夫外台者，刺史之任也；秘要者，秘密、枢要之谓也。唐王焘台阁二十余年，久知弘文
馆，得古今方，上自神农，下及唐世，无不采摭，集成经方四十卷，皆诸方秘密枢要也。以
出守于外，故号曰《外台秘要方》，凡一千一百单四门，以巢氏《病源》、诸家论辨各冠其
首，一家之学，不为不详。王氏为儒者，医道虽未及孙思邈，然而采取诸家之方颇得其要者，
亦崔氏、孟诜之流也。且古之如张仲景、《集验》、《短剧方》，最为名家，今多亡逸，
方中，亦不能别白，王氏编次，各题名号，使后之学人，皆知所出，此其所长也。又谓针能
杀生人，不能起死人，其法云亡且久，故取灸而不取针，亦医家之蔽也。此方撰集之时，或
得缺落之书，因其阙文、义理不完者多矣。又自唐历五代，传写其本，讹舛尤甚，虽鸿都秘
府，亦无善本。国家诏儒臣较正医书，臣承命，以其书方证之重者，删去以从其简；经书之
异者，注解以着其详，鲁鱼豕亥，焕然明白。臣谓三代而下，文物之盛者，必曰西汉，止以
侍医李柱国较方技，亦未尝命儒臣也。臣虽滥吹儒学，但尽所闻见，以修正之，有所阙疑，
以待来哲。总四十卷，并目录一卷。恭惟主上盛德承统，深仁流化，颁此方论，惠及区宇，
赞天地之生育，正万物之性命，使岁无疵疠，人不夭横，熙熙然歌乐于圣造者也。
前将仕郎守殿中丞同较正医书臣孙兆谨上
The term "Waitai" (Outer Platform) refers to the position of a Cishi (provincial governor); the term "Miyao" (Secret Essentials) refers to secret and pivotal content. Wang Tao of the Tang Dynasty served in the imperial court for over twenty years, working long-term at the Hongwen Academy. He collected prescriptions from ancient times up to the Tang era, compiling them into forty volumes of classic formulas, all of which represent the secret and pivotal aspects of various medical texts. Because he was appointed as a provincial governor outside the capital, the book was titled *Waitai Miyao Fang* (Prescriptions of the Secret Essentials from the Outer Platform). It contains 1,104 categories, with Chao Yuanfang's *Zhubing Yuanhou Lun* (Treatise on the Pathogenesis and Manifestations of All Diseases) and discussions from various schools placed at the beginning of each section, making this single compilation extremely comprehensive. Wang Tao was a Confucian scholar; although his medical expertise did not reach the level of Sun Simiao, his collection of prescriptions from various schools captured their essentials, placing him among figures like Cui Shi and Meng Shen. Furthermore, ancient works such as those by Zhang Zhongjing, *Jiyan Fang*, and *Duanju Fang* were highly regarded by famous masters, but most have since been lost, and it is difficult to distinguish them within later formula books. Wang Tao’s editorial method involved clearly titling and naming each source, allowing later students to know their origins, which is his strength. He also held the view that acupuncture could kill living people but could not revive the dead, and since this technique had been lost for a long time, he chose to include only moxibustion methods and exclude acupuncture, which represents a limitation in medical practice. When this work was compiled, some incomplete books may have been obtained, resulting in many textual gaps and incomplete logical explanations. Moreover, from the Tang Dynasty through the Five Dynasties, repeated copying led to severe errors; even the imperial secret archives lacked good editions. The state decreed that Confucian scholars should collate medical texts. I, receiving this mandate, deleted less important formula cases to simplify the text and added annotations to clarify differences in canonical texts, making originally confused characters clear and distinct. I believe that after the Three Dynasties, the period of greatest cultural prosperity was the Western Han Dynasty, where only the Imperial Physician Li Zhuguo collated medical techniques, without assigning Confucian scholars to the task. Although I merely pretend to proficiency in Confucian studies, I have done my best to correct the text based on what I have heard and seen. Any missing or doubtful parts are left for future sages to supplement. The total comprises forty volumes, plus one volume of table of contents. Reverently, we acknowledge that Your Majesty, inheriting the throne with great virtue, spreads profound benevolence and transformation. By promulgating these formula treatises, grace extends throughout the realm, praising the creative power of Heaven and Earth, rectifying the life and nature of all things, ensuring no pestilence occurs annually and no one suffers premature death, so that people may joyfully sing praises of the Sage's creation.
Sun Zhao, former Jiangshilang (Official Rank), Acting Diangezhen (Palace Attendant), and Collator of Medical Texts, respectfully submits.