Library

The human eye is like the sun and moon in the sky. If there were no sun and moon in the sky, how could one distinguish Yin and Yang? If a person had no eyes, how could they distinguish colors?

Therefore, the eye is the organ responsible for vision, and the meridians of the five Zang organs—Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lung, and Kidney—are all connected to it. In that case, how can the eye fail to be bright? Alas, many people suffer from eye diseases nowadays. Some develop *Xingzhang* (star-shaped nebulae or opacities) due to excessive alcohol and sexual indulgence, while others suffer from *Yunyi* (cloud-like nebulae or opacities) caused by wind and fire pathogenic factors. Without effective medicines, how can these be treated? However, good medicines are useless without skilled physicians to administer them. I once heard Su Zi say: "Although medicines are administered by the hands of doctors, prescriptions are mostly inherited from ancient masters." How profound this statement is! Today, those who practice *Sanzhichan* (a traditional pulse diagnosis technique) do not ponder the intuitive understanding of physicians nor investigate the root causes of diseases; instead, they recklessly prescribe medications, often leading to lifelong blindness and disability. This is truly lamentable. I think, even in a village of ten households, there must be loyal and trustworthy people; given the vastness of the world, surely there are no lack of skilled physicians. Those who can restore sight to the blind and allow patients to live again under the broad daylight have achieved great merit.

Governor Hu Zhijiao was a scholar from a prestigious family in Guichuan. He served in the regions of Wu and Chu, implementing many benevolent policies. Later, he was transferred to serve as the magistrate of Shaxian County in Fujian (Longxi being an ancient name or related locality), where he skillfully applied the principles of leniency and severity exemplified by Ziqiao (Zi Chan, courtesy name Guoqiao) of the Spring and Autumn period. His governance won the hearts of the people; upon his departure, they missed him and hoped for his return, singing songs of praise wherever he went. I have traveled with him on the same boat for ten years. At that time, I only knew that his learning was profound and that he devoted himself to studying ancient texts; his erudition amounted to far more than five thousand volumes. I never knew that he was proficient in *Qihuang Xue* (Traditional Chinese Medicine). It was only when his family members fell ill that I noticed he did not invite external physicians, which aroused my curiosity. Last winter, my wife suffered from severe asthma multiple times, nearing death. Someone mentioned that the Governor could treat such conditions, so we invited him to our residence. After administering a prescription, she recovered safely. Was the Governor a reincarnation of Bian Que?

He then presented to me a handwritten copy of an ophthalmology book published by *Nian'ou Studio*, authored by Deng of Qingjiang. Attached to it were the *Seventy-Two Q&A Responses of Heterodox Ophthalmology*. These were compiled into one volume, carefully revised, and titled *Qimeng Zhen Di* (The True Essence of Enlightenment). Having kept this book for years, he did not wish to keep its uniqueness secret but hurriedly arranged for its printing to share it with fellow enthusiasts. He then asked me to write a preface. I felt ashamed of my shallow knowledge and ignorance of medical principles; how dare I preface this book? Alas, this is indeed asking a blind man for directions. However, observing this book now, I find it well-organized and comprehensive in meaning. Its application is so divine that it cannot be measured by a gourd ladle (a metaphor for limited insight); it is truly a rare book in the field of ophthalmology. How fortunate I am to see it! Merely by opening the scroll, everything becomes clear to me. I believe that it will not only enlighten me alone but also enlighten millions of people throughout the world. Who would deny that the Governor named this book *Qimeng Zhen Di* appropriately?

Preface written respectfully at Chihuo Ju, west of Green Banyan City, Jiashan, on the first day after the Lantern Festival in the year Renwu (1882) of the Guangxu era, by Cao Jinchu of Jiashan.