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(Dong Ji, courtesy name Jizhi, from Dongping, compiled and discussed)

Among the people of the world, there are those who obtain a miraculous prescription capable of completely curing diseases. They live in constant fear, worrying only that if they do not keep it secret enough, others will know of it, causing its efficacy to become less miraculous. Such thinking is indeed shallow. The reason medicines can cure diseases is that if everyone were informed, they could avoid premature death and each fulfill their natural lifespan until the end; this too is a benevolent medical art. My friend, Dong Jizhi, failed the Jinshi examination in his youth. Eager to support his parents, one day he abandoned his previous studies and turned to medicine. However, medicine is not a contemptible craft. Ancient figures such as Zhang Zhongjing, Ge Hong, Tao Hongjing, and Sun Simiao all achieved fame in later generations. It is merely that ignorant practitioners distinguish between the noble and the humble, separate the rich from the poor, and hold their own learning in low esteem, which gentlemen disdain. Jizhi was different. He regarded the suffering of others as his own. In visiting patients' homes, whether in severe cold or intense heat, he never showed the slightest fear. Moreover, for the poor, often at dusk or night, he frequently gifted firewood and grain to alleviate their shortages. Later, he brought a volume of "Pediatric Smallpox and Measles Prescriptions" to visit me, requesting a preface. Therefore, I briefly outlined its contents, also to reveal Jizhi's intentions, letting people know that having miraculous prescriptions to cure diseases in the world is not something to be overly prized. Thus, Sun Zhun, courtesy name Pingfu, the Layman of Ten Willows in Dongping, wrote the preface.

In ancient times, affairs were simple and the people were honest. Their innate qi was complete and pure, so evil pathogens could not invade. Even if diseases occurred, they could be treated with Zhuyou (an ancient spiritual healing method). Although treatises on prescriptions for adults may have been incomplete at that time. By the middle antiquity, a figure named Wufang appeared, authoring the *Xiao'er Lixin Jing* (Classic of Infant Cranial Fontanelle) to predict longevity and distinguish life from death. This tradition was passed down through generations, leading to the rise of pediatric prescription theories. However, during infancy, the zang-fu organs are tender and weak; the pulse is rapid and difficult to differentiate; itching locations are unknown, and pain is hard to express, so infants can only cry. Regarding physiological changes like Bianzheng (physiological growth phenomena in infants), Jingfeng (convulsions), Kewu (illness caused by external fright or unfamiliar influences), and Jielu (delayed closure or enlargement of the cranial fontanelle), Chao Yuanfang in recent times had clarified them one by one. However, regarding the symptoms when macules and papules are about to erupt, which resemble wind-cold injury, there was a lack of detailed differentiation, leading to many errors. Furthermore, physicians did not exercise sufficient caution. Some applied purgation to deficiency patterns, tonification to excess patterns, diaphoresis to cases with rashes, and warming methods to cases with wind pathogens. This generated various other diseases, leading to premature death, which is truly lamentable. Now, I have collected verified effective secret prescriptions, detailed the syndromes, and compiled them into one volume, titled *Ban Zhen Bei Ji Fang* (Emergency Prescriptions for Macules and Papules). I dare not claim it benefits future generations, but intend to pass it on to those interested in medicine, hoping that the righteousness of nurturing children may be preserved therein. Dong Ji, courtesy name Jizhi, from Dongping, wrote the preface.