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[Preface by Du Jialu]

The practice of medicine relies on "Yi" (mental perception/intuition), meaning the physician must use their cognitive judgment to align with the patient's condition. Therefore, a skilled physician must always observe, listen, inquire, and palpate before carefully analyzing the pathology and prescribing a formula; this is an unchanging principle from ancient times to the present.

This is particularly true for young children, who are innocent and unworldly, lacking worldly knowledge. Their muscles are translucent, and their meridians are clearly visible. Their illnesses are merely due to the invasion of the six pathogenic factors—wind, cold, summer-heat, dampness, dryness, and fire—or the stagnation of food intake, which can be seen at a glance. How can they compare to adults, whose conditions may be complicated by excesses in alcohol and sexual activity or injuries from excessive mental worry, presenting a chaotic array of symptoms that are difficult to address? Thus, by observing the child's facial complexion and listening to their crying sounds, one can determine the origin of the disease and the appropriate medications to use, without the slightest error.

Regrettably, mediocre physicians in the world fail to consider that the patient is an infant. Upon contracting even a slight wind-pathogen, they do not carefully empathize with the condition but instead indiscriminately administer harsh medicines intended for convulsions (Jing Feng), often causing misdiagnosis and mistreatment. They do not realize that treating excess syndromes with tonification only increases the illness, while attacking deficiency syndromes leads to incurable states. Consequently, few survive, while many approach death.

Mr. Wang Yazhuo possesses profound medical skills and a compassionate heart. He spared no effort in laboriously selecting and refining formulas from both ancient and modern sources, compiling them into a single volume. When I visited him, he graciously showed it to me. I found its principles refined and methods rigorous, with guidance that was intimate and clear. Compared to pediatric texts circulating in the market, it was significantly more detailed, lucid, and thorough. I strongly urged him to have it woodblock printed and made public. It is anticipated that once this book is published, it will expose the delusions of mediocre physicians and extend the lives of infants; its benefits would surely be immense. This serves as the preface.

On the first day of the eighth lunar month in the year Dingwei (1847), Du Jialu, courtesy name Binwu, a government-supported scholar (Linsheng) from Jiangyin, respectfully wrote the preface.

[Autobiographical Preface by Wang Xixin]

In my early years, I studied under Master Juelai for several years. One day, I asked him, "Medical texts regard pediatrics as the 'mute department' because sick children cannot speak for themselves. Is this not extremely difficult?" The master replied, "Infants' spirits have not yet been assaulted by the seven emotions and six desires, nor have their zang-fu organs been soaked by rich foods and flavors. Medications administered to them yield results easily, just as changes in the diet of the wealthy are hard to predict, whereas the stomachs of those eating coarse vegetables respond readily. What difficulty is there? However, current physicians, seeing fever in children, fail to examine the floating or sunken nature of the finger vein (Guan Wen), using all surface-releasing medicines to induce sweating; seeing infants cry, they do not palpate the chest and abdomen to assess strength, resorting entirely to digestive-purgative medicines to attack. They fail to know that fetal and infant primal qi is thin and weak; a single error in medication can lead to a hundred variable manifestations. Can one not be cautious?" He then instructed, "When examining a child, first observe the density or thinness of their primal qi, feel the temperature of breath from the mouth and nose with your hand, next inspect the moisture or dryness of the lips and tongue, then look at the color and qi of the Guan Wen (finger vein), ask about diet and urination/defecation, and only then deliberate on the prescription for treatment. This way, errors will be avoided."

I internalized my master's instructions and dared not keep them private. During my leisure time, I excerpted practical methods for syndrome differentiation from reputable pediatric texts and selected important, frequently verified formulas. Under each syndrome, I specifically discussed the yin-yang aspects and the deficiency-excess nature within various formulas. Hence, I titled this book *Youke Qieyao* (Essentials of Pediatrics). My intention was to make it available to colleagues so that people in remote villages could see it. Seeing a child ill, mild cases need not seek a doctor, and severe cases will not be mistreated. Those who read and study it will understand medicine for life.

However, burdened by official duties over the years, I had the ambition but lacked the opportunity. Until the year Dingwei, when I was staying in Yucheng (Chongqing), I fortunately met Mr. Fu Yiru, Mr. Ai Xutang, and Mr. Qiu Dongshan. Sitting together chatting, we discussed this matter, and they resolutely expressed willingness to sponsor its publication. This truly resonated with our shared sentiments. Thus, we decided to submit the contents of various departments to the engraver. Within a few months, the book was completed. I only hope that benevolent gentlemen everywhere will widely print and distribute it. This may offer a small contribution to the preservation of infants, thereby honoring Master Juelai's heart of teaching and ensuring that the sincerity of the gentlemen in making it public is not lost. This serves as the preface.

Respectfully recorded by Wang Xixin, courtesy name Yazhuo, from Yuquan, on the first day of the eighth lunar month in the year Dingwei (1847).