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During the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty, Mr. Wang Mengying, a physician from Zhejiang, was named Shixiong, with courtesy names Qianzhai, Banchi, and Mengying. These were all pseudonyms adopted after he delved into medicine. His courtesy name "Mengying" (Dream Shadow) signifies that medicines should vary according to syndromes, reflecting the principle of not adhering rigidly to fixed effective prescriptions (Xiao Fang). He authored *Wenre Jingwei* (The Warp and Weft of Warm-Heat Diseases), which, along with four other works, is circulated in the world. The *Zhongyi An* (Records of Chinese Medicine Practice) consists of eleven volumes. Although its main purport is established to save people from the misuse of warming and tonifying methods, it actually formulates prescriptions according to specific syndromes, fitting tightly like threads through a buckle. If one can integrate and comprehend these thoroughly, then reading ancient and modern medical texts simultaneously or delaying their study are both acceptable.

Mr. Wang derived deep benefit from the teachings of Yu Jiayan (Yu Chang). Reading his works allows one to find the path to entry. In the original records, sometimes pulse, symptoms, formulas, and herbs are narrated together; sometimes symptoms are narrated while the pulse is omitted; sometimes the pulse is narrated while symptoms are omitted. Regarding the dosage (Zhu Liang) of herbs in formulas, such annotations appear in only one or two out of hundreds of cases. This reveals his painstaking effort in compilation, likely intending for readers to think deeply and gain understanding independently. For those of average or lower aptitude, it is difficult to find the golden needle (the key to mastery). Not daring to forget where I found my entry into this field, I have respectfully annotated the original records to explain the disease conditions and pulse meanings. For occasionally missing herbs or formulas, I have presumptuously supplemented them; for unannotated dosages, I have presumptuously estimated them.

However, there are two aspects that do not clearly align with the original records: First, diagnosing diseases and formulating prescriptions often involves the joy of writing quickly when inspired; after some time, even the dosages might be forgotten, let alone speculating based on case records. Second, due to the declining qi fortune of the era and my gradually weakening constitution, I had to deliberately reduce dosages in my annotations to facilitate contemplation and trial. For instance, in cases of warm diseases, wind-stroke, and rising yang floating upward, the use of substances that anchor yang and heavily settle (Qian Yang Zhong Zhen) cannot blindly follow established rules. In the case where Mr. Wang diagnosed and treated Mrs. Yang Suyuan, a single herb often reached several taels. This was not only because biased syndromes and urgent syndromes require biased treatments and urgent interventions, without which life could not be saved, but also because he selected experiences that had repeatedly proven effective as a compromise standard. I dare not hold onto dead books to trap living people. Readers should not be half-believing and half-doubting, causing a loss amidst a thousand considerations. If one adopts the method of preparing more but taking less, administering slowly in divided doses, and stopping when the therapeutic effect is achieved, then nothing is inadvisable.

Upon completion of the manuscript, I titled it *Zhongyi Zhizhang* (Chinese Medicine at Your Fingertips). My fellow townsman Shu Zhi, courtesy name Shaozhi, generously assumed the printing costs. Besides continuing to publish the simplest materia medica, readers holding this volume can find the tracks and paths, and accumulate knowledge for practical matters. To claim that this preserves national essence, I would dare not accept such praise.

Preface by Nianzu, styled Lansun, father of Shishi, from Jiangdu, in the late spring of the Ding Si year.