医家以幼科为最难，谓之哑科，谓其疾痛不能自陈说也，称黄帝之言曰∶吾不能察其幼小为别是一家料理耳。
吾独谓不然。夫幼小者，精神未受七情六欲之攻，脏腑未经八珍五味之渍，投之以药，易为见功，犹膏粱之变难穷，
而藜藿之腹易效也，何谓难乎。然古今辑是科书未有能善者，如《心鉴》之芜秽，《类萃》之粗略，《新书》则有古无
今，《百问》则挂一漏万，皆行于世，未足为幼科准绳也，故吾辑为是编，而麻痘一门尤加详焉。平生聚麻痘书百数
十家，率人所宝秘、千金不传者，然多猥陋，不足采择，益可以见世之无具眼矣。或曰，夫人之病，无论男女长
幼，未有能越五脏者也，子于它科不分五脏，而独幼科分之何居？曰正以精神未受七情六欲之攻，脏腑未经八珍五
味之渍，独有脏气虚实胜乘之病耳，粗工不能精究而臆指之曰，此为内伤，此为外感，此为痰，此为惊，此为热，
妄投汤丸，以去病为功，使轻者重，重者死，亦有不重不死，幸而得愈者，然已伤其真元，夭其天年矣，吾之独分五
脏，以此也。大中丞沈太素公，从大梁寄余俸金百，以助刻费，而是书稿适成，遂鸠工刻之，又
逾年，始竣，因序而识之，使后之人有考焉。
时万历三十五年在丁未夏五十又三日
念西居士王肯堂宇泰甫书
医家认为儿科是最难治疗的，称之为“哑科”，是因为患儿患病后疼痛不适却无法自己陈述病情。引用黄帝的话说：“我不能因为患者年幼就将其作为另一类专门处理。”
我却认为并非如此。年幼的孩童，精神尚未受到七情六欲的侵袭，脏腑未曾被八珍五味（指精致油腻的食物）所浸渍，给予药物治疗，容易见效，就像富贵人家因饮食过度导致的病变难以穷尽，而贫苦百姓粗茶淡饭的饮食结构下身体容易康复一样，这怎么能说是难呢？然而，古今编纂儿科书籍的，没有哪一本是完善的。如《心鉴》内容芜杂污秽，《类萃》过于粗略，《新书》只有古法没有今方，《百问》则挂一漏万，这些书都流行于世，不足以作为儿科的准则标准，所以我编纂了这部书，其中关于麻疹和天花的章节尤其详细。我平生收集了关于麻疹和天花的书籍百余种，大多是别人视若珍宝、千金不传的秘方，但大多杂乱浅陋，不值得采纳选择，这更可以看出世上缺乏有见识的人。有人问：人的疾病，无论男女老少，没有能超越五脏范畴的，您在其他科室不按五脏分类，唯独对儿科按五脏分类，这是为什么呢？回答说：正因为孩童精神未受七情六欲的侵袭，脏腑未经八珍五味的浸渍，只有脏气虚实胜乘（五行生克关系中的盛衰乘侮）的疾病罢了。庸医不能精密探究而主观臆断地说，这是内伤，那是外感，这是痰证，那是惊风，那是热证，胡乱投用汤剂丸药，以去除病邪为功效，使得轻症变重，重症致死，也有不重不死、侥幸痊愈的，但已经损伤了真元，折损了天年。我之所以单独将儿科分为五脏，就是基于这个原因。大中丞沈太素公，从大梁寄给我俸禄一百两，以资助刻印费用，此时书稿恰好完成，于是召集工匠刻印，又过了一年，才竣工，因此写下这篇序言来记录此事，使后人有所考证。
时值万历三十五年丁未夏五月二十三日
念西居士王肯堂宇泰甫书写
Practitioners consider pediatrics to be the most difficult specialty, referring to it as the "Mute Department" (Ya Ke), because infants and children cannot verbally describe their pain or illness. Quoting Huangdi (Yellow Emperor): "I do not treat the young as a separate category for management."
I, however, hold a different view. Infants and children have not yet been assaulted by the Seven Emotions (Qi Qing) and Six Desires (Liu Yu); their Zang-Fu organs have not been soaked in the rich flavors of Eight Treasures (Ba Zhen) and Five Flavors (Wu Wei). Therefore, when administered medicine, therapeutic effects are easily achieved. This is akin to how diseases arising from rich diets among the wealthy are hard to exhaustively address, whereas those with simple diets recover easily. How can this be called difficult? However, ancient and modern compilations of pediatric texts have none that are satisfactory. *Xin Jian* is messy and impure; *Lei Cui* is rough and superficial; *Xin Shu* contains only ancient methods without contemporary ones; *Bai Wen* omits much while listing little. These books circulate widely but are insufficient to serve as the standard benchmark (Zhun Sheng) for pediatrics. Thus, I compiled this work, paying particular attention to the chapters on smallpox (Ma Dou). Throughout my life, I collected over a hundred books on smallpox and measles, mostly secret formulas guarded jealously and not transmitted for a thousand gold pieces. Yet, most were trivial and crude, unworthy of selection, further revealing the lack of discernment in the world. Someone asked: "Human diseases, regardless of gender, age, or seniority, do not transcend the Five Zang Organs. Why do you classify other specialties generally, but specifically divide pediatrics according to the Five Zang Organs?" I replied: "Precisely because their spirits are unassailed by emotions and desires, and their organs unsoaked by rich foods, they suffer primarily from disorders of Zang Qi excess, deficiency, overacting, and subduing (Sheng Cheng). Incompetent physicians fail to investigate precisely and instead guess arbitrarily, saying 'this is internal injury,' 'that is external contraction,' 'this is phlegm,' 'that is fright,' 'this is heat.' They recklessly administer decoctions and pills, aiming to expel disease, causing mild cases to become severe and severe cases to result in death. Even if some recover by luck, their True Yuan (Zhen Yuan) is damaged, and their natural lifespan shortened. I divide pediatrics by the Five Zang Organs for this very reason." Shen Taisu, Grand Secretary of Ceremonies, sent me one hundred taels of his salary from Daliang to assist with printing costs. At that time, the manuscript was just completed, so I engaged craftsmen to carve the blocks. It took another year to finish. I therefore wrote this preface to record these events, allowing future generations to examine them.
In the summer of the Dingwei year, the 35th year of the Wanli reign, on the 23rd day of the fifth month.
Written by Nianxi Jushi (Layman Nianxi), Wang Kentang, courtesy name Yutai.