凡小儿囟肿囟陷,汗出不流,如珠如油,舒舌退场门,舌肿发惊,泻黑黯血,发
直如麻,皮肤无血色,此心绝也,并壬癸曰死。病重啼哭无泪,及病不哭下泪,爪
甲青黑,眼深如陷,舌卷囊缩,发搐目斜,连唇口动,手如抱头之状或脚面直,《素
问》云∶其华在爪,其充在筋。肝绝也,并庚卒日死。人中满,人中黑,唇缩反
张,唇焦枯燥,唇干紫黑,唇不盖齿,血肿尿血,舌缩或卷,鼻孔开张,齿禁冷涎
如油,嘬口如囊,面如土色,四肢逆冷如湿石之状,吃乳不收,泻粪赤黑,脾绝也,
并甲乙日死。有热咽汤水并药食喉中鸣,是胃脆直不能荫肺,此证医书少有,盖累
曾试之有验,并死不治。目直青鲜,气喘不回,吃食噎嗽,痰涎塞口,喉中鸣响,
鼻塞不通,鼻干黑燥,肺胀胃膈,头汗四肢冷,此肺绝也,并丙丁日死。面黑神
昏,眼黑眼肿,目无光彩,耳叶青黄焦枯,疳牙齿落,发疏黄燥,皮肤黑燥,惊风
咬乳,戛齿泄屁,黑色绕口,此肾绝也,并戊己日死。
小儿死证十五候 眼上赤脉下贯瞳人,囟门肿起,兼及作坑,鼻干黑燥,肚大
青筋,目多直视,睹不转睛,指甲黑色,忽作鸦声,虚舌退场门,啮齿咬人鱼口,气
急啼不作声,蛔虫既出,必是死形,用药速救,十无一生。小儿病困,汗出如珠,
着身不流者死。小儿病,其头发皆上逆者必死。小儿病而囟陷,其口唇干,目皮
反,口中气出冷,手足四垂,其卧如缚,掌中冷,皆不治。小儿中风热,喘鸣肩
息,脉缓则生,急则死。小儿痢疾,脉浮大而腹痛者必死。乳子病热,脉悬小,
手足温则生,寒则死。
Whenever a child presents with swelling or depression of the fontanelle, sweating where the sweat does not flow but clings like pearls or oil, protrusion of the tongue and prolapse of the rectum (Changmen), swollen tongue accompanied by frightful crying, passage of black and dark bloody stools, hair standing erect like hemp fibers, and skin lacking luster, this indicates Heart Qi exhaustion (Xin Jue). Death will occur on Ren or Gui days. When the illness is severe, the child cries without tears, or ceases to cry but sheds tears; nails are cyanotic and black; eyes are sunken deeply; the tongue is curled and the scrotum retracted; convulsions occur with strabismus; the lips and mouth twitch; hands assume a posture as if holding the head, or the dorsum of the feet becomes rigid. As stated in *Su Wen* (Plain Questions): "Its brilliance manifests in the nails, and its substance fills the sinews." This indicates Liver Qi exhaustion (Gan Jue). Death will occur suddenly on Geng days. If the philtrum is full or black, lips are contracted or retracted backwards, lips are scorched, dry, or purple-black, lips fail to cover the teeth, there is blood swelling or hematuria, the tongue is shortened or curled, nostrils are dilated, teeth are locked (trismus) with cold saliva flowing like oil, the mouth is puckered like a purse, the complexion is earthy, limbs are cold and wet like stones, milk intake is unsuccessful, and stools are red-black, this indicates Spleen Qi exhaustion (Pi Jue). Death will occur on Jia or Yi days. If there is heat, and wheezing sounds are heard in the throat when swallowing soups, medicines, or food, it is because the Stomach is brittle and unable to nourish the Lung. This syndrome is rarely recorded in medical texts, likely due to repeated clinical verification confirming its fatal nature; it is incurable and leads to death. Eyes are fixed and bright green/cyan, asthma is unremitting, eating causes choking and coughing, phlegm and saliva block the mouth, wheezing is audible in the throat, nasal congestion is present, the nose is dry and black, lung distension and diaphragmatic obstruction occur, with sweating on the head and cold limbs, this indicates Lung Qi exhaustion (Fei Jue). Death will occur on Bing or Ding days. A black complexion with unconsciousness, black and swollen eyes, lackluster gaze, yellow-green scorched and dry earlobes, tooth loss due to malnutrition (Gan disease), sparse yellow-dry hair, black-dry skin, biting at the breast during fright-wind, grinding teeth and passing gas, and a black ring around the mouth indicate Kidney Qi exhaustion (Shen Jue). Death will occur on Wu or Ji days.
Fifteen signs of death in children: Red vessels on the upper eyelids extending downward through the pupil; swelling and subsequent depression of the fontanelle; dry and black nose; abdominal distension with visible blue veins; fixed staring eyes that do not move; black fingernails; sudden crow-like vocalization; protruding tongue with rectal prolapse; teeth grinding and biting at the corners of the mouth; rapid breathing with silent crying; expulsion of roundworms indicating a terminal state. Even with urgent medication rescue, fewer than one in ten survives. For critically ill children, sweat forming beads that adhere to the body without flowing indicates death. If all hair stands erect in an ill child, death is certain. If a child has a depressed fontanelle, dry lips, inverted eyelids, cold breath from the mouth, hanging limbs, a bound-like lying posture, and cold palms, these are untreatable conditions. In children suffering from wind-heat stroke, wheezing with shoulder movement (shoulder breathing), a slow pulse indicates survival, while a rapid pulse indicates death. In children with dysentery, a floating and large pulse accompanied by abdominal pain indicates certain death. In infants with febrile diseases, a suspended and small pulse with warm hands and feet indicates survival, while cold hands and feet indicate death.