夫小儿托质胞胎。成形气血。诞生之后。骨肉轻软。肠胃细微。哺乳须是合宜。脏腑自
然调适。若乳母寒温失理。动止乖违。饮食无恒。甘肥过度。喜怒气乱。醉饱伤劳。便即乳
儿。致成疳也。又小儿百日以后。五岁以前。乳食渐多。不择生冷。好食肥腻。恣食甘酸。
脏腑不和。并生疳气。凡五疳者。一曰肝疳。其候摇头揉目。白膜遮睛。流汗遍身。合面而
卧。目中涩痒。肉色青黄。发竖头焦。筋青脑热。腹中积聚。下痢频多。久而不痊。转甚羸
瘦。此是肝疳。亦名风疳也。二曰心疳。其候。浑身壮热。吐利无恒。颊赤面黄。胸膈烦满。
鼻
三曰脾疳。其候。腹多筋脉。喘促气粗。乳食不多。心腹胀满。多啼咳逆。面色萎黄。骨立
毛焦。形枯力劣。胸膈壅闷。水谷不消。口鼻常干。好吃泥土。情意不悦。爱暗憎明。肠胃
不和。痢多酸臭。此是脾疳。亦名食疳也。四曰肺疳。其候。咳嗽气逆。皮毛干焦。饶涕多
啼。咽喉不利。揉鼻咬甲。壮热憎寒。口鼻生疮。唇边赤痒。腹内气胀。乳食渐稀。大肠不
调。频频泄痢。粪中米出。皮上粟生。此是肺疳。亦名气疳也。五曰肾疳。其候。肌骨消瘦
。齿龈生疮。寒热作时。口鼻干燥。脑热如火。脚冷如冰。吐逆既增。乳食减少。泻痢频并
。下部开张。肛门不收。疳疮痒痛。此是肾疳。亦名急疳也。今以一方同疗之。故曰五疳也
小儿禀受于父母之精血而成胎，成形后依赖气血滋养。出生之后，骨肉尚轻软，肠胃细微娇嫩。哺乳必须适宜得当，脏腑功能才能自然调和适应。如果乳母在寒温调节上失去条理，行为举止违背常理，饮食没有规律，过度食用甘甜肥腻之物，情绪喜怒无常导致气机紊乱，或因醉酒饱食而过度劳累，随即给婴儿哺乳，就会导致疳证的发生。
另外，小儿在百日以后、五岁以前，乳食逐渐增多，但不选择生冷食物，喜好食用肥腻之物，恣意进食甘酸食品，导致脏腑不和，从而产生疳气。
所谓“五疳”，第一种叫肝疳。其症状表现为摇头揉眼，白膜遮蔽瞳孔，全身出汗，喜欢面向下趴着睡，眼睛干涩发痒，肌肉颜色青黄，头发竖立且干枯焦黄，筋脉显露青色，头脑发热，腹部有积块，腹泻次数频繁。若久治不愈，病情加重会转为极度消瘦。这就是肝疳，也称为风疳。
第二种叫心疳。其症状表现为全身高热，呕吐和腹泻没有规律，两颊发红面色发黄，胸膈部位烦闷胀满……（原文此处缺失部分描述）
第三种叫脾疳。其症状表现为腹部多现筋脉，气喘急促呼吸粗重，吃奶吃饭不多，心胸腹胀满，经常啼哭并伴有咳嗽气逆，面色萎黄，骨骼突出毛发干枯焦黄，形体枯槁力气衰弱，胸膈壅塞闷痛，水谷不能消化，口鼻经常干燥，喜欢吃泥土，心情不愉快，喜爱黑暗厌恶光亮，肠胃不和，腹泻多且气味酸臭。这就是脾疳，也称为食疳。
第四种叫肺疳。其症状表现为咳嗽气逆，皮肤毛发干枯焦黄，鼻涕多且爱啼哭，咽喉不利，揉鼻子咬指甲，高热怕冷，口鼻生疮，嘴唇边缘赤红发痒，腹部气胀，吃奶吃饭逐渐减少，大肠功能失调，频频泄泻痢疾，粪便中有未消化的米粒，皮肤上生出粟粒状皮疹。这就是肺疳，也称为气疳。
第五种叫肾疳。其症状表现为肌肉骨骼消瘦，齿龈生疮，寒热交替发作，口鼻干燥，头脑发热如火，脚冷如冰，呕吐逆反增加，吃奶吃饭减少，腹泻痢疾频繁并发，下部器官开张，肛门松弛不收，疳疮瘙痒疼痛。这就是肾疳，也称为急疳。
Infants are conceived from the essence and blood of their parents, forming their structure and relying on Qi and Blood for nourishment. After birth, their bones and flesh are light and soft, and their intestines and stomach are delicate and minute. Breastfeeding must be appropriate; only then will the Zang-Fu organs naturally harmonize and adapt. If the nursing mother fails to regulate cold and warmth properly, acts contrary to reason, has irregular eating habits, consumes excessive sweet and fatty foods, experiences emotional fluctuations causing Qi chaos, or suffers from fatigue due to drunkenness and overeating, and immediately breastfeeds the infant, it will lead to the formation of Gan syndrome (malnutrition syndrome).
Furthermore, after one hundred days and before five years of age, infants gradually consume more milk and food. However, they do not discriminate against raw and cold foods, favor fatty and greasy items, and indulge in sweet and sour foods. This disharmony of the Zang-Fu organs generates Gan Qi (pathogenic factor of malnutrition).
