言之可贵而足以垂后者，必性命之文也，其次则经济之文也。余于理学，既无所窥，
又六经四子之书，灿如星日，即汉疏宋注，且有遗讥，况余愚瞽凡民，安敢以管蠡仰测高深
也哉！性命之文，吾无及矣。若经济之文，必须见诸实事，方能载诸简编。余少困棘闱，壮
谢制举，长甘蓬 ，终鲜通荣，经济之文，吾无望焉耳！至于词章诗赋，月露风云，纵极精
工，无裨实用。扬子所谓雕虫篆刻，壮夫不为，不其然乎！窃谓医药之书，虽无当于文章巨
丽之观，然能起人沉 ，益人神智，弱可令壮，郁可使宽。无关道脉，而能有助刚大之形躯；
不系政刑，而实有裨生成之大德。言不堕绮语之障，用有当施济之仁，群居饱食之余，或可
以愧小慧而胜犹贤也乎！是用寄意此中，思以寿世。初则谓医学与堪舆不同，堪舆当有秘奥
，天机不欲轻泄。若医集所以济生救疾，自应无微不阐，无隐不彰，恣意极言，不遣余蕴。
及泛览诸书，惟《灵素》、《难经》、仲景、叔和，奥衍宏深，不易究殚。自唐宋而下，名
家百氏方书，非不灿陈，而义蕴殊少诠释。如本草第言治某病某病，而不明所以主治之由；
医方第云用某药某药，而不明所以当用之理。千书一律，开卷茫如，即间有辨析病源、训解
药性者，率说焉而不详，语焉而不畅，医理虽云深造，文本多欠通明，难以豁观者之心目。
良用怃然，不揣固陋，爰采诸家之长，辑为《本草备要》、《医方集解》二篇，理法全宗古
人，体裁更为创制。本草则字笺句释，仿传注之详明。医疗则诠证释方，兼百家之论辨。书
分两帙，用实相资。要令不知医之人，读之了然，庶裨实用。两书甫出，幸海内名贤颇垂鉴
许。今本草原刻，字已漫灭，特再加厘订，用酬世好。抑世尚有议余药味之简者，余惟歌赋
汤液，药仅二百四十种，拙集广至四百种，不为少矣。如食物仅可充口腹，僻药非治所常需
者，安能尽录？盖既取其备，又欲其要，应如是止也。兹因重梓，更增备而可用者约六十品
，聊以厌言者之口，仍不碍携者之艰。苟小道之可观，倘不至致远之恐泥也乎！
康熙甲戌岁阳月
休宁八十老人 庵汪昂书于延禧堂
言语中那些珍贵且足以流传后世的，必定是关于性命之道的文章；其次则是关于经世济民的文章。我在理学方面，既没有深入探究，又因为《六经》和“四子”（《大学》《中庸》《论语》《孟子》）的著作光辉灿烂如日月，即便是汉代学者的疏解和宋代的注释，尚且有人讥评其不足，何况我这样一个愚昧无知的平民百姓，怎敢以管窥蠡测的方式去揣测高深的道理呢！关于性命之道的文章，我已经无法企及了。至于经世济民的文章，必须体现在实际事务中，才能记载在书籍里。我年轻时在科举考试中困顿失意，壮年时辞谢了制举考试，成年后甘于隐居生活，最终也没有获得显达荣耀，对于经世济民的文章，我已不再抱有希望了！至于诗词歌赋这类文学创作，描写月露风云，即使极其精巧工整，也对实用没有帮助。正如扬雄所说，雕虫篆刻（指辞藻华丽的文辞），大丈夫是不屑为之的，难道不是这样吗！我私下认为，医药方面的书籍，虽然不具备宏大华丽的文章外观，但能让人从重病中康复，使人精神智慧受益，虚弱者可变得强壮，忧郁者可变得宽舒。它不关乎道统传承，却有助于形成刚健宏大的体魄；不涉及政治刑罚，却确实有益于天地化生万物的巨大德行。言语不落入绮丽虚妄的障碍，用途符合施舍救济的仁爱之心，在群居饱食之余，或许可以以此惭愧自己的小聪明，从而胜过平庸之辈吧！因此我将心意寄托于此，希望能借此书造福世间。起初我认为医学与堪舆（风水）不同，堪舆应当有秘密奥妙，天机不愿轻易泄露。而医学集子的目的是救济生命、拯救疾病，自然应该毫无保留地阐明细微之处，没有隐晦不明之处，尽情极言，不留余蕴。等到广泛阅览各种书籍后，发现只有《灵枢》《素问》、《难经》，以及张仲景、王叔和的著作，深奥广博，难以穷尽研究。自唐宋以来，各家名医的方书，并非不灿烂陈列，但其中的义理内涵很少加以诠释。比如本草类书籍只说治疗某种疾病，却不明白之所以主治的原因；医方类书籍只说使用某种药物，却不明白所以使用该药物的道理。千书一律，打开书卷茫然不知，即使偶尔有辨析病源、训解药性的，大多说得简略而不详细，语意不畅而不通顺，医理虽然声称造诣深厚，但文本大多欠缺通明，难以让读者豁然开朗。实在令人怅然若失，我不顾自己固陋浅薄，于是采集各家的长处，编辑成《本草备要》和《医方集解》两篇著作，理法完全遵循古人，体裁更是创新创制。本草部分逐字笺注、逐句解释，仿效传注的详尽明确。医疗部分阐释证候、解析方剂，兼收并蓄各家的论辩。书籍分为两册，内容相互资助。旨在让不懂医学的人，读起来也能清楚明了，从而对实用有所帮助。这两本书刚刚出版，幸蒙海内外名流贤达颇为垂青赞许。现在本草的原刻本，字迹已经模糊磨灭，特意再加整理修订，用以酬谢世间的爱好者。然而世上还有议论我收录药味太少的，我只知道《诗经·大雅·烝民》中的“天降下民，作之君，作之师”以及汤液（中药汤剂）的歌赋，药仅二百四十种，我的拙作扩展到四百种，不算少了。如果食物仅可充饥果腹，偏僻的药物非治疗常需之物，怎么能全部收录呢？既然既要取其完备，又想取其简要，应该到此为止了。这次因为重新刊印，又增加了备用且可用的约六十种药材，姑且用来满足那些指责我的人的口实，同时也不妨碍携带者的艰难。如果这些小道也有可观之处，恐怕不至于有致远时的泥足不前吧！
康熙甲戌年（1754年）十月
休宁八十岁老人 汪昂 写于延禧堂
Among writings, those that are precious and worthy of being passed down to posterity must be texts concerning the principles of life and nature (Xingming); next in rank are texts concerning statecraft and governance (Jingji). Regarding Neo-Confucian philosophy (Lixue), I have made no deep exploration. Furthermore, the classics of the Six Classics (Liujing) and the Four Books (Sizi) shine like the sun and stars; even the commentaries by Han scholars and Song dynasties invite criticism, so how dare a commoner like me, with my limited understanding, attempt to fathom such profound depths using only a tube or a gourd scoop? As for texts on the principles of life and nature, I am incapable of reaching them. As for texts on statecraft, they must be manifested in practical affairs to be recorded in books. In my youth, I was frustrated in the imperial examinations; in my prime, I declined the system examination (Zhiju); in adulthood, I contented myself with a hermit's life, never achieving official prominence. Thus, I have given up hope regarding texts on statecraft! As for literary compositions such as poetry and fu, describing moonlight, dew, wind, and clouds, even if extremely refined and skillful, they offer no practical benefit. As Yang Xiong said, "carving insects and engraving seals" (referring to ornate but trivial literature) is not undertaken by great men—is this not true? I privately believe that medical books, although lacking the grandeur