五指梢头冷。惊来神不安。若逢中指热。必定是伤寒。中指独自冷。疹痘症相当。男女分左右。医家仔细看。
潜 曰。仙女传救婴儿妙法。实谙先天机微。左旋右揉。推拿掐运。诸穴手法。至妙至精。苟
缺一穴。而众穴不灵。稍少一法。而妙法不真。医家必深思其义蕴。而详究其指归。乃为有济。然
法虽有定。变通在人。标本先后轻重多寡之间。用手法而不泥乎法。神乎法而不离乎法。神而明
之。存乎一心。所当竞竞致意者尔。
凡观小儿病症。男观左手右脚。女观右手左脚。必察何经络。得其症候。方知道推某筋。掐某
处。久揉验。总要先观儿虚实。而手法推之数目。即一定之。一岁三百。不可拘也。(此二句所谓
用法而不泥乎法也可证诸家某穴推若千数之谬)又要审定主穴。某病症。以某穴为主。则众手该用
者在前。而此主穴在后。多用工夫。从其重也。盖穴有君臣。推有缓急。用数穴中有一穴为主者。
而一穴君也。众穴臣也。相为表里而相济者也。故赤子之病。有一视而愈者。亦有推数穴而不愈者。
是不明于察形辨症之主穴也。有一穴而治数病者。有数穴而治一病者。有一手而拿两穴者。有两手
而拿一穴者。有病轻而推数穴不愈者。有重病而推一二穴即愈者。总待人神明其源而精乎其极也。
故云病轻一时松。病重费日功。若平日有惯者。病推毕后。必用总收手法。其病方永久不犯。用手
法者慎思之。
When the tips of a child's five fingers are cold, fright causes spiritual unrest. If the middle finger is hot, it is certainly wind-cold damage (Shanghan). If only the middle finger is cold, it corresponds to rash and smallpox conditions. For males and females, observation differs by left and right sides; physicians must examine carefully.
Luo Rulong commented: The miraculous methods for saving infants transmitted by the Fairy truly comprehend the subtle mechanisms of congenital nature. Rotating left and right, pushing, grasping, kneading, and moving—these acupoint manipulation techniques are extremely profound and refined. If one acupoint is missing, the others lose efficacy; if one method is slightly lacking, the miraculous method becomes untrue. Physicians must deeply ponder its theoretical implications and meticulously investigate the direction of finger movements, so as to be beneficial in treatment. Although methods have fixed rules, adaptation lies with the practitioner. Between the root and branch, sequence, severity, and quantity, one applies manipulations without being bound by rigid rules, masters the methods without departing from them, and illuminates their spirit through mental clarity. This is what one should diligently attend to.
Generally, when observing pediatric diseases, observe the left hand and right foot for boys, and the right hand and left foot for girls. One must ascertain which meridian is affected and identify the specific symptoms to know which tendon to push, which area to pinch, and whether prolonged kneading yields results. Always first assess the deficiency or excess of the child, then determine the number of manipulations as a standard. For a one-year-old, three hundred manipulations are prescribed, but this should not be rigidly adhered to. (These two sentences illustrate "applying methods without being bound by them," proving the error of various schools' claims regarding specific numbers of manipulations for certain acupoints.) One must also determine the principal acupoint. For a specific disease, if one acupoint is principal, auxiliary manipulations on other relevant points should precede it, while the principal point is treated later with greater effort, following the principle of addressing severe conditions. Acupoints have a sovereign-minister hierarchy, and manipulations have urgency. Among multiple used acupoints, one serves as the sovereign (Jun), while others are ministers (Chen), interacting internally and externally to support each other. Thus, some infant illnesses heal instantly upon observation, while others do not heal despite manipulating multiple acupoints, due to a failure to understand the selection of principal acupoints based on form and symptom differentiation. Some acupoints treat multiple diseases, while several acupoints treat one disease. One hand may grasp two acupoints, while two hands may focus on one. Mild diseases may fail to heal despite manipulating multiple acupoints, whereas severe diseases may heal after manipulating just one or two. This requires the practitioner to illuminate the source and refine the ultimate precision. Hence, it is said that mild diseases bring immediate relief, while severe diseases require time and effort. If habitual conditioning is practiced, after completing the disease-specific manipulations, a general concluding technique must be applied so that the illness does not recur permanently. Those using these methods should reflect carefully.