光致所讲幼科,注重在实用二字,不尚虚文。以自己二十余年临证延医之经验,兼采各家学说医理,简易
明通。于临证实用者,均采集不嫌其浅俗,以求对于病者实用,对症治疗。平日体察小儿所常得的各种病症,
与成人的病症根本不同,临征延医方法自异。至于小儿又分乳婴与成童,其病症与治法更不能同。成人之病症,
虽亦不外乎寒热虚实燥湿积滞伤风寒及肺病血病,千头万绪,似觉不易措手,延医失之毫厘,谬以千里,非细
心体察,加以阅历,潜心研求,真知灼见,不能定症名,用药治疗。然成人能自道病之所在,及身体的痛苦见
端,再证以望闻问切等手续,自能见到症之象,及症之状,即可定出症之属于内伤外感,及内外兼病。症象即
得,即可因症用以疗治,似难而实不难。非若小儿之病症,自己既不知病之所在,尤不能自言病之痛苦及症象。
身体细小,四肢百骸均未长成,不能任猛烈性的药。然小儿又多不易服药,又不能与平常缓性药,使之慢慢而
愈,如惊风等症,不能稍延者。虽小儿无七情六欲,得病似觉简单,而临证用药则甚烦难,稍有出入,遗害无
穷,似易而实难也。故幼科另立一门,俗呼为哑科,以望闻切又不能问也。是以非有经验,不足以话幼科,非
有一二十年之经验不能治幼科病。至于辨指纹诊脉治病不过补助云耳。
The pediatrics taught by Guang Zhi emphasizes the two words "practicality," eschewing empty rhetoric. Drawing upon his own experience of over twenty years in clinical practice and seeking medical advice, he incorporates theories from various schools of thought, presenting content that is simple yet clear and comprehensive. For practical applications in clinical settings, he collects materials regardless of their depth or vulgarity, aiming for true utility for patients and targeted symptom treatment.
Observing the various diseases commonly afflicting children, it is fundamentally different from adult diseases; thus, the methods for clinical consultation naturally differ. Furthermore, children are divided into infants (breastfed babies) and older children, whose symptoms and treatments cannot be the same.
Adult diseases, although generally falling under categories such as cold, heat, deficiency, excess, dryness, dampness, food stagnation, wind-cold injury, lung diseases, and blood diseases, present a myriad of complexities that seem difficult to address. A slight error in consulting a physician can lead to significant deviations in outcome. Without careful observation, rich experience, dedicated research, and profound insight, one cannot accurately diagnose or prescribe medication. However, adults can describe the location of their illness and physical suffering. Combined with diagnostic procedures such as inspection (Wang), listening and smelling (Wen), inquiry (Wen), and palpation (Qie), the manifestation and state of the syndrome become apparent, allowing for differentiation between internal injury, external contraction, or combined internal-external pathology. Once the syndrome pattern is identified, treatment can be applied accordingly; what seems difficult is actually not so.
This contrasts sharply with pediatric cases, where children cannot identify the location of their illness nor verbally express their pain or symptoms. Due to their small stature and incomplete development of limbs and bones, they cannot tolerate potent medications. Moreover, children often refuse medicine, and slow-acting mild remedies are insufficient for conditions like convulsions (Jing Feng, an acute pediatric condition characterized by spasms and coma), which require immediate attention. Although children lack complex emotions and desires, making their illnesses seemingly simple, clinical medication management is extremely difficult and prone to error, with potentially disastrous consequences. What appears easy is actually very hard. Therefore, pediatrics stands as a separate discipline, colloquially known as the "Mute Department" (Ya Ke), because the diagnostic method of inquiry is absent alongside inspection, listening/smelling, and palpation. Consequently, one cannot discuss pediatrics without experience, nor treat pediatric diseases without ten to twenty years of experience. Techniques such as observing finger veins and pulse diagnosis serve merely as auxiliary aids.