《金匮》云∶人得风气以生长。此一语最精,风即气也。人在风中而不见风,犹鱼在水
中而不见水,鼻息出入,顷刻离风即死。但风静即为养人之和风,风动即为杀人之邪风。若
大人之中风,小儿之惊风、卒倒、搐掣、角弓反张、目上视、口流涎,皆风动之象,即气之
乖也。医者宜化邪风为和风,即所以除邪气而匡正气。闽中市医,遇小儿诸病及惊痫危症
,以蓖麻子、巴豆、南星、莱菔子、全蝎、大黄、急性子、皂角为末。加樗皮、冰片、麝香
。以麻油或白蜜,或姜、葱汁调。敷于囟门以及胸中、脐中、足心,为拔风法。秘其方以射
利,十敷十死。既死而仍不归怨之者,以为外敷之法,不妨姑试,俟未效而即去之,似不为
害。而不知一敷之后,元气为其拔散,即揭去其药,而既散之气,永不能使之复聚矣。况囟
门为元阳之会,胸中为宗气之宅,脐中为性命之根,足心为肾脉之本,皆不可轻动。昔人以
附子、海狗肾补药敷于脐中而蒸之,名医犹且戒其勿用,况大伤人之物乎?凡以保赤为心者
,宜共攻此法。而又有惑于急惊、慢惊、食积之说,预用羌活、独活、防风、秦艽、前胡、
赤芍、钩藤钩、荆芥、天麻、浓朴、神曲、山楂、苍术、胆星、葶苈子、萝卜子、贝母、牛
黄、朱砂、天竺黄、枳壳、杏仁、石菖蒲、甘草,或合为一方,或分为二三方者,亦五十步笑百步耳。
The *Jin Gui Yao Lue* (Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet) states: "Humans rely on wind qi for growth." This statement is most profound; wind is qi. Humans exist within wind yet do not perceive it, just as fish live in water yet do not perceive water. Nasal respiration enters and exits; if separated from wind even for an instant, death ensues. However, when wind is still, it is the harmonious wind that nourishes life; when wind is turbulent, it is the pathogenic wind that kills. If adults suffer from stroke (Zhong Feng), or children suffer from convulsive disorders (Jing Feng), sudden collapse, spasms, opisthotonos (angle-jaw rigidity), upward staring of the eyes, and drooling, these are all manifestations of wind movement, indicating the deviation of qi. Physicians should transform pathogenic wind into harmonious wind, which is precisely how to eliminate pathogenic factors and support healthy qi.
In Fujian, quack physicians, encountering various pediatric diseases and critical conditions such as convulsions and epilepsy, pulverize castor seeds (Ricini Semen), croton seeds (Crotonis Fructus), pinellia rhizome processed with alum (Pinelliae Rhizoma Preparatum), radish seeds (Raphani Semen), whole scorpions (Scorpio), rhubarb root (Rhei Radix et Rhizoma), impatient plant seeds (Impatientis Semen), and soap pod (Gleditsiae Fructus) into powder. They add bark of the Chinese cork tree (Phellodendri Cortex), borneol (Borneolum Syntheticum), and musk (Moschus). These are mixed with sesame oil, white honey, ginger juice, or green onion juice. The mixture is applied to the fontanelle, chest, umbilicus, and soles of the feet, a method termed "extracting wind." They keep this prescription secret to seek profit, resulting in ten deaths out of ten applications. After death, people do not blame this practice, reasoning that external application can be tried tentatively; if ineffective, it is removed immediately, seemingly causing no harm. However, they fail to realize that after one application, the primordial qi is dispersed by the treatment. Even if the medicine is removed, the dispersed qi can never re-aggregate. Moreover, the fontanelle is the convergence point of primordial yang, the chest is the residence of zong qi (gathering qi), the umbilicus is the root of life and destiny, and the soles of the feet are the origin of the kidney meridian. None of these should be lightly disturbed. In the past, some used aconite root (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata) and sea dogfish kidney (Canis Testis) as tonifying medicines applied to the umbilicus with heat steaming; even famous physicians warned against their use, let alone substances that severely damage the body. Those who dedicate themselves to protecting infants should jointly condemn this method.
Furthermore, those confused by theories of acute convulsion, chronic convulsion, and food stagnation pre-emptively use active corydalis rhizome (Corydalis Rhizoma), angelica dahurica root (Angelicae Dahuricae Radix), saposhnikovia root (Saposhnikoviae Radix), gentian root (Gentianae Radix), peucedanum root (Peucedani Radix), red peony root (Paeoniae Radix Rubra), uncaria hook (Uncariae Ramulus cum Uncis), schizonepeta spike (Schizonepetae Spica), gastrodia tuber (Gastrodiae Rhizoma), magnolia bark (Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex), medicated leaven (Massa Medicata Fermentata), hawthorn fruit (Crataegi Fructus), atractylodes rhizome (Atractylodis Rhizoma), phellodendron processed with bile (Phellodendri Cortex Preparatum), leptota seed (Leptotae Fructus), radish seed (Raphani Semen), fritillaria bulb (Fritillariae Bulbus), buffalo gallstone (Bovis Calculus), cinnabar (Cinnabaris), bamboo slime (Calamus Tuber), aurantium peel (Aurantii Fructus), apricot seed (Armeniacae Semen Amarum), patchouli rhizome (Pogostemonis Rhizoma), and licorice root (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma). Some combine them into a single formula, while others divide them into two or three formulas. This is merely "the pot calling the kettle black" (fifty paces laughing at a hundred paces).