Library

1. This work is compiled into two parts: the Inner and Outer sections. It first lists the essentials, followed by the remaining content. When combined, all methods are complete; when separated, each retains its unique efficacy. By discarding the vulgar and adhering to the elegant (Ya), readers can distinguish between different schools, understand the proper sequence of study, and thus approach the Dao of medicine.

2. Medical classification usually sorts cases by disease type; this book, however, collects prescriptions according to therapeutic methods. A single disease may be addressed across multiple categories because each has its own treatment principles. Therefore, they are not grouped by disease to avoid disrupting established methods.

3. Bai Yun’s handwritten manuscript contains a volume titled *Shiyu Zongpai Shenyun Yunchi* (Secret Jargon of Sects: Divine Use and Skillful Techniques). Its contents are largely unsubstantiated and could encourage later generations to seek profit through deception. These have been urgently excised. Occasionally, one or two items were adopted into the *Introduction* to broaden knowledge.

4. "Ding" (Topical application/cauterization), "Chuan" (String therapy/needle threading), and "Jie" (Interception/blocking) are the three major techniques of wandering physicians (Zouyi), metaphorically representing Heaven, Earth, and Humanity (Sancai). Practitioners of declining standards often arbitrarily fix numbers, such as "Nine Dings," "Thirteen Chuans," and "Seventy-Two Jies," boasting to others about how many of each they know, claiming these methods are highly secret and rarely fully known. They fail to realize that if classified and counted, the number would far exceed these trivial figures. I have therefore exposed these secrets, not to boast of my own strengths, but because in saving lives and aiding the world, more is better. Additionally, there are methods like "Nine Types" and "Thirteen Roots," claimed to extract toxins from bone marrow. However, as I disdain unscrupulous surgeons who use these for profit—intentionally planting toxins to prolong illness and turn minor ailments into major ones, resulting in shallow gains but deep harm—I choose to omit them.

5. Among magical incantations, Water Magic (Shuifa) is the most significant, followed by Zhuyou (Incantation Therapy). Here, only the lesser aspects are recorded to eliminate disturbance and noise, which does not detract from elegance. Anything resembling the practices of shamans (Wu) or diviners (Xi) is generally excluded.

6. Single-herb prescriptions often yield the fastest results; processed medicines act even more miraculously; acupuncture supplements where herbal power falls short. Thus, listing hundred substances outside of herbs extends benevolence to appropriate areas. Prescriptions for diseases beyond ordinary medical practice exhaust all methods; medicinal plays prepare for amusement. All are preserved to demonstrate miraculous utility and achieve their effects.

7. Medicinal materials should be authentic; why record fake ones? The answer is: to expose fraud! Knowing the tricks prevents being deceived, and counterfeiters lose their ability to gain illicit profits. This is akin to editing the *Classic of Poetry* while retaining the songs of Zheng and Wei to warn against licentiousness. Moreover, some fakes have utility; for instance, fake Elephant Skin Plaster (Xiangpi Gao) for wound closure or fake Frankincense (Ruxiang) for pain relief may act faster than genuine ones, so they are not entirely discarded by medical arts. As for formulas like Menghan San (Knockout Powder) or Mafei San (Numbing Powder), although I possess them, I do not record them in detail to prevent enabling malicious acts, and...

8. Collecting insects is the primary technique of wandering physicians, and selecting specific ingredients (Xuan Yuan) possesses life-restoring powers. Without these two categories, the miraculous nature cannot be seen; hence, they are preserved.

9. At the time of initial composition, works such as *Lingxue Jing* (Spiritual Acupoint Classic), *Qimai Jing* (Extraordinary Vessel Classic), *Lingcao Jing* (Spiritual Herb Classic), *Shizheng Lun* (Discussion on Recognizing Symptoms), *Bianzheng Lun* (Discussion on Changing Symptoms), and methods like Yang Qu, Yin Qu, Ge Er, and Ge San were intended to be published as a separate volume.

10. Thirty percent of the content was sourced from Bai Yun’s handwritten manuscripts, thirty percent from *Baicao Jing* (Mirror of Hundred Herbs) and *Jiusheng Hai* (Sea of Life Saving), thirty percent from *Yangsu Yuan* and *Jiangmin Fangben*, and the remainder from orally transmitted prescriptions among practicing physicians, all compiled into this volume. Like fishing baskets and rabbit snares, they are recorded here as foundational tools.

11. In pills and powders, "Dao Gui" refers to one-tenth of a "Fang Cun Bi" (Square-Inch Spoon), roughly the size of a Chinese parasol tree seed. A Fang Cun Bi is a spoon square at the base with sides of one inch, filled until the powder does not fall out. "Five Bi" refers to using the edge of a contemporary Five Zhu coin inscribed with the character "Wu" (Five), scooping until it does not fall out. One "Cuo" (pinch) equals four Dao Gui (Bi is synonymous with spoon).

Note: Mr. Shuxuan originally planned both Inner and Outer sections. The General Rules discussed above apply to both. The current publication includes only the four volumes of the Inner Section. Topics such as Water Magic, Zhuyou, External Substances, Extra-Medical Diseases, Medicinal Plays, Insect Collection, and Ingredient Selection are not contained in the Inner Section. In January of this year, I obtained the Outer Section from a collector in Yuezhong, regarding it as a precious treasure. Due to haste, detailed proofreading was not possible. I transcribed it and requested Mr. Wu Pingge to add annotations. It will be carved and printed sequentially to share with enthusiasts. Recorded by Misun on the 15th day of the fifth month in the Gengyin year of the Guangxu reign.