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Since ancient times, beautiful opportunities have been distant and hard to encounter again; good meetings are difficult to repeat. Scholars living in such times often feel sighs for the past. There are no songs of knocking on the horn (a reference to Ning Qi seeking employment), but there is the ambition of returning home with a hoe under the moon (a reference to reclusive scholars).

Therefore, I harbor the ambition of remaining hidden in society, my mind resembling that of Chang Ju and Jie Ni; my feelings are like those of deer and elk, truly content with lush grass. Chanting softly at midnight, my heart remains clear until the morning stars appear; dreaming of life by the north window, enjoying the simplicity of the era of Fuxi. However, with the departure of the ancient sage kings, the tradition of transmitting the medicine of the five Zang organs through oral instruction has been broken, causing deep pain. This interruption... (original text has gaps) ...after verification and treatment... in daily use... this is merely the preliminary sound. Although this is inevitable, yet...

Time: The 16th day of the 5th month in the Yimao year of the Kangxi reign.
Written by Luo Mei of Xin'an at the Guhuai Hall at the foot of Yushan Mountain.

Article 1: Ancient medical texts were transmitted only to worthy individuals and not spoken to others, which shows how highly they were valued. Therefore, figures like Bian Que and Cang Gong called their prescriptions "forbidden prescriptions" and did not lightly impart them to others. Later generations, knowing the reason, found ancient prescriptions difficult to use, and instead pursued superficial knowledge to boast of quick gains; this is like a clay pot making thunderous noises (metaphor for mediocre doctors attracting attention). This compilation originally intended to place Zhang Zhongjing's prescriptions first, but fearing that people would still value them too much and thus fear or distance themselves from them, it temporarily uses daily prescriptions that are prominent and eye-catching as a guide. Once the principles of these various prescriptions are clear, one can then enter the gate of Zhang Zhongjing; this is naturally the beginning of traveling far and climbing high.

Article 2: Before the Jian'an era of the Han Dynasty, there was a hardship due to the lack of prescriptions; after the Yuanfeng era of the Song Dynasty, the *Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang* (Prescriptions of the Bureau of People's Welfare and Relief) became overly complex and miscellaneous. Spreading into modern times, where is the foundation? Where is the direction? We selected excellent prescriptions from books such as *Waitai Miyao*, as well as those of Jiegu, Dongyuan, Taiwu, and Danxi, and recorded them all. Zhang Zhongjing said: "If a learner can explore what I have collected, their understanding will be more than half complete."

Article 3: Having a prescription implies having a key (handle) for it, starting from Zhang Zhongjing; having a prescription along with commentary starts from Cheng Wuji. In the Ming Dynasty, Zhao Yi-de wrote *Jingui Yanyi*, offering commentaries on prescriptions; Wu Hegao wrote *Yifang Kao*. In recent times, physicians such as Zhang Jingyue, Zhao Yangkui, Yu Jiayan, Li Shicai, Cheng Jiaoqian, Zhang Luyu, and Cheng Fusheng have each made their own discoveries. I enjoyed collecting them. However, some selections were not precise enough, some discussions were not detailed enough, and there were also instances that did not fully satisfy me. Thus, I engaged in discussions with close colleagues, exploring the intentions of ancient authors, analyzing doubts and appreciating insights whenever possible. Seeing a glimpse of the whole, I provided separate prescriptions and supplementary commentaries, appending them to open the path for future learners. This was not done to seek fame, but rather to avoid the shame of adding inferior fur to a fine coat (a metaphor for adding poor work to someone else's excellent work).

Article 4: Disease names are numerous and incalculable. Therefore, Zhang Zhongjing divided diseases into Six Channels (Liu Jing) for treatment, bringing all hundred diseases under the Six Channels; this is a method of grasping the essentials. Later generations did not realize that the Six Channels were established for differentiating syndromes in miscellaneous diseases, mistakenly believing they were established only for Cold Damage (Shanghan). Consequently, the standard for differentiation set by Zhang Zhongjing was abandoned. If one does not understand the syndrome, one cannot understand the prescription. (The following text appears to be an interjected critique of later medical works): ...is the ancestor of the later *Ju Fang*. Although there are many discussions and broad prescriptions, without grasping the essence of treatment, it is indeed a thousand-year lost path. Successors thereafter always prized the complexity of symptom narration, the completeness of treatment methods, and the abundance of collected prescriptions, striving to surpass predecessors. They did not know that the more disease names there are, the more confused the learners become; the more complex the treatment methods and prescriptions, the less control the users have. When facing intricate and knotty conditions, trying all prescriptions leads to being at a loss. How does this compare to mastering Zhang Zhongjing's method: not searching through various diseases, but focusing on the Six Channels, achieving cure with a single dose? My friend Yunbo has explored Zhang Zhongjing's works for years, and his *Shanghan Lun Yi* offers many insights. Therefore, this compilation records his comments on Shanghan prescriptions the most, hoping that learners might see a glimpse of Zhang Zhongjing through them.

Article 5: Wu Shi's *Yifang Kao* intended to reveal the origins of prescription formulation to enlighten beginners. However, he ultimately confined himself to discussing prescriptions based on symptoms, using analogies... (text missing)... regarding prescriptions... usage... naming... (text garbled/missing).

Article 6: Commenting on prescription theories is not about literary flair. Therefore, the critiques must point out the key points and explain the reasons, to verify with like-minded colleagues. People share common views... (text cuts off).

Article 7: This selection... (text cuts off), based on years of observation, extensively searched ancient and modern famous doctors' theories, deleted and compiled the essentials, determining it as *Gujin Mingyi Huicui* (Collection of Ancient and Modern Famous Doctors' Essences), eight volumes, to serve as...