余一日过薛立斋先生，见先生蓬头执卷， 绎寻思，恍然如经生下帷之状。先生以余至，乃
入户理衣冠。余缔观几案中，皆残编断简，皮壳脱落，及取一卷阅之，其点窜注释，较之经
生下帷者倍之矣。余曰∶先生苦心哉！先生曰∶医之道不明，世之患夭扎者，将何所控诉为
也？而婴儿为甚，夫婴儿不能言也。传曰∶如保赤子，心诚求之。虽不中不远矣。夫中其欲
非难也，尤须心诚求之，而况于疾痛痒 ，变幻百出者邪！今之医者，率执数方以求试，及
其不效，则曰命也。夫按方以求病，非因病以处方，此与刻舟、胶柱者何异焉？顾卒委之命
，悲夫！先生又曰∶真精合而人生焉。是人之一身固五行之躯壳也，五行之中，土能生物，
是人之身亦借脾土以生，兹盖主本之论云。今婴儿虽未能言，然声音之所悲号，形气之所宣
扬，意欲之所指向，机未尝不可见也。虚之、实之、扶之、抑之，古人之成法俱在，或晦而
难辨，或杂而不分，宜乎学医者之望洋矣。余曰∶愿先生纂而约之，余将刻以传焉。先生唯
唯。余又曰∶频年以来，倭夷弗靖，丘墟村落之民，耕织之所根据者，十亡二三也。先生幸用
心校之，倘是书的然可传，则今日之所生全者，即不必皆俊秀，固亦云汉之遗黎，桑榆之耕
织也。先生有余仁矣。书成于丙辰年正月。余不佞，为之识其篇端。立斋先生名己，官太医
院院使，盖三吴世家云。
嘉靖丙辰岁春正月吉日
赐进士第中宪大夫知苏州府事前工科给事中闽林懋举书
我有一天经过薛立斋先生家，看见先生头发散乱地拿着书卷，反复推敲思考，神情恍惚，就像古代经生（指专门研究儒家经典的读书人）在帷帐中苦读的样子。先生见我到来，便进屋整理好衣帽。我仔细观看他的案头，都是些残破的书籍和断简，书皮脱落。于是取过一卷来阅读，发现上面所做的删改和注释，比那些在帷帐中苦读的经生还要多得多。我说：“先生真是用心良苦啊！”先生说：“医学的道理如果不明了，世间那些遭受夭折之苦的人，又能向谁控诉呢？尤其是婴儿更为严重，因为婴儿不会说话。古语说：‘要像保护初生的婴儿一样去爱护他们，只要诚心去寻找，即使没有完全命中要害，也不会相差太远。’”击中病欲并非难事，尤其需要诚心探求，更何况是那些病痛瘙痒、变化多端的疾病呢！现在的医生，大多固执于几副方子来尝试治疗，等到不奏效时，就说这是命数。按照方子去找病，而不是根据病情来制定处方，这与刻舟求剑、胶柱鼓瑟有什么区别呢？却最终把责任推给命运，真是可悲啊！先生又说：“真精结合而人诞生。人的身体确实是五行构成的躯壳，在五行之中，土能生化万物，所以人的身体也借助脾土来生长，这大概是关于根本的主张。”现在婴儿虽然不能说话，然而声音中的悲号、形气中的宣扬、意欲中的指向，其机理未尝不可被察觉。虚则补之、实则泻之、扶持正气、抑制邪气，古人的成法都还在，或者晦涩难辨，或者杂乱不分，难怪学医的人会感到望洋兴叹。我说：“希望先生编纂并精简它，我将把它刻印流传。”先生连声答应。我又说：“近年来，倭寇不安分，乡村百姓赖以生存的耕织产业，十去二三。希望先生用心校勘此书，如果这本书确实可以流传，那么今日得以保全生命的人，即便不一定都是俊秀之才，也确实是汉室遗民般的百姓，从事桑榆耕织的民众。先生真是仁德有余啊。”书完成于丙辰年正月。我不才，为它在篇首写下识记。立斋先生名己，官职为太医院院使，是三吴地区的世家大族。
嘉靖丙辰年春正月吉日
赐进士出身、中宪大夫、知苏州府事、前工科给事中、福建林懋举 书写
One day, I passed by the residence of Mr. Xue Lizhai and saw him with disheveled hair, holding a scroll, pondering and searching through it intently. He appeared trance-like, resembling ancient scholars (Jingsheng) studying diligently within their study curtains. Upon noticing my arrival, Mr. Xue entered his room to adjust his clothes and cap. I carefully observed his desk, which was covered with fragmented books and broken bamboo slips, their covers falling off. I took one volume to read; the annotations and corrections made therein were far more extensive than those of the scholars studying behind curtains. I said, "Mr., you have exerted yourself with great diligence!" Mr. Xue replied, "If the principles of medicine are not clarified, where will those suffering from premature death in the world appeal for justice? This is especially true for infants, as they cannot speak. The ancients said: 'Protect the infant like a newborn; if one seeks with sincerity, even if one misses the mark, one will not be far off.' Hitting the desired outcome is not difficult; what is required is sincere seeking. How much more so for diseases characterized by pain, itching, and myriad transformations! Today's physicians mostly adhere rigidly to a few prescriptions to test them. When these fail, they say, 'It is fate.' To seek disease based on a prescription, rather than prescribing based on the disease, is no different from carving a mark on a boat to find a sword or gluing the tuning pegs of a zither. Yet, ultimately, they attribute everything to fate. How tragic! Mr. Xue added, 'True essence combines to create human life. Thus, the human body is indeed a shell formed by the Five Phases (Wu Xing). Among the Five Phases, Earth generates all things; therefore, the human body also relies on Spleen-Earth for growth. This is essentially a theory regarding the root.' Although infants cannot speak now, their cries, the expression of their form and Qi, and the direction of their desires reveal mechanisms that can be perceived. Methods such as tonifying deficiency, draining excess, supporting upright Qi, and suppressing pathogenic factors are established methods of the ancients. However, they may be obscure and hard to distinguish, or mixed and undifferentiated, which explains why students of medicine feel overwhelmed. I said, "I hope you will compile and condense this work, and I will have it printed for dissemination." Mr. Xue agreed readily. I further said, "In recent years, the Wokou (Japanese pirates) have been restless. For the people in ruins and villages, who rely on farming and weaving, two or three out of ten have perished. I hope you will carefully proofread this book. If this text is indeed worthy of transmission, then those saved today, though not necessarily all outstanding talents, are indeed the surviving remnants of the Han dynasty, engaged in the plowing and weaving of mulberry and elm. Your benevolence is truly abundant." The book was completed in the first month of the Bingchen year. Being unskilled, I wrote this preface. Mr. Lizhai's given name was Ji, and he held the office of Director of the Imperial Medical Bureau, coming from a prominent family in the Sanwu region.
On an auspicious day in the spring of the first month of the Bingchen year of the Jiajing reign
Lin Maoju, Jinshi degree holder, Zhongxian Dafu, Prefect of Suzhou, former Censor of the Office of Scrutiny, from Min (Fujian), inscribed.