Library

"Ba Yi Xuan Fang" (Selected Hundred-and-One Prescriptions) does not record the name of its author, but is titled "Shi Zhai" (Hall of Is Mountain). According to Chen's *Shu Lu Jie Ti* (Record of Books with Annotations), this was compiled by Wang Mengyu from Shanyin, consisting of thirty volumes. The *Song Shi: Yi Wen Zhi* (Bibliography in the History of Song) lists it as twenty-eight volumes. The copy in my possession is a Yuan dynasty woodblock print edition; checking its table of contents reveals only twenty volumes. It seems it has been selected and abridged by later generations? Written by Zhu Yizun (courtesy name Xichang) of Xiushui.

In my youth, I suffered from frequent illnesses and deliberately studied medical prescription books, while also extensively seeking knowledge from others. Experiences gained outside of standard medical texts often yielded satisfactory results. In the Ding Si year, when I took up an official post in Jingxi, on the eighteenth day of the first month, I paid a visit to Lord Wang of Hanyang. He treated me like an old friend upon our first meeting, asked about my administrative duties, and did not withhold his resources. Consequently, he gifted me a set of *Ba Yi Xuan Fang*, comprising four fascicles. All the prescriptions I had previously sought out and found effective were contained therein. I sighed that obtaining this book and knowing this gentleman were both things I should have done earlier. Lord Wang said, "It took me nineteen years of collection and compilation to complete this book." His diligence is such; how could we merely enjoy its benefits without effort? A scholar-official keeps benevolence in their heart; any opportunity to benefit the world and aid people that remains unfulfilled causes inner dissatisfaction. This book of Lord Wang's is sufficient to fulfill his aspirations. Moreover, his political skills and his care for the common people as parents do are undeniable achievements, which I cannot forget; therefore, I record this. Note: The above content originates from Volume 31 of *Jianghu Chang Weng Ji* (Collected Works of the Long-Lived Old Man of the Rivers and Lakes) by Chen Tangqing (courtesy name Zao) of Gaoyou, Song Dynasty. It was missing in the Yuan edition, so it is appended here.

There are many medical prescription books transmitted in the world, yet few can truly cure diseases effectively. Ancient medical texts matched one herb to one disease; this was not done casually. Later generations of physicians, failing to deeply understand the appropriate combinations of various medicines, rashly claimed that medicine relies solely on individual intuition. They often acted on their own views, attempting treatments, resulting in frequent ineffectiveness. This is serious. Alas! Medical prescriptions exist to eliminate disease and preserve life; how could they reach such a state? Could it not be due to imprecise selection of herbs and uncareful formulation?
Lord Wang of Shi Zhai was a learned and elegant gentleman. Born into a family of renowned physicians, he possessed a rich collection of excellent prescriptions, all of which were witnessed by him and proven effective through prior use. Upon completing each collection, he had them carved onto printing blocks at the prefectural academy, naming them *Ba Yi Xuan Fang*. His meticulous selection and careful formulation were thus demonstrated. Therefore, Lord Wang's intention was benevolent, and it was fitting that this book would be widely transmitted. Preface by Zhang Ji from Tiantai, serving as the Academic Instructor of the Prefecture, on the first day of the first lunar month of the winter season in the Bing Chen year of Qingyuan [1196 AD].