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Medicine is a benevolent art, yet also a field fraught with peril. Mastery of its principles can save lives; however, attempting it without mastery often leads to the exacerbation of excess conditions and the depletion of deficiency conditions, resulting in many premature deaths. The sages of antiquity exhausted their sensory and mental faculties to write books and establish theories to instruct future generations, demonstrating profound concern and far-reaching foresight. Among the Six Qi (Wind, Cold, Summer-heat, Dampness, Dryness, Fire), all can harm humans, but Cold pathogen invasion is the most toxic, and the suffering inflicted upon humans is the most severe. Zhang Zhongjing, relying on individual wisdom, elucidated secrets untransmitted for millennia, achieving a coexistence of standard methods and variable applications, as well as routine practices and adaptive changes. Later practitioners failed to investigate the subtle details, failing to distinguish between physical signs and symptoms or meridians. They remained stuck in rigid thinking, adhering strictly to established formulas, which proved ineffective and even harmful, thereby obscuring the true intent of Zhang Zhongjing. Mr. Qin Huangshi was a remarkable scholar from Yunjian (Songjiang). Possessing innate wisdom from an early age, he studied Confucian learning, integrating various schools of thought. He had a heart dedicated to saving the world, not seeking fame as a physician but refining his skills daily. He adapted to natural changes like welcoming floating clouds, probed deep into pathological depths, nurtured his spirit, and regulated his body, achieving clarity in both mind and hand. He distinguished Yin and Yang, separated interior and exterior, verified the shifts of Five Movements and Six Qi, adjusted treatments according to seasons and circumstances, and never violated human nature. Consequently, wherever he went, patients with strangury and debility recovered, and those injured or near death were healed. His door was frequently crowded with seekers. Yet, Mr. Qin closed his doors to visitors, drawing upon decades of experience to spiritually align with ancients, engaging in diligent textual research, and compiling his findings into a book. In the autumn of the Gui Si year, I met Mr. Qin due to my phlegm disorder. I then read his private manuscripts thoroughly; his subtle words and arguments traced back to ancient sages. Besides *Zheng Yin Mai Zhi* (Diagnosis, Etiology, and Pulse Management), there was another work, *Shanghan Da Bai* (Clarification of Cold Damage), unpublished. I urgently requested Mr. Qin to have it printed so that Zhang Zhongjing’s scholarship might be revived and his teachings spread far, which would indeed be a great fortune for the people.
Written by Chen Maokuan of Xin'an at his Zhu Xi Retreat in the summer of the Jia Wu year, the 53rd year of the Kangxi reign.

Heavenly time brings cold and heat; earthly qi brings dryness and dampness. Humans living amidst these must maintain balance in diet and daily life; otherwise, illness is inevitable. When sick, one seeks medical help hoping for survival. Nevertheless, I believe medicine can both save and harm. Why? Because the principle of medicine parallels that of Confucianism. If Confucian principles are unclear, one becomes bound by outdated traces. Regardless of whether one has read ancient texts, merely reading all works of famous masters without comprehending their underlying logic leads to confusion. One fails to examine deficiency and excess, indiscriminately using attacking and tonifying methods. Even herbs such as Poria Cocos (Fuling, 茯苓), Codonopsis Pilosula (Dangshen, 党参) [Note: Text says Shen, likely Ginseng/Renshen or Codonopsis contextually, but literal is Shen], Atractylodes Macrocephala (Baizhu, 白术), if misused, become poisonous. The Dao of medicine is subtle in principle and profound in meaning; it cannot be attempted without exhaustive contemplation and grasping of essentials. Yunjian has long been home to skilled physicians. In my youth, I knew of Mr. Qin Jingming as a divine healer of the generation. Recently, plagued by persistent chest and diaphragm disorders, I often wished for such a person to treat me simultaneously. This autumn, I befriended his grand-nephew, Qin Huangshi. Sitting knee-to-knee, our conversations probed the roots of matters. Hearing his discussions made me eager to act. I realized that since Qin Huangshi first mastered Confucian principles, applying them to medicine allowed him to see clearly as if watching fire. Truly, this insight is beyond the grasp of the mundane world. Qin Zi possessed the skill to save lives; scholars and officials from all directions sent letters and gifts, their footsteps following one another. He could have traveled north and south, visited noble mansions, and achieved prestige comparable to high ministers. Instead, he closed his doors, resolved to write, burning oil to extend daylight, asking why he subjected himself to such hardship. Qin Zi said: Medicine is for aiding others. If I aid others but cannot cure immediate illnesses, my heart feels guilty; if I cannot cure the illnesses of the world and future generations, my heart is equally guilty. Would I seek fame or profit? Thus, he compiled books, expounded on disease etiology and the selection of physicians, and the Shi brothers (Yu-zhan) engraved them for public dissemination. Now, he has integrated the origins and consequences of external contraction, applied divine subtlety to medication precision, supplemented what predecessors lacked, and corrected occasional errors in previous annotations. Naming it *Shanghan Da Bai*, and with the assistance of Mr. Chen Jingshu for printing, this truly becomes an immortal achievement. Having reviewed these editions, I see not only that Mr. Jingming possesses authentic transmission, but also that all masters from Qixuan onwards rely on this book for clarification. Once published, despite heavenly cold/heat and earthly dryness/dampness, or infection by pestilential qi, harmony can be restored without ailment. Only thus can a physician save lives, saving people across generations. How can one attempt medicine with unclear Confucian principles and bound by old traces! However, Qin Zi’s heart is bitter, and his merit is great. Joyfully, I write this preface.
Preface by Cheng Baishan, Jinshi graduate and junior family brother-in-law, on the 15th day of the 9th lunar month in the autumn of the Jia Wu year, the 53rd year of the Kangxi reign.