人动曰慢惊，余独曰慢症。盖此症多成于大病之后，或庸医一见病愈遂不防守去路，或初
误汗、误下吐泻久，而脾胃虚极故成慢症。慢字缓字虽对急字而言，然所以成此症者，皆由
父母怠慢之故，或有汗出不止者听之，吐泻不止者听之，以致汗久亡阳，吐久亡胃，泻久绝
脾，成难起之疾，故曰慢症。慢症何惊之有，以慢症而云惊皆庸医。见儿眼翻手掣握拳形状
似惊，故以惊名之，一作惊治或推或拿或火，是犹儿已下井而复落以石也。慢症者脾虚也，
眼皮属脾，脾败故眼皮不能紧合，而睡则露睛，虚极则脾失元气，故两目无神而多昏沉，脾
败则枯涎无统，故凝滞咽喉而有牵锯之声。手足脾胃所司，脾胃败故四肢厥冷虚慢必生寒，
寒则大便泻青，而小便清利。便知为慢脾之症，若疗惊则无惊可解，祛风则无风可祛，除痰则
无痰可除，解热则无热可解，惟脾间枯痰虚热往来耳。治宜固真汤加天麻、钩藤，或六君子
汤加炮姜，或理中汤加附子。
凡儿一到慢症，十仅能医六七，盖症至此，肺心脾三脏俱虚，胃气大肠两腑俱败。若虚
而不绝，虽久能生，如胃气将尽，万不可活。即强药之亦活，活一二日究非真活也，然非假
活不足以见药力之妙。余见之甚众，如慨然领手者其症必生踟蹰，固谢者纵药亦死，此无他
，惟于面上看宝色，胃间探消息，生死便燎然在目矣。
余幼女于壬寅冬值先君辞世之会 症，有失经理，冷泻成慢，幼甥同症，热泻成慢。妹
婿闻远波僧精于此道，呼治之。日索药价，丸如绿豆大，每丸银三钱，屡服症加重。余女眼
闭不开约十余日，问乳母幸吮乳不辍，面上宝色有存。余用固真汤加附子五分，服三剂眼一
开顷又闭，揣之药力未及，连服十剂，愈。甥慢虽同寒热迥别，知不可治。妹婿嗔余有亲疏
之别，药吝参附与余妹反目。远波僧见余甥光景，强壮如故，满口许其必生，余作色辨曰∶
尔以健壮为生耶，独不思热则气壮，况热泻，明知肺热用参反伤乎肺，不用则慢无治法。将
谓清肺再用参，一清则脾气即绝，清不得，补不得，何生之有。远波默然趋去，越三日，
死。此慢症虽同，寒热迥异，不可不察之验也。热慢不多见，亦学人之所宜治。
人将这种病称为“慢惊风”，我却独自称之为“慢症”。因为这种病症大多在大病之后形成，或者庸医一见病愈就不注意防范疾病复发的途径；或者是起初误用发汗、误用攻下，导致吐泻日久，脾胃极度虚弱，从而形成慢症。“慢”字、“缓”字虽然是相对于“急”字而言的，然而之所以形成这种病症，都是因为父母怠慢疏忽的缘故。有的孩子出汗不止就听之任之，吐泻不止也听之任之，以致于汗出久了亡失阳气，呕吐久了损伤胃气，腹泻久了断绝脾气，形成了难以治愈的疾病，所以称为“慢症”。慢症哪里有什么惊风呢？把慢症称为惊风的都是庸医。他们看到孩子眼睛上翻、手脚抽搐、握拳等形状类似惊风，所以就用“惊”来命名它。一旦按照惊风治疗，无论是推拿还是用火灸，这就好比孩子已经掉进井里却又往里面扔石头一样（加重病情）。慢症的本质是脾虚。眼皮归属于脾，脾脏衰败所以眼皮不能紧闭，睡觉时就会露睛；虚损到了极点则脾脏失去元气，所以两眼无神且多昏沉；脾脏衰败则枯涩的涎液失去统摄，所以凝滞咽喉而有像拉锯一样的声音。手足由脾胃所主管，脾胃衰败所以四肢厥冷，虚寒必然产生，寒盛则大便泻青色，小便清长通利。由此可知这是慢脾风的症状，如果按惊风治疗则没有惊风可解，祛风则没有风邪可祛，除痰则没有痰浊可除，清热则没有热邪可解，只有脾间枯涩的痰浊和虚热往来而已。治疗应当使用固真汤加天麻、钩藤，或者六君子汤加炮姜，或者理中汤加附子。
凡是孩子一旦进入慢症阶段，十个人中只能救活六七人。因为病症到了这个阶段，肺、心、脾三脏都虚弱，胃和大肠两腑都衰败。如果虚损但生机未绝，虽然病程长久也能生存；但如果胃气将尽，则万万不可存活。即使强行用药救治使其存活，活一两天终究不是真正的康复，然而如果不是这种暂时的假活，也不足以显示药力的奇妙。我见到的情况很多，比如表现得坦然接受治疗的，其病症必定能生还；犹豫踟蹰不定的，勉强用药也会死亡；坚决推辞服药的，即使给药也会死。这没有别的原因，只要在面上观察是否有“宝色”（红润光泽），在胃间探察是否有生气，生死便一目了然了。
我的幼女在壬寅年冬天正值先父去世之时，因护理不当，冷性腹泻发展成慢症；外甥也是同样的病症，但因热性腹泻发展成慢症。妹婿听说远波僧精通此道，请他治疗。远波僧每天索取药价，药丸如绿豆大小，每丸银三钱，多次服用后病症加重。我的女儿眼睛闭着不开约十余日，询问乳母，幸好还在吃奶，面上尚存宝色。我使用固真汤加附子五分，服用三剂后眼睛刚睁开一会儿又闭上，推测是药力未达到，连续服用十剂，痊愈。外甥的慢症虽然相同，但寒热截然不同，我知道无法治愈。妹婿责怪我有亲疏之别，吝啬人参、附子，与我妹妹反目。远波僧看到我外甥的样子，身体强壮如故，满口答应一定能治好。我变色辩驳说：“你认为健壮就是能生还吗？难道没想过热证则气壮，何况是热性腹泻，明知是肺热却用人参反而伤害肺，不用则慢症无治法。你想先清肺热再用参，一旦清热脾气即刻断绝，既清不得，补不得，怎么会有生机？”远波僧沉默地离开，过了三天，外甥死了。这个慢症虽然名称相同，但寒热截然不同，这是不可不仔细辨别的验证案例。热性慢症不多见，也是学医者应该研究的。
Humans refer to this condition as "Slow Convulsion" (Man Jing), but I alone call it "Slow Syndrome" (Man Zheng). This syndrome often develops after a severe illness, or because quack physicians, seeing the illness appear cured, fail to guard against its recurrence. Alternatively, initial errors in sweating (Fa Han), purging (Xia), or vomiting/diarrhea lasting long periods lead to extreme deficiency of the Spleen and Stomach, thus forming the Slow Syndrome. Although the characters "Slow" (Man) and "Gentle/Sluggish" (Huan) are