产科之有专书，始于唐杨师浓之《产乳集验方》、《太和中昝殷产宝》。总之，北宋则有李师圣之《产育
宝庆集》，沈虞卿之《卫生产科方》；南宋则有虞流之《备产济用方》，陆子正之《胎产集验方》，今皆不传，
《宝庆集维》着录。
《四库全书》从《永乐大典》录出，经陈言等增删，亦非原本。医书之鲜善本久矣，产科其尤甚者也。
《卫生家宝产科备要》八卷，宋朱瑞章辑《宋史艺文志》篇，于录明《文渊阁书》目亦有其书。
《四库全书》未收阮文达，亦未见钱遵王，《读书敏术》记载有宋本，于瑞章仕历则未详也。朱瑞章，福
建长乐县人，淳熙中知江西南康军，宽以爱民，廉以律己，护设官田于白鹿洞学以赡四方。来学人着有《卫生
家宝方》六卷，《卫生小儿方》一卷，《卫生家宝汤方》二卷及此书，见《宋史艺文志》、《乾隆江西通志》。
盖南宋良吏有心于济世救民者，非医士也。卷一入月安产法、体元子借地法、逐月藏衣、游神法，本之《外台
秘要》；禁草、禁水、催生符法出《圣济总录》。卷二、卷三，皆采之孙真人《千金方》。卷四全录《产育宝
庆集》张世臣《累用经效方》。卷五则采之泸江助教刘宝经验名方者居多。卷六则全录《备产济用方》及许叔
微《本事方》中胎产诸方；卷七则全录《胎产经验方》。卷八则杂采葛氏时后、巢氏病源、千金、外台、圣惠、
万全小儿集验、婴童宝鉴。钱乙、张涣诸书保育小儿诸法。李、陆两集赖此以存虞张之方，尤为自来着录所罕
见。洵乎产科之荟萃，医家之指南也。予少多疾病，喜读方书，每当众论荆棘之时，略试其技，亦尝奏效。妇
人小儿望问皆穷，尤难制剂。丙子之岁细君临娩，胎死腹中，三日不下，诸医束手。甲申九月，家妇将娩而疟
作，疟发之际心痛欲死，医亦无策。余细心诊问，博考方书，幸赖此书，
转危为安。细君惩勇付梓爰雕印，以广其传。差乎，秦汉以来，医书经林亿、孙兆校定未必君合于古德，犹无
大失也。明人一再重刊，无不妄删、妄改，袭谬承讹，固已失之毫厘，缪以千里。而况庸人，以医为市，目不
知书，迂儒食古不化，刻舟求剑乎。以此治疾，是益之危而速之死也。妇科为医家九科之一，产又妇科之一端，
自束实鲜，专书即有亦鲜善本。是编采摭宏富，持择精详，所愿家置一编而深求之，于保产全婴之道，其庶几乎。
光绪十三年岁在疆梧大渊献壮月既死霸
诰援荣禄大夫三品顶戴前分巡广东南韶连兵备道兼管水利太平关监督加四级归安陆心源书于穣梨馆
The compilation of specialized books on obstetrics began with Yang Shinong's *Chanru Jiyan Fang* (Collected Effective Prescriptions for Childbirth and Lactation) in the Tang Dynasty, and Zan Yin's *Chanbao* (Obstetric Treasure) during the Taihe era of Emperor Zhongzong. In summary, during the Northern Song Dynasty, there were Li Shisheng's *Chanyu Baoqing Ji* (Collection for Producing Treasure and Peace), and Shen Yuqing's *Weisheng Chanke Fang* (Prescriptions for Obstetrics in Hygiene); during the Southern Song Dynasty, there were Yu Liu's *Beichan Jiyong Fang* (Prescriptions for Preparing for Childbirth and Meeting Needs), and Lu Zizheng's *Taichan Jiyan Fang* (Collected Effective Prescriptions for Fetal Production). These works are now lost, with only *Baoqing Ji* being recorded in bibliographies.
*Siku Quanshu* (Complete Library of the Four Treasuries) was extracted from *Yongle Dadian*, but after additions and deletions by Chen Yan and others, it is no longer the original text. It has long been rare to find good editions of medical books, and this is especially true for obstetrics.
*Weisheng Jiabao Chanke Beiyao* (Essential Readiness for Obstetrics as a Family Treasure of Hygiene) consists of eight volumes, compiled by Zhu Ruizhang of the Song Dynasty. It is recorded in *Song Shi Yiwenzhi* (Bibliography of the History of Song) and also appears in the Ming Dynasty's *Wenyuan Ge Shumu* (Catalogue of the Wenyuan Pavilion Library).
