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Sweet and pungent in taste, fragrant in odor, warm in nature, entering the Foot-Jueyin Liver Meridian. It warms the liver and nourishes blood, breaks up stasis and dissipates masses. It expels damp-cold from the waist and legs, and drives away pain in the abdomen and hypochondrium.

Pungent, salty, and bitter in taste, warm in nature, entering the Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian and the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian. It warms the water organ and dries the earth, drains dampness and removes cold. Its action travels through the Middle Jiao to warm the spleen and stomach, and enters the Lower Jiao to warm the kidney. It supplements the fire of life that is on the verge of extinction and continues the root of yang qi that is about to break. It treats cold limbs of the hands and feet, opens yin stagnation in the zang-fu organs, stabilizes pain in the waist and abdomen, and relaxes spasms and contractures in the ankles and knees. It unblocks cold-stasis in the meridians and collaterals, and dissipates cold knots in hernias and masses. It causes turbid yin qi to descend, thereby stopping hiccups and belching. It raises clear yang qi that has sunk, thereby effectively relieving distension and fullness. (Preparation: Wrap in several layers of paper, moisten with water, bury in hot ashes to roast until cooked, remove the skin and umbilicus, slice, and bake over paper in a clay pot until scorched; do not let it turn black.)

Pungent and bitter in taste, warm in nature, entering the Foot-Jueyin Liver Meridian and the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian. It opens the joints to dispel damp-cold, and unblocks the meridians and collaterals to drive out cold-bi. It reduces swelling and pain in the legs and knees, and removes epigastric and abdominal stuffiness and pain. It is excellent for treating cold hernias and superb for treating beriberi (Hong Kong foot). (Preparation: Process similarly to Fuzi [Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata], decoct with honey to extract the juice for use.)

Since Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs, the properties of medicines were transmitted; since the Yellow Emperor composed the *Neijing* [Classic of Internal Medicine], the origins of diseases began to emerge. This is indeed the divine wisdom that opened heaven and earth, and also the heartfelt compassion to save the world. When the Han dynasty declined, Master Zhang Zhongjing appeared, composing the *Shanghan Lun* [Treatise on Cold Damage] and *Jingui Yaolue* [Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet]. His principles were refined, his methods rigorous, his language archaic, and his meaning profound. He explored the secret treasures of stone chambers and revealed the hidden depths of the imperial archives. Truly, these are outstanding books in the forest of medicine. However, while the works of predecessors were extremely exquisite, later commentaries and exegeses were often erroneous. This caused good seedlings to be mixed with weeds, making right and wrong indistinguishable; fine grain was buried within chaff, making true and false hard to distinguish. This is a matter of common lament for those with heart! Now, Mr. Huang's commentary on the *Shanghan Lun* has been published. It辨伪订讹 [distinguishes the false and corrects the erroneous], completely restoring the original chapters. It probes deep and reaches far, independently exploring the source of composition. It is like washing away barren sand so that gold reveals its color, or breaking open stubborn stones so that white jade displays its luster. Since ancient times, there have been no commentators on the *Shanghan Lun* as magnificent as Mr. Huang. Nevertheless, without the instruction of renowned masters, I dare not confidently claim that my appreciation is not delusion. I have heard that Mr. Qingyun Ge has extensively read medical books for over thirty years. Surely, amidst the confusion of numerous texts, he alone adheres to the correct principle. Therefore, I asked Mr. Shirénfu to introduce me, hoping only that Mr. Qingyun Ge would guide me, allowing me to hear the ultimate goal of this Dao, which would fulfill my lifelong wish. Out of kindness, he invited me into the lecture hall and pointed out clearly before me that among ancient and modern medical books, few are pure and refined. Only the *Shanghan Lun* and *Jingui Yaolue*, having uniquely inherited the true transmission of the *Lingshu* [Spiritual Pivot] and *Suwen* [Basic Questions], should be regarded as the standard by all medical scholars. There are hundreds of commentaries, but only Mr. Huang's commentary alone conforms to the intent of the sages, and it can be handed down immortally alongside the works of Zhongjing. The other books have both flaws and merits, and I truly dare not add a word. (Yong) Listening respectfully, it was as if receiving guidance from a south-pointing chariot; my yearning grew deeper. I further hoped for the radiance of the Big Dipper, and my gaze of admiration became more intense. Upon returning home, I immediately followed Mr. Huang's established rules, compiling the various syndromes and prescriptions of cold damage and miscellaneous diseases into rhymed verses for easy recitation. After completing and copying the book, I presented it to Mr. for revision. Unexpectedly, Mr. was also compiling *Zhengfang Gekuan* [Rhymed Verses on Syndrome and Formula] to teach his disciples. Thus, he examined my manuscript, extracted the essence, and included it in his book for printing and distribution. (Yong), with my clumsy and negligent work, being attached to the end, is also a great fortune in my life. Hence, I write this preface. On the eighth day of the eleventh lunar month, the fourth year of the Republic of China, your humble student Guo Zhenyong respectfully wrote.