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The works *Yi Jing Du* (Reading on Medical Classics) and *Shang Han Lun Du* (Reading on Treatise on Cold Damage) by Shen Yaofeng are concise and appropriate, worthy of being considered excellent editions. Additionally, there is a book titled *Nü Ke Ji Yao* (Essentials of Gynecology), which is rarely circulated in the world. The original manuscript was annotated and treasured by my father-in-law, Mr. Xu Hongqiao, who passed away long ago. After I married, I had the opportunity to see this book. It contains many profound discussions that align with reason and expound upon points not previously explored by earlier scholars. This year, Magistrate Yang Suyuan heard of this manuscript and ordered it to be borrowed for copying. I said to my elder brother-in-law Youshan: "The filial piety of a gentleman also focuses on major and long-term matters. Preserving ancestral manuscripts is best achieved by disseminating them for immortality." Youshan agreed. Not presuming too much, I made slight revisions and collations and published it for the world.

Written at Qianzhai in mid-winter of the Gengxu Year (1850) of the Daoguang reign, by Jiren Wang Mengying.

*Suzhen* (Plain Questions) states: At age seven, a girl's Kidney Qi becomes abundant; her teeth change and hair grows. At fourteen, Tian Gui arrives, the Ren Mai (Conception Vessel) becomes unobstructed, the Chong Mai (Penetrating Vessel) becomes full, and menstruation occurs regularly.

Shen Yaofeng stated: Tian Gui refers to the female essence, originating from the Ren Mai; menstruation is menstrual blood, originating from the Chong Mai. The classic states that at fourteen, Tian Gui arrives because the Ren Mai is unobstructed. At this time, the Chong Mai is full, and menstruation also occurs regularly. This is merely a matter of stating the sequence forward or backward! Therefore, amenorrhea, irregular menstruation, and metrorrhagia are diseases of blood, with responsibility lying in the Chong Mai, which belongs to the Yangming Stomach Meridian; leukorrhea is a disease of essence, with responsibility lying in the Ren Mai, which belongs to the Shaoyin Kidney Meridian. Generally, the line down the center front of the body is the Ren Mai, and the line inside the spine at the back is the Du Mai (Governing Vessel); both originate from the Huiyin acupoint where the anterior and posterior orifices intersect. *Nan Jing* (Classic of Difficult Issues) explains this clearly, while errors were transmitted in *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot) and *Su Wen*. The Dai Mai (Girdle Vessel) originates from the hypochondrium and resembles a belt encircling the waist. Essence is stored in the Kidneys, which are connected to the lower back. When essence desires to flow downward, it must pass through the Dai Mai forward, and then descend via the Ren Mai. Thus, the classic states that when the Ren Mai is diseased, women suffer from leukorrhea.

Wang Mengying added notes: Yu Dongfu said: The classic states that at sixteen, a man's Kidney Qi becomes abundant, Tian Gui arrives, and essence overflows and is discharged. If Tian Gui is menstrual water, do men have it? Generally, both men and women possess essence; *I Ching* (Book of Changes) states that male and female essence combining is valid. However, identifying Tian Gui as essence is also inappropriate. If Tian Gui were essence, one should not also speak of essence overflowing and being discharged. Later scholars discussing conception have theories such as yang essence and yin blood, arriving first and rushing later, etc., which are also erroneous. Have you ever seen a woman bleed during sexual intercourse? Bleeding during intercourse is a pathology; how can it wrap essence or be wrapped by essence? Roughly speaking, when mutual passion is intense and all meridians converge, Tian Gui and the essence of both male and female arrive together, entering the Ren Mai to form a fetus. Whether the fetus is male or female depends on the differences in strength, abundance, and deficiency of the couple's Tian Gui. My friend Xu Yazhi said: According to Shen's theory, it seems Tian Gui is essence; according to Yu's theory, it seems that besides blood and essence, there is another thing called Tian Gui. I believe Tian Gui refers to the substance of Kidney Water. 'Gui' means water. The Kidney is the water organ; Heaven generates water in the first stage, so Kidney Water is called Tian Gui. 'Zhi' (arrive) means reaching the extreme, i.e., being sufficient. At fourteen for women and sixteen for men, Kidney Qi begins to flourish, and Kidney Water becomes sufficient. Among the five zang organs of the human body, only the Kidney develops earliest but matures last, and declines earliest. Thus, young children can feel sorrow, joy, anger, and thought, but have absolutely no desires. Those whose emotional windows open early are still in the years when Kidney Qi is about to flourish and Tian Gui is about to arrive. It is evident that when Kidney Qi is not abundant and Gui Water is not sufficient, no desires arise. When Kidney Qi declines and Gui Water exhausts, desires naturally vanish. To interpret this passage of the classic, one should say: At fourteen, a woman's Kidney Water substance becomes sufficient, the Ren Mai becomes unobstructed, the Chong Mai begins to flourish, and menstruation therefore occurs regularly. Regarding the two orifices of the anterior genitalia, the water orifice for urination needs no mention. Those exiting from the essence orifice all originate from Tian Gui. Although menstrual water descends from the Chong Mai, calling it the normal manifestation of Tian Gui is acceptable. Discharging essence to achieve pregnancy is the function of the Ren Mai, calling it the capability of Tian Gui is acceptable. Leukorrhea is the Ren Mai losing its responsibility, calling it the pathology of Tian Gui is acceptable. Therefore, calling menstrual water Tian Gui seems also acceptable. Earlier sages interpreting this emphasized reading the character 'Shang' (upper) and neglected the next character, treating only the character 'Zhi' (arrive) as 'lai' (come), thus causing controversial debates!

Wang Bing stated: Men operate primarily through Qi, so Yang Qi rises once corresponding to the sun; Women fill primarily with Blood, so Yin Blood flows once corresponding to the moon.