受胎三月后。宜服条芩汤。每日以条芩。煎淡汤当茶用。如气旺者。每日三钱。气弱者。
每日二钱。服至生产时止。此汤最能除胎毒。免痘疡。且儿痘必稀。与其既生后。服稀
痘药。孰若未生时。母服此汤。甚为有益。
小儿初生。如草木之萌芽。全在栽培。调护有法。若不留意。遗患终身。保婴根源。
实由于此。
小儿生下。即用软绢包指。拭净口中恶血秽汁。则日后出痘必稀。且无百病。
儿出胎浴洗。用益母草。苦草煎汤。或入盐少许。汤要调和冷热。若太冷。太热。俱不相
宜。必预煎收贮。候温取浴。勿入生水。洗毕拭干。以腻粉研之极细。摩其遍身。及两胁
下。然后绷裹。既不畏寒。又无诸气。今执三朝古礼。将绷裹之儿复洗。若儿之体怯。多
致感冒惊风。变通在人。只根据此出胎便洗。甚为稳当。
儿出胎洗浴。洗后方断脐带。则不伤水生病。断脐须捋令汁尽。否则寒气入腹。或作
脐风。
断脐时。以蕲艾为纸捻。香油浸湿熏烧脐至焦。令暖气入儿腹中。方可断脐带。脐带
用帛包裹。先将剪刀。入人怀中温暖。剪切则无冷气内侵。可免腹中吊痛之虞。若冷
铁翦刀。脐上一冰。冷气由此而入。剪刀火烘。又恐太热。只根据此法。怀暖甚妙。
存留脐带。不可太长。长则难干而伤肌。恐引外邪脐风。亦不可太短。短则逼内而伤
脏。致成腹痛。令儿夜啼。量留五六寸。用旧布包裹。日间视之。弗令尿湿。自无脐风。撮
口之疾。切不可先断脐带。而后浴。恐水入脐中。必成后患。断脐带。如有虫。急须去之。
After conception for three months, it is advisable to take Tiaoxin Decoction (Tiao Qin Tang). Daily, decoct Tiaoxin (Scutellariae Radix) in light water and drink it as tea. If the Qi is robust, use 3 qian daily; if the Qi is weak, use 2 qian daily. Continue taking until delivery. This decoction is most effective at eliminating fetal toxins, preventing variola and other skin sores, and ensuring that the infant's smallpox will be sparse. Rather than administering anti-variolal medicines after birth, it is far more beneficial for the mother to take this decoction before birth.
When a child is first born, it is like the sprout of grass and trees; its growth depends entirely on cultivation and care. If attention is not paid, it may lead to lifelong troubles. The root of infant protection indeed lies here.
Immediately after birth, use soft silk wrapped around a finger to wipe clean the evil blood and foul fluids from the mouth. This ensures that the child will have sparse smallpox later in life and will be free from various diseases.
For bathing the newborn, decoct Motherwort Herb (Leonuri Fructus/Caulis) and Bitter Grass (Kucao) in water, or add a little salt. The temperature of the decoction must be balanced between hot and cold. Too cold or too hot is unsuitable. It must be pre-decocted and stored, taken out when warm enough for bathing. Do not add raw water. After washing, dry the body thoroughly. Grind Nifen (Calamina or similar mineral powder) into an extremely fine powder and massage it over the entire body and both hypochondriac regions. Then bind the infant with cloth. This way, the infant will not fear cold nor be affected by various pathogenic factors. Currently, some adhere to the ancient custom of "washing on the third day," bathing the already bound infant again. If the infant's constitution is weak, this often leads to wind-cold invasion and convulsions. Adaptation depends on the individual; following this method of bathing immediately after birth is very safe and appropriate.
The umbilical cord should be cut only after the newborn has been bathed, so as to avoid illness caused by water exposure. When cutting the cord, squeeze it until all fluid is drained; otherwise, cold qi may enter the abdomen, potentially causing umbilical tetanus (Umfeng). During the procedure, use Qiai (Artemisia argyi) rolled into paper wicks, soaked in sesame oil, to smoke-burn the umbilicus until charred, allowing warm qi to enter the infant's abdomen before cutting the cord. Wrap the remaining cord with silk. First, warm the scissors in one's bosom so that no cold qi invades during cutting, avoiding the risk of abdominal colic. Cold iron scissors touching the umbilicus are like ice, allowing cold qi to enter. Heating scissors with fire may make them too hot. Warming them in the bosom is excellent. Leave about five to six cun of the cord; if too long, it will be difficult to dry and damage the skin, inviting external pathogens and umbilical tetanus. If too short, it may press inward and damage the zang organs, causing abdominal pain and night crying. Wrap the retained cord in old cloth, check it during the day to prevent urine wetting, and there will be no umbilical tetanus or buccal contraction disease. Never cut the cord before bathing, lest water enter the umbilicus and cause future complications. If any insects are found in the cord during cutting, remove them immediately.