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Ancient physicians prepared their own medicines. The *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) states: "When one manages the qi and prepares the necessary substances, there will be no omission in treating the primary conditions." In those days, when Han Kang sold medicine, he was not merely selling drugs but directly treating diseases. Han Yu, in his *Jinxue Jie* (Explanation of Advancing Learning), said: "Niu Sou (Plantago Seed/Herba Plantaginis), Ma Bo (Lycoperdon/Bovista), and broken drum skin are all collected and stored; used without waste—this is the virtue of a good physician." Today, people in northern China refer to doctors as "Mr. Selling Medicine," which indicates that ancient physicians prepared their own medicines. Since the Song Dynasty, there gradually emerged physicians who only prescribed formulas without stocking medicines, sourcing them from pharmacies instead; this practice has become universal today. It is understandable if those selling medicine do not understand medical theory; however, it is unacceptable if practicing physicians do not understand materia medica. Consequently, the quality, authenticity, and properties of medicines are often misunderstood. When physicians and medicines do not coordinate, even if the prescription is correct, errors arising from the medicines themselves are frequent.

Furthermore, ancient sages treated diseases primarily with decoctions only for conditions like common colds (Ganmao); for others, pills (Wan) and powders (San) were predominantly used. These pills and powders could not be compounded instantly. If an urgent condition required pills or powders, waiting for their preparation might result in the patient's death before they could be administered. Additionally, some conditions require only a single pill for recovery, yet compounding cannot be done for just one pill. If patients were to compound a full batch for a single individual, everything except that one pill would be useless. Only when physicians compound these remedies can they store them for future use, preventing waste. Moreover, some rarely used or hard-to-obtain herbs may remain unused for years; pharmacies, lacking demand, do not stock them. Only physicians storing these themselves can meet unexpected needs.

Regarding external surgery, decoctions are used merely to unblock and circulate Ying (Nutritive Qi) and Wei (Defensive Qi). To protect the heart and expel toxins, reliance is entirely placed on various pills and powders. These ingredients are often precious and rare, requiring complex processing that takes more than a day or two and incurs high costs; thus, they cannot be compounded for just one or two pills for a single patient. External treatments include encircling pastes (Wei Yao), topical applications (Tu Yao), ascending agents (Sheng Yao), and descending agents (Jiang Yao), used to protect muscle tissue, remove necrotic flesh, stop bleeding, invigorate blood circulation, relieve pain and itching, promote pus discharge, draw out toxins, regenerate flesh and skin, and reconnect tendons and bones. There are also fumigation, moxibustion/cauterization, hanging washes, and point-application medicines. These vary greatly by condition and cannot be prepared on the spot; they must be pre-compounded during times of peace.

However, contemporary physicians neither know these formulas nor study their methods. Lacking capital to stock medicinal materials, when encountering severe cases, internal medicine physicians rely solely on a single decoction formula with no alternatives; surgical physicians have nothing beyond plasters. Even when other options exist, they select only the cheapest and most easily obtained herbs as mere formalities. How can such practices enable the revival of extremely critical, dangerous, bizarre, or malignant conditions? Therefore, comprehensive preparation of medicines is indispensable for physicians.