The so-called "Five Gans" are as follows: The first is Liver Gan. Its manifestations include shaking the head and rubbing the eyes, a white membrane obscuring the pupils, sweating all over the body, sleeping face down, dry and itchy eyes, greenish-yellow muscle color, upright and scorched hair, cyanotic tendons, heat in the brain, abdominal accumulations, frequent diarrhea, and if untreated for a long time, progressing to severe emaciation. This is Liver Gan, also known as Wind Gan.
The second is Heart Gan. Its manifestations include high fever throughout the body, irregular vomiting and diarrhea, red cheeks with a yellow complexion, and irritability and fullness in the chest and diaphragm... [Text missing in original].
The third is Spleen Gan. Its manifestations include visible veins on the abdomen, panting and coarse breathing, poor appetite for milk and food, chest and abdominal distension, frequent crying accompanied by cough and rebellious Qi, sallow complexion, protruding bones, dry and scorched hair, withered form and weak strength, oppression and stuffiness in the chest and diaphragm, inability to digest water and grain, dry mouth and nose, craving for eating soil, dissatisfaction, preference for darkness and aversion to light, disharmony of the intestines and stomach, frequent diarrhea with a sour and foul odor. This is Spleen Gan, also known as Food Gan.
The fourth is Lung Gan. Its manifestations include cough and rebellious Qi, dry and scorched skin and hair, abundant nasal discharge with frequent crying, throat discomfort, rubbing the nose and biting nails, high fever with aversion to cold, sores in the mouth and nose, red and itchy lips, abdominal gas distension, gradual reduction in milk and food intake, dysfunction of the large intestine, frequent dysentery, rice-like particles in stool, and millet-grain-like rashes on the skin. This is Lung Gan, also known as Qi Gan.
The fifth is Kidney Gan. Its manifestations include emaciation of muscles and bones, sores on the gums, alternating chills and fever, dry mouth and nose, intense heat in the brain like fire, ice-cold feet, increased vomiting and regurgitation, reduced milk and food intake, concurrent frequent diarrhea and dysentery, laxity of the lower orifices, inability of the anus to close, and itching and pain from Gan sores. This is Kidney Gan, also known as Urgent Gan.
Currently, a single formula is used to treat all five simultaneously; therefore, they are collectively referred to as Five Gans.