生者天地之大德也。域中操生人之柄者三。曰君曰相曰医。夫君相调阴阳御六气。嘘为雨露。噫为雷霆。
其生人也宜。配之医。非其伦。曰子独不推夫医之所祖乎。昔者神农造医药。与饮食俱起。而本草作焉。黄帝
岐伯问答之书。三坟无传。存者素问而已。天下万世之死而致生之。皆此二书矣。流传既久。或
者乃假其书以杀人。譬之于儒。诗书发冢也。夫生人者书。杀人者亦书。何以救之。救之则仍以书。自张仲
景着伤寒书。发明素问之意。而王叔和乱之。后千斯年莫救其失。中间亦尝有人稍加是正。而述焉不精
语焉不详。故生人之功寡焉。天来先生以医世其家。其为医也。腾天潜渊。出鬼入神。若忘若遗。若思若迷。
忽焉而得。投之皆适。尝遘危疾。幸不死。矢愿活千人。既而曰吾老矣。愿不易盈也。其着书乎。于是
以素问为经。以仲景书为纬。自叔和以下。合者择之。谬者摘之。疑者释之。混者晰之。辨正三
部九候十二经二十四气。与夫八脉五脏三焦六腑四时之 。如画棋局。如观掌果。此书成活者岂千人
而已。尝与先生论医之为道。若君相之治国。大黄芒硝荡涤 结。而元气不固。奄然而亡。此商鞅之治
秦也。参苓 术养营卫。而邪气不除。蹶然而丧。此太叔之治郑也。医者以曹参之相齐。而兼孔明
之治蜀。乃可以起晋侯之膏肓。疗桓侯之骨髓。先生闻余言。未曾怖以为河汉。此书之成。犹前
志也。呜呼。泰极则剥。中古而降。民之无罪而死者。死于兵。死于刑。死于水火。死于饥寒。而
复死于疾病。医之所治者疾病耳。然苟能生之。民已去一死矣。先生既以医生人。而复以书告天下
后世之生人者。虽谓先生之书辅君相之所不及。可也。
康熙戊子长至日同里年家眷弟严虞 书
Life is the greatest virtue of Heaven and Earth. Among all things within the universe, there are three who hold the power over human life: the Sovereign, the Chancellor, and the Physician. The Sovereign and the Chancellor harmonize Yin and Yang and control the Six Qi (Wind, Cold, Summer Heat, Dampness, Dryness, Fire); their breath becomes rain and dew, their sighs become thunder and lightning. Their nurturing of people is appropriate; comparing them to Physicians is not fitting. Do you not trace the ancestry of Medicine? In ancient times, Shennong created medicine and pharmacology, rising together with diet and food, thus the *Bencao* (Materia Medica) was produced. The books of dialogue between Huangdi (Yellow Emperor) and Qibo exist only as the *Suwen* (Basic Questions), for the legendary "Sanfen" have not been transmitted. All those in the world and for ten thousand generations who go from death to life rely on these two books. After long circulation, some people falsely use these books to kill people, analogous to the Confucian saying "using poetry and history to rob tombs." The books that save lives are also the books that take lives. How to remedy this? The remedy lies again in books. Since Zhang Zhongjing wrote the *Shanghan Lun* (Treatise on Cold Damage Pathogens), elucidating the meaning of the *Suwen*, it was later confused by Wang Shuhe. For a thousand years thereafter, no one could correct its errors. Although some individuals attempted slight corrections, their narratives were not precise and their explanations not detailed, so the merit of saving lives was scant. Mr. Tianlai inherited his family's medical practice. His medical skills were profound, soaring like heaven and diving like the abyss, entering ghosts and emerging like spirits, seeming forgotten yet remembered, thinking yet lost, suddenly attaining insight, with every prescription being suitable. He once suffered a critical illness but fortunately survived, vowing to save a thousand people. Later he said, "I am old; my wish need not necessarily reach a thousand." He then wrote this book, using the *Suwen* as the warp and Zhang Zhongjing's works as the weft. From Wang Shuhe onwards, he selected what was correct, pointed out errors, explained doubts, and clarified confusions. He distinguished and corrected the Three Pulses and Nine Inspections, the Twelve Meridians, the Twenty-Four Solar Terms, the Eight Extraordinary Vessels, the Five Zang Organs, the Sanjiao (Triple Burner), the Six Fu Organs, and the Four Seasons, making them clear as a chessboard or fruits seen in the palm of one's hand. Would the number of people saved by this book be limited to merely a thousand? I once discussed the Dao of Medicine with Mr. Tianlai, likening it to the governance of the Sovereign and Chancellor. If one uses Dahuang (Rhubarb Rhizome) and Mangxiao (Mirabilite) to purge internal accumulations but the Yuanqi (Primary Qi) is not solid, the person will die suddenly; this is like Shang Yang governing Qin. If one uses Renshen (Ginseng Radix), Fuling (Poria), and Baizhu (Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome) to nourish Ying and Wei (Defensive Qi) but pathogenic factors are not eliminated, the person will perish abruptly; this is like Taishu Duan governing Zheng. A physician must act like Cao Can, Chancellor of Qi (following non-action), while possessing the capability of Zhuge Liang governing Shu, in order to cure Duke Jing of Jin's disease deep in the Gaohuang (epigastrium and heart region) and treat Lord Huan's disease penetrating the bone marrow. Upon hearing my words, Mr. Tianlai did not consider them absurd talk. The completion of this book is akin to previous historical records. Alas, when Taiji reaches its peak, Pi (Decay) follows. From the middle antiquity downwards, innocent people died from war, punishment, fire and water, hunger and cold, and further from diseases. What physicians can treat are merely diseases. However, if they can save them, the people have already escaped one form of death. Since Mr. Tianlai saves people through medicine and now informs future generations of saviors through this book, it may be said that his book assists where the Sovereign and Chancellor fall short.
Written by Yan Yu, fellow townsman, junior relative by marriage, on the Winter Solstice of the Wuzi Year of the Kangxi Reign.