of magnificent literary works, can rescue people from severe illness, enhance mental clarity, strengthen the weak, and alleviate depression. They may not concern the transmission of the Daoist lineage, yet they contribute to the formation of a robust physical body; they do not relate to political law, yet they truly benefit the great virtue of sustaining life. Their words do not fall into the trap of flowery emptiness, and their application aligns with the benevolence of charity. In moments of leisure after eating one's fill among others, perhaps it can shame one's petty cleverness and surpass mediocrity? Therefore, I have placed my intent here, hoping to benefit the world through this book. Initially, I thought medicine differed from Feng Shui (Kanyu); Feng Shui should hold secret mysteries, and heavenly secrets should not be lightly revealed. However, since medical collections aim to save lives and cure diseases, they should elucidate every subtle detail without concealment, speaking fully without holding back. Upon broadly reviewing various books, I found that only the *Lingshu* (Spiritual Pivot), *Suwen* (Basic Questions), *Nanjing* (Classic of Difficult Issues), and the works of Zhang Zhongjing and Wang Shuhe were profound and extensive, difficult to exhaustively study. From the Tang and Song dynasties onward, the formularies of famous masters were abundantly displayed, yet their underlying meanings were rarely explained. For instance, materia medica texts merely stated which disease was treated, without explaining the reason for treatment; medical formula texts merely listed which herbs were used, without explaining the rationale for their use.千篇一律 (千篇一律: uniform across thousands of books), opening any volume left one bewildered. Even those that occasionally analyzed disease origins or interpreted herb properties were often brief and unclear, making the medical theory hard to grasp clearly. This caused me deep frustration. Not minding my own ignorance, I collected the strengths of various schools and compiled two works: *Bencao Beiyao* (Essential Materia Medica) and *Yifang Jijie* (Collected Explanations of Medical Formulas). The principles and methods strictly followed the ancients, while the format was innovative. For the materia medica, I annotated characters and explained sentences, imitating the clarity of traditional commentaries. For medical treatments, I interpreted syndromes and explained formulas, incorporating debates from various schools. The book is divided into two volumes, mutually supporting each other, aiming to make it clear even to non-medical readers, thereby aiding practical use. Since the publication of these two books, I have been fortunate to receive the appreciation of distinguished scholars worldwide. Now, the original woodblocks of the *Bencao Beiyao* are worn and illegible, so I have carefully revised them again to repay the kindness of the public. Some critics argue that I omitted too many herbs. I recall that in the *Shijing* (Book of Songs) and ancient herbal lore, only 240 herbs were listed; my collection expands this to 400, which is not few. If food is merely for sustenance, and rare herbs are not always necessary for treatment, how could all be recorded? Since I sought both comprehensiveness and conciseness, this limit was appropriate. For this new printing, I added about 60 more useful herbs, merely to silence critics, without burdening carriers. If these minor arts are indeed worthwhile, perhaps they will not hinder one from traveling far!
In the tenth month of the Ji Xu year [1754]
Wang Ang, an eighty-year-old man from Xiuning, wrote at Yanxi Hall