used in contrast to "Urgent/Acute" (Ji), the reason this syndrome forms is due to the negligence and slowness of parents. They may ignore continuous sweating, or ignore persistent vomiting and diarrhea, resulting in prolonged sweating depleting Yang Qi (Yang energy), prolonged vomiting damaging Stomach Qi, and prolonged diarrhea severing Spleen Qi, leading to a difficult-to-cure disease; hence it is called "Slow Syndrome." What "convulsion" is there in Slow Syndrome? Those who call Slow Syndrome "Convulsion" are quacks. Seeing the child's eyes rolling back, limbs twitching, and fists clenched—shapes resembling convulsions—they name it "Convulsion." Treating it as such, whether by pushing/massage (Tui Na) or moxibustion/fire therapy, is like throwing stones into a well where a child has already fallen. The essence of Slow Syndrome is Spleen Deficiency (Pi Xu). The eyelids belong to the Spleen; when the Spleen fails, the eyelids cannot close tightly, so the eyes remain open during sleep (Sleeping with Eyes Open). When deficiency reaches an extreme, the Spleen loses Yuan Qi (Primal Qi), causing the eyes to lack spirit and be often drowsy. When the Spleen fails, dry saliva loses its control, stagnating in the throat and producing a sound like sawing. Hands and feet are governed by the Spleen and Stomach; when they fail, the four limbs become cold. Extreme deficiency generates cold, leading to green-colored diarrhea and clear, profuse urination. From this, one knows it is a Slow Spleen Wind syndrome. If treated for Convulsion, there is no Convulsion to resolve; if wind is dispelled, there is no Wind pathogen to remove; if phlegm is eliminated, there is no Phlegm turbidity to clear; if heat is cleared, there is no Heat pathogen to dissipate. There is only dry phlegm and deficient heat fluctuating within the Spleen. Treatment should employ Gu Zhen Tang (Solidify the True Decoction) added with Tian Ma (Gastrodiae Rhizoma) and Gou Teng (Uncariae Ramulus cum Uncis), or Liu Jun Zi Tang (Six Gentlemen Decoction) added with Pao Jiang (Prepared Ginger), or Li Zhong Tang (Regulate the Middle Decoction) added with Fu Zi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata).
Whenever a child enters the stage of Slow Syndrome, only six or seven out of ten can be saved. At this stage, the Lung, Heart, and Spleen organs are all deficient, and the Stomach and Large Intestine fu-organs are all failing. If deficiency exists but life force is not severed, survival is possible even over a long period; however, if Stomach Qi is exhausted, survival is impossible. Even if strong medicines are forced upon the patient to achieve