茶陵茂才谭子服思,得种牛痘之法,试之应手辄效。余闻其名,廷至家,为两儿子引痘
,其法不吹鼻而挑臂,出不过五、六粒,饮食如常,风雨无忌,不数日而平复,若行所无事
者,而且此后永不再发,盖其术之神而艺之巧如此也。夫痘之为患至烈矣,自有吹鼻之法,
以较天行之痘,鲜有败事,然犹不能保其万全。今谭子精于此艺,且将广其传,是天之慈爱
斯民,而使婴儿尽登仁寿之域也,岂不休哉?若其法之由来,与法之所以微妙之故,则温黄
法君言之详矣,故不复赘。道光癸已孟春善化贺熙龄。
肘后占牛掣,新方妙入神。简如棼引乙,捷似火传薪。省识金环梦,全回绣褓春。散花
天女手,邂逅见斯人。
大中丞吴荣光题
古无点痘法也。自南海邱浩川得洋医之传,而其法始盛行于世。往余在京师,见《引痘
新书》所载引泄诸说,与世所行吹鼻法迥异,心窃疑焉。随见士大夫家,出痘率用此法,因
嘱业是术者至宅中,按其部位种之。时都下天行骤发,害最烈,点痘之家,卒无患,而余向
之疑者始信。爰爰是书归里,拟广其传,未果。岁壬午,昆陵谭君服思,以名诸生,走粤东
,尽得其传,率其徒杨煦生、王月川、邓复享至省垣,根据法引种,颜其局曰体仁,而事属创
闻,信之得鲜,因为白诸同人,行之而验者无算。窃谓是举也有三善焉∶顺其自然,小儿不
以种痘为苦,一也;种后即不复发,得遂为父为母之愿,二也;不计利,不假方药,于无力
之家尤便,三也。三者合,而保婴之方、济世之道,孰加于此哉?今年春,诸君重刊邱氏书
而问序于余,余喜此事之信而有征,且韪其行义之勇,为能公善于人也。遂书以赠之。道光
癸已仲春育庵氏唐方煦叙。
Tan Zifusi, a *xiucai* (scholar) from Chaling, acquired the method of cowpox inoculation and found it effective upon trial. Hearing his reputation, I invited him to my home to inoculate my two sons. The method did not involve blowing powder into the nose but rather pricking the arm; the resulting pustules were no more than five or six in number. The children ate and drank as usual, with no restrictions regarding wind or rain, and recovered within a few days, appearing as if nothing had happened. Moreover, they would never suffer from smallpox again. Such is the miraculous nature of this technique and its exquisite skill. Smallpox causes severe harm. Since the advent of the nasal-blowing method, compared to naturally occurring smallpox (*tianxing*), failures have been rare, yet it still cannot guarantee absolute safety. Now, Tan Zifu excels in this art and intends to disseminate it widely. This reflects Heaven's compassion for the people, allowing infants to enter the realm of benevolence and longevity. Is this not a wonderful thing? As for the origin of this method and the reasons for its subtlety, Mr. Wen Huangfa has explained them in detail, so I will not add further remarks. First month of Gui Si year, Daoguang era, He Xiling from Shan Hua.
The pulling pain of cowpox recorded in the *Zhou Hou Bei Ji*, new prescriptions are wonderfully divine. Simple as sorting tangled threads to draw out the thread, swift like passing fire from one torch to another. Recognizing the dream of the golden ring, fully restoring the spring of the swaddling clothes. With hands like the heavenly maiden scattering flowers, encountering such a person by chance.
Wu Rongguang, Grand Commandant, inscribed.
In ancient times, there was no method of variolation. Since Qiu Haochuan from Nanhai received transmission from Western physicians, this method began to prevail in the world. Previously, when I was in the capital, I saw the various theories of "guiding discharge" described in the *New Book on Inoculating Smallpox*, which were radically different from the nasal-blowing method practiced in the world at that time, and I harbored private doubts. Subsequently, I observed that families of scholars and officials mostly used this method for children suffering from smallpox, so I instructed practitioners skilled in this art to come to my residence and inoculate according to specific sites. At that time, an outbreak of *tianxing* (smallpox) suddenly occurred in the capital, causing the most severe harm. Those who had been inoculated ultimately suffered no illness, and my previous doubts were finally dispelled. Therefore, I brought this book back to my hometown, intending to disseminate it widely, but failed to do so. In the Ren Wu year, Tan Zifusi from Kunling, a distinguished student, traveled to Guangdong, mastering the full transmission of this art. He led his disciples Yang Xusheng, Wang Yuechuan, and Deng Fuxiang to the provincial capital, performing inoculations according to the method. They named their clinic "Tiren" (Embodiment of Benevolence). Since this was a novel practice, few believed in it. Thus, I explained it to my colleagues, and countless cases proved effective. I consider this undertaking to have three merits: first, following nature, children do not find inoculation painful; second, after inoculation, recurrence does not occur, fulfilling the wishes of parents; third, it involves no profit-seeking and requires no herbal medicines, making it particularly convenient for poor families. Combining these three aspects, what could surpass this method for protecting infants and benefiting the world? This spring, the gentlemen reprinted Mr. Qiu's book and asked me for a preface. I am pleased that this matter is credible and well-documented, and I commend their courage in doing good, sharing benefits with others. Thus, I wrote this to present to them. Second month of Gui Si year, Daoguang era, Preface by Tang Fangxu, styled Yu'an.