小儿气血未充实，一生盛衰之基，全在幼时，为其父母者，若不经心护持，大则夭亡，小则遗害终身，此
饮食之宜调，而药饵尤当慎也。今世之为人父母者，一见小儿有病，亦知着急。但吝惜财物，不为延医疗治，
到药肆述病状以市药，与儿服食以望愈病。或无医药常识，不知生理，妄作聪明，仅据俗传之丹方，对症与儿服
药。如此之治疗疾病，焉能得到圆满的结果呢？况病有内伤外感之不同，虚实寒热之各异，今欲执一种之丹药，
治复杂不同之病症，凡稍有识者，必知其不能去病，而反添病也。夫有是病，而用是药，则病受之；无是病，
而用是药，则元气受之。小儿之元气薄弱，抵抗的力量能有几何？无因受斯损伤，而变生不测，为父母者虽知
悔恨，亦何补于事实也。兹举数条不经医治，自行与儿服药之谬误于下，使为父母者知所戒惧，于不知不觉中，
保全小儿之生命，当不在少处也。常见有爱子者，因其黄瘦，无以为忧，辄以肥儿丸、保和丸之类，使之常服。
不知肥儿丸中苦寒克消之品甚多，服久能败元阳，能损胃气，欲其儿肥也，适足以瘦儿∶欲其保和者，适足以
违和耳。又如抱龙丸之类降痰清热药，亦不可轻服屡用。一富家之儿，每多痰饮，时或惊叫不安。每遇儿有病，
亦不论其何病，动以此丸一投而愈。彼时以为神丹，无此灵验，连续与服数十次。及儿长也则一无所知，凝然
一痴物而已。岂非暗损元神，寒品藉香味药入知觉神经
所致也。又如市售之保赤散及救急散等药，尤不可率尔与儿服用。该两种药均以巴豆霜为君，逐风降痰为佐，
其性猛烈无比，服之在上可立吐，在下可立泻。以之治儿停食痰积，偶一服之，去病甚快，尚无大害。若常服
之，较前诸药祸害尤甚。至对于有外感及时令传染之 痧痘疹等温病，更绝对的为禁剂。一经误服，温毒外感
立即内陷，症成不救。虽再服神丹，亦莫能使已内陷之外感温毒，再行复出于外也。盖保赤散、救急散，治内
伤症及急惊风，或痰火实症则可，用其 悍攻下之力，以荡涤其病。若虚弱之症及慢惊风，脾肾均已亏极，何
能再受任此猛烈性之药品。寻见病未能去，而元气先脱也。故小儿一经证明有病，为父母者须谨慎将事，万不
可稍有迁就，或吝惜医金。必须延请名医，对症治疗，虽病型已至绝境，终于不能救治，亦自无愧于心。不然
是庸愚之爱，以为是药均可治病，不管何项疾病，胡乱与儿服之，焉能有良善的结果。小儿有病身体即已受伤，
而复用药伐之，是欲保之，反而害之也。
小儿的气血尚未充实，这是人一生盛衰的基础，全在于幼年时期。作为父母，如果不尽心呵护，严重的会导致夭折，轻的也会遗留终身危害，因此饮食应当适宜调节，而药物更应当谨慎使用。
当今世上的父母，一看到孩子生病，也知道着急。但往往吝惜财物，不请医生来治疗，而是到药店描述病情去买药，给孩子服用以期望病愈。或者缺乏医药常识，不懂生理道理，自作聪明，仅依据民间流传的药方，对症给孩子服药。像这样的治疗方法，怎么能得到圆满的结果呢？况且疾病有内伤、外感的不同，虚证、实证、寒证、热证的差异，现在想要用一种丹药，去治疗复杂不同的病症，凡是有见识的人，一定知道这不能去除疾病，反而会增加疾病。
如果有这种病，就用这种药，那么疾病会承受药力；如果没有这种病，却用这种药，那么元气就会受损。小儿的元气薄弱，抵抗的力量能有多少？无缘无故受到这种损伤，从而产生不可预测的变化，作为父母即使知道悔恨，对事实又有什么补救呢？
现在列举几条不经医生诊治，自行给孩子服药的错误之处如下，使做父母的知道警惕畏惧，在不知不觉中保全小儿的生命，应该不在少数。
常见有爱子心切的人，因为孩子面色发黄、身体消瘦，没有为此担忧，就随意让常服肥儿丸（消食导滞、驱虫安神的方剂）、保和丸（消食和胃的方剂）之类的药物。不知道肥儿丸中苦寒克伐、消导的药物很多，长期服用能败坏元阳，损伤胃气，本想让孩子长胖，结果反而让孩子更瘦；本想调和脾胃，结果反而违背了调和的原则。
又如抱龙丸（镇惊安神、祛痰开窍的方剂）这类降痰清热的药物，也不可轻易频繁服用。有一个富贵人家的孩子，平时多痰饮，时常惊叫不安。每次遇到孩子有病，也不论是什么病，动不动就喂一次这种药就好了。当时认为它是神丹，没有比这更灵验的了，连续给孩子服用了数十次。等到孩子长大后，却一无所知，像个痴呆的人一样。这难道不是暗中损害元神，由寒性药物借助香味药物进入知觉神经所致吗？
又如市面上出售的保赤散（清热化痰、消积导滞的散剂）及救急散等药物，尤其不可草率给孩子服用。这两种药都以巴豆霜（巴豆的种子经加工制成的霜状物，峻下冷积）为君药，以逐风降痰为佐药，其药性猛烈无比，服用后在上可以立即呕吐，在下可以立即腹泻。用它来治疗小儿停食痰积，偶尔服用一次，去除疾病很快，还没有大害。如果经常服用，比前面提到的那些药物的祸害更加严重。至于对于有外感及时令传染的痧痘疹等温病（感受温热毒邪引起的急性传染病），更是绝对的禁药。一旦误服，温毒外感会立即内陷，症状变成无法救治。即使再服用神丹，也不能使已经内陷的外感温毒再行透出体表。
大概保赤散、救急散，治疗内伤症及急惊风（小儿急性高热、抽搐的病证），或痰火实症则可以，利用它们悍烈攻下的力量，来荡涤体内的病邪。如果是虚弱之症及慢惊风（小儿慢性虚损、抽搐的病证），脾肾都已经极度亏损，怎么能再承受如此猛烈性质的药品？结果是病未能去除，而元气先脱失。
所以小儿一经确诊有病，作为父母必须谨慎行事，万不可稍有迁就，或吝惜医金。必须延请名医，对症治疗，虽然病型已经到了绝境，最终不能救治，也自然无愧于心。不然就是庸俗愚昧的爱，认为什么药都可以治病，不管什么疾病，胡乱给孩子服用，怎么能有良好的结果。小儿有病身体就已经受伤，如果再用药攻伐，是想保护它，反而伤害了它。
The Qi and Blood of infants are not yet fully consolidated; the foundation of their life span's rise and decline lies entirely in early childhood. Parents who fail to provide diligent care may face severe consequences: premature death or lifelong disability. Therefore, while dietary regulation is appropriate, the administration of medicinal herbs (herbs) must be particularly cautious.
