Library

In the beginning, when Heaven and Earth (Xuanhuang) were separated, all things manifested, and humanity emerged. We humans, endowed with life and Qi, stand solitary between the high heavens and the thick earth. External cold and heat invade us, while internal Yin and Yang press upon each other. Those who die prematurely from diseases, failing to fulfill their natural lifespan, are too numerous to count. Since Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs to understand their properties, and Xuanyuan (the Yellow Emperor) consulted Qibo to compose the *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot) and *Su Wen* (Basic Questions), the studies of *Ben Cao* (Materia Medica) and *Nei Jing* (Inner Canon) became brilliantly complete. Thereafter, during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, there were physicians like Yu Fu, Huan, and Bian Que; in the Han Dynasty, there were figures such as Chunyu Yi and Guo Yu. All possessed medical arts and techniques to treat human diseases. Some determined life and death through pulse assessment; others revived critical patients using acupuncture and moxibustion. What is recorded in historical texts is clear and verifiable. However, only their anecdotes were transmitted, while their medical formula books were not seen, leaving readers regretful. Zhang Zhongjing was born between the reigns of Emperors Huan and Ling of the Eastern Han. When a great plague occurred, he began to write the *Shanghan Lun* (Treatise on Cold Damage) and the *Jingui Yufan* (Golden Cabinet Jade Box). He focused specifically on herbal formulas, yet his approach did not match the surgical brilliance of Hua Tuo, who performed intestinal lavage, using methods that were peculiar and yielded particularly rapid effects. I am naturally frail and spend my days near the medicine stove. Having extensively studied various classics and compiled ancient formulas, I produced the *Qianjin Yaofang* (Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold) and *Qianjin Yifang* (Supplement to the Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold). Recently, while living in seclusion at the foot of Mount Zhongnan, someone presented me with a medical manuscript. Upon unrolling and reading it, I carefully examined it and concluded it was the work of Master Hua. The therapeutic methods used therein, besides herbal formulas, also emphasize acupuncture and external treatments such as washing and scraping (Xifa). Moreover, the herbs used are mostly sourced from daily necessities, making them easy to replicate. It is indeed a secret manual for saving the world, a miraculous text capable of reviving the dead and restoring flesh to bones. However, the original compilation is disorganized, with mixed categories, likely being a draft recorded at various times. Furthermore, parts of the text are difficult to understand, and many characters are blurred or illegible, making it inaccessible to most. With ample leisure time at home and a particular passion for medical arts, having obtained this treasure, if I do not engage in its collation and arrangement, how can I transmit the profound skills of the sages and bring longevity to the people? Thus, day by day, I engaged in proofreading and writing: gathering scattered parts, supplementing damaged sections, hoping not to fail Master Hua’s earnest intention to save the world. In this way, it may be passed down to descendants and disseminated among the people, so that the common folk might preserve their natural lives, undisturbed by the vicissitudes of cold, heat, Yin, and Yang.
Recorded by Sun Simiao under Mount Zhongnan, Second Month of the First Year of Yongchun