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The *Shanghan Lun* (Treatise on Cold Damage) circulated in the world is a fragmented text, compiled and arranged by Wang Shuhe. Tracing back, Zhang Zhongjing was born in the Eastern Han Dynasty, while Wang Shuhe was a person of the Western Jin Dynasty; they were separated by only over a hundred years. Having not suffered the calamity of Qin book burning, how could it be so fragmented? However, since the meaning of the classics is profound and subtle, few can comprehend its principles. Therefore, some disparage the *Shanghan Lun* as an incomplete work, blinding and deafening future learners, which makes them sinners against Zhang Zhongjing. Among physicians today, there are those who have never read other books in their lifetime, exclusively adhering to Tao Hua’s (courtesy name Jie’an) *Liu Shu* (Six Books), regarding it as a precious treasure. Upon careful examination, Tao’s work merely plagiarizes the remnants of Zhang Zhongjing (the Prefect of Nanyang), categorizing contents separately and severing the continuous tone of the original texts. If learners study the complete work thoroughly and reflect carefully, the principles within will appear like a divine dragon emerging and disappearing, with head and tail responding to each other. Every word and sentence will be analyzed clearly, with scales distinct and orderly. Once grasping its profound essence, one will naturally perceive its refined flavor, unlike dust or chaff. (Most of the above is attributed to Wang Kentang.)

What is called "essential" refers to grasping the general outline. One who knows the essentials can unify ten principles with one, and hundred principles with ten, allowing for thousands and myriad variations, ultimately concluding in a single statement; one who does not know the essentials will scatter endlessly. This is what is meant. For instance, in the chapter on pregnant women in the *Jingui Yaolue* (Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet), it states: "At seven months of pregnancy, if the Taiyin meridian fails to nourish, this indicates excess Heart Qi, and Laogong (PC 8, Pericardium-8) should be drained." By analogy, one can deduce that in the eighth month, there may be a failure of the Hand-Yangming Large Intestine meridian to nourish. Throughout the ten months of gestation, different organs govern nourishment at different stages, each having potential issues if nourishment fails. If one only discusses the seventh month, it is failing to generalize from one corner to three others. If learners devote themselves to this book, grasp its essentials, and extend them, the principles of the world will likely be mastered!

Regarding pulse diagnosis and observation of complexion, these originate from the *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot) and *Su Wen* (Basic Questions). Wang Shuhe of the Western Jin Dynasty, based on the *Shanghan Lun* and *Jingui Yaolue*, edited the *Mai Jing* (Pulse Classic) in ten volumes. Although it adopted classical phrases, it also contained fabrications, and included superfluous classifications such as "Seven Surfaces and Eight Interiors," along with illustrations of bizarre pulse shapes that confused later learners, leading to the sorrow of divergent paths. Gao Yangsheng of the Five Dynasties period, falsely attributing the work to Wang Shuhe, wrote the *Mai Jue* (Pulse Rhymes) in two volumes, which also had its merits. Yet, compared to Wang Shuhe’s *Mai Jing*, it is far from perfect. Therefore, scholars should follow the methods of the *Ling Shu*, *Su Wen*, and Zhang Zhongjing’s *Ping Mai* (Level Pulse) and *Bian Mai* (Differentiating Pulse) chapters. The *Ling Shu* provides outlines of slow, rapid, large, small, slippery, and choppy pulses; the *Su Wen* details diagnostic methods involving left/right, front/back, and upper/lower positions, presumably aligning the human body’s upper, lower, and four sides with the Dao of Heaven and Earth. Furthermore, the method of Three Regions and Nine Locations encompasses Heavenly, Human, and Earthly Daos, stating that humans reside in the intersection of Heaven and Earth’s Qi, participating with Heaven and Earth. The *Jing Mai Pian* (Meridian Chapter) discusses how Six Zang pulses belong to the Zang and connect to the Fu, while Six Fu pulses belong to the Fu and connect to the Zang. The *Mai Yao Jing Wei Lun* (Discourse on the Essence and Subtlety of Pulse Diagnosis) uses the Chi (Cun) pulse to observe the Kidneys, the Left Cun/Guan positions to observe the Liver and Heart, and the Right Cun/Guan positions to observe the Spleen and Lungs, presumably regarding the two Kidneys as the primordial division of Water and Fire, generating the Five Phases of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. The yin-yang pairing of Zang-Fu organs and the connection of meridians provide the basis for Gao Yangsheng’s verse: "Left: Heart, Small Intestine, Liver, Gallbladder, Kidney; Right: Lung, Large Intestine, Spleen, Stomach, Mingmen." This likely has its roots in earlier theories. (This treatise posits that the Right Guan position observes the Spleen and Stomach, making the relationship between Heart/Small Intestine and Lung/Large Intestine self-evident; later erroneous theories arose from a failure to investigate the *Nei Jing*.) The *Ping Mai Pian* describes the diagnostic method of "three beans" and "six beans" pressure, stating that skin, vessels, flesh, tendons, and bones correspond externally to the Lung, Heart, Spleen, Liver, and Kidneys, respectively. Thus, varying degrees of lifting and pressing are used to observe the Qi of the Five Zang organs. These four diagnostic methods (inspection, auscultation/olfaction, inquiry, palpation) must be clear in mind and adaptable under the fingers, combined with syndrome differentiation and complexion observation, for the Way of Diagnosis to be complete. As for the theories of Chu Cheng, Chu Yong, and others, which do not conform to medical principles, repeatedly invert Yin and Yang, and confuse Zang and Fu organs, they can be disregarded.