Library

Xu Sizong was skilled in medicine. He said: "When treating diseases and prescribing medicines, if only one herb is used to attack the disease, the medicinal qi will be pure and the recovery will be faster. Nowadays, people often increase the number of herbs to seek success by chance, causing other herbs to restrain each other, preventing them from exerting their full force."

I observe: Using a single herb as a simple prescription (Danfang) for mild and superficial symptoms is certainly feasible. Ancient prescriptions such as Banxia Shumi Tang (Pinellia and Millet Decoction), Jishi Li (Chicken Dropping Wine), and Queluan Wan (Sparrow Egg Pill) found in *Huangdi Neijing* (The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) were not exclusively single-herb formulas. However, in Sun Simiao's *Qianjin Fang* (Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold) and Wang Tao's *Waitai Miyao* (Secret Essentials of the Outer Palace), the use of multiple herbs is abundant, much like Han Xin (Marquis of Huaiyin) deploying troops: the more, the better. As long as they are applied according to the syndrome, the response is immediate, so why should there be mutual restraint simply because of the large number of herbs?

The sage kings and virtuous ministers of ancient times began by distinguishing herbal flavors and investigating the causes of diseases to save people from ailments; how could this be considered a trivial pursuit? The *Rites of Zhou* established the official position of Siyi (Director of Physicians). At the end of each year, they would review medical cases: ten cures with no errors were rated superior, ten cures with one error were rated secondary, and ten cures with four errors were rated inferior. In ancient history, those recorded in historical biographies were limited to figures such as Cang Gong, Bian Que, Chunyu Yi, and Hua Tuo. During the Wei, Jin dynasties and the Ming Dynasty, those recorded in biographies of arts and skills numbered no more than a hundred when counted on fingers. Thus, it can be seen that becoming a famous physician and having works passed down through generations is indeed difficult! Why are there so many physicians nowadays? There must be an explanation. Given the vastness of the world, let alone the metropolises, in remote villages, if one insists on finding a physician comparable to the famous doctors of antiquity to provide treatment, unless one could transform into millions of bodies, how could they cover every place? Under such circumstances, people are forced to choose convenient, nearby options, either inviting or visiting, to seek medical attention.

Those who practice medicine today often started by studying for the imperial examinations but failed, lacked capital for commerce, were physically weak for farming, or looked down upon manual labor. Consequently, they casually selected easy-to-understand and easy-to-see medical formularies, memorizing them from spring to summer. Those with slightly better intelligence used patients as targets for practice, gradually learning to distinguish right from wrong. The foolish ones merely copied patterns blindly; even until death, they achieved nothing. Historically, figures like Di Lianggong (Di Renjie), who treated difficult childbirth via acupuncture, and Hailing Wang Zuan, who treated demonic possession, were all renowned ministers of their generation, yet they were not professionals dedicated solely to this trade. What divine skill did their techniques rely upon? I wish that among the people of the world, those who have learned but are indifferent to fame and official rank, or those who have a profession but do not seek mere livelihood, would take advantage of their youth and sharp minds. They should extensively study the teachings of ancient sages and worthies, visit families with profound understanding and attainment, delve into the essence of medical knowledge, and aspire to save and assist others, thereby becoming benevolent individuals of their era. Is this achievable? Is this achievable?