the Spleen and Stomach. Formulas include Sijunzi Tang (Four Gentlemen Decoction), Wuwei Yigong San (Five-Ingredient Extraordinary Merit Powder) added with Dang Gui (Angelica Sinensis) and Suan Zao Ren (Ziziphus Seed); Dongyuan Huangqi Tang (Astragalus Decoction by Li Dongyuan). For severe Spleen Earth Deficient-Cold, Liujunzi Tang (Six Gentlemen Decoction) with Pao Jiang (Fried Ginger) and Mu Xiang (Aucklandia Root) is used; if ineffective, Aconite (Fu Zi) is added urgently. For extreme Spleen-Kidney Deficient-Cold or persistent vomiting/diarrhea, Fuzi Liyin Jian (Aconite Nourishing Yin Decoction) or Liuwei Huiyang Yin (Six-Ingredient Returning Yang Drink) is indicated. For persistent diarrhea alone, Weiguan Jian (Stomach Gate Decoction) is used. If Yuan Qi is extremely depleted leading to confusion, moxibustion should be applied urgently to Baihui GV20. (Baihui GV20 is located at the midline of the vertex; the method to locate it is to measure the distance between the anterior and posterior hairlines and the tips of the ears, taking the midpoint.) Concurrently administer Jin Ye Dan (Golden Elixir Pill). Early differentiation and urgent warming-tonification are crucial for success. Hesitation will lead to untreatable conditions. Be cautious, be cautious. Refer to the discussion on Deficiency patterns.