temporary survival, living for one or two days is not true recovery. Yet, without this false survival, the efficacy of the medicine cannot be demonstrated. I have seen many cases: those who accept treatment readily tend to survive; those who hesitate often die despite medication; those who firmly refuse treatment will die even if medicine is given. There is no other secret; one need only observe the "Precious Color" (Bao Se - healthy luster) on the face and probe for signs of vitality in the Stomach area, and life and death will be clear as day.
My youngest daughter, in the winter of the Ren Yin year, coincided with the passing of my father. Due to improper care, her cold diarrhea developed into Slow Syndrome. My nephew had the same syndrome, but his hot diarrhea developed into Slow Syndrome. My brother-in-law heard that Monk Yuan Bo was proficient in this field and summoned him for treatment. The monk demanded high fees daily; the pills were the size of mung beans, costing three qian of silver per pill. After multiple doses, the condition worsened. My daughter’s eyes remained closed for about ten days. Asking the wet nurse, I learned she was still breastfeeding, and the Precious Color remained on her face. I used Gu Zhen Tang added with 5 fen of Fu Zi. After three doses, her eyes opened briefly then closed again. I surmised the medicinal power had not yet reached the target, so I continued administration for ten consecutive doses, and she recovered. The nephew’s Slow Syndrome was similar in nature but opposite in thermal character (hot vs. cold); knowing it was incurable, I advised against aggressive treatment. My brother-in-law accused me of bias due to kinship, claiming I was stingy with Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix) and Fu Zi, leading to a rift with my sister. Monk Yuan Bo saw my nephew’s robust appearance and confidently promised recovery. I rebuked him angrily, saying, "Do you consider robustness a sign of survival? Have you not considered that heat causes Qi to appear vigorous? Moreover, in hot diarrhea, using Ren Shen when Lung Heat is present damages the Lung. Without it, there is no cure for Slow Syndrome. You might think to clear Lung Heat first then use Ren Shen, but clearing heat would instantly sever Spleen Qi. It cannot be cleared, nor can it be tonified. How can there be survival?" The monk fell silent and left. Three days later, the nephew died. This case proves that although both are named Slow Syndrome, their thermal natures are diametrically opposed, a distinction that must not be overlooked. Hot Slow Syndrome is rare but worthy of study by medical practitioners.