惊痫者,起于惊怖大啼,精神伤动,气脉不定,因惊而发作成痫也。初觉儿欲惊,急持
抱之,惊自止。故养小儿常慎惊,勿闻大声。每持抱之间,常当安徐,勿令怖。又雷鸣时常
塞儿耳,并作余细声以乱之。
惊痫当按图灸之,摩膏,不可大下。何者?惊痫心气不定,下之内虚,则甚难治。凡诸
痫正发,手足掣缩,慎不可捉持之,捉之则令曲突不随也。
风痫者,由乳养失理,血气不和,风邪所中;或衣浓汗出,腠理开,风因而入。初得之
时,先屈指如数,乃发掣缩是也。当与 心汤。
又病先身热,螈 惊啼叫唤,而后发痫,脉浮者,为阳痫,内在六腑,外在肌肤,犹易
治。病先身冷,不惊 ,不啼唤,乃成病,发时脉沉者,为阴痫,内在五脏,外在骨髓,极者难治。
病发时,身软时醒者,谓之痫,身强直反张如弓,不时醒者,谓之痉。
诊其心脉满大,痫 筋挛;肝脉小急,亦痫 筋挛。尺寸脉俱浮,直上直下,此为督脉
,腰背强直,不得俯仰。小儿风痫,三部脉紧急,其痫可治。小儿脉多似雀斗,要以三部脉
为主,若紧者,必风痫。
凡诸痫发,手足掣缩,慎勿捉持之,捉则令曲突不随也。
痫发之状,或口眼相引,或目睛上摇,或手足螈 ,或背脊强直,或头项反折,或屈指
如数,皆由当风取凉,乳哺失节之所为。其瘥之后而更发者,是余势未尽,小儿血气软
弱,或因乳食不节,或风冷不调,或更惊动,因而重发。如此者,多成常疹。凡诸痫正发,
手足掣缩,慎勿捉持之,捉则令曲突不随也。
Jingxian (Convulsive Epilepsy due to Fright) originates from fright, terror, or loud crying, which damages the spirit and agitates the mind, causing unstable Qi dynamics and irregular pulse conditions, thereby triggering epilepsy due to fright. When one initially perceives that a child is about to be frightened, one should immediately hold and comfort them, and the fright will subside naturally. Therefore, when raising young children, one must always be cautious to prevent fright and avoid exposing them to loud noises. Whenever holding or carrying a child, movements should be calm and gentle to avoid frightening them. Additionally, during thunderstorms, one should plug the child's ears and make other soft sounds to mask the noise.
For Jingxian, moxibustion should be performed according to diagrams, and medicated ointments should be applied for massage; drastic purgation must not be used. Why? Because in Jingxian, the Heart Qi is unstable. Purgation would cause internal deficiency, making it extremely difficult to treat. During the active phase of any type of epilepsy, when the hands and feet are twitching and contracting, one must be careful not to grasp or restrain the patient forcibly, as this will lead to stiffness and inability to flex or extend the joints.
Fengxian (Wind Epilepsy) arises from improper nursing and care, leading to disharmony of Blood and Qi, allowing Wind pathogenic factors to invade; or it may result from wearing clothes that are too thick, causing sweating and opening the Couli (pores), through which Wind enters. At the onset, symptoms first manifest as fingers curling as if counting, followed by twitching and contraction. One should administer Xin Tang (Heart Decoction).
Furthermore, if the illness begins with body heat, accompanied by convulsions, fright, crying, and calling out, followed by the onset of epilepsy, and the pulse is floating, it is classified as Yang Epilepsy. The pathology is located internally in the Six Fu Organs and externally on the skin and muscles, making it relatively easy to treat. If the illness begins with a cold body, without fright, crying, or calling out, and develops into an illness where the pulse is deep upon onset, it is classified as Yin Epilepsy. The pathology is located internally in the Five Zang Organs and deeply in the bone marrow; severe cases are difficult to treat.
During an attack, if the body is soft and the patient regains consciousness intermittently, it is called Epilepsy (Xian). If the body is rigid, extending backward like a bow (opisthotonos), and the patient does not regain consciousness, it is called Spasm (Jing).
Palpating the Heart pulse, if full and large, indicates Epilepsy with tendon cramping. Palpating the Liver pulse, if small and rapid, also indicates Epilepsy with tendon cramping. If the Cun and Chi pulses are both floating, with a straight up-and-down quality, this indicates involvement of the Du Mai (Governing Vessel), presenting as rigidity of the waist and back, with inability to bend or look up. In pediatric Fengxian, the three positions of the pulse are tight and urgent; such epilepsy is treatable. Pediatric pulses often resemble the rapid fluttering of sparrows fighting, but the primary focus should be on the three positions; if the pulse is tight, it is certainly Wind Epilepsy.
In all types of epilepsy attacks, when the hands and feet are twitching and contracting, one must strictly avoid grasping or restraining the patient, as doing so will cause joint stiffness and immobility.
The manifestations of an epileptic seizure include eyes and mouth pulling to one side, eyeballs rolling upward, twitching of the hands and feet, rigidity of the spine, retroflexion of the head and neck, or fingers curling as if counting. All these are caused by cooling off while exposed to wind and irregular breastfeeding or feeding habits. Recurrence after recovery occurs because residual pathogenic factors have not been fully cleared. Due to the weakness of the child's Blood and Qi, recurrence may be triggered by irregular diet, exposure to wind-cold, or renewed fright. Such cases often develop into chronic, persistent ailments. In all active phases of epilepsy, when the hands and feet are twitching and contracting, one must strictly avoid grasping or restraining the patient, as doing so will cause joint stiffness and immobility.