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It is heard that in ancient times, people said: "If one lives in this world and cannot become a virtuous prime minister, one should become a virtuous physician." This is because both a virtuous prime minister and a virtuous physician can save the weak, disabled, or chronically ill from suffering, and they cannot bear to sit idly by while watching them in distress without help. However, without both insight and learning, a prime minister certainly cannot benefit the world, nor can a physician benefit people.

Examining famous prime ministers of old, without insight, how could they distinguish good from evil and seek talent to assist in governance? Without learning, how could they base themselves on benevolence and emulate righteousness, using history to improve the present? Examining famous physicians of old, without insight, how could they examine the deficiency or excess of disease sources and adjust treatment to achieve balance? Without learning, how could they clarify the subtleties of pulse diagnosis and master the essentials of treatment? Thus it can be known that governing a country and treating a person share the same underlying principles. Becoming a virtuous prime minister is indeed difficult, and becoming a virtuous physician is also not easy. No wonder it is rare to find a virtuous physician in contemporary times. Only Mr. Ye Tianshi (Ye Gui) in Wuzhong seems to live up to his reputation and deserves to be called virtuous.

Tracing back, Mr. Ye Tianshi was proficient in pulse diagnosis and had clear insight into disease sources. His use of herbs was particularly characterized by carefulness and boldness. At that time, patients seeking treatment from near and far were so numerous that he had no leisure. The symptoms were often strange, and the prescriptions were novel. Whenever he prescribed decoctions or pills, they were invariably effective. This is truly what is meant by "possessing the achievements of a prime minister without holding a ceremonial tablet," having the pivotal ability to turn the will of Heaven. Who else but him could claim this? Therefore, Mr. Zhou Zhongsheng attended him daily and saw every medical case record, compiling and collecting them all until volumes were formed. Although each person's cause of illness differs and the administered agents vary, one must not confuse one with another to avoid errors of significant magnitude. Nevertheless, amidst reading and clinical practice, using these as materials for broadening knowledge does have the benefit of mutual understanding.

Mr. Gu Qinian, whose family has inherited Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) knowledge for generations, shared this view. He borrowed the original manuscript from Mr. Zhou, carefully copied it, showed it to me, and requested a preface. Upon reviewing it, I saw that Mr. Ye tailored prescriptions to symptoms, each demonstrating unique ingenuity. Zi Xia once said, "Even minor skills must have their merits." This is indeed true. Future students of medicine, if they do not regard this as the dregs of the ancients but instead deeply seek its profound meaning, thereby honoring Mr. Ye's meticulous formulation and Mr. Zhou's diligent compilation, then even if their insight and learning are not fully comprehensive, they will somewhat align with the legacy of "if not a virtuous prime minister, then a virtuous physician." Would this not be of great merit to the world? I, unassuming and ignorant, rashly write this preface. I hope you will not laugh at my lack of literary elegance. That would be most fortunate.

Written in the early summer of the Jichou year of the Qianlong reign, by Xunyu Shi Zhu Zhouxie at the Yaoyue Pavilion of Cungu Hall.

It is unknown who Zhu Zhouxie was, and his writing is not exceptionally high in quality. However, through this preface, we know that this volume was indeed copied by Mr. Ye's disciples, which is highly credible. Although Zhou Zhongsheng signed below, he did not state he was a disciple, nor is he mentioned elsewhere. Without this preface, there would be no evidence. Since Gu Qinian came from a family of TCM practitioners, his nephews and cousins naturally had successors to the family learning. Since Gu borrowed Zhou's original to copy, and his nephews later borrowed Gu's copy to re-copy, this version is established. The original Zhou manuscript did not contain this preface; Zhu wrote it for Gu, dated Jichou. The colophon at the end of the volume also bears the date Jichou. Although names are missing for speculation, the person referred to as "borrowing the uncle's book" must undoubtedly be Gu Qinian's nephew or cousin. This was written close to Ye's time, with a clear lineage of transmission, making it authentic and unquestionable. Although these are ordinary outpatient records, brief in text, the brilliance of the prescriptions and the precision of the herbal selection are beyond the reach of others. Reading them repeatedly, I cherished them and could not put them down. My colleague Yaoqing lent me this precious book, benefiting me greatly. I have therefore corrected some erroneous characters and recorded this note.
Year Jiashen