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Of those who die, three-tenths are misled by physicians; three-tenths are misled by the patients' families; and three-tenths are misled by laypeople with superficial medical knowledge.

The practice of medicine is a profound discipline that connects heaven and earth. One must have a comprehensive understanding of the entire system before being able to treat even a single disease. If one lacks a holistic understanding but possesses only fragmentary knowledge, and attempts to use this on patients, it might yield results for mild or superficial conditions. However, for major and difficult cases, relying on a partial perspective to arbitrarily prescribe medication can lead to immediate fatal consequences if an error occurs.

Occasionally, there may be accidental successes, leading individuals to believe that since they could achieve results in such severe cases, their confidence grows. Subsequently, regardless of the condition, they engage in arbitrary speculation. Even after causing death, they maintain that the disease was incurable and not their fault, thus harming others throughout their lives without repentance. Nevertheless, patients' families often trust these individuals due to specific reasons. Since family members typically lack medical knowledge, and physicians leave after prescribing, when someone with slightly more medical theory speaks up with assertive arguments and apparent deep concern, the emotional weight naturally sways them to listen.

Who knows that these individuals merely rely on occasional reading or hearsay? They themselves do not carefully evaluate the ultimate outcome of following their advice, yet the families blindly comply. Furthermore, literati and wealthy individuals, who are already skilled in rhetoric, may occasionally review medical texts and believe they have gained insights. Others, respecting their usual scholarship and reputation, trust them even more. Physicians of the time, lacking any solid foundation, find themselves outmatched in debate and thus deeply admire these amateurs. Believing that even famous physicians are inferior to them, these amateurs freely treat patients, claiming credit for cures and accepting no blame for deaths. Some, clinging to one-sided views and leveraging their literary skills, go so far as to write books and propagate theories, harming future generations. Such people are countless.

Alas! Ancient practitioners all had formal lineages of instruction. They studied every disease and mastered every formula. When confronted with heterodox theories, they would cite classics to refute them. Moreover, they possessed genuine clinical competence, ensuring accurate treatments, which prevented others from offering frivolous criticism. Modern physicians, however, often lack skill and read nothing. Consequently, those with superficial knowledge rise above them, causing families to despise true doctors and instead trust the amateurs, resulting in such widespread harm. The fault lies entirely within the medical profession for lacking competent personnel, allowing anyone to criticize its shortcomings.

However, these amateurs become increasingly confident over time. Initially misleading others, then misleading their own kin, and finally misleading themselves. I have witnessed many such cases and urge deep reflection.