吾绍伤寒有专科。名曰绍派。先任 波而负盛名者。曰俞根初。行三。凡男妇老少就诊者。统称俞三先生。日诊百
数十人。一时大名鼎鼎。妇孺咸知。其学识折衷仲景。参用朱氏南阳方氏中行陶氏节 吴氏又可张氏景岳。其
立方。不出辛散、透发、和解、凉泻、温补等五法。其断病。若者七日愈。若者十四日愈。若者二十一日愈。
十有九验。就诊者奉之如神明。内子胡患伤寒。延聘者三。次诊病即有转机。三诊热退神清。能饮稀粥。自
用调养法而痊。从此成为知己。赴安镇诊病毕。即来晤谈。对余曰。勘伤寒证。全凭胆识。望形察色。辨舌诊脉。在乎
识。选药制方。定量减味。在乎胆。必先有定识于平时。乃能有定见于俄顷。然临证断病。必须眼到手到心到。三
者俱到。
活泼泼地。而治病始能无误。熟能生巧。非笨伯所能模仿也。余啧啧赞叹之不已。一日。出《通俗伤寒论》视余。
一一浏览。其学术手法。皆从病患实地练习熟验而得。不拘拘于方书也。一在于其经验耳。其著作体裁。一曰勘伤寒
要诀。二曰
伤寒本证。三曰伤寒兼证。四曰伤寒夹证。五曰伤寒坏证。六曰伤寒复证。七曰瘥后调理法。直捷了当。简明朴实。
余遂
珍藏箧中矣。嗣晤任君 波询及俞君方法。据云。有根初之胆识则可。无根初之胆识。则动辄得咎矣。有根初之
盛名则可。无根初之盛名。则所如辄阻矣。旨哉言乎。虽然。俞氏经验多。阅历深。确有见地。岂容藐视。爰为之随选
随录。随录随按。务使俞氏一生辨证用药之卓识雄心。昭昭若发蒙。而余心始慊。若听其尘封蠹蚀。湮没不传。他
年旧雨重逢。能毋诮让我乎。余之私意。盖欲以良朋实验之专书。为吾绍留一传派。亦医林之风土记也。夫岂好
博一表彰同道之虚名哉。毋亦以经验学派。有不可尽废者欤。是为序。
乾隆四十一年乙未三月望 何秀山识于安昌镇之碧山书屋
My hometown of Shaoxing has a specialized school for treating Shanghan (Cold Damage), known as the "Shao School." Among the physicians surnamed Ren who preceded me, the one most renowned was Yu Genchu. He was the third son in his family, and all patients, regardless of gender or age, addressed him collectively as "Mr. Yu San" (Third Master Yu). He treated over a hundred patients daily, achieving immense fame at the time, known even to women and children. His scholarship synthesized the teachings of Zhang Zhongjing with those of Zhu Shi, Fang Shi of Nanyang, Tao Shi of Zhongxing, Wu Shi of Jie, Zhang Shi of Youke, and Zhang Shi of Jingyue. In formulating prescriptions, he adhered strictly to five methods: acrid dispersal (Xin San), penetrating emission (Tou Fa), harmonization (He Jie), cooling purgation (Liang Xie), and warming tonification (Wen Bu). Regarding prognosis, he predicted recovery in seven days for some cases, fourteen days for others, and twenty-one days for yet others; nine out of ten predictions proved accurate. Patients revered him like a deity. My wife, Ms. Hu, contracted Shanghan (Cold Damage). We consulted three physicians in succession. After the second physician's treatment, her condition immediately showed signs of improvement; after the third physician's treatment, her fever subsided, her spirit cleared, and she could consume thin congee. She subsequently recovered through self-care regimens. From then on, we became close friends. Upon completing consultations in Anzhen, he would come to visit and converse with me. He said to me, "Diagnosing Shanghan (Cold Damage) relies entirely on courage and insight. Observing physical appearance and complexion, differentiating tongue coating and pulse, depends on 'insight' (Shi); selecting herbs, composing formulas, determining dosages, and adding or subtracting ingredients depends on 'courage' (Dan). One must possess firm insight in ordinary times to have decisive judgment in critical moments. However, when attending to clinical cases, one's eyes, hands, and heart must all be engaged. Only when these three are fully present, with agile thinking, can treatment be error-free. Proficiency breeds skill; it cannot be imitated by the dull-witted." I praised him endlessly. One day, he presented me with *Tongsu Shanghan Lun* (Popular Treatise on Cold Damage). As I reviewed it page by page, I found that his academic techniques were derived from practical experience with patients, not merely confined to classical formula books, but rooted in his own experience. The structure of his work includes: I. Key Essentials for Diagnosing Shanghan (Kan Shanghan Yaojue); II. Primary Syndromes of Shanghan (Shanghan Benzheng); III. Concurrent Syndromes of Shanghan (Shanghan Jianzheng); IV. Complicated Syndromes of Shanghan (Shanghan Jiazheng); V. Damaged Syndromes of Shanghan (Shanghan Huaizheng); VI. Recurrent Syndromes of Shanghan (Shanghan Fuzheng); VII. Post-illness Regimen (Chaihou Tiaoli Fa). It is direct, concise, and unadorned. I treasured it in my chest. Later, upon meeting Mr. Ren Bo, I inquired about Master Yu's methods. He replied, "It is acceptable to possess the courage and insight of Yu Genchu; without such courage and insight, one will inevitably incur blame. It is acceptable to possess the great reputation of Yu Genchu; without such reputation, one will encounter obstacles everywhere." These words were profound. Nevertheless, Master Yu had extensive experience and deep knowledge, possessing genuine insight, which should not be despised. Therefore, I selected and recorded his works, adding annotations as I went, striving to make his outstanding wisdom and ambition in syndrome differentiation and herb usage clear as if lifting a veil, so that my mind might find satisfaction. If I allowed it to gather dust and suffer insect damage, remaining unknown, how could I face old friends in future reunions without being mocked? My private intention was to preserve this monograph of practical experiments by a good friend as a legacy for our Shaoxing school, serving as a local record of the medical profession. Was it merely to seek the empty fame of praising peers? No, it was because the school of empirical experience holds value that cannot be entirely discarded. This is the preface.
Recorded at Bishan Study House in Anchang Town, on the fifteenth day of the third month, Yiwu year of the Qianlong era (1775 AD), by He Xiushan.