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My family began to devote ourselves to medicine with my late uncle, Mr. Changling. My father succeeded him. It has been about forty years until now. I still remember that when I was ten years old, my father contracted a *Re Bing* (Heat Disease), and my younger brother Jisheng suffered from *Zhong Shu* (Heatstroke). He presented with high fever, delirium, flushed face, irritability, and excessive thirst. At that time, my father was away on a journey. We invited an elderly physician from the county to treat him. As soon as he placed his hand on the pulse, he loudly declared, "This child's condition is critical; danger lies at midnight. I fear it cannot be cured." The next day, my father returned from his trip. He ordered watermelon juice to be given to the patient. After sweating profusely, the illness resolved. I could not help but sigh at how significant the relationship between medicine and healing is, and regretted the scarcity of renowned specialists in the field.

After the age of sixteen, my uncle passed away due to chronic overwork. My father subsequently suffered repeatedly from lung disease, characterized by coughing and hemoptysis, groaning in bed. The worries and hardships in our family increased daily, which further strengthened my resolve to study medicine. I thus brought out the books stored in our home, studying them day and night. My father often explained them to me. Whenever treating difficult cases, he would always extract the main points and use them to instruct me. I became thoroughly familiar with the subtleties of diagnosis, the nuances of prescription, the differentiation of life and death, and the sequence of cold/heat, purging/nourishing treatments. His earnest teaching was like that of an启蒙 teacher instructing a student, without interruption regardless of winter or summer, and he found joy in it without tiring. Years later, I began to glimpse the path of medical science. Thereafter, I sought out old texts and purchased new books widely. Rare editions found only in private collections, as well as Western medical books translated by Guan and Zhao, were all gathered and placed on my desk for comparative study and verification. Over time, I developed unique insights and gradually began to treat others. During the Dingwei and Wushen years, under the late Qing Dynasty, Zhao Dutuan (Commissioner of Salt Transport for Lianghuai) and Duan Zhijun (Viceroy of Liangjiang) successively conducted examinations in medicine. Friends such as Chen Ruichen invited me to observe. I fortunately obtained a certificate of the highest merit. Later, residing in Jingkou, I made a living as a physician. People from all directions did not consider me stubborn or ignorant, but competed to invite me for consultations. This allowed me to further examine and learn from various sources. I felt both fortunate and humble.

Having observed the history of Chinese medicine, I noted that scholars with profound academic achievements mostly benefited from social and individual transmission, while government promotion played a lesser role. This was not because those in power failed to recognize its importance. The emergence of talent originates from the spiritual essence of mountains and rivers. Moreover, medicine is a specialized science; without both scholarly learning and practical experience, one cannot easily grasp its essence. Therefore, Chinese medical books are superior when authored privately. Although the world is now interconnected and politics and academics largely emulate Europe and America, and even medicine adopts Western methods, I believe China is an ancient nation with rich cultural heritage. The medicine inherited from sages and worthies possesses its own true spirit, which cannot be shaken by foreign theories. In the future, the development of Chinese medicine must still rely on private compilations and writings for mutual assistance. Though unskilled, I have secretly harbored ambitions in this regard. However, considering the magnitude of this task, I felt it required waiting for the right time.

Last October, my brother Jisheng wrote to me, requesting that I compile my clinical records into a book for research purposes. Due to busy affairs, I had no time to attend to it. This summer, Jisheng raised the matter again, and some acquaintances also requested copies. Thus, I selected key points, arranged them chronologically without categorization, and titled the work *Conggui Caotang Yicao* (Medical Records from the Conggui Thatched Cottage). This was modeled after Lu's *Zhiyuan Yicao* and Yu's *Yiyi Cao*. Although my modest insights may not compare to these two masters, my ten years of experience might serve as a reference for the medical community.

On the last day of the twelfth lunar month in the Jiayin year, Yuan Zhuo, courtesy name Guisheng, from Jiangdu, recorded this at his residence in Jingkou.