小产者。谓胎已堕下之后。一切调理并如产后法。
便产须知云。小产不可轻视。其将养。须过于正产十倍可也。
薛立斋先生云。小产重于大产。盖大产。如果熟自脱。小产如破其皮壳。断其根蒂也。
但人往往轻忽。死者多矣。
水产后数日。忽然浑身大热。面红眼赤。口大渴。欲饮凉水。昼夜不息。此血虚之症。宜
用当归补血汤。以补其血。若认作伤寒。而用石膏芩连等寒凉之药。则必死矣。（方见
后）
产后调理。诸书论之详矣。兹不复赘。但取一二吃紧处。及所未言者存之。以备采择。
产后上床。宜高枕靠垫。勿令睡下。膝宜竖起。勿伸直。随饮热童便一盏。只宜闭目静
养。勿令熟睡。恐倦极熟睡。血气上壅。因而眩晕。然不宜高声急叫。以致惊恐。
四壁宜遮风。不问有痛无痛。俱用热童便。和热酒各半。每次一杯。一日三五次。三日
而止。酒亦不宜多。若无大病。只是如此。不必服药。
产后宜用铁秤锤。或溪中白石子。烧红入醋。令醋气入鼻。以免血晕。且收敛神气。又
能解秽。每日三四次。亦三日止。
或有恶血冲心。血晕昏闷。不省人事者。用韭菜一把。冬天则用根切碎。放有嘴壶瓶
内。以热醋一大碗灌入。密扎口。扶起产母。以壶嘴向鼻。远远熏之。
生男生女。夫命所招。盖百世礼祀。以夫家为主。与妇人何干。倘或连胎生女。此亦人
事之常。不可在傍咨嗟叹息。令其气苦。曾见有不明公婆。愚蠢夫婿。将妇报怨。每
每致病伤生。可笑可恨。凡此只宜宽慰为主。又有将女溺死者。忍心害理。后嗣不昌。
产后各处风俗不同。或用红沙糖。或用山楂。或用吴茱萸。或用胡椒。煎水饮之。总莫
妙于热酒对童便。或腹痛之甚。用生化汤一服。无不愈者。
产后饮食各处不同。徽俗才上床。即与肥鸡干饭。吴俗率与齑粥。甚至有弥月。而后
茹荤者。皆不通可笑。盖徽俗终年食粥。产后胃弱骤与鸡饭。殊不相宜。然其患犹
小。吴中终年食饭。至产后肠胃空虚。正宜滋味调养。以生气血。转令食齑食粥。习
俗移人。牢不可破。说亦不信。予意必有以此伤生者。习焉而不察耳。及至虚弱发
热咳嗽。此大虚也。血气益脱。急宜大剂参 骤补。犹可挽回。却又谓之产劳。且与
滋阴降火。以至于死而不悟。良可叹也。
或问必如何调理而后可。曰粥时吃粥。饭时吃饭。三日内。只用鸡汤。吹油澄清饮之。
未可食鸡。十日内不可食猪肉。一月内不可食猪油。以其壅塞经络。令血气不通
耳。其余有何忌乎。（鸡属风似不宜早食。鸭汤。鲫鱼汤。肚肺汤。较好。）
鸡蛋有去瘀生新之能。食之甚宜。但要煮极透。不妨从朝至暮。食之有益。若糖心鸡
蛋。乃是生物。凝滞损人。断不可食。鸭蛋不可食。（鸡蛋坚硬难化。不宜多食。须防停滞。）
或问食物。必要去油。取其清耶。曰然。不但要清。且更要淡。盖清淡之味。本乎天。能生
精神。浊则痞矣。
或问何以验之。曰产妇。宜饮淡酒。宜食淡味。若饮醇酒。食咸味。皆令烧干无乳。此清
浊之验也。但不得如吴俗食齑粥。矫枉过直耳。
Minor abortion refers to the situation after the fetus has been expelled. All conditioning methods should follow the protocols for postpartum care.
*Bian Chan Xu Zhi* (Necessary Knowledge for Childbirth) states: Minor abortion must not be taken lightly. Its nursing and recuperation must be ten times more careful than that of normal childbirth.
Mr. Xue Lizhai said: Minor abortion is more severe than major abortion (term delivery). This is because a term delivery is like a ripe fruit falling off naturally, whereas a minor abortion is like forcibly breaking the skin shell and severing the root stalk.
However, people often neglect it, resulting in many deaths.
A few days after minor abortion, if there is suddenly high fever all over the body, red face and eyes, severe thirst desiring cold water, day and night without cease, this is a symptom of blood deficiency. It is appropriate to use *Danggui Buxue Tang* (Angelica Sinensis Decoction for Tonifying Blood) to tonify the blood. If mistaken for Taiyang disease (exogenous febrile disease affecting the exterior) and treated with cold-cooling herbs such as Gypsum (Shigao), Scutellaria (Huangqin), or Coptis (Huanglian), death will inevitably ensue. (Formula see later)
Postpartum conditioning has been discussed in detail in various books, so no further elaboration is needed here. Only one or two critical points and previously unmentioned aspects are preserved for reference.
