Library

Having previously written a biography for Mr. Lv Cun, I requested his遗箸 (posthumous writings) from his son, the Xiucai (scholar) Lv Xiaomao Cai. I obtained one volume of *Neijing Yaolun* (Essential Discussions on the Inner Canon) and three volumes of *Shanghan Xunyuan* (Tracing the Source of Cold Damage). Upon receiving and reading them, I recalled my nearly twenty-year friendship with him, often able to vaguely imagine his circumstances. When not treating patients, Master Lv enjoyed drinking wine and was skilled at playing chess. I frequently visited him; on his desk lay scattered pages of books, among which was a neatly compiled work, namely his *Shanghan Xunyuan*. By his bedside stood a jar of newly brewed wine, and beside it on a small table was a case containing a chessboard and pieces. His two chess-playing friends would retreat upon seeing a guest arrive. Half of the window was broken, making a sound when the wind blew. A short-haired page boy attended to him in the room, which was left untidy due to laziness; every day, he only diligently wrote books. Of these three volumes, the upper and lower volumes were completed, while the middle volume detailed various syndromes but remained incomplete, likely an unfinished work. In handling herbs, Master Lv was like placing stones on a chessboard, with no idle moves; his passion for medicine was perhaps even greater than his love for wine. It is fitting that his skill advanced to the level of Dao (the Way).

The ancient texts *Sanfen* (Three Treatises) expound the Dao, but many books are lost or fragmented. Tang dynasty decrees classified medicine as a profession for those with specific skills, and scholar-officials rarely discussed it. As time moved further from antiquity, theories became increasingly confused and mixed. Human life is of utmost importance, a fact that can be chillingly sobering. This book by Master Lv probably does not deviate from ancient principles; I hurriedly collated it for publication. The single volume of *Neijing Yaolun* awaits subsequent printing.

Recorded in the long summer of Jia Yin year (1854) by Pan Zunqi of Wu County.

Medicine began with the *Neijing*, and Zhang Zhongjing’s *Shanghan Lun* (Treatise on Cold Damage) serves as a wing (support/auxiliary) to the *Neijing*. The *Neijing* elucidates the profound mysteries of heaven and humanity, boundaries beyond ordinary measurement. Zhang Zhongjing, focusing on the exterior and interior, fu and zang organs of the human body, deduced and elaborated on Yin and Yang, and searched out disease mechanisms. This aligns human dao with heavenly dao, providing students with concrete methods for practice, not merely establishing laws for cold damage. The reason his book is named "Cold Damage" is likely because among diseases, none are more complex and variable than cold damage. Both cold damage and miscellaneous diseases must be identified through the Six Channels (Liu Jing). If one understands the method of Six Channel differentiation, even complex and severe conditions like cold damage will not confuse one with divergent paths, allowing miscellaneous diseases to be handled consistently. Therefore, medical students must start here to avoid losing their way. Regrettably, his book was scattered and lost after wars. Wang Shuhe collected and edited it into a volume. Later scholars rigidly adhered to Wang Shuhe’s preface and examples, believing that all cold damage diseases arise from wind-cold. Little do they know that cold damage does not necessarily belong entirely to cold pathogens; wind, dampness, warmth, and heat are all encompassed within the term "cold damage." Zhang Zhongjing’s major principles were orderly and had rules to follow, but due to the intricate arrangement, only those with good comprehension could grasp the essence through analogy. Superficial learners, without deep inquiry, clung to established formulas like Mahuang Tang (Ephedra Decoction) and Guizhi Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction) for wind-cold, applying them indiscriminately to warm-heat diseases, which was erroneous. After such errors occurred, people claimed Zhang Zhongjing’s methods were suitable for wind-cold but not for warm-heat. Consequently, discussions on warm-heat diseases arose successively, supplementing formulas and theories, which had merit. However, discussing warm-heat diseases apart from Zhang Zhongjing remains merely a school-specific view. One must return to Zhang Zhongjing for the root source to fully understand cold damage. Having studied Zhang Zhongjing’s works for over twenty years with some insights, I have extracted his implicit meanings and clear implications, dividing them into three sections. The first section clarifies the origins of wind, cold, dampness, warmth, and heat, and various Six Channel differentiation methods. The second section distinguishes similar and suspected syndromes. The third section outlines the essence of formula preparation. Exploring the sources of sages and synthesizing the gains and losses of various schools, the reasoning seeks absolute appropriateness, and words avoid baseless speculation. Zhang Zhongjing stated in his preface: "If one can seek the collection I assembled, although one may not cure all diseases, one might see the disease and know its source." Thus, I named this book *Shanghan Xunyuan* (Tracing the Source of Cold Damage), so that my disciples may use it as a bridge to study Zhang Zhongjing’s books, offering minor assistance to medical practice.

Written in winter of Geng Xu year (1850) by Lv Zhenming of Qiantang.