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The reason why the Way of Medicine has remained obscure is long-standing. It is said: "The Way of Medicine connects with the Way of Immortals." To use it to benefit the world and prolong life, there is no greater merit. Why then is the situation today different? Physicians of the present time have directly fallen into the "Way of Ghosts." This does not mean that the Way of Medicine itself contains a Way of Ghosts, but rather that people employ deceitful methods. Once one plays tricks on the Way, one deviates from the Righteous Path; if one deviates from the Righteous Path, the Way cannot be practiced; if the Way cannot be practiced, people seek ways to make it work, and thus are forced to violate the Way, falling into deceit. Once in deceit, one steps out of the track; this is the track being confused by deceit, and consequently, deceit becomes the rule. Heaven possesses the virtue of loving life; this is the Heavenly Way. Physicians possess the art of benevolent people; this is the Human Way. Seeking the source of this Way in Heaven, and humans focusing on the profound theories of the *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot), *Su Wen* (Basic Questions), and the wisdom of Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan and Qibo, the correct track will become manifest. Where would there be such a thing as the "Way of Ghosts"? People merely associate daily with habits of deceit, which means they distance themselves daily from the Righteous Path. Associating with deceitful habits makes the "Way of Ghosts" (unorthodox methods) more sophisticated; distancing from the Righteous Path makes deceitful methods more severe. Losing the bright and upright track, they tend toward deceit that goes against human nature to gain fame, thereby willingly falling into the Way of Ghosts. Alas! To easily transform the Righteous Path, which connects with the Way of Immortals, into the ghostly realm of deceit, this is why the Way of Medicine remains obscure. Truly lamentable!

Recorded in the early part of the first month of autumn in the Guihai year (8th year of Jiaqing), by Shufu at the Ten Qin Studio.

In the 12th year of the Republic of China, the year was also Guihai. In late spring, amidst frequent rain, living in solitude and silence, overwhelmed by sorrow and depression, I examined my book collection and found this secret manual of Zheng's Throat and Dental Surgery, hand-copied by Wu Jiru in the Xinsi year (1st year of Daoguang). I therefore re-copied it, surprised again by the matching year cycle, as my own birth year was also Xinsi. This precious volume seems to bear special omens. The copying was completed on the night of Lixia (Start of Summer). Recorded by Shuhe.

This is a handwritten manuscript of generational throat and dental prescriptions from the Zheng family in western Shexian. Our family acquired it from Mr. Zhou Bangyan of Lianchuan. During the Tongzhi era, amidst chaotic warfare, when rice cost two thousand cash per dou, someone came seeking to sell this book, claiming their whole family had gone without food for two days, yet this treasure would not be exchanged for less than one hundred taels of silver. Mr. Zhou generously exchanged two shi of rice for it, treasuring it like an arch-shaped jade disc and refusing to show it to others. Later, his business failed, and his circumstances grew increasingly desperate. He brought it to see my father, saying, "I am old and my family has declined; I cannot keep this treasure private, nor do I wish to sell it cheaply. I seek a confidant who understands its value, offering it as a gift." Although no price was explicitly stated, the high asking price was evident between the lines. My father compensated him with fifty silver dollars. At that time, no one in our family studied medicine, so the book was stored in a chest, nearly consumed by bookworms. In the Jiawu year of Guangxu, my fifth brother, Shinong, along with his wife, stayed at the home of his maternal grandfather, Mr. Cheng Jinmen. One day, he sent a letter back to the village stating that his wife suffered from a severe throat disease. His maternal grandfather, proficient in hereditary internal and external surgery, treated her, but the condition worsened. Many famous physicians and experts, including Mr. Cheng Bingwen from eastern Shexian specializing in external surgery, were consulted, but every treatment made it worse. By then, she could not take even water or gruel, lay stiffly through the morning, and coffins and burial clothes had been prepared; there was no hope of survival. Suddenly, my father remembered this book and ordered Jun (the author referring to himself) to retrieve it. Upon flipping through it, he said, "Could it be Bai Fu (White Diphtheria/Thrush)?" He immediately instructed his clan brother, Guan Shuixing, to go overnight. They administered the original prescription from the book for nourishing Yin and clearing dryness, using a heavy dose, and managed to force-feed it. Within less than an hour, she recovered miraculously. The next morning, when the clan brother returned, she had already gotten up to handle affairs and had eaten two bowls of soaked rice. Subsequently, it was reported that over ten people were infected, with varying severity, but all recovered with this treatment. Previously, three people had died from this illness. Two years later, when my brother returned home to practice medicine, he became famous for treating this condition, saving over ten patients from critical danger. Mr. Ke Zezhou, my bosom friend, told me that after half a lifetime of practicing medicine, he felt no great guilt, except for one clan woman who suffered from white diphtheria. At that time, lacking the treatment method from this book, he rashly used ordinary wind-dispersing and heat-clearing herbs, and ultimately failed to save her, leaving him deeply remorseful. I therefore copied a duplicate and gifted it to him. He said my action was a great merit. The duty of a physician is inherently to benefit and aid the world. In the past, Chinese bad habits persisted: those possessing miraculous skills and good prescriptions often adopted secrecy, mystifying their claims to extort excessive wealth for personal gain, which I privately despised. I regret being stuck in a remote mountain county with thorny surroundings, clumsy in speech, unable to interact with contemporary sages and wise men. Plagued by worry and illness, aging prematurely, I truly feel my life here is wasted. In recent years, relatives and friends have urged me to open a clinic in my hometown. Though I have sincere intentions to help others, I lack flashy techniques. The straight path is hard to follow; I blame myself and pity myself. Now, seeing the advertisement from the San San Medical Society in Hangzhou seeking secret manuscripts, harboring benevolence and righteousness for the sake of the people under heaven, any person with a caring heart should倾尽全力 (pour out their support). After feeling admiration, I felt frustrated at being unable to get close, only able to admire them with my mind and spirit. Just a month ago, I copied this duplicate. It was done hastily, and amidst sorrow, errors were not corrected in time. I send it to you now, hoping for major revisions and promotion, so that sufferers need not fear premature death, and the future blessings of your society are boundless.

Written hastily on the 1st day of the 6th lunar month in the Guihai year, to record the origin and leave a trace. Shuhe respectfully records.

Note: Among Chen Xiuyuan's forty-eight medical books, there are only a few pages mentioning white diphtheria, stating that nourishing Yin is appropriate, which aligns well with this text. However, the author attributes it to fortune-telling spirits (ji xian), the language is brief and imprecise, and it mixes in dispersing methods, making it difficult to achieve effective results if followed. It is not as precise and detailed as this book, which offers hundreds of benefits without drawbacks.