初生小儿,蓄伏胎热欲发丹者,必先见于外,但人不之察耳,小儿在襁褓中无
故眼生浓眵者,此丹毒欲发之候也,更微喘急者,毒瓦斯已甚而上乘于肺也,才觉有
此证,急以水调龙脑饮子,或蓝根、犀角、等药,潜消其毒,如浑身已有赤处,即
更以芸苔等外挫其锋,消息而次第治之。予家凡两儿,初生眼有浓眵,后俱发丹。
何宰宜人外孙女生七日,眼生眵,已而小腹下有赤丹一点如钱,渐渐引开,上至腹
心而死,不可不知也。初虞世谓∶百日内,发必死,不治,然亦有可治者,不可不
治也。
大凡小儿病诸丹肿,其势虽盛,切不可遽用大黄、芒硝、辈决药大下之,恐毒
气乘虚入里,以客为主,即难施功也,但用性平解毒托里药,常调停脏腑,微微通
利而已,此则护元气而排外邪,庶保十全也。比舍陶氏子半岁病丹,医以青金丹下
之太过,蓄毒入里,发喘生惊而死。盖婴孺肌肤柔弱,易虚易实,而服药复不能多,
治之固不可怠慢,然亦不可躁急,全在精专调护,以保无虞,世俗多不知此,故广
记而备言之。小儿丹发,若预度其势必展引至咽颈、腹心、阴尻、诸虚处,可先涂
药以护之,仍砭砂其引头所向,微出恶血以泄其毒,或谓当以篦子刮去恶血令尽,
直至清黄水出即止,此必势危气壮而血热者始宜之,大抵此疾人受之有轻重,年长
气实乃能禁当,若未盈月儿,而感之又重,恐不可概用此法。无为主簿张康道子二
岁,得火焰丹,鲁医为砂之,出恶血盏余,两日而殂。不可不知也。《本草》云∶
大人小儿丹毒,宜食鲫鱼 及 。 即水母,俗名海蛰者是也,然不可以宜食而恣
食之,反能为害。鲫鱼亦鱼类,得无不宜。
Newborn infants, whose bodies harbor latent fetal heat and are about to develop *Dan* toxin (erysipelas-like rash), will inevitably show external signs first, though people often fail to notice them. If an infant in the cradle produces thick purulent eye discharge without apparent cause, this is a sign that *Dan* toxin is about to erupt. If accompanied by slight panting and urgency, it indicates that the toxic qi has become severe and is ascending to invade the Lung. As soon as these symptoms are detected, one should urgently administer Longnao Yinzi (Brain-Refreshing Decoction) mixed with water, or use herbs such as Radix Isatidis (Lan Gen, 蓝根) and Cornu Rhinocerotis (Xijiao, 犀角) to secretly dissipate the toxicity. If red patches have already appeared all over the body, one should then apply external remedies such as Brassica rapa var. tricolor (Yuntai, 芸苔) to curb the momentum of the disease, adjusting the treatment according to the severity and proceeding step by step.
My family had two children who, at birth, had thick eye discharge, and both subsequently developed *Dan* toxin. The granddaughter of He Zaiyi died at seven days old; she initially had eye discharge, followed by a coin-sized red *Dan* spot appearing below her lower abdomen, which gradually spread upward until it reached her abdomen and heart, leading to death. This situation must be known.
Chu Yushi stated: For infants within their first hundred days, if *Dan* toxin erupts, it is invariably fatal and untreatable; however, there are cases that can be treated, so treatment should not be neglected.
Generally speaking, for various types of swelling and *Dan* toxins in children, even if the condition appears vigorous, one must absolutely avoid abruptly using drastic purgatives such as Radix et Rhizoma Rhei (Dahuang, 大黄) and Natrii Sulfas (Mangxiao, 芒硝) to forcefully purge the bowels. Doing so risks allowing the toxic qi to enter the interior due to deficiency, causing the pathogen to become the primary issue, making treatment difficult thereafter. Instead, one should only use herbs with neutral properties that detoxify and support the interior, frequently regulating the Zang-Fu organs, and achieving only mild unblocking and draining. This approach protects the primordial Qi while expelling external pathogens, thereby ensuring a high chance of complete recovery.
The son of my neighbor Tao suffered from *Dan* toxin at six months of age. A physician administered Qingjin Dan (Green Gold Pill) with excessive purging, causing the accumulated toxin to sink into the interior, resulting in panting and convulsions, and ultimately death. This is because infants have delicate skin and flesh, prone to rapid shifts between deficiency and excess, and cannot tolerate large doses of medicine. Therefore, treatment must not be negligent, but also must not be hasty; it relies entirely on precise and dedicated nursing care to ensure safety. Most laypeople are unaware of these principles, which is why I record them in detail and explain them comprehensively.
When *Dan* toxin erupts in children, if one anticipates that the pathogenic trend will spread to vulnerable areas such as the throat and neck, the abdomen and heart, or the genitals and sacrum, one should pre-apply medicinal pastes to protect these regions. One should also use Bian Sha (stone needle therapy) to puncture the leading edge of the spreading toxin, allowing a small amount of "evil blood" to escape to vent the toxicity. Some suggest scraping away the evil blood with a comb until clear yellow fluid flows out, stopping only then. This method is suitable only for patients with critical conditions, strong vital energy, and intense blood heat. Generally, susceptibility to this disease varies in severity; older children with robust constitutions can withstand it. However, for infants under one month old who have contracted a heavy pathogen, this method should certainly not be applied indiscriminately.
The son of Zhang Kangdao, Vice Magistrate of Wuwei, aged two, suffered from Huoyan Dan (Flame Erysipelas). A physician from Lu performed stone needle therapy, extracting more than a cup of evil blood; the child died two days later. This case must be noted. The *Bencao* (Materia Medica) states: For *Dan* toxin in adults and children, it is advisable to eat Crucian Carp (Jiyu, 鲫鱼) and Jellyfish (Shuimu, 水母, commonly known as Haizhe, 海蜇). However, one should not indulge in eating these foods simply because they are recommended, as doing so may cause harm. Since crucian carp is also a type of fish, one might question whether it is truly suitable.