Parents today, upon seeing their children ill, naturally feel anxious. However, due to stinginess with money, they often refrain from hiring a physician for treatment. Instead, they go to a pharmacy (pharmacy), describe the symptoms, purchase medicines, and administer them to their children in hopes of recovery. Lacking medical knowledge and understanding of physiological principles, some act presumptuously, relying solely on folk prescriptions to treat their children based on symptoms. Such treatments cannot possibly yield satisfactory results. Moreover, diseases differ in nature—internal injury versus external contraction, deficiency versus excess, cold versus heat. To use a single type of pill to treat such diverse and complex conditions is something anyone with basic knowledge would recognize as ineffective and likely to exacerbate the illness.
When the correct medicine is used for the corresponding disease, the disease bears the therapeutic effect. However, when medicine is administered without a matching indication, it damages the Yuan Qi (primordial energy). Infants have weak Yuan Qi and limited resistance capacity. Unjustified damage can lead to unpredictable complications. Even if parents later regret their actions, it cannot undo the harm done.
The following examples illustrate the errors of self-medicating children without professional diagnosis, serving as a warning to parents to protect their children's lives inadvertently through caution.
It is common for loving parents, concerned about a child's sallow complexion and emaciation, to frequently administer Fei'er Wan (Fattening Infant Pill, a formula for resolving food stagnation and expelling parasites) or Baohe Wan (Harmonizing Preservation Pill, a formula for harmonizing the stomach and resolving food stagnation). They fail to realize that Fei'er Wan contains many bitter-cold substances that drain and digest. Long-term use damages Yuan Yang (primordial yang) and impairs Stomach Qi (Stomach energy). The intention to fatten the child instead leads to further emaciation; the intention to harmonize instead disrupts harmony.
Similarly, Baolong Wan (Embrace Dragon Pill, a formula for calming fright and resolving phlegm) and other phlegm-resolving and heat-clearing formulas should not be taken lightly or repeatedly. Consider a wealthy family's child who suffered from excessive phlegm-fluids and occasional frightened crying. Whenever the child was ill, regardless of the specific condition, this pill was administered once, resulting in apparent recovery. Regarded as a miraculous elixir, it was given dozens of times consecutively. Upon growing up, the child exhibited intellectual disability, appearing dull and unresponsive. Was this not due to the hidden damage of the Yuan Shen (primordial spirit) caused by cold-natured herbs entering the sensory nerves via aromatic carriers?
Furthermore, commercially available Baochi San (Protect Infant Powder) and Jiujis San (Emergency Rescue Powder) should absolutely not be administered rashly. Both formulas use Baiduoshuang (Croton Seed Frost, processed Croton seed powder) as the sovereign herb, with wind-expelling and phlegm-resolving herbs as assistants. Their nature is extremely fierce; ingestion can induce immediate vomiting if the pathogen is upper, or immediate purgation if lower. Used occasionally for infant food stagnation and phlegm accumulation, they clear pathogens rapidly with minimal harm. However, frequent use causes even greater detriment than previously mentioned formulas. For exogenous febrile diseases transmitted seasonally, such as Sha, Dou, Zhen, and Rhen (various eruptive febrile diseases caused by warm toxins), these are strictly contraindicated. Misuse causes the warm toxin and exogenous pathogen to sink inward immediately, leading to untreatable conditions. No subsequent "miracle drug" can reverse the inward sinking of the pathogen.
Baochi San and Jiujis San are suitable for internal injuries, acute Jing Feng (acute convulsions), or phlegm-fire excess syndromes, utilizing their fierce purgative power to cleanse the body. However, in cases of deficiency syndromes or slow Jing Feng (chronic convulsions), where Spleen and Kidney are severely depleted, the body cannot withstand such harsh medications. The result is that the disease remains while the Yuan Qi collapses first.
Therefore, once a child is diagnosed with an illness, parents must proceed with extreme caution. They must not compromise or hesitate due to cost. A renowned physician must be consulted for targeted treatment. Even if the disease reaches a terminal stage and cannot be cured, the parents will have no regrets. Otherwise, this foolish love assumes all medicines cure all diseases, leading to indiscriminate administration and poor outcomes. When a child is already injured by illness, further medication attacks the body; what is intended as protection becomes harm.