Library

Zhang Zhongjing said: Regarding the three diseases in new postpartum women, one is Jing disease (spasm), the second is Yumao (dizziness and fainting), and the third is difficult defecation. What does this mean? The Master said: After a new delivery, there is blood deficiency, excessive sweating, and susceptibility to wind pathogens, thus causing Jing disease (Reading this reveals that spasm can also be caused by external factors; one should not solely attribute it to Qi and blood deficiency and hastily use tonifying agents, which may lead to untreatable conditions). Loss of blood followed by sweating and abundant cold pathogens causes Yumao. Depletion of body fluids and dryness in the Stomach causes difficult defecation. (Yumao in postpartum women is what is currently known as Xueyun [blood syncope].)

Sun Simiao's *Qianjin Fang* states: Generally, marital intercourse should only resume after one hundred days postpartum; otherwise, it may lead to death, extreme emaciation, and the proliferation of various diseases. This must be strictly observed (this is an ultimate truth)! Any woman suffering from Wind pathogen conditions or cold deficiency in the lower abdomen invariably results from engaging in intercourse too early after childbirth. Within seven days postpartum, when lochia has not yet cleared, decoctions should not be taken. One should wait until the masses in the lower abdomen dissipate before administering Mutton Decoction (The instruction "do not take decoctions" refers to avoiding Qi-tonifying formulas; thus, Mutton Decoction should also be taken only after the masses have dissipated). In cases of severe pain, this rule does not apply. After two or three days when the patient's breath stabilizes, Zeluan Wan (Zeluan Pill) can be administered. It is best to complete the course of pills by the end of the first month. Otherwise, the deficiency damage cannot be resolved, potentially leading to extreme emaciation and untreatable conditions. In such critical cases, Wushi Zeluan Wan (Five-Stone Zeluan Pill) can be used for supplementation. The administration method requires waiting until after the seventh day; it must not be taken early. For women who give birth during the hot summer months, excessive cooling and exposure to wind-cold can lead to abdominal accumulations and the onset of various diseases, potentially resulting in death despite numerous treatments. Taoren Jian (Peach Kernel Decoction) is the primary treatment, to be taken after the confinement period ends. Even if women are generally healthy, they should take one or two doses every autumn and winter until the end of the year, with regular consumption being beneficial.

Wang Shuhe's *Mai Jing* states: When examining women after childbirth, a Cun Kou pulse that is Hong (surging) and rapid but irregular indicates a poor prognosis, whereas a Chen (deep) and Wei (fine) pulse that remains palpable even when pressed to the bone indicates survival (The terms "irregular" and "palpable to the bone" require careful attention). For women who have just given birth and are nursing, a pulse that is Chen, Xiao (small), and Hua (slippery) indicates survival, while a pulse that is Shi (excess), Da (large), Jian (firm), Xian (wiry), and Ji (rapid) indicates a poor prognosis.

Zhu Danxi said: A pulse that is Xi Xiao (fine and small) during pregnancy but becomes Hong (surging) and Da (large) postpartum often indicates a poor prognosis. He also stated: During pregnancy, the pulse should typically be Hong and Shuo (rapid); if the Hong and Shuo pulse persists unchanged after delivery, it often indicates death. (This is a general statement; nowadays, we see cases where women survive despite having a Hong and Shuo pulse postpartum.) (If a Hong and Shuo pulse retains the Stomach Qi, survival is possible; if the pulse is rigid and strong, death ensues. One must also examine the patient's original constitutional pulse to determine the outcome.)