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Zhang Zhongjing stated in the *Treatise on Cold Pathogenic Diseases* (*Shanghan Lun*): "When a person falls ill, if it is not treated promptly, and one endures the condition hoping for spontaneous recovery, it will develop into an entrenched disease. This aggravation is even more pronounced in children and women. When the body's constitution is out of harmony with the seasonal qi, one should inform the physician early. If treatment is not initiated promptly, the healthy qi (*Zhenqi*) will be depleted, and pathogenic factors (*Xieqi*) will begin to stir. At this stage, one should not fear labor or avoid day and night, but treat immediately; then the efficacy of herbal medicine (*Yaowu*), acupuncture (*Zhenjiu*), and moxibustion (*Ai*) will surely be easily achieved. Otherwise, if the patient endures for several days before reporting the illness, the pathogenic factors will be at their peak, and the disease will be at its most severe stage. Treatment applied after such progression will inevitably be difficult to effect. The *Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon* (*Huangdi Neijing*) states: 'The skilled healer treats when the pathogen is in the skin and hair (maopi); the next best is treating when it is in the muscles and skin (jifu); then when it is in the six fu organs (liufu); and lastly when it is in the five zang organs (wuzang). Those whose diseases reach the five zang organs have a fifty-fifty chance of survival.' This is precisely what is meant. In the past, Guan Yu (Marquis Huanhou) neglected a minor ailment in his skin, which eventually led to disease penetrating to the bone marrow. What use would regret be then? In the spring of the Wuwu year, peach and plum blossoms had just begun to bloom, yet heavy snow fell, accumulating to about one cun thick. An old gardener immediately instructed his entire family to take sticks and beat the trees, shaking off all the snow. He also burned bundles of straw beneath them to dissipate the cold, ensuring that the harmonious qi (*Chonghe zhi qi*) of the trees was not injured and could recover. That year, the fruits of other orchards indeed failed to mature, while only this gardener's trees yielded a bumper harvest. Alas, if fruit trees' ailments can be managed without loss through timely treatment, how much more so should human illnesses be treated early? Thus, the *Jinkui Yufan Jing* states: 'As long as the vital signs remain stable and the physical appearance has not yet manifested pathological changes, and the pathogen has not entered the couli (interstices), timely application of acupuncture and herbs can regulate the floating pulse. Entrusting oneself to a competent physician ensures that no disease remains incurable.'

Mr. Luo Qianfu’s book, *Weisheng Baojian*, categorizes topics meticulously and covers details comprehensively. However, regarding methods for treating cold damage (*Shanghan*), although some are recorded, they are not fully included. This is likely because the principles and subtleties of this category are profound and difficult to exhaustively enumerate. Moreover, the profound mysteries and essential teachings are already fully contained in the works of Zhang Zhongjing and famous physicians of subsequent generations. Mr. Luo’s intention was to encourage those knowledgeable in medicine to study and explore deeply, thereby hopefully grasping the core secrets. Nevertheless, he remained concerned that in remote regions, when sudden illnesses occur, physicians might struggle to find the complete text for reference. Therefore, he briefly listed empirical formulas from Zhang Zhongjing and others for treating internal injury (*Neishang*) and external contraction (*Waigan*), as well as formulas for heatstroke (*Zhongshu*), appending them to the end of the volume under the title "Supplementary Material" (*Buyi*). This aims to prevent rash and careless individuals from administering drugs blindly and harming patients. For those wishing to explore the subject to its utmost extent, there exist complete texts containing Zhang Zhongjing’s 397 methods and 113 formulas for external contraction, Li Dongyuan’s three stages (early, middle, late) of treatment for internal injury, and the formula discussions of famous physicians throughout history. Diligent study and application of these treatments to preserve life embody the heart of a benevolent practitioner. It is not possible to recount everything here.