Library

Shen Kuo, holding the official title of Neihan (Hanlin Academician), courtesy name Cunchong, was knowledgeable about both ancient and modern affairs, embodying the virtues of an ancient gentleman. His attention to medical texts was not driven by personal preference, but rather by a genuine desire to benefit future generations.

Preface by Lin Lingsu, a Daoist priest from Jinmen, Yongjia:

I have long admired the works of Su and Shen, and it was only in my later years that I obtained a copied version, though I do not know who transcribed it. Recalling its circulation since the Song dynasty woodblock prints, observing its discussions on herbal materials and its analysis of Gu Zheng (bone-steaming fever, a consumptive heat syndrome)... [text fragments missing] ... making... human body, however, what it... therefore moxibustion... and therefore... persons. Rulers... wives... words of cultivation... listening without being broken by shock. Implementing policies that benefit the people, to reverse the trend of cruelty and snow-like harshness, is also secondary. As for the art of medicine, it enables the obstructed to flow freely, the bedridden to rise, the emaciated to become robust, the dazed to regain clarity, and the blocked to open up. For those worried about their children, it soothes the anxious hearts of parents; for those grieving the loss of their husbands, it opens the sorrowful thoughts of the wife's natal family. The "Ghost Gates" (sweat pores) restore movement to the feet, and the "House of Life" (heart/life repository) restores the soul. To extend the Way of benevolence towards the people, the essence lies here; this is the hidden aspiration of the old copyist. Shen Kuo, with his extensive learning and profound insight, investigated the principles of things and mastered various arts, extending his knowledge to medicine and pharmacy, thereby sufficiently completing a book that stands as a school of its own.

The *Shen Shi Liang Fang* (Excellent Prescriptions of Mr. Shen) had the theories of Su Shi added to it by later generations, thus named *Su Shen Liang Fang* (Excellent Prescriptions of Su and Shen). It was not a work co-authored at the time. I possess old printed editions, including... Yi... Shi Liang Fang (10 volumes) and Su Shen Liang Fang (15 volumes). Comparing the volume counts of my collection, although it combines Shen's content, it is mixed with Su's theories. If one follows the *Su Shen Liang Fang*, five volumes are missing. Was it already incomplete and scattered during that era? There are many erroneous characters, making it nearly unreadable, so I have corrected them. However, internal diseases, external diseases, gynecology and pediatrics, as well as miscellaneous discussions, are roughly complete, suggesting it is not an incomplete text. Perhaps ancients considered medicine and divination as lowly arts. Historians recording medical books may not have meticulously verified them. For instance, in the *History of Song*, *Liu Juanzi's Gui Yi Fang Lun* is written as "Gui Lun," omitting the two characters "Yi Fang" (Lost Prescriptions); thus, other omissions can be inferred. The volume count of this book does not match the Song dynasty catalogs, and the details of its division and combination cannot be verified. Many of the prescriptions herein have appeared in other books such as *Bo Ji* and *Ling Yuan*. The rest are equally effective, with miraculous results beyond ordinary reasoning. Could they not be teachings from the Dragon Palace? Now, I have arranged for its printing and supplemented it with Shen's original preface. Studying the "Five Difficulties" (Wu Nan, five difficult diagnostic challenges) thoroughly will be of great benefit.

Postscript by Cheng Yongpei, pseudonym Shou Qiao