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Half of those in the world who are blinded by eye diseases are so due to the diseases themselves, and half are so due to the physicians. If a physician is mentally blind (lacks insight) himself, yet desires not to blind the eyes of the people of the world, it is inevitably impossible.

Over the course of twenty years, I traveled thousands of li north and south, witnessing hundreds of physicians, among whom only dozens were skilled in treating eye conditions. Among them, those capable of rescuing critical cases and curing chronic stubborn diseases numbered even fewer than ten. Consequently, some, fearing complications like giving up eating because of choking, invented the theory that "eye diseases cannot be treated, or blindness will result." Alas, once this theory arose, the eyes of all under heaven suffered its calamity. However, this was also caused by those who were incompetent in treating eye diseases. Mr. Gu Yangwu from Tongxiang, pitying that the people of the world were suffering this calamity and unable to save them all, brought forth his lifelong medical knowledge, incorporated the theories of ancient masters, and authored *Yinhai Zhinan* (Guide to the Silver Sea), four volumes. By distinguishing the contours of the eye, he clarifies the meridians; by warning against unnecessary hook-and-cut surgeries, he preserves essence and blood. Regarding the Seven Emotions (Qing: joy, anger, worry, thought, sadness, fear, fright) and Six Evils (Linyin: wind, cold, summer-heat, dampness, dryness, fire), he analyzes their origins in causing disease; regarding the Five Zang and Six Fu organs, he indicates the manifestations of primary diseases. In differentiating pulse and tongue, he leaves no detail unexamined; in using herbs and formulas, he emphasizes comprehensiveness. He covers variations in concurrent symptoms and disease progression, preserving medical records as standards for appropriate treatment methods. It can be said that nothing is too large to encompass, nor too small to penetrate.

Last winter, upon returning home to mourn my late father, I had the opportunity to read Mr. Gu's book and realized that his scholarship was not merely renowned for treating eye diseases. I recall the year Gengxu of the Qianlong reign, when my elder brother suffered from an eye disease for over half a year, accompanied by swelling and pain in his hands and feet that prevented movement. Various physicians administered mild doses of warming, cooling, tonifying, and purgative medicines, resulting in near-blindness in both eyes, while my own condition did not improve slightly. Later, when Mr. Gu arrived, he smiled and said to my late father, "This is caused by stagnation of damp-heat; treating it is very easy." Following his method, the patient recovered. Indeed, Mr. Gu was proficient in all aspects of medicine, and treating eye diseases was but a minor extension of his expertise. Mr. Gu and my late father were bosom friends. In my youth, I frequently heard his teachings and gained a basic understanding of the *Suwen* (Basic Questions) and *Lingshu* (Spiritual Pivot). Today, everyone in the land reveres and looks up to Mr. Gu. With this book to spread his teachings widely, it is hoped that practitioners will not become mentally blind, and the people of the world will not suffer physical blindness. This is the preface.

Written with respect by Zhu Fangzeng, humble nephew from Haiyan, in the winter of the Jisi year of the Jiaqing reign.