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Medicine is but one of the nine schools of thought, yet it can rescue those from premature death and bring peace and health, elevating people to a realm of longevity and compensating for the deficiencies of Creation; its merit is indeed vast. However, if the Five Phases (Wu Xing) are mastered, premature death can be prolonged; if Yin and Yang are not clearly distinguished, a life that could have been extended will become short. Prudence lies in the smallest steps, yet a slight error leads to results as distant as those between Yan and Yue; how awe-inspiring this is!

Cold and heat are both pernicious qi (pathogenic climatic factors) of Heaven and Earth. The diseases of Cold Injury (Shanghan) and Heat Injury (Shangshu) are both capable of causing death or saving lives through these pernicious qi. The theories in *Suwen* regarding etiology by cold and heat are clear and serve as a standard for all generations. However, treatises on Cold Injury were initiated by Zhang Zhongjing (Zhang Changsha), detailed by Zhu Gong (Zhu Nanyang), and subjected to repeated, precise analysis by Tao Hua (Tao Jie'an). Their complete works are as clear as rows of eyebrows, allowing students to rely on texts and follow prescriptions for treatment, thus often achieving efficacy.

As for the syndrome of Heat Injury, medical books list it only as a minor item, and the world generally neglects it. Upon encountering such a case, practitioners usually mistake it for Cold Injury and administer dispersing formulas. Sometimes, patients are covered with extra clothing and blankets to induce sweating, and in severe cases, moxibustion causes injury or even death. Such instances occur frequently without realization; is this not tragic?

When I was a student, in the summer of the Wuzi year of the Wanli era, I suffered from this disease. My condition was critical, with weak breath and confused mind. Quack doctors believed it was an internal injury to the Spleen and Stomach, while others attributed it to exhaustion from labor. I could barely sustain myself. Dr. Wang Yunshi from Huizhou happened to be nearby. Frowning, he said, "Heart vexation and a greasy facial complexion indicate a Heat Injury syndrome." Why did so many misdiagnose? Those who heard his diagnosis were startled. In my confusion, I gained slight clarity and followed his advice. After taking Yiyuan San (Benefit Prime Powder) for two doses, I regained consciousness, and subsequently recovered after several doses of Jiawei Xiangru Yin (Modified Elsholtzia Decoction). Thus, I wrote an article titled "Differentiation of Cold Injury and Heat Injury," which was printed and distributed during the hot months, along with the administration of medicine. Its rapid effect was like an echo in a valley. I then vowed to collect various books and compile a complete volume to benefit the world.

Fearing that my experience was insufficient to hit the mark, I planned to begin writing only after age fifty. In the Wushen year, I requested leave due to eye trouble while serving as a Director in the Shaanxi Department of the Ministry of Revenue. Secluding myself for quiet recuperation, I devoted myself to studying the teachings of Life and Nature, as well as the Huangdi Neijing and Laozi. Day and night, immersed in study with no leisure, I would burn incense and sit alone, occasionally entering a state of inner vision within the circle of enlightenment, remaining undistracted for a hundred days. After my eyes healed, until the Renxu year of the Tianqi era, inspired by the teaching of an Immortal Master, I sat at my desk with ancient masters' works, referencing and compiling them into this volume.

After more than ten years of effort, comprising approximately twenty thousand characters, divided into upper and lower volumes, the discussions consist of common language, avoiding profound obscurity to facilitate understanding by physicians. The formulas mostly adhere to ancient methods without novelty, but they are effective when suited to the syndrome. Just as beans and millet are ordinary yet nourishing when consumed at the right time, restoring harmony to the body, the key lies in exerting effort at the crossroads of life and death (like the divergence between Yan and Yue). Maintaining humility, eliminating jealousy, clarifying the mind to observe principles, and carefully differentiating syndromes before prescribing medication constitute the highest strategy of medicine. This concerns not only the physician's heart. Deficiency and Excess are opposites; rigidity and flexibility are conflicting; these are the major keys to success and failure in ancient and modern times. Those who hold state power and those who plan national affairs bear the safety of the nation and the lifelines of the people. Can their humble hearts and flexible wisdom be ignored? Therefore, I extend this discussion from medicine.

Written by Zhang Heteng, a Jinshi degree recipient, Fengzheng Dafu (Counselor), Director of the Shaanxi Department of the Ministry of Revenue, from Ying Commandery, on the first day of the first month of the Tianqi Era, Year Guihai.