Library

It is heard that Heaven and Earth cherish life as their fundamental intent, and benevolent persons prioritize saving others. Administering medicine to treat illness is a technique for rescuing people. However, how many can one person save on their own? It is far more meritorious if everyone possesses the ability to save others.

How effective is saving lives in the present moment? It pales in comparison to transmitting knowledge through generations, allowing continuous rescue efforts, thereby extending grace for a longer duration. Since ancient times, numerous medical texts have emerged; whether internal or external alchemical prescriptions, those proficient in Qihuang (Traditional Chinese Medicine) are capable of mastering them all. Yet, regarding books specifically on traumatic injuries, few claim specialization because their formulas are often kept secret and not fully recorded in other medical texts. Even those who occasionally inherit such knowledge tend to hoard it privately. Why? To exploit emergencies for profit.

I frequently observe in rural areas that individuals suffer from fights or falls, with severe injuries leaving them hanging by a thread. In such cases, seeking a physician immediately is difficult. Quack doctors, driven by greed or lack of skill, may delay treatment, causing critical errors. By the time a renowned doctor is recommended, the injury may have penetrated internally, becoming incurable. Moreover, famous doctors often inflate their fees, demanding payment before consultation. They charge exorbitant prices for privately compounded herbs. For families with limited means, even if the illness is cured, their resources are depleted. These harms stem from the absence of publicly available reference books.

My late father, Mr. Weiqing, after studying in the capital, repeatedly failed the imperial examinations. Looking at his books, he sighed, "The ancients said: If one cannot become a virtuous chancellor, one should become a virtuous physician, to contribute to the world." Thus, he slightly neglected his scholarly pursuits and studied the art of Lu and Bian (referring to ancient physicians Lu Yiyuan and Bian Que). At that time, the local community greatly benefited from his skills. During the Jiaqing reign, he served as a tutor in the household of my uncle, Mr. Zuqi Wan. One day, during a casual conversation between host and guest, my uncle said to him, "You are skilled in medicine. Do you know that traumatic injuries require urgent and unpostponed treatment? However, relevant books are mostly kept secret and hard to obtain."

My father always knew that my great-uncle was highly proficient in this art and must have received special transmission. After persistent requests, my great-uncle finally showed him a handwritten copy, saying, "This is the result of decades of collection and effort, obtained from unusual sources. I intended to make it public, but do not keep it private. If you can transmit it, it is as if I transmitted it myself." My father agreed readily, reading it carefully. He found the theories detailed and clear, the application of herbs based on diagrams reliable, and success achievable within calculated days. It truly possessed the miraculous power to revive the dead. Therefore, he copied it, divided it into Upper, Middle, and Lower volumes, naming it *Huisheng* (Reviving Life). Repeated trials proved its immediate efficacy; it was indeed a secret treasure. He wished to publish it publicly. However, due to poverty, he could not afford printing costs, and often entrusted this matter to me with sighs.

After my father passed away, I made a living as a teacher for many years. With empty pockets and financial hardship, every time I opened the book to read, I sighed: Why is this book like a treasure hidden in a box? How pitiful! How painful!

In the Bingchen year, while serving as a tutor in Yangling Study Hall in Guan City, I had the opportunity to interact with various gentlemen. I presented this book for their review. To my honor, they praised it and offered to fund its printing. Like-minded friends contributed financially to edit and publish it for implementation. This way, future victims of injury can open the book to understand clearly, avoiding deception by incompetent doctors, and achieving self-rescue success. What greater virtue could there be? Alas! This was an unfulfilled ambition of three generations. Now that this book is transmitted, my father can rest without regret in the nine springs, and my great-uncle's name will live on. Is this not the power of these gentlemen? Hence, this preface.

Mid-Autumn Month, early ten days of Bingchen Year, Xianfeng Reign. Hu Qingkun, courtesy name Langfeng, from Nan County, wrote at Yangling Study Hall, Guan City.