Library

I remained in Yuan due to official business. I came to know that Mr. Shen Douyuan was proficient in the principles of Yangsheng (nourishing life), and particularly skilled in Waike (surgery). Consequently, he authored "Waike Qixuan" (Enlightenment on Surgery) himself, comprising twelve volumes.

Mr. Shen Yiru, the younger brother of Mr. Shen's clan, served as my staff member. He frequently praised his elder cousin, Mr. Shen Douyuan, for having received extraordinary prescriptions from an unusual person. Upon reading this manuscript, I found him truly to be an unusual person. He did not discard any prescriptions. For a physician, having prescriptions is like a craftsman having compasses and squares, a cart having wheel tracks, or a hunter having traps and nets; how can prescriptions be discarded? Moreover, nourishing life is akin to governing the people: it is merely about removing harm. The discussions compiled by Mr. Shen number nearly one hundred; the categories of toxic eruptions collected amount to nearly three hundred; the corresponding prescriptions verified total over a thousand entries. It took more than ten years to compile them into a volume. He organized these concepts within his mind, structured them according to the classics of Qi Bo and Huang Di (founders of Traditional Chinese Medicine), searched through the Four Categories and hundreds of schools of thought, and finally distilled the essence while discarding the superfluous. Each aspect had its appropriate application. In the human body, blood, qi, and fluids flow freely; if sores or ulcers occur, they spread and coagulate, causing suffering to the patient. With the help of Mr. Shen's book, treatment can be provided before the disease arises, and health restored when it is about to manifest. Preserving this book allows the citizens of the capital to thrive in peace and tranquility like spring sunshine. Public acclaim has reached my ears daily, growing ever more vigorous and renewed. This is indeed the extraordinary prescription of an unusual person. Seeing his demeanor, with his full face and flourishing beard and hair, he is indeed an unusual person. Mr. Shen does not need my words to appreciate his talent; musk is fragrant without wind, and pearls are charming without adornment. Why would he need my words? Having known him through Mr. Yiru, and further understanding him through personal observation, I confirm his proficiency in Yangsheng and his expertise in Waike (surgery). When I previously encountered patients with sores, I would furrow my brow in distress and look away in helplessness, unable to bear their suffering. By publishing "Waike Qixuan," he extends his compassionate heart to the world, so that the world may no longer suffer from sores. I dare not withhold my words, thus placing them at the beginning of this compilation. As the ancients said, "If one cannot be a good prime minister, one should be a good physician." Mr. Shen is certainly among the best physicians. Advancing further, he becomes a King of Physicians, a Medicinal Sage, a King of Medicine, or a Divine Worker of Medicine; achieving longevity and enduring vision is but a trivial matter. I eagerly await Mr. Shen's progress. Strive on!

Written on the first day of the ninth lunar month in the Jiachen year of the Wanli era (1604)
Chu Chunchen (Courtesy name: Yizhong), a Jinshi degree holder, Wenlin Lang (Literary Grove Gentleman), Censor of the Ministry of War in Nanjing, from Wujiang.