Library

I was commissioned to inspect the educational affairs in the Jiangzuo region and arrived in the Suzhou jurisdiction. Suzhou is a hub of culture and talent; during my spare time from examining scholars, I paid attention to extensive inquiries. Mr. Wu Jinshou from Zhenze presented the *Three Families' Medical Cases* (*Sanjia Yi'an*) to me, requesting a preface. The "Three Families" refer to Master Ye Tianshi, Master Xue Shengbai, and Master Miao Yiting. These three masters were all revered predecessors in the Wuzhong (Suzhou) area. I had long heard of their miraculous healing abilities, which were as natural as a magnet attracting an iron needle, and as responsive as a drumbeat immediately followed by the strike of the drumstick. Now, having read their medical cases, their clinical thinking is flexible and vivid, and their discussions are precise and pure. Indeed, without a solid foundation in learning, it would be impossible to reach such a transcendent level. However, if Mr. Wu had not collected omissions, filled gaps, and compiled these into a volume, how could one observe the convergence of principles where different paths lead to the same goal, balancing ancient and modern approaches? Therefore, while I am deeply impressed by the three masters, I also commend Mr. Wu for this effort. Mr. Wu is erudite and fond of antiquity, skilled in poetry (specifically the six methods), and proficient in medical theory. He is the direct disciple of Zhang Rongting of Suzhou Commandery. Master Zhang Rongting rose to prominence following the era of the Three Families. Being born into a family of physicians, he hardly needs my words, but I have a private word of encouragement for Mr. Wu: The way of medicine, viewed from below, is an art; viewed from above, it connects with Confucian scholarship. Since the times of Xuanyuan (Yellow Emperor) and Qibo, classics such as the *Neijing* (Inner Canon) and *Suwen* (Basic Questions) have been esteemed. Later generations of sages emerged, producing works in each dynasty. Summarizing their purport: deficiency and excess are distinguished by constitution; emotional natures vary according to etiology; wind and qi arise from changes. One must exhaust the subtleties of the ascent and descent of Yin and Yang, and fully understand the causes of the shifts in cosmic fortune. The Five Elements exhaust their transformations; the Five Earths (corresponding to the five viscera) have their respective appropriateness. This truly allows one to weigh the mechanisms of life and growth alongside Heaven and Earth, and to cultivate the foundation of peace for the state. Is not the study of medicine grand! I hope that Mr. Wu will adhere closely to his master's lineage and revere the former sages from afar. With profound skill and cultivated virtue, fame will follow reality. If he can transmit the books of the Three Families, he will surely transmit their learning. Thus, this collection serves as the witness. Therefore, in response to the request for a preface, I write these words to exhort him, and urge him to uphold the teachings of Master Rongting, hoping he will not regard my words as empty talk.
Written by Yao Wentian of Gui'an, who held the titles of Jinshi of the First Rank (Jinshi Jidi), Guanglu Daifu (Grand Master of Ceremonies) conferred by imperial decree, Member of the Nanshu Fang (Southern Study), Left Vice Minister of Revenue, Inspector-General of Education for the Entire Province of Jiangsu, with three additional ranks, in the tenth month of the year Xinsi, the first year of the Daoguang era.