Library

In the beginning, I accompanied my parents and brought up my young children to serve as an official in Quanjiang. Before entering the county borders, my first inquiry was whether there were any excellent physicians in the county? I also asked if there were good pharmacies in the market. The response was that while physicians were not lacking, the mediocre ones were indeed numerous; there were only one or two pharmacies, yet they lacked even slightly finer and more expensive medicinal materials. I remarked: "These two aspects are the foundation upon which the lives of the elderly and the young depend. How can we accept such a situation?" Someone said: "There is a Tingping (an official title) named Li Sili in this county who has extensively collected medical texts and stored a large quantity of medicinal ingredients. He invariably provides prescriptions to those who ask for them and supplies medicines to those who request them, showing no sign of stinginess or weariness. I privately rejoiced at this. At that time, I had just settled into my lodging and did not have the leisure to inquire further. After a long while, Li Sili came to pay his respects (or to greet me). During our cordial conversation, I observed that his mindset was sincere and profound, and he would not discuss anything other than words of loving others and benefiting all things. When I questioned him on classics such as *Nanjing* (Classic of Difficult Issues), *Suwen* (Basic Questions), *Maijue* (Pulse Secrets), and *Bingyuan* (Source of Diseases), his responses flowed smoothly. Subsequently, whenever a member of my family fell ill, he prescribed formulas and gifted medicines frequently without tiring of the effort. For three years, I sought no other physicians but visited only Li Sili. One day, Li Sili presented a manuscript to me, saying: 'This is a collection of formulas for treating back sores (Back Carbuncle). People today generally regard this as a malignant disease, entrusting it entirely to surgeons with disdain, paying it little attention. Due to inappropriate treatment, few manage to survive. I have devoted myself to studying this for many years and have saved many lives. If you could donate twenty or thirty thousand coins to have this woodblock printed and circulated, would it not be better than publishing other books?' I planned to do so. Coincidentally, a Daoist priest named Liu Daoyuan, who presided over the Tiaoxiao Temple in the county, suddenly contracted this disease. Liu was previously known for his proficiency in pulse diagnosis and prescriptions. Upon receiving Li Sili's book, he respected and trusted it. He followed the medication sequence detailed in the book precisely. Within less than two months, he recovered completely. This further convinced me of the efficacy of this book, so I wrote this preface to introduce it. Li Sili, whose given name was Xun, came from a family that transmitted Confucian learning. His father and elder brother had successively passed the imperial examinations, and his younger relatives were also listed among the sages. The local community unanimously praised and respected him. I once took the provincial examination together with his elder brother, Si Zong, and we shared a deep bond. Furthermore, he possessed the skill of using acupuncture and plasters to cure debilitating conditions. Therefore, I was pleased to help him realize his aspiration."
Preface by Guo Yingxiang