Library

In my youth, I read the *Biography of Hua Tuo*. I was amazed by the miraculous nature of his medical skills and lamented that his books were burned in prison. Had they survived, the subtleties of procedures such as abdominal surgery and amputation could not have been fully conveyed through words on paper.

Lu Tong, an old man from Guobian, was a distinguished physician of recent times. Once, when discussing pulse diagnosis with him, he said, "None of the discussions on pulses are as pertinent as those of Hua Tuo." He stated, "Those with an impatient temperament have an urgent pulse; those with a leisurely temperament have a leisurely pulse. Tall people have long pulses; short people have short pulses." At that time, I did not have the leisure to explore the reasoning behind these statements.

One day, I obtained and read the *Zhongzang Jing* (Classic of the Inner Canon) published by the Granary Department in Minzhong. The theories contained therein were all present. It was likely published by Jiang Shen, who held the title of Erqing, during his tenure as an envoy. More than thirty years passed before I finally acquired this book. The preface and introductory remarks contain elements that seem supernatural or strange, making them difficult to accept entirely. However, the arguments presented are outstanding, profound, and lofty. By palpating the pulse and observing facial complexion, one can determine life and death. Although I dare not claim this is the authentic work of Yuanhua (Hua Tuo), if it circulates in the world and allows physicians to study and read it, the number of people saved would be considerable. Alas, there are errors and discrepancies that make it unreliable as a strict standard. Therefore, I brought the book to Yaojiang to consult Cong Lao. Cong Lao smiled and said, "This is a secret kept by my family; I did not expect it to have been printed for so long." He then produced his copy for me to borrow. Upon collating it, I realized that the Minzhong edition was imperfect. Some editions had even corrected dozens or hundreds of characters, added postscripts after the table of contents, and increased the number of prescriptions by two-thirds. The Minzhong edition also had its merits, which could help identify errors in the other six versions. For differences that should not be lightly altered, I preserved both readings. Thus, I obtained a good edition. Since the old man could not copy it himself, he asked his nephew, Wang Gai, to hand-copy it. Wang Chengfu, the Prefect of Qichun, heard of this and was delighted. He wished to have it widely printed at his administrative office to benefit future scholars and to fulfill my aspiration. The content copied by Wang Gai was taught to me face-to-face, and I record the beginning and end below. There are sixty prescriptions in total, some of which are still used in modern times. Among them, there are parts that are difficult to understand, perhaps beyond the reach of ordinary knowledge. The *Biography of Hua Tuo* states that he rarely used more than a few herbs in a prescription, so it is unclear whether this version is accurate. Those interested in this subject may use the Minzhong edition to verify it, ensuring that this version becomes worthy of transmission.