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The practice of medicine relies on mental comprehension and intuitive insight. The *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot) and *Su Wen* (Basic Questions) of the *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) are available; if one does not illuminate them through divine understanding and deep contemplation, but merely adheres rigidly to established prescriptions, it will become a scourge to the world.

Furthermore, being a physician is difficult, and treating women and children is even more so. In the past, pediatrics was referred to as the "Mute Department" because infants cannot speak; I privately believe that gynecology is similar. Infants cannot speak, while women, though capable of speech, often fail to describe their conditions in full detail. Only by relying on pulse diagnosis at the fingertips, gaining clear insight into whether the pulse matches the symptoms, can one avoid errors and mistakes.

Mr. Chen Xiuyuan from Wuhang was a Confucian scholar. From childhood, he studied the teachings of Qi Huang (Traditional Chinese Medicine), and his words immediately demonstrated his mastery of its principles. He was able to thoroughly expose the fallacies of contemporary physicians' theories and guide them back to the orthodox path. Subsequently, he entered officialdom through the imperial examinations and served as a county magistrate, using the Four Diagnostic Methods (Inspection, Auscultation/Olfaction, Inquiry, and Palpation) to assist in governing and comforting the people. People in the regions south of Yan and north of Zhao still praise him today.

Mr. Chen did not wish to keep life-saving formulas secret. He personally printed various books and left instructions for all his writings to be engraved and published. His son followed these instructions, publishing them sequentially for the benefit of the world. Now, his grandson, Xin Dian, along with others, continues this medical legacy. They have reviewed Mr. Chen's selected work, *Nüke Yaozhi* (Essentials of Gynecology), and are preparing to publish it. Given our family's long-standing friendship and correspondence over generations, they requested that I write a preface. Having always admired Mr. Chen's works, and further appreciating that his descendants have faithfully inherited the family learning and maintained a compassionate intention to help others, his merit is truly great. Not presuming upon my own limited knowledge, I have written this preface. Lin Hongnian of Houguan bows respectfully.

Xin Dian, when young, accompanied his father on duty in Zhili (North Zhili). He had the privilege of witnessing his grandfather, during his leisure time after official duties, instructing his eldest uncle to annotate the *Shanghan Lun Jianzhu* (Light Annotations on the Treatise on Cold Damage) as the first volume, and instructing his father to annotate the *Jingui Yaolue Jianzhu* (Light Annotations on the Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet) as the second volume. These annotations were clear, detailed, and explicit, intended to guide future generations. Additionally, he left behind the book *Nüke Yaozhi* (Essentials of Gynecology), instructing his father to provide rhythmic annotations, but it was not yet published. Recalling those days, while reading with my younger brother Xin Lan, we could not help but feel a sense of loss akin to frost and dew (mourning the deceased). Nearly several decades have passed in a flash. This book represents the painstaking effort and concern of our ancestor, aimed at benefiting the world. If we do not have it engraved and circulated, it would be our responsibility. Therefore, we have carefully collated it and entrusted it to the woodblock printers.

Recorded respectfully by the eldest grandson, Xin Dian, in the fifth lunar month of the Xinchou year.