典藏书目

Infants just born should not be lightly medicated. Herbal medicines, being insentient plants, possess impure flavors and properties, which are originally unsuitable for delicate constitutions. Moreover, since pulse diagnosis and inquiry are impossible, one can only rely on observing the complexion. Coarse and negligent practitioners cannot even distinguish between cold (Han) and heat (Re) patterns, so it is difficult to expect them to identify syndromes without error. For any minor ailments, there is no need for panic; simply instruct the nursing mother to strictly avoid greasy food, meat, and alcohol. If the breast milk remains clear and harmonious, the infant will recover spontaneously within a day or two without medication. The saying "not using medicine is the mark of a superior physician" is truly profound! I often see foolish parents who, upon their child showing slight discomfort, hastily seek a doctor. While experienced physicians may avoid mistakes, negligent ones merely treat with generic anticonvulsant formulas for *Jing Feng* (Wind-Convulsion). This creates trouble out of nothing, harming the innocent, and actually aggravates the illness. Seeing the ineffectiveness of these treatments, parents inevitably change doctors. Ultimately, no skilled hands are found; instead, everyone speculates arbitrarily: is it Wind? Is it Phlegm? Is it Shock? Is it Heat? Before the previous prescription takes effect, new medicines follow closely. Sometimes, several doctors are consulted in a single day, each offering subjective theories, with decoctions and pills administered in succession without a moment's delay. Alas! Medicinal properties differ, and physicians' insights vary. How can delicate intestines and stomachs endure the turmoil caused by these insentient, bitter-tasting drugs inside the body! It is not necessarily the disease that harms the patient, but the medicine itself that can cause death. I frequently encounter cases where people ignore advice and administer random medications; among a hundred such cases, hardly one survives. How sorrowful!

Feng Chuzhan stated: Physicians specializing in pediatrics should also refer to texts on formulae and pulse diagnosis. Pediatrics is known as the "Mute Department" because infants cannot verbalize their pain and suffering, relying entirely on the physician's careful observation. Furthermore, existing pediatric texts often present shallow theories and brief explanations, making it difficult to clarify the origins of diseases. There is a prevalent bias that attributes all issues to improper diet, placing excessive emphasis on digestive reduction. Additionally, the dogma that children are "pure Yang" leads to the indiscriminate use of cold and bitter herbs. Who realizes that those prone to stagnation must have deficient Spleen Qi? Pursuing immediate, minor efficacy results in long-term harm. Children's constitutions are prone to both deficiency and excess. "Prone to deficiency" means the Healthy Qi (Zheng Qi) easily becomes deficient; "prone to excess" means Pathogenic Factors (Xie Qi) easily become excessive. However, the excess caused by pathogenic invasion invariably exploits the deficiency of Healthy Qi. If one ignores the deficiency of Healthy Qi and solely attacks the excess of Pathogenic Factors, failure is almost inevitable. For instance, if Cold damages Ying (Nutritive) Yin, one should only warm and nourish Ying Yin; if Wind damages Wei (Defensive) Qi, one should only use acrid methods to regulate Wei Qi. As long as Ying and Wei are harmonious and circulating smoothly, external pathogens will dissipate without direct attack. If Healthy Qi naturally expels the pathogens, the pathogens retreat while Healthy Qi remains intact, like clouds passing to reveal a bright sky. Conversely, if harsh remedies that damage Qi and Blood are used exclusively, although external pathogens may disperse, Healthy Qi is also injured, allowing opportunistic pathogens to follow suit. Does one not know that unless Healthy Qi is empty, Pathogenic Factors cannot gather to form excess? Regarding the term "Pure Yang," it implies a lack of Yin, referring only to immature Yang. How much Yang is there? With Yin not yet fully developed, further damaging Yang hinders growth. Moreover, the transformative energy of Heaven and Earth is weakening, human nature is becoming more superficial, and children's innate endowment is growing weaker. Those inheriting insufficient Qi from their fathers often suffer from Qi deficiency and abdominal fullness; those inheriting insufficient Yin-Blood from their mothers often suffer from Yin deficiency with fever. In cases of smallpox/variolae, they often present with Kidney deficiency and internal ulceration. These are all caused by congenital insufficiency, which is common nowadays. If one merely imitates ancient practices of using draining and cooling methods, such as Fei Er Wan (Flesh-Thinning Pill) or Lu Hui Wan (Aloe Pill), thousands would die in a thousand attempts, with no hope of rescue. Regarding the notion that children have "excess Yang Fire," one must understand that this excess of fire stems from insufficiency of water. Strengthening Water to control Solar Fire is a supreme theory of sages; the adage that taking cold/cooling herbs leads to death in nearly all cases is an ancient maxim. To administer life-negating drugs to a life-seeking infant—how can one bear this? Infants' Spleen and Stomach are naturally capable of digesting grains. Occasional stagnation indicates Spleen-Stomach injury; strengthening the Spleen allows digestion to resume naturally. Therefore, some formulas aid Spleen digestion and push out grain qi, some address Ming Men (Gate of Life) Fire decline by generating fire to supplement earth, some combine elimination and tonification, and some use tonification as elimination. One must fear that relaxing even slightly consumes Yuan Qi (Original Qi). Human life relies on this single Qi, which is easily depleted and hard to restore; how can it be lightly consumed? Children's constitutions are especially prone to depletion. Only by investigating congenital weaknesses and seeking sources and roots from comprehensive medical texts can one remedy the postnatal Yuan Qi of contemporary infants and cultivate the prenatal Yuan Qi of future generations, thereby extending life indefinitely. Relying solely on ancient, shallow pediatric theories is like watering tree branches while ignoring the roots, hoping for growth—a futile endeavor, let alone adding pruning!