Library

In the ninth year of the Jiaqing reign, corresponding to the year of Jiǎzǐ (Yānféng Kùndūn), Mr. Cheng had already completed the first volume of "Medical Cases Collection" and had it printed for dissemination. The original edition unfortunately suffered from fire damage, while its "Continued Records" remained stored in a book chest. In the spring of this year, he completed sixteen volumes of "Medical Discourse," synthesizing the essence of various schools of thought and establishing definitive conclusions that serve as a standard model for the medical profession. Subsequently, the front and back volumes of his medical cases were handed over to the printers. Meanwhile, records of his travels where he practiced medicine, along with all treatments administered, were noted down随笔 (casually recorded) and preserved by him, supplemented by materials collected and kept by his disciples over a long period, eventually filling several volumes. Mr. Cheng felt that since these writings originated from different times, their details varied, and the beginnings and endings were incomplete, he was reluctant to publish them. We privately opined that modern works like those of Ye Tianshi are also clinical notes, but regretfully, their language is too concise, and their theoretical insights are insufficiently elaborated. In contrast, Mr. Cheng's work seeks the root cause in diagnosis and strikes a balance in treatment, awakening the deaf and guiding the lost, truly reaching heights unattained by previous sages. Historically, Sima Qian's biography of the Grand Master of Taicang included detailed arguments on syndrome differentiation and treatment, spanning nearly thirty items, surely emphasizing that the guide to saving lives lies herein. Thus, we earnestly requested Mr. Cheng to organize and publish these texts. Therefore, we append a few words at the end to explain.

Recorded in the upper half of the fourth lunar month (Ruòyáng Yuè) of the Jíchǒu year (Túwéi Chìduó), the ninth year of the Daoguang reign, by disciples Er Bang, Xu Pu, junior disciples Xu Hou, Hong Dingyi, Wang Yourong, Ye Guangxu, Zheng Lizhuan, et al.

The Classics state that Kidney Qi connects to the ears; therefore, after middle age, as Kidney Qi gradually declines, tinnitus (ear ringing) often occurs. Yu Jiayan discussed this very clearly. However, it is not merely the counterflow of Yin Qi from the Liver and Kidneys; it must also involve internal Wind rising due to deficiency. Wind excels at penetrating orifices; observe that if curtains are slightly sparse, wind penetrates easily. The clear orifices of the human body are inherently empty; thus, when external Wind pathogen invades, the movement of Qi produces sound. Han Yu said: Plants have no sound, but wind disturbs them to make noise; water has no sound, but wind agitates it to make noise. All sounds arise from imbalance. When Yin in the body loses its equilibrium and Yang loses its retention, generating Wind that swirls upward to disturb the clear orifices, causing ceaseless day-and-night ringing, the principle is the same. It is proposed to treat with methods that submerge Yang and extinguish Wind, using stillness to control movement.

An Bo commented: The ear is the primary orifice of the Kidney, with the Heart and Gallbladder residing nearby; thus, when physical weakness leads to hearing loss, both the Heart and Kidney bear responsibility. The phrase in the case record, "if curtains are slightly sparse, wind penetrates easily," is indeed a profound discussion and an outstanding insight.