Library

My grandfather, Mr. Beishan, possessed profound knowledge in both Confucianism and medicine. His writings, including *Shanghan Zabing* (Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases), *Ke Lun Zhu* (Commentary on the Treatise on Cough), *Nie Lun Zhu* (Commentary on the Treatise on Malaria), and *Guang Wenyi Lun* (Expanded Treatise on Pestilential Diseases), totaling over ten volumes, were meticulously copied in running-regular script by my late uncle, Mr. Xuecun, and kept in our family archives. Recently, a four-volume edition titled *Wenyi Mingbian* (Clear Distinction of Pestilence) was published by bookshops. After purchasing and reading it, I realized this was actually my grandfather's *Guang Wenyi Lun* from his "Cuncun Study Room." Although the title had been changed, fortunately, the text itself had not been tampered with. However, it was mistakenly attributed to a person named Zheng from She County. While my grandfather would not have cared about such matters, as his descendants, we could not allow this error to stand. Therefore, I produced the original manuscript from the Cuncun Study Room, proofread it, and arranged for its printing to correct false transmissions and promote my ancestor's virtue. This leads me to sigh: regarding the *Shanghan Lun* (Treatise on Cold Damage), there are hundreds of commentators; it was Cheng Jiaoqian who truly broke new ground. Later, Ke Yunbo from Cixi published *Lunyi*, making the commentaries on *Shanghan* seem exhaustive. As for pestilential diseases, there were no dedicated ancient texts until Wu Keyou emerged, who also broke new ground. With the subsequent appearance of my grandfather's book, the literature on pestilential diseases can now be considered complete. Some matters indeed require thousands of years of evolution before reaching a balanced consensus; this is one such case. How fortunate are the people when sages and worthies are born in every generation!

Recorded respectfully by grandson Zu Qi
On the second day after the full moon in the seventh month of autumn, in the year Renyin of the 47th year of Qianlong

The pathogenic factors of the Six Excesses (Wind, Cold, Summerheat, Dampness, Dryness, Fire) invading humans cause disease, among which Cold is particularly severe. Wind is characterized by rapid movement and change, with a fierce and urgent momentum; Cold has the nature of contraction and restriction, being solid and coagulating. Consequently, illnesses caused by these pathogens do not grant any leniency and manifest their harm very quickly. Various medical texts all list Stroke (Zhongfeng) and Cold Damage (Shanghan) as the first categories to instruct later learners. Practitioners devote themselves to Wind and Cold, expanding upon them to cover various diseases through analogy and extension, theoretically encompassing everything. However, if one adheres rigidly to these methods, one risks the folly of carving a mark on a moving boat to find the sword, leaving many conditions unaddressed. Although Zhang Zhongjing of Changsha provided foundational theories, the numerous commentaries by later scholars led to ambiguity in direction, causing conditions like Damp-Warmth (Shiwen) and Seasonal Epidemics (Shiyi) to be neglected. It was not until the publication of Wu Keyou's *Wenyi Lun* that people began to understand that epidemics share a similar origin with Cold Damage but follow a different course, and thus cannot be treated solely using Cold Damage methods. Nevertheless, Wu's differentiation, while detailed, does not match the clarity and comprehensiveness of *Guang Wenyi Lun*, which allows even non-medical readers to grasp the essentials clearly. In the year Gengyin, I偶然ly obtained this book. My late friend Wang Cunzhou told me that this manuscript originated from the Cuncun Study Room of Mr. Linjiao Dai, a senior figure in Jinling. It had recently been printed by the Zheng family of Yizheng, but the blocks were lost shortly after publication, making it impossible to find in the market. I often regretted this! In the year Gengzi, upon moving to the North City, I met Mr. Dai Jingxian, Assistant Director of the Imperial Academy (Guozijian), and learned that Mr. Linjiao was his ancestor. I inquired about the manuscript and compared it with my copy; they matched perfectly without a single error. Although the previous Zheng edition did not mention the provenance of the Cuncun Study Room version, appearing somewhat as if claiming undue credit, without their printing and dissemination, I would never have seen this book nor had the opportunity to explore its origins with Mr. Jingxian. Thus, I encouraged them to reprint it to continue the legacy. In the winter of Renyin, while the printing was underway but not yet finished, Mr. Jingxian suddenly fell ill and passed away. Now, his heir has completed the task and requested that I record the history. I dare not decline due to my own limited knowledge. I hereby narrate these events to honor the excellence of Mr. Linjiao's work in the past and acknowledge the virtuous continuation by his descendants in the future. May this indestructible book be preserved forever to save lives, rivaling the merit of Zhang Zhongjing of Changsha, and providing immense benefit to future generations of physicians!

Written by Shen Maofa of Kuaiji in the fifth month of the year Zhaoyang Dan'e Shi, in the 48th year of Qianlong