It was not included in *Siku Quanshu*. Ruan Yuan (courtesy name Wendá) had not seen it either. Qian Zeng (courtesy name Zunwang) recorded a Song edition in *Dushu Minqiuji* (Records of Reading Books with Sensitivity), but details regarding Zhu Ruizhang's official career remain unknown. Zhu Ruizhang was from Changle County, Fujian. During the Chunxi era, he served as the Prefect of Nankang Army in Jiangxi. He was known for his leniency in loving the people and integrity in disciplining himself. He established official fields at Bailudong Academy to support scholars from all directions. He authored *Weisheng Jiabao Fang* (Six Volumes), *Weisheng Xia'er Fang* (One Volume), *Weisheng Jiabao Tangfang* (Two Volumes), and this book, all of which are cited in *Song Shi Yiwenzhi* and *Qianjiang Jiangxi Tongzhi* (General Gazetteer of Jiangxi, Qianlong Era). He was likely a benevolent official in the Southern Song Dynasty who was dedicated to saving the world and rescuing the people, rather than merely a physician.
Volume One includes methods for safe childbirth upon entering the month, Ti Yuanzi's method of borrowing land, storing clothes monthly, and wandering spirit rituals, based on *Waitai Miyao* (Secret Essentials of the Outer Cabinet); prohibitions against grass and water, and talismanic methods for inducing labor, are taken from *Shengji Zonglu* (General Records of Sacred Medicine). Volumes Two and Three are all excerpted from Sun Simiao's (*Sun Zhenren*) *Qianjin Fang* (Thousand Golden Formulas). Volume Four fully records Zhang Shichen's *Leiyong Jingxiao Fang* (Frequently Used and Highly Effective Prescriptions) from *Chanyu Baoqing Ji*. Volume Five mainly extracts famous experienced prescriptions from Liu Bao, Assistant Instructor of Lu River. Volume Six fully records *Beichan Jiyong Fang* and various fetal production prescriptions from Xu Shuwei's *Benshi Fang* (Prescriptions from Personal Experiences); Volume Seven fully records *Taichan Jingyan Fang* (Experienced Prescriptions for Fetal Production). Volume Eight eclectically gathers methods for nurturing children from works by Ge Hong (Ge Shi), Chao Yuanfang's *Bingyuan* (Source of Diseases), *Qianjin Fang*, *Waitai Miyao*, *Shenghui Fang*, *Wanquan Xia'er Jiyan* (Collected Experiences for Children's Health), *Yingtong Baojian*, Qian Yi, and Zhang Huan. The collections of Li and Lu are preserved through this book, and the prescriptions of Yu and Zhang are particularly rare in historical bibliographies. Indeed, this is a compendium of obstetrics and a guide for physicians.
In my youth, I suffered from many illnesses and enjoyed reading medical formula books. Whenever public opinion was contentious and thorny, I would slightly try my skills and often achieved results. However, observation and inquiry for women and children are often exhaustive and difficult, making the preparation of medicines especially hard. In the Bingzi year, my wife went into labor, but the fetus died in the womb and did not come out for three days; all physicians were at a loss. In September of the Jiashen year, my daughter-in-law was about to give birth when malaria struck. During the fever attacks, she suffered heart pain nearly to death, and the doctors had no strategy. I carefully diagnosed and inquired, extensively consulting medical texts. Fortunately relying on this book, we turned danger into safety. My wife urged me to have it printed, so I commissioned woodblock printing to spread its transmission.
Alas, since the Qin and Han dynasties, medical books revised by Lin Yi and Sun Zhao may not perfectly align with ancient virtues, yet they were not greatly flawed. Ming dynasty reprints involved arbitrary deletions and alterations, perpetuating errors and falsehoods, already deviating by a hair's breadth and resulting in a thousand-mile error. Moreover, mediocre people treat medicine as a marketplace, ignorant of books, while pedantic scholars fail to adapt ancient knowledge, acting like those carving a mark on a boat to find their sword. Using such methods to treat diseases only increases danger and hastens death. Gynecology is one of the nine departments of medicine, and obstetrics is a subset of gynecology. Since the establishment of formal education, specialized books have been scarce, and even fewer good editions exist. This compilation is rich in collection and precise in selection. I hope every household will possess a copy and study it deeply; then the principles of protecting childbirth and preserving infants will be largely mastered.
On the 16th day of the seventh lunar month in the Gui Si year (1887), during the reign of Guangxu, Lu Xinyuan of Gu'an, conferred the title of Ronglu Daifu (Grand Master of Honor), wearing a third-rank cap, former Inspector of the Nan-Shao-Lian Circuit in Guangdong, concurrently managing water conservancy and Taiping Pass supervision, with four additional ranks, wrote this at the Rangli Pavilion.