典藏书目

If a newborn infant suffers from conditions such as "cuokou" (mouth contraction), "umbilical wind" (neonatal tetanus), "hebao wind", or "goose-mouth wind", or if white spots appear on the edges of the gums, known as "horse teeth" (milia), causing crying and inability to suckle milk, one should immediately inspect the hard areas inside the mouth or the white spots at the gum line. Puncture these with a needle until bleeding occurs. Decoct peppermint leaves (Bohe) thickly, grind Jing ink into it, and mix evenly. Stir with a finger, then use the mother's loose hair dipped in the ink mixture to smear the entire oral cavity. Subsequently, wipe the mouth with new blue cloth soaked in warm water, and the condition will heal.

For neonatal umbilical wind and mouth contraction, take two whole raw green onions, crush them to extract juice. Take three straight silkworms (Jiangcan), stir-fry to remove silk threads, and grind into an extremely fine powder. Mix with onion juice and apply to the nipple of the breastfeeding mother for the infant to suckle, or administer directly into the infant's mouth.

To treat neonatal umbilical wind and mouth contraction, burn mugwort leaves (Aiye) to ash and fill the navel with it, securing it with a cloth band. If the umbilical cord has already fallen off, slice garlic thinly and apply it to the navel, then moxibustion with mugwort fire. When the scent of mugwort is detected in the mouth, the illness will be cured immediately.

For neonatal "jin feng" (jaw lock), characterized by a closed mouth and inability to suckle at birth, take fourteen cicada sloughs (Chantui) and fourteen whole scorpions (Quanxie) that have been washed to remove salt and mud and had their tails removed. Stir-fry until dry and grind into a fine powder. Add 3 fen of light powder (Qingfen). Each time, take one spoonful, mix with breast milk, and administer.

Neonatal mouth contraction is identified by sores on the tongue resembling millet grains. Roast a centipede (Wugong) until charred, grind into powder, and apply to the sores.

Mouth contraction and jaw lock present with a yellowish complexion, panting, and loss of voice. This is caused by fetal qi carrying heat and toxic factors flowing into the heart and spleen, resulting in a stiff tongue, cyanotic lips, mouth contraction, and jaw lock. Use two straight silkworms (Jiangcan), remove the head/mouth, lightly stir-fry, and grind into powder. Mix with honey and place in the infant's mouth.

For infants within ten days of birth presenting with jaw lock and inability to suckle, take one large spider, remove the legs, roast until charred, and grind into a fine powder. Mix with a small cup of pig milk. Divide into three doses and administer slowly. This yields miraculous effects.

For neonatal umbilical sores with bleeding and pus, grind cuttlefish bone (Haipiaoxiao) and rouge (Yanzhi) together into a powder. Moisten the sore with oil before applying the medication.

Newborns have immature skin and flesh. It is advisable to protect their back with old cotton wadding, but avoid excessive warmth. They should frequently be exposed to wind and sunlight to strengthen blood and qi and densify muscles. Keeping them in heavy curtains and sealed rooms, or dressing them too warmly, leads to soft and brittle bones and tendons, making them unable to withstand wind and cold, thus prone to disease. Clothing should be adjusted according to temperature changes; keeping the back warm is ideal. Avoid sweating, as this leads to exterior deficiency and susceptibility to wind pathogens. Feeding should not be excessive. The saying "endure one-third hunger, eat until seventy percent full," frequent abdominal massage, and infrequent bathing are all sound advice. Furthermore, the nursing mother must carefully guard against the six excesses (wind, cold, summer-heat, dampness, dryness, fire) and seven emotions (joy, anger, worry, overthinking, grief, fear, fright), as the newborn relies on milk for life. A good nursing mother avoids hot milk in summer, which causes infant vomiting, and cold milk in winter, which causes infant coughing. Nursing while angry causes infant upper qi rebellion and mania; nursing while drunk causes infant fever and abdominal pain. Nursing immediately after the wedding night causes infant emaciation and crossed legs preventing walking. Nursing immediately after bathing causes infant vomiting and spirit injury. Improper temperature regulation leads to stagnation in the chest and diaphragm, condensing into phlegm-fluid retention, resulting in high fever. Unchecked high fever develops into wind epilepsy. Force-feeding while the infant is crying causes qi reversal and indigestion, leading to "ru pi" (milk lump); nursing during pregnancy causes infant jaundice, emaciation, distended abdomen, and small legs, known as "ba" disease. In summary, if the nursing mother avoids extremes of cold/heat, anger, and rich/greasy foods, the milk remains clear and harmonious, preventing disease. Otherwise, yin-yang imbalance and boiling blood/qi spoil the milk, causing various diseases. Frequent medication damages the yin of the zang-fu organs and leads to severe syndromes; these points must be understood.

At the time of birth, some perform moxibustion on the forehead near the hairline or burn the body with lamp-fire, believing it blocks the path of wind. In reality, this opens the wind gates wide. Fire therapy is used only when necessary due to illness; using it without cause harms the innocent and initiates various diseases. Beware! Beware!

When bathing an infant, adjust the water temperature and test for hot/cold. Improper temperature causes fear. Prolonged bathing in winter causes cold damage; in summer, heat damage. Protect the infant's back during bathing to prevent wind-cold invasion from the back.

Do not expose washed infant clothes under stars or moonlight, as this invites evil influences. If accidentally left out, fumigate with vinegar-charcoal before use. There is a bird called "Tiandi Nv" (Heaven-Earth Woman) or "Yinfei Niao" (Hidden Flying Bird), which prefers flying and chirping on rainy nights. This bird is purely female and lays feathers in infant clothes, causing illness. Be cautious.

In spring and summer, allow the infant to lie on the ground to align with the growing qi. In autumn and winter, keep the environment mild to respect the storing command.

In spring, do not tightly wrap the head and feet, as this obstructs yang qi and causes fever. Even as they grow older, avoid excessive warmth to the lower body. Before age sixteen, blood and qi are vigorous like the rising sun, but true yin is insufficient. The lower body governs yin; coolness promotes yin growth, while excessive warmth depletes yin. Thus, the *Qu Li* states: "Young boys do not wear fur coats."

The human body relies primarily on the spleen and stomach. Therefore, feeding must be regulated; regulation nourishes the spleen and stomach, while excess damages them. Avoid hot milk in summer and cold milk in winter; discard the first portion before feeding. Do not feed milk immediately after food, nor food immediately after milk. Infants have weak spleens and stomachs; simultaneous intake of milk and food is hard to digest. Initial accumulation leads to masses or malnutrition syndromes ("gan"), all due to the nursing mother's negligence.

Add clothing when cold, remove when hot. Excessive cold causes qi stagnation and blood stasis; excessive heat causes sweating and porous pores, allowing wind-cold invasion and disease. Avoid undressing in the wind to prevent colds. However, on mild and sunny days, carry the infant out to play. Plants in shady places without wind and sun cannot thrive robustly. Also, do not place the infant directly on the ground with the belly touching the floor, as this chills the spleen palace, causing abdominal pain and diarrhea. Be very careful!