Library

[Attached Commentary] The attached commentary made numerous corrections and revisions. It is incomparable to those books that are merely copied and pieced together. In the Gengyin year of the Jiajing reign (1530), Huang Zhuo from Yanping had it printed in Yongzhou. At the beginning, there is a preface by Yang Shiqi, indicating that both authors were people of the early Ming Dynasty. Yang Shiqi's preface states that both authors privately revered Zhu Zhenheng. Observing their correspondence confirms this. He further stated that Zhang Yuansu's second-generation disciple was Li Gao, and his third-generation disciple was Wang Haogu; while Zhu Zhenheng in the South acquired knowledge through private reverence. This creates significant confusion and contradiction regarding the lineage and source of schools. The scholarship of Zhang, Li, and Wang all take regulating the Spleen and Stomach as their core principle. In contrast, Zhu's scholarship focuses primarily on tonifying Yin. This is slightly closer to Liu Wansu's school but significantly distant from the schools of Zhang Jiegu, Li Dongyuan, and Wang Haicang. Their extant works provide evidence for verification. Wang Qingyan wrote in *Qingyan Conglu*: "Li Gao's disciples were mostly in the Central Plains. Only Liu Wansu transmitted his skills to the monk Jing Shan Futu (referring to Liu Shouzhen). When Liu Shouzhen went to Jiangnan, he transmitted them to Luo Zhiti from Songzhong, and physicians in the South all revered him." The transmission of its lineage is extremely clear. Yang Shiqi merged them into one, which was a grave error.

[Yi Jing Guo Xiao] (Small Book on Medical Classics) by Liu Chun of the Ming Dynasty, 6 volumes. Extant.
Preface by the author: Medicine is an art of intent (mental application). One establishes treatment intent when facing illness to apply therapy. This book comprehensively covers the theory of Six Qi (Yunqi) and disease origins as recorded in the *Neijing* (Inner Canon). By observing changes in heaven and earth, investigating the mechanisms of diseases, and exhausting the principles of regulation and treatment, one demonstrates the benevolence of the sacred in loving humanity, saving the emaciated, correcting deviations, and aiding all things—the highest Dao of rescuing beings. Thus, the Dao of medicine is established. Qin Yueren (Bian Que) elaborated on its profound meaning and composed the *Nanjing* (Classic of Difficult Issues); Zhang Zhongjing of the Han Dynasty discussed Cold Damage (Shanghan), determined prescriptions based on herbs, and Jin Dynasty's Wang Shuhe collected and organized these, composing the *Maijing* (Pulse Classic) to show future learners—this too reached perfection. Since the classics are far removed from the sages' time, with fragmented texts, later learners often focus only on prescriptions and become confused about the underlying intent. Fortunately, Wang Bing, Prefect of the Grand Coach during the Tang Dynasty, reorganized the meanings, unveiling the profound mysteries of great methods, explaining the subtleties of divine movement, and analyzing principles within ultimate truth. This enabled learners to examine pulses upon encountering symptoms, use herbs to cure diseases, without diminishing the root, thereby clarifying the Dao of medicine. Its methods involve overcoming pathogenic factors to reduce their momentum and assisting transformation to support vitality. The merit of stabilizing crises and restoring order stems from classical theories, knowing Qi and identifying diseases, achieving proper governance. Alas! Learning must be rooted in classics, diagnosing diseases requires clarity in theory, and treatment must delve into prescriptions. Only by being flexible and unrigid can one fully grasp the original intent of establishing medicine. In the past, Master Zhu Danxi became famous for medicine in Jiangdong. My father personally associated with him and received his mental transmission. I, Liu Chun, a late and humble learner, have inherited my father's teachings for many years. Having studied and pondered the classics and theories, I have somewhat grasped their gist. Presuming not to overestimate myself, I privately compiled medical content worthy of emulation based on Master Zhu's principles, drawing on the subtle details of the classics and theories, rearranging them systematically, using rhymed verses and examples, and providing diagrams for easier memorization and study. For incomplete parts of pulse diagnosis manuals, I also added corrections. I named it *Yi Jing Guo Xiao*, hoping that beginners could trace the source from the flow and avoid confusion with other divergent paths. Those who aspire to the ancient Dao of the sacred in loving humanity and aiding all things, please do not mock my shallow understanding like looking through a tube or measuring a gourd. If there are shortcomings, I ask for your compassion towards my ambition and for corrections. Then it would be not only a fortune for medicine but also for the people. On the first day of the eleventh month in the winter of the 21st year of Hongwu (1388), Liu Chun of Wuling prefaced.

Brief Preface by Yang Shiqi: In previous years, Vice Censor-in-Chief Chen Gong advised printing Liu Chun's compiled *Yijia Yujii Wei Yi* (Subtle Meanings of the Medical Machine) as a reference for treatment. To serve as a resource for teaching, he also ordered the printing of Liu Chun's compiled *Yi Jing Guo Xiao* for dissemination. The book begins with Materia Medica (Bencao), followed by Pulse Diagnosis (Maijue), Meridians (Jingluo), Disease Mechanisms (Bingji), Treatment Methods (Zhifa), and Six Qi Theory (Yunqi), totaling six volumes. It is fundamentally based on the *Suwen*, *Lingshu*, *Nanjing*, as well as works by Zhang Zhongjing, Wang Shuhe, and modern masters including Liu Shouzhen, Zhang Jiegu, Li Mingzhi, and Zhu Zhongxiu. It extracts essential points, arranges them into rhymed verses, and categorizes them concisely for beginners. The structure is clear, precise, concise, and complete. It serves as a guide for medicine and a book to establish the root. Anyone skilled in learning must focus on the root. How much more so for doctors who hold human life in their hands? Can they neglect the root and act negligently? If medical students can thoroughly study and internalize this book, their practices will follow the correct path, their methods will be orthodox, and through associative learning, achieving perfect success in annual diagnoses will be effortless. This book could only be written by Mr. Liu and could only be transmitted by Mr. Chen. It is a fortune for medical students and for the people. Liu Chun, courtesy name Zongnong, was from Wuling. His father, Liu Shuyuan, was a high-ranking disciple of Zhu Zhongxiu, with a clear lineage of transmission.

[Zabing Zhili] (Treatment Examples for Miscellaneous Diseases) contained in *Yicang Mulu* (Catalog of Medical Treasures), 1 volume. Extant.
Summary of the *Siku Quanshu* (Complete Library of Four Treasuries): *Zabing Zhili*, 1 volume, authored by Liu Chun of the Ming Dynasty. This book was completed in the Wuzi year of the Yongle reign (1408). At the end, it includes four articles from the *Orfang Shijie* (Vows and Prohibitions of the Blue Room). It narrates how his father, Old Man Juquan, received medical skills from Zhu Zhenheng. Liu Chun inherited his family learning and also studied with fellow townsmen Feng Tinggan, Xu Zonglu, and Qiu Kerong, mastering their techniques. He then summarized the key points into this compilation. It divides diseases into seventy-two categories, each specifying attack (purging) and tonification methods. These are likely transmitted oral formulas, hence brief and not detailed. Initially, there was no printed edition. In the Ji Hai year of the Chenghua reign (1479), Xiao Qian, Magistrate of Shangyuan County and official observer at the Ministry of Revenue, was ordered to reward troops in Ganzhou. He obtained the manuscript from Liu Chun's descendants and had it carved onto woodblocks for dissemination.