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Confucius said, "Being able to take oneself as a metaphor (extending one's own feelings to others) can be considered the method of benevolence." Benevolence is a study of mind and nature; it cannot proceed without a method. How much more so for the myriad arts and skills, how could one excel in them without a method? Among all arts, medicine is particularly important because it governs human life and is what sages must treat with utmost caution.

I have often pondered that every disease has symptoms. The term "symptom" (Zheng, 证 - syndrome/pattern) refers to the manifestation of the disease; having this disease necessarily produces these signs. Syndromes must be correlated with pulses. The pulse is the means by which Zang-Fu organs, meridians, cold-heat conditions, and deficiency-excess states are distinguished. There are cases where the pulse matches the syndrome, and cases where it does not; only after comprehensive verification can treatment be administered. By observing the pulse and differentiating the syndrome, the prescription is established. A prescription (Fang, 方) is a fixed and unchangeable name. For a specific disease, one must use the primary herbs; one cannot arbitrarily shift between herbs or use medication as an experiment.

The origin of prescriptions lies with Zhang Zhongjing. Later generations expanded upon his work by analogy, making the number incalculable, yet none transcended the scope set by Zhang Zhongjing. Generally, predecessors establish the rules, and successors follow them. It is difficult for the founder to exert effort, but easier for the successor to achieve results. By adopting the verified regulations of the ancients and exercising discretion in their application, is the efficacy not more readily achieved?

As for the explanation of prescriptions, it began with Cheng Wuji. Cheng Wuji lamented that few people in later generations could understand Zhang Zhongjing's works, so he selected the *Shanghan Lun* (Treatise on Cold Damage) to provide exegesis, interpreting syndromes and formulas, and analyzing subtle nuances.

Some say, "A good teacher does not display rigid formations; one who catches the fish forgets the trap. The subtlety of application lies in the mind itself; why emphasize prescriptions?" I reply, "Lu Ban did not abandon compasses and squares [rules/methods]..." (Note: Original text contains gaps/typos here).

Written by Wang Ang at Yanxi Hall in the tenth lunar month of the Renxu year of the Kangxi reign.

1. Ancient and modern medical books are extremely numerous. However, many merely note the disease treated before the formula without explaining the etiology or specifying which meridian or collateral is involved. This is rare [or: such omissions are regrettable].

2. I have modeled this collection on the *Yifang Kao* (Investigation of Medical Prescriptions), categorizing diseases into twenty sections containing seven hundred formulas. However, the original work had too few formulas per syndrome... [Text fragmentary].

3. The formulas collected in this volume are moderate and balanced, commonly selected from various texts and frequently used by the public. Even if there are occasionally one or two potent agents, they are necessary for attacking hardness and draining heat.

4. Ancients formulated prescriptions with larger dosages but fewer ingredients. Like elite troops focusing on a single path, this is sufficient to breach fortifications and capture the enemy king. Later generations... [Text fragmentary].

5. Zhang Zhongjing's *Shanghan Lun* was viewed through fixed perspectives by predecessors. Except for Cheng Wuji, few made new discoveries. Tao Jian'an, although authoring the *Shanghan Liushu* (Six Books on Cold Damage)... [Text fragmentary].

6. Zhang Zhongjing's formulas for treating cold damage are the ancestors of ancient and modern prescriptions; therefore, annotations should be especially detailed. Readers should not be annoyed by their complexity.

7. Following each main formula, attached formulas are provided to save space, facilitate searching, and demonstrate methods of modifying prescriptions used by the ancients.

8. In my late years, the profound skill of inspecting internal organs is rarely seen in the world. In villages and markets, those who can merely recite the *Yaoxing Fu* (Ode to Materia Medica Properties) or read *Huichun*... [Text fragmentary].

9. Medical literature is vast, making general reading difficult; even experts in Qi-Huang [Traditional Chinese Medicine] find broad study arduous. Literati have no leisure to master it. If chapters were not concise... [Text fragmentary].

10. Due to limited exposure, I selected materials from fewer than dozens of sources. Fearing that excessive annotations would weary readers, I had to abbreviate verbose passages due to space constraints. I did not dare to act rashly. For any content derived from a specific book, I retain its title. For phrases and formulas passed down since antiquity whose origins are unknown but cannot be discarded, I include them. Where language is unclear, I take the liberty to edit and polish. Where I add my own views, I mark them with "Ang An" (Wang Ang's Note). Regarding the interpretation of each formula, some are entirely borrowed from predecessors, while others are my own creations. Both creation and compilation are present; I dare not rely solely on my own judgment.

11. Ancients possessed high insight and profound intent in treatment. Their prescription methods were often difficult for later generations to fathom (e.g., treating upper diseases from below, lower diseases from above; treating Yin diseases via Yang, Yang diseases via Yin; or treatments separated by two or three levels). Moreover, I am not a professional physician, and my learning is... [Text fragmentary].

12. The *Bencao Gangmu* (Compendium of Materia Medica) and *Zhunsheng* (Medical Standards) adopt predecessors' views without citing names or tracing origins, using phrases like "According to *Gangmu*" or "According to *Zhunsheng*" to summarize.

13. The categories in this collection reflect the principle that prevention is better than cure; thus, tonification comes first. Once illness occurs, sweating, vomiting, and purging are the three methods, so releasing the exterior, inducing vomiting, and attacking the interior follow. If exterior symptoms persist while interior symptoms become urgent, both exterior and interior must be treated simultaneously. ... [Text fragmentary regarding Qi and Blood].

14. It is said that all diseases arise from phlegm; thus, resolving phlegm follows. Indiscretion in diet causes stagnation; thus, digestion promotion follows. Slippage leads to Qi collapse; thus, astringents follow. Parasites... [Text fragmentary].

15. Formulas are provided for selection. At the end, "Emergency Good Prescriptions" are attached for sudden emergencies. Finally, "Prevention Without Medication" is included at the conclusion to remind people of the essentials of careful disease prevention and health preservation.

16. Although titled "Formula Explanations," this collection covers disease origins, pulse patterns, Zang-Fu organs, meridians, drug properties, and therapeutic methods comprehensively. It is indeed a complete medical text... [Text fragmentary].

17. The timing of taking medicine is divided into before and after meals, a tradition unchanged since antiquity. I disagree. When food enters the stomach, it is received and transformed... [Text fragmentary regarding Lung/Spleen/Stomach dynamics].

18. Recorded here for the scrutiny of experts.

19. The Twelve Meridians: Hand-Taiyin Lung, Hand-Shaoyin Heart, Hand-Jueyin Pericardium, Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine, Hand-Shaoyang Sanjiao (Triple Burner), Hand-Yangming Large Intestine, Foot-Taiyin Spleen, Foot-Shaoyin Kidney, Foot-Jueyin Liver, Foot-Taiyang Bladder, Foot-Shaoyang Gallbladder, Foot-Yangming Stomach. These are attached for reference.