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I have heard that Qin Yueren treated sores and ulcers with "Zhi Feng Luan" (a specific medicinal preparation). Yu Fu treated sores and ulcers with "Lin La Gui Zhi" (another specific medicinal preparation). When the technique is noble, the medicine is extraordinary. My elder kinsman, Gong Douyuan, was a Confucian scholar in his early years who wandered as a knight-errant in Jiankang (modern Nanjing). He visited famous scenic spots such as Niushou Mountain, Yanji, and Qixia Maoyundong. He often met unusual people who taught him unusual prescriptions. He knew the art of ascending to immortality while alive. Thus, he despised and looked down upon Confucianism, and occasionally glimpsed into medicine through this background. He was especially proficient in external medicine (Waike). His prescriptions were hidden in his sleeve (referring to secret medical knowledge carried on one's person), yet he did much good for people. People could not fathom his secrets. When tested, the results were invariably miraculous, saving countless lives. Gong had a handsome and vigorous demeanor, with bright and shining eyes; from a single glance, one could tell he was no ordinary person. Approaching the age of sixty or seventy, he disdained being ordered about by others. I, your humble younger brother, once attended upon him. He said, "Do you understand medicine? Medicine lies in mental comprehension. One who grasps the essence needs no fixed methods, let alone fixed prescriptions." However, Qin Yueren was renowned as a divine physician precisely because he first received forbidden prescriptions from Changsang Jun. Why discard prescriptions? Modern physicians are confused and ignorant, mostly unworthy even of a smile. Some claim to follow their own minds, deviating from the teachings of Qi Bo, Lei Gong, Bian Que, and Hua Tuo, acting arbitrarily. They plagiarize old words and call them divine; this is absurd. To follow one's own mind and despise the ancients is the height of absurdity. Rather than following one own mind, it is better to adhere to prescriptions. Rather than adhering to prescriptions, it is better to exhaustively investigate principles. Principles are profound and mysterious. The roles of Sovereign, Minister, Assistant, and Courier (Jun-Chen-Zuo-Shi) vary in application. Cold, Heat, Deficiency, and Excess require different balances. Dosages vary in quantity and weight according to appropriateness. Systems of excess and subjugation differ in regulation. One should neither be bound by prescriptions nor completely detached from them. The subtlety lies in comprehending the essence; this is what is meant by the Mysterious Dao residing here. Thus, he compiled a volume titled *Waike Qixuan* (Enlightenment of External Medicine). I, your humble younger brother, held this volume and completed my studies. It contains over 120 discussions, over 230 categories of toxic eruptions, and over 1,000 prescriptions. Divided into twelve volumes, combined into one compilation. He did not wish to keep the secrets hidden in his sleeve but intended to have them printed and published, making the knowledge available to all, hoping to lead the world into an era of longevity. Gong’s secret practice of goodness benefited those learning medicine. How deep and sincere is his benevolent heart! It is not merely that his techniques are noble and medicines extraordinary. I recall that our clan originated from Xuanyuan (Yellow Emperor), the ancestor of medicine. During the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty, Jinshi Qin Zhi ascended to immortality while alive and was bestowed the title "Miaoji Lingxiu Zhenren," becoming our ancestral figure in the genealogy. Other virtues of civil and military loyalty and filial piety need not be discussed here. Given that Gong knew the art of ascending to immortality, and that *Waike Qixuan*, along with the previously published *Shanghan Guanshe Xinfa* (Heart Method of Observing Tongue in Cold Damage), are now in circulation, is he truly a descendant of Xuanyuan? Or is it true that where ancestors’ sacred origins lie, descendants will inevitably arise who emulate them to continue the glorious legacy? This is indeed not false. Gong’s surname is Shen, given name Gongchen, courtesy name Zijie, and pseudonym Douyuan. He entrusted me, your humble younger brother, to write the postscript. As we share the same lineage, I dare not decline due to my literary inadequacy, and thus presumptuously wrote this preface.
In the thirty-second year of Wanli, in the year Jia Chen. On an auspicious day of the ninth month. Your humble younger brother, Shen Wuchang, respectfully composed.