Library

The arts of nurturing life and providing remedies generally originated in ancient times. Sages and worthies of successive dynasties gradually clarified them through gradual cultivation. For instance, Yan Di (Flame Emperor) tasted a hundred herbs to distinguish their properties, and Xuanyuan Huangdi (Yellow Emperor) investigated respiration and pulse diagnosis; these records have been transmitted for a long time. However, they lack solid evidence. Regarding the *Suwen* (Basic Questions), Master Cheng believed it was produced during the Zhou and Qin periods, which is likely not false. I once encountered poisoning (a reference to legends about Shennong tasting herbs), originally recorded in *Huainanzi*; Wang Andao also wrote an essay refuting this. The old *Bencao Jing* (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica) consisted of three volumes. From Tao Hongjing onwards, each generation added supplements. In the Song Dynasty, Ma Zhi and others merged them. The earliest contents were marked with white characters (to distinguish from later additions). My ancestor Yang Shen (style name Shengan), who had a taste for the novel, claimed that the Bencao marked with white characters was the original text from Shennong's era. Others argued that in high antiquity, there were no written texts, but knowledge was passed down orally among teachers and students, hence called "Bencao" (Herbal Classics). It was not until the late Han Dynasty that figures like Zhang Ji (Zhang Zhongjing) and Hua Tuo began attaching new theories, thus appearing in canonical catalogs. This view is closer to the truth. Although the language is concise and archaic, it often exaggerates and lacks reality, and frequently discusses immortality and elixirs, which was indeed the habit of people in the Han and Wei dynasties. Through the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, compilers increased. During the Jiajing and Longqing reigns, Li Shizhen from Chu compiled the *Bencao Gangmu* (Compendium of Materia Medica) in fifty-two volumes, recording 1,871 medicinal substances, which was then considered highly comprehensive. Readers should approach such works with caution, as many merely offer superficial selections, forming small booklets where basic forms are present but profound meanings are lacking. Mr. Yao Xueyi's *Caolu Bencao* (Grass Hut Materia Medica), however, values precision over quantity. For various drugs, it assigns positions according to seasonal timing and categorizes the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) to correspond with Zang-Fu organs, ensuring that drugs match diseases appropriately, thereby making the origins and developments of all substances clear. Its exposition of principles is pure like metal refined in a furnace; its statements are coherent like pearls strung together. It changes ingeniously yet adheres strictly to methodological rules, a tradition with deep roots. Regarding this discipline, it is truly those who have penetrated the subtle principles to a divine level who master it. Court discussions state that physicians must first understand medical theory, and understanding theory lies in reading books; this seems to be exactly what is meant. His student, Master Wang Yuetian, occasionally visited my residence, respecting what he heard and putting it into practice; his administration of decoctions (Tangye) yielded responses as immediate as shadows and echoes. Young Master Yuanzhai associated with him and praised him, noting that although this book facilitates recitation and study, copyist errors are inevitable. He generously funded the woodblock printing to publish it widely throughout the realm, which is indeed an immortal undertaking. I previously borrowed it for viewing and verified several items, briefly touching upon phonetics and etymology, which are now appended here for the benefit of beginners. When Mr. Yao sees this in the future, he will likely smile and say that this serves a role similar to that of assistant and guide herbs (Zuo-Shi) in a prescription. Inscribed by Yang Youjing (courtesy name Xiluo), the Bamboo Planter South of the Ancient Six Cities, on the fifteenth day of the fifth lunar month.