医学之精，难于举业。俗儒日事 哔，童年肄习，白首茫然，不过自废。医则呼吸存亡之责寄焉。经生不
能博览群书，枵腹箝口，尚无訾之者。医或涉猎不多，胸无把握，临证断难措手，遑言奏效！此业医者不可以
不精也。钟少善病，困床蓐者数矣。置举业为缓图，日亲药裹，因识药性。翻阅古今医书，颇得大意。计偕后
奔走燕北，体稍强，药饵亦渐减，而与医术遂日疏。厥后，迷闷簿书，倥偬邮驿，食少暇顷，竟不知药为何
物矣。年来自青海归梓，日与故园父老相晤言，每闻患疾家延医多莫治，心讶之，为询其方，攻补温凉漫无定
见，皆以病为尝试，盖惟脉证均不明故。余非专家，此中症结未洞澈，默不敢言，日耿耿于心，思得博雅君子
一问津焉。尺咫之区，见闻莫扩，惟自披览前贤着述，悉力研究，终未能深信于中而无疑。今春家锡三师归，
言岩镇观泉程先生为通儒名医，心向往之，因造谒焉。先生蔼度赤诚，一见如旧识，出示所着诗钞两卷，医案
三卷，并得读《医述》十六卷。于此益识先生之学，远绍旁搜，钩元提要，博而能约，实足发前人之奥 ，为
后学之津梁也，夫医之为道大矣哉！
体阴阳五行，与《周易》性理诸书通，辨五方风土，与官礼王制诸书通；察寒热虚实脉证，严于辨狱；立攻补
和解方阵，重于行军。固难为浅见寡闻道也！先生萃数十年考订，遵古、述古而未尝泥古。凡前人所言深中肯
綮者，一一编次，分门别类，郑重周详。《礼》云∶医不三世，不服其药。三世，三皇之世之书也。先生上溯
轩、岐，下逮汉、唐、宋、明诸家绪论，无不融贯于胸，原原本本，称心而言，非但三世已也。使推此以习举
业，定早独出冠时矣。顾愚谓终不如先生仁心仁术、活世寿世之功之大且久也。谨序。
道光丁亥岁长至前三日后学朱钟拜撰
医学的精妙，比科举考试更难掌握。世俗的儒生每天只忙于诵读经文，童年开始学习，直到头发白了依然茫然无知，这不过是自我荒废罢了。而医生肩负着维系生命存亡的责任。读书人如果不能博览群书，肚子里空空如也且闭口不言，尚且没有人指责他。但医生如果涉猎不广，心中没有把握，面对病人时很难下手诊治，更谈不上取得疗效！因此，从事医疗行业的人不可以不精通医术。
我（程钟龄）从小体弱多病，曾多次卧床不起。于是将科举功名视为缓图，每天亲近药包，从而认识了药性。翻阅古今医书，颇得其中大意。参加乡试后，奔走于燕北之地，身体稍强，药物服用也逐渐减少，而与医术便日渐疏远。后来，在繁杂的公文和急促的驿务中忙碌，吃饭少、空闲时间极少，竟然不知道药是什么东西了。近年来从青海回到故乡，每天与故园的父老乡亲交谈，常常听说患病家庭聘请医生却大多无法治愈，心中对此感到惊讶，便询问他们的治疗方案，发现医生们对于攻法、补法、温法、凉法漫无定见，都把病人当作试验品，大概是因为脉象和证候都不清楚的原因。我不是这方面的专家，对这里的症结未能透彻洞察，所以沉默不敢多言，但心中一直耿耿于怀，希望能得到博学雅正的君子指点迷津。由于居住区域狭小，见闻无法扩大，只能自己披阅前贤的著作，竭尽全力研究，最终仍未能做到心中深信无疑。今年春天，家师锡三先生归来，说岩镇观泉的程先生是通晓经史的名医，我心向往之，于是前往拜谒。先生态度和蔼、赤诚相待，一见如故交，出示他所著的《诗钞》两卷、《医案》三卷，并让我读到了《医述》十六卷。于此更加认识到先生的学问，远承旁搜，钩取精义，提要挈领，博大精深而又能简约，实在足以发掘前人的深奥，成为后学的桥梁啊！医学之道真是伟大啊！
医学体察阴阳五行，与《周易》及性理诸书相通；辨别五方风土人情，与《周礼》及王制诸书相通；观察寒热虚实的脉象与证候，比审理案件还要严谨；确立攻、补、和、解等方阵治法，比行军打仗还要慎重。本来就不是见识浅薄、见闻寡陋的人所能谈论的！先生荟萃了几十年的考证订正，遵循古法、阐述古法但未尝拘泥于古法。凡是前人所说深深切中要害的，一一编排次序，分门别类，郑重周详。《礼记》说：“医不三世，不服其药。”这里的“三世”，指的是三皇时代以来的书籍。先生上溯黄帝、岐伯，下至汉、唐、宋、明各家绪论，无不融会贯通于胸中，原原本本，称心而言，不仅仅是限于“三世”而已。假如让他用这种态度去研习科举学业，必定早就独出心裁、冠绝一时了。但我愚笨地认为，终究不如先生以仁心仁术拯救世人、延寿世人的功绩那样宏大且久远。谨此作序。
道光丁亥年冬至前三日，后学朱钟敬撰
The subtlety of medicine is more difficult to master than the civil service examinations. Vulgar scholars busy themselves daily with reciting classics; they begin studying in childhood but remain bewildered until their hair turns white, amounting merely to self-neglect. In contrast, physicians bear the responsibility for life and death. A scholar who fails to read widely, remaining ignorant and silent, may still escape criticism. However, if a physician has limited exposure and lacks internal certainty, it will be extremely difficult to manage patients clinically, let alone achieve therapeutic efficacy! Therefore, those engaged in medicine must strive for mastery.