When lying in bed after childbirth, the pillow should be high and cushions firm; the body should not lie flat. The knees should be kept upright, not extended. Immediately drink a cup of hot *Tongbian* (urine of a healthy young boy). One should only close the eyes and rest quietly, avoiding deep sleep. Fear that extreme fatigue leading to deep sleep may cause Qi and Blood to congest upward, resulting in dizziness. However, one should not shout loudly or urgently to avoid fright.
The walls should be shielded from wind. Regardless of whether there is pain or not, mix hot *Tongbian* and hot wine equally. Drink one cup each time, three to five times a day, stopping after three days. Wine should not be consumed in excess. If there is no serious illness, this method suffices; medication is unnecessary.
For postpartum care, an iron steelyard weight or white stones from a stream can be heated red-hot and placed in vinegar. Inhale the vinegar fumes to prevent syncope due to blood loss (Xue Yun). This also helps to consolidate Shen (Spirit) and resolve foul odors. Apply three to four times daily, stopping after three days.
If lochia rushes to the heart causing syncope, faintness, and unconsciousness, take a handful of Chinese chives (*Jiucai*). In winter, use the chopped roots. Place them in a spouted pot, pour in a large bowl of hot vinegar, seal tightly, lift the mother up, and hold the spout near her nose to fumigate gently from a distance.
The gender of the child is determined by the husband's destiny. Since ancestral sacrifices primarily concern the husband's lineage, what does it have to do with the woman? Even if daughters are born consecutively, this is a common human occurrence. Do not sigh or lament beside her, causing her distress. I have seen unreasonable parents-in-law and foolish husbands who vent their resentment on the woman, often causing illness or even death. This is both laughable and detestable. In such cases, comfort is the primary approach. There are even those who drown female infants, acting against humanity and reason, leading to an unprosperous lineage.
Customs regarding postpartum care vary by region. Some use brown sugar, some hawthorn, some *Wuzhuyu* (Evodia Fruit), some black pepper, decocted in water for drinking. Nothing is better than hot wine mixed with *Tongbian*. If abdominal pain is severe, one dose of *Shenghua Tang* (Decoction for Generating New Blood) will invariably cure it.
Postpartum diet varies by region. In Huizhou custom, fatty chicken and dry rice are given immediately upon lying in bed. In Wu custom, pickled vegetables and congee are usually given; some do not eat meat until one month postpartum. These practices are illogical and laughable. Because people in Huizhou eat congee year-round, giving chicken and rice abruptly when the stomach is weak postpartum is highly unsuitable. However, the harm is relatively small. In Wu, people eat rice year-round; postpartum, when the intestines and stomach are empty, rich flavors are suitable for nourishment to generate Qi and Blood. Instead, they are forced to eat pickles and congee due to entrenched customs that resist change and persuasion. I suspect some die from this, unaware due to habituation. When weakness, fever, and cough appear, this indicates severe deficiency and depletion of Qi and Blood. Urgent large doses of Ginseng (*Renshen*) for rapid tonification could still save them. Yet, it is misdiagnosed as "postpartum labor" (Chan Lao), and cooling yin-nourishing and fire-reducing herbs are given, leading to death without realization. This is truly lamentable.
Someone asked: How exactly should one condition the body? Answer: Eat congee at meal times for congee, and rice for rice. For the first three days, use only chicken soup, skimmed of oil and clarified for drinking. Do not eat chicken meat. Do not eat pork within ten days. Do not eat lard within one month, as these clog meridians and obstruct Qi and Blood flow. What other dietary taboos are there? (Chicken is wind-inducing and seems unsuitable for early consumption. Duck soup, crucian carp soup, and tripe/lung soup are better.)
Eggs have the ability to remove stasis and generate new blood, making them very suitable for consumption. They must be boiled thoroughly. Eating them from morning to evening in moderation is beneficial. Soft-boiled eggs are semi-raw and cause stagnation, harming the body; they must absolutely not be eaten. Duck eggs should not be eaten. (Eggs are hard to digest; do not eat too much to prevent stagnation.)
Someone asked: Must food necessarily be defatted to keep it light? Answer: Yes. Not only should it be light, but even milder in taste. Light and mild flavors accord with nature and generate Spirit/Shen; turbid flavors cause obstruction.
Someone asked: How to verify this? Answer: Postpartum women should drink light wine and eat mild-flavored food. Drinking strong wine or eating salty food will burn up fluids and result in lack of milk. This verifies the effects of clarity versus turbidity. However, one must not go to extremes like the Wu custom of eating pickles and congee.