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The prohibitions contained in the "Eighteen Incompatibilities Song" are of paramount importance, distinct as if by a difference in status. Pinelliae Rhizoma (Banxia), Trichosanthis Fructus (Gualou), Fritillariae Bulbus (Beimu), Pleurospermi Radix (Bianlian), and Bletillae Rhizoma (Baiji) all counteract Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata (Wutou). Sargassum Thallus (Zao), Euphorbiae Pekinensis Radix (Daji), Kansui Radix (Suisu), and Genkwa Flos (Yuanhua) all conflict with Glycyrrhizae Radix (Gancao). Various Ginseng species (Zhushen), Asari Radix et Rhizoma (Xixin), and Paeoniae Radix (Shaoyao) all rebel against Veratri Radix (Lilu).

Medicine, as a profound discipline, requires the use of inspection (Wang), auscultation and olfaction (Wen), inquiry (Wen), and palpation (Qie) to meticulously examine the origin of disease. If the origin of the disease is not understood, whether the medication is appropriate or not need not even be discussed. Even if one can ascertain the disease origin, but fails to thoroughly comprehend the subtle nuances of drug properties—such as warming, tonifying, cooling, purging, ascending, and descending—a discrepancy of mere hair's breadth will result in an error of a thousand miles. This would not only be of no benefit to the patient but might also cause harm. Thus, it is crucial that drug properties must be carefully examined. However, since ancient times, hundreds of authors have written materia medica texts. Some are very detailed yet lack precision; some are very concise yet lack clarity. Is this not a case where perfection is sought but ultimate excellence is not fully achieved? My uncle by marriage, Master Zhaojia, loved reading from childhood and thoroughly investigated classics, histories, and various schools of thought. He exerted himself particularly deeply in Qihuang studies (Traditional Chinese Medicine). He harbored the ambition: "If I cannot serve as a good minister, I shall surely become a good physician." He personally compiled the volume *Bencao Bian Du* (Convenient Reading of Materia Medica). It categorizes minerals, metals, herbs, and plants into classes, and within each class, it provides detailed scrutiny. It distinguishes flavors, odors, colors, and shapes, organizing them into clear, logical categories and rhyming couplets for easy memorization. Even those of duller intellect can grasp the content at a glance, without any worry of redundancy, omission, confusion, or chaos. Truly, this is refining precision further and clarifying understanding again, making it an excellent standard text for materia medica. After reading it, I am delighted that it lives up not only to its name as a "convenient reader" but also to its practical utility. Moreover, it benefits not just one person, but all contemporary students of medicine; not just for the present time, but for future generations of medical students. I respectfully append these few words at the end of the manuscript to consult with my like-minded colleagues.

In the first month of the year Dinghai (1887), your humble student and nephew by marriage, Yuan Yin, bows his head in respect.

The medical arts of our prefecture are renowned throughout the world, attracting many students from distant places. Families such as Fa, Yang, Qian, Zou, and Fei have all inherited their family traditions. Each has authored books that circulate in the world, though some have been lost while others remain. The surviving texts possess profound and far-reaching principles, which students find difficult to apply effectively. Yang's *Bencao Shu Gouyuan* (Hooking the Essence of Materia Medica Narratives) mastered the practical application, but its vastness made it hard to memorize, and its printing blocks were destroyed during wartime. During the Tongzhi reign, locals pooled funds to reprint it using the Mashab method, producing only a few copies which were scattered among private collections, making them hard to find later. The legacy remained obscure, causing regret among later scholars. Since Mr. Zhaojia cured my father's illness and showed me this book, I accepted and read it. I found its language concise, its meaning comprehensive, and its utility convenient for beginners, guiding them gradually to mastery. Alas, this is sufficient to continue the fine tradition of previous masters. I therefore hurriedly funded its publication to spread its transmission, thereby expressing my gratitude.

In the third month of spring, 1896, Sheng Chunyi respectfully adds this postscript.