I (Cheng Zhongling) was prone to illness from childhood and had been confined to bed several times. I thus deferred my pursuit of official rank, spending each day handling medicinal packages, thereby familiarizing myself with drug properties. By perusing ancient and modern medical texts, I grasped their general principles. After participating in the provincial examinations, I traveled north to Yan, where my health improved slightly and my medication decreased, causing my engagement with medical arts to gradually wane. Later, engrossed in administrative paperwork and hurried postal duties, with little food and scarce leisure, I almost forgot what medicine was. Recently returning home from Qinghai, I conversed daily with elders in my hometown. I often heard that families seeking medical help found doctors unable to cure them. Surprised by this, I inquired about their treatments and found that practitioners applied attacking, tonifying, warming, or cooling methods without consistent judgment, treating patients as experiments. This was likely due to a lack of clarity regarding pulse and syndrome differentiation. As I am not a specialist and have not fully penetrated the crux of these issues, I remained silent yet harbored deep concern, hoping to find guidance from a learned gentleman. Within my limited vicinity, my horizons could not expand, so I could only study the works of former sages diligently, striving for understanding, yet still failing to achieve absolute conviction without doubt. This spring, my teacher Master Xi San returned, stating that Mr. Cheng of Guanquan Village in Yanzhen was a renowned scholar-physician. Yearning to meet him, I visited. He was gentle and sincere; we felt like old friends upon meeting. He showed me his two volumes of *Poetry Collection* and three volumes of *Medical Cases*, and allowed me to read his sixteen-volume work, *Yi Shu* (Record of Medicine). Through this, I further recognized his scholarship: drawing extensively from distant sources, extracting essences, broad yet concise, truly capable of revealing the profound mysteries of predecessors and serving as a bridge for future learners. Indeed, the Way of Medicine is great!
Medicine embodies Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, resonating with the *I Ching* (Book of Changes) and texts on human nature and principle; it distinguishes the climates and customs of the five directions, aligning with the *Rites* (*Zhou Li*) and systems of governance; it observes pulse and syndrome manifestations of cold, heat, deficiency, and excess with rigor surpassing that of judicial case reviews; it establishes formulas for attacking, tonifying, harmonizing, and resolving, bearing weight comparable to military campaigns. It is certainly not a subject for those with shallow views and narrow knowledge! Mr. Cheng has synthesized decades of textual research, adhering to and expounding upon ancient methods without being bound by them. Whatever previous authors stated hit the mark precisely, he arranged them systematically, categorized them, and presented them with solemnity and thoroughness. The *Book of Rites* states: "If a physician's lineage does not extend back three generations, do not take their medicine." Here, "three generations" refers to books from the era of the Three Sovereigns. Mr. Cheng traces back to Huangdi (Yellow Emperor) and Qibo, and down through the Han, Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties, integrating all schools of thought into his mind. He speaks originally and faithfully, going far beyond mere "three generations." If he were to apply this approach to the civil service exams, he would undoubtedly have stood out uniquely among his contemporaries long ago. Yet, I foolishly believe that his merit in saving lives and extending longevity through benevolent heart and skill is ultimately greater and more enduring. Respectfully inscribed.
On the third day before the Winter Solstice in the Dinghai year of the Daoguang reign, humble student Zhu Zhong respectfully composed.