今之论医者曰。中医善治内证。西医长于外科。询其何以知其然也。则曰。西医精解剖断截湔洗。目为常事耳。是
言也。谓目下之中医则可。谓古昔之中医则不可。盖古之医师类多解此。扁鹊华佗。尤其着者。试读山西医学杂志。（纂
辑中西解剖病理）一通。当知吾言之非妄。然斯妙法神技。何为不传至今日而与西人颉颃耶。曰守秘而已。
余谓中医之日渐陵替。西医之月异日新。其因虽有种种。而守秘与公开。实为至大之原。盖学理以研究而愈明。方
剂以试用而的知。设有新理长方。惟知自秘。不肯公布。微特不能更有发明。即此一端。亦必终归湮没。吾国医界。不
明乎此。以致古医麻醉刳剥之术。失传于后世。反使西医后进。矜炫其法。抚今思昔。能毋慨欤。为今之计。亟宜开诚
布公。相互研求。一扫向日守秘之恶习。则中华医学。庶有豸乎。
凌师晓五。有清吴郡之名医也。学问渊博。精验宏富。家藏医书。奚啻万卷。胥熟读精思。舍短取长。故为人治病。
辄多奇效。惜冗于诊务。乏暇着述。所作仅数种耳。《医学薪传》。《饲鹤亭集方》。已由哲嗣合刊流传。尚有《方外奇方》。
《凌临灵方》。《本草害利》等书。未付剞劂。今岁裘公有三三医书之创刊。圭思中医外科之见拙于人。长由外科佳籍鲜
于流通所致。奚将凌师方外奇方一书。商诸裘公。编入印行。并缀数语。以告世医。至本书所列各方。实凌氏一生经验
之所萃。用者自知其妙无待不佞之喋喋也。
民国十三祀四月。沈仲圭谨序。
Those who discuss medicine today say: "Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) excels in treating internal diseases, while Western medicine is proficient in surgery." When asked how they know this, the reply is: "Western medicine is precise in anatomy, amputation, and wound debridement; these are considered routine matters." This statement may apply to contemporary TCM, but it cannot be applied to ancient TCM. In fact, physicians of old were mostly versed in such skills. Bian Que and Hua Tuo are particularly notable examples. If one reads an issue of the *Shanxi Medical Journal* (which compiles中西 anatomical and pathological knowledge), one will realize that my words are not baseless. However, why did these miraculous methods and divine techniques not survive to the present day to compete with Westerners? The answer lies in secrecy.
I believe that the gradual decline of TCM and the日新月异 (rapid daily changes) development of Western medicine have various causes, but the dichotomy between "secrecy" and "openness" is the most significant factor. Medical theories become clearer through research, and prescriptions are validated through clinical trial. If new theories and formulas are kept secret rather than published, not only will no further innovations occur, but even existing knowledge will inevitably fade into oblivion. Our nation's medical community fails to understand this, leading to the loss of ancient anesthesia and dissection techniques in later generations, while allowing Western practitioners to boast about their methods. Reflecting on the present and contemplating the past, can one help but sigh? The current solution is to act with sincerity and openness, engage in mutual research, and eradicate the bad habit of secrecy. Only then might there be hope for Chinese medicine.
Master Ling Xiaowu was a renowned physician in Suzhou during the Qing Dynasty. He possessed profound learning and rich, verified clinical experience. His family collection of medical books numbered in the tens of thousands, all of which he studied thoroughly and reflected upon deeply, discarding shortcomings and adopting strengths. Consequently, his treatments often yielded miraculous effects. Regrettably, burdened by clinical duties, he lacked time for writing, producing only a few works. *Medical Heritage* (*Yixue Xinchuan*) and *Collected Prescriptions from the Crane-Feeding Pavilion* (*Si Heting Jifang*) have been compiled and circulated by his son. Other works, including *Extraordinary Prescriptions Beyond the World* (*Fangwai Qifang*), *Ling Lin Ling Fang*, and *Benefits and Harms of Materia Medica* (*Bencao Haili*), remain unpublished. This year, Mr. Qiu launched the *San San Medical Books* series. Considering that TCM surgery appears inferior largely due to the scarcity of circulating excellent surgical texts, I consulted Mr. Qiu regarding Master Ling's *Extraordinary Prescriptions Beyond the World*, arranging for its compilation and publication, adding a few words to inform practicing physicians. The prescriptions listed in this book represent the culmination of Master Ling's lifelong experience. Users will appreciate their efficacy without need for my verbose explanations.
Prefaced respectfully by Shen Zhonggui in the fourth month of the 13th year of the Republic of China (1924).