医之为言,意也。神存采心之间,心可得解,口不可得言。然则方剂之着无益乎?而非
也。观乎《灵枢》、《素问》,肇自轩皇,嗣是而医家者流着书立说,不一其人,家相祖述,代
有师承,于吕稽旧闻、谛诊视,救其偏败而济乎夭死,厥功伟焉!则不事方书,乃神于医者
之深造自得,而非可以概天下也。故医者济人之术,而方书之作,则以得诸心者传诸世,以
济人于无穷也,独是书凭臆见,既虞师心之滞于偏,书守成规,又嫌胶柱而不知变。盖观一
言之误,贻害非轻,而叹方书之难言也。虽然,为方书难,为方书而及幼科则尤难。何则?呱
呱襁褓,啼笑无端,疾痛 痒,不能自白;其脏腑未定,则药物不能多受;其筋骨尚脆,则
针砭尤非易施;误用刀圭,便伤生理。此炼师陈君飞霞三折肱于斯道,有《幼幼集成》之作
也。君少慕冲举,学道罗浮,龙虎功能,洞然有得于性命之际,乃瓢笠云游,借医药以济世。
谓世之医小儿者,因前人以伤寒病症,称为惊风,讹谬相沿,无论外感内伤,遇发热者,率
以惊风为名而妄用其法,致扎伤者多,心甚悯焉!乃取在昔幼科诸书,参互考订,按之临证
之所心得,判其合离,析其同异,以搐字易惊字,概曰搐,将急惊、慢惊、慢脾三则,易为
误搐、类搐、非搐,分门别类,详其审切之诀,附以经验之方,自胎孕乳哺及痘麻疮疡诸证,
胥辨晰而条贯焉。将受梓,征叙于余。余循览之下,叹其宅心之良浓,而殚精之不辞其瘁也。
君已疾,多奇效,有他医治之垂绝,君则曰可生,服其药,无不活。遇窭人疗之不受谢,有
急需补剂者,或更以参术相资;意所不合,虽贵富人招之不可致。盖天真疏放,不随俗俯仰,
故游情方外而有急病让夷之思也。是编也,本长生之妙道,作保赤之灵丹。其斯为明六度而
除四魔,以自利利他乎;其斯为父天地而母神明,悯幼稚之颠连,而弘煦妪于吾胞乎!后之
业幼科者,习于斯而有得,将千载榛芜,一朝尽辟,以治婴孩,自足以辨析毫芒,随机用巧
而利赖靡涯矣。余既重君之行高而志浓,又信此书之足以行世而行远;而揆诸我夫子怀少之
志,暨天子恤幼之仁,均有合焉。爰浣笔以叙其端。
礼部进士文林郎候选县尹龙泉梁玉撰
The character "Yi" (Medicine) implies "Yi" (Intention/Meaning). The divine aspect resides in the realm of mindful contemplation; it can be comprehended by the mind but is difficult to articulate with words. Does this mean that written prescriptions are useless? Not at all. Observing the *Lingshu* (Spiritual Pivot) and *Suwen* (Basic Questions), which originated from the Yellow Emperor, subsequent generations of physicians authored books and established theories. There were many such individuals, each school inheriting from the previous, with successive lineages of teachers and students. By investigating ancient knowledge and carefully examining patients, they corrected deviations and failures, saving those who would otherwise die prematurely. Their merit is indeed great! Therefore, not relying on medical texts is a state of profound self-realization achieved by highly skilled physicians, and one cannot generalize this standard to all physicians in the world. Thus, medicine is the art of saving people, while the compilation of medical texts serves to transmit what has been understood in the heart to future generations, thereby benefiting humanity indefinitely. However, this book relies on personal opinion; there is a fear that subjective bias may lead to prejudice, and rigid adherence to established rules may result in inflexibility, like gluing a tuning peg without knowing how to adapt. A single erroneous statement can cause significant harm, hence the sigh regarding the difficulty of writing medical texts. Nevertheless, compiling medical texts is difficult, and compiling them specifically for pediatrics is even more so. Why? Infants in swaddling clothes cry and laugh without apparent cause, and their pain or itching cannot be expressed by themselves. Their internal organs are not yet fully developed, so they cannot tolerate large doses of medication. Their bones and sinews are still fragile, making acupuncture and moxibustion difficult to apply. Misuse of herbs (Dao Gui refers to measuring spoons for herbs) can damage vital life force. Master Chen Feixia, having gained extensive experience through repeated trials ("three broken arms" metaphor for deep expertise), created the work *Youyou Jicheng* (Complete Collection for Young Children). In his youth, he admired the Daoist pursuit of transcendence and studied the Dao at Mount Luofu, gaining profound insights into the functions of Dragon and Tiger (internal alchemy terms) and the principles of nature and life. He then wandered freely, using medicine to benefit the world. He believed that contemporary pediatricians, following the precedent set by predecessors who labeled certain symptoms of *Shanghan* (Cold Damage) as "Jingfeng" (Convulsion/Wind), had perpetuated errors. Regardless of whether the cause was external contraction or internal injury, any fever was indiscriminately diagnosed as "Jingfeng," leading to widespread misuse of treatments and harm to children, which deeply grieved him. Consequently, he reviewed various earlier pediatric texts, cross-referenced and verified them, combined this with his own clinical experiences, judged their validity, analyzed similarities and differences, replaced the character "Jing" (Convulsion) with "Chu" (Twitch/Spasm), and generally termed conditions as "Chu." He reclassified acute convulsion, chronic convulsion, and slow spleen deficiency into mistaken convulsion, similar convulsion, and non-convulsion, categorizing them meticulously. He detailed precise diagnostic keys and appended empirical formulas. From prenatal care and nursing to diseases such as smallpox, measles, and sores, all conditions were clearly distinguished and systematically organized. Before the book was to be printed, he requested me to write a preface. Upon reading it, I marveled at his benevolent heart and his tireless dedication. Master Chen often achieved miraculous cures. When other physicians deemed a critical patient hopeless, Chen would declare recovery possible; after taking his prescription, patients invariably survived. He treated impoverished patients without accepting payment and sometimes provided expensive tonics like Ginseng and Atractylodes to those in urgent need. If his views did not align with others, he would refuse invitations even from the wealthy and noble. His nature was naturally unrestrained, refusing to conform to worldly trends, thus finding solace in the transcendent realm and harboring thoughts of yielding priority in emergencies. This book, rooted in the subtle Dao of longevity, serves as a spiritual elixir for protecting infants. It can be said to illuminate the Six Perfections and dispel the Four Demons, benefiting both oneself and others. It embodies treating Heaven and Earth as parents and deities as ancestors, pitying the suffering of the young, and promoting nurturing compassion among our fellow humans. May future pediatricians who study and gain from this book clear away centuries of neglect, enabling them to treat infants with precision, adapt cleverly to circumstances, and bring boundless benefits. Having esteemed Master Chen's noble conduct and strong resolve, and believing in the book's potential to circulate widely and endure, I find its spirit resonates with the Confucian ideal of caring for the young and the Emperor's benevolence toward children. Thus, I have cleansed my brush and written this preface.
Liang Yu, Jinshi of the Ministry of Rites, Wenlin Lang, Candidate County Magistrate, from Longquan