太极之理。一阴一阳尽之矣。其一动一静。互为其根。则阳中之阴。阴中之阳尽之矣。
天地之阴阳。不得不散而为五行者。所谓质具于地。气行于天。不遗于一物。乃其不穷于六
合者也。然则人之阴阳。其得之以为脏腑气血营卫者。不由是乎。然则草木虫鱼鸟兽金石水
土。其得之以为温凉寒热燥湿升降者。不由是乎。虽然。阳阴易辨。所谓阳中之阴阴中之阳。
则微妙难言。以神农黄帝之神圣。口咀内视。针引石砭。求其分际。察其脉络。而后能得焉。
乃庸工妄人。卤莽从事。何其谬也。诚欲详审乎阳中之阴阴中之阳者。亦惟察端于万物。共
此一太极。与一物各有一太极之理。而知人性之与四时通。及药性之与五脏六腑通。其理一
也。夫人性之通于四时。与药性之通于五脏六腑者。自其禀天地之气以成形。而性即具之。
故动静相反也。而互为其根。阴阳相判也。而互为其宅。所谓五行一阴阳也。阴阳一太极也。
太极一无极也。此万殊而一本也。大造有气化之本。然而生人生物。胥不外此。其于人也备
阴阳之太极。而五脏六腑具焉。于物也又各分太极之阴阳。而若气若味分焉。此一本而万殊
也。溯而为一。体之立也。而万之用无乎不具。散而为万。用之行也。而一之体未尝不存。
轩岐之圣。生而知之。张洁古李东垣王海藏朱丹溪诸贤。阐而明之。彼其于先天后天妙合化
醇之故。所谓微妙而难言者。有以神而明之矣。庸工不察。而立言之家。又往往择焉而不精。
语焉而不详。求其参互于阳阴交错之故。以消息乎盈虚之间。盖戛戛乎其难之。此大司寇潜
江刘云密先生本草述之所为作也。先生在前朝。举天启乙丑进士。起家县令。历监司。忤时
拂衣。以正气名闻天下。崇祯末。一再膺荐。后驱驰闽海间。见柄政下移。知事不可为。即
于学易之年。坚乞骸骨归。自号蠡园逸叟。隐居着书三十载。而于是编尤加意焉。盖其存心
济物。不获见诸行事。而寓意于此也。其学博。其识精。故能辨别本草禀受之性。以窥阴阳
之奥。而得其协议而化之原乃。编采诸家方论。权衡而上下之。即世所奉为金科玉律如李东
璧氏本草纲目。亦时有去取焉。观止矣。蔑以加矣。令嗣涟水明府。令淳安之三年。政通人
和。无夭札疵疠之患。其有得于家学渊源者不浅。而欲俾斯民共跻于仁寿之域。属余较而梓
之。家弟言扬适司铎是邦。相助订正。以迄有成。是仁术也。夫先生有范文正公良相良医之
愿。乃不克如文正之以功业见。而徒寄情于方书。则其时为之欤。后之读是书者。可以论其
世矣。
康熙己卯夏六月天贶节嘉兴后学高佑 谨序
太极的道理，用一阴一阳就可以概括尽了。它的动与静，互为根本，那么阳中的阴、阴中的阳也就全部包含其中了。
天地间的阴阳之气，不得不分散为五行，这就是所谓的“形体具备于地，气运行于天”，不遗漏任何事物，因此它在六合（上下四方）之中是无穷无尽的。既然这样，那么人之所以拥有脏腑、气血、营卫，难道不是由此而来吗？同样，草木、虫鱼、鸟兽、金石、水土之所以具有温、凉、寒、热、燥、湿、升、降的特性，难道不是也由此而来吗？
虽然如此，单纯的阴阳容易辨别，但所谓“阳中之阴”和“阴中之阳”，则微妙难以言说。即使是神农、黄帝那样神圣的人物，也是通过口尝药物、内视观察、使用针石砭术等方法，探求其界限，考察其脉络，然后才能掌握这些道理。然而那些平庸的工匠和狂妄之人，却粗鲁草率地行事，这多么荒谬啊！
如果真想详细审察“阳中之阴”和“阴中之阳”的道理，也只有从万物中观察，明白万物共同拥有一个太极，而每一物又各自拥有一个太极的道理，从而知道人的禀性与四时相通，以及药性与五脏六腑相通的道理，其原理是一致的。
人的禀性之所以与四时相通，药性之所以与五脏六腑相通，是因为它们都禀受天地之气而形成形体，其本性就蕴含在其中。所以，动静虽然相反，却互为根本；阴阳虽然分离，却互为居所。这就是所谓的“五行即是一阴阳，阴阳即是太极，太极即是无极”。这是万殊归于一本的道理。大自然的造化有气化之本，然而生成人和生物，都不超出这个范围。对于人来说，备具了阴阳之太极，并且拥有五脏六腑；对于万物来说，又各自分有了太极的阴阳，分为气和味。这是一本散为万殊的道理。追溯回归为一，是体的确立，而万物的功用无不具备；分散为万物，是用的施行，而一的体性未曾不存在。
轩辕、岐伯这样的圣人，生来就知道这些道理；张洁古、李东垣、王海藏、朱丹溪等贤人，加以阐发并使之明晰。他们对于先天后天妙合化醇的原理，那种微妙难言之处，已经能够神妙地领悟并阐明它了。平庸的工匠不能察觉，而立言著书的人，又往往选择得不精当，论述得不详尽，想要探究阴阳交错的原理，以调节盈虚的变化，这确实是很难做到的。这正是大司寇潜江刘云密先生撰写《本草述》的原因。
刘先生在前朝，考中天启乙丑年进士，从县令起家，历任监司，因违背时俗拂袖而去，以正气闻名天下。崇祯末年，再次受到推荐，后来在闽海之间奔波，见到大权下移，知道事情不可为，便在研习《易经》的年纪，坚决请求退休回家，自号蠡园逸叟，隐居著书三十年，而对于这部著作尤其用心。大概是他心存救济万物之心，却无法在行事上实现，便将寓意寄托于此书中。他学识渊博，见识精辟，因此能辨别本草所禀受的性情，以窥探阴阳的奥秘，并得到协调变化的本源。该书采集各家方论，权衡比较，即使是世人奉为金科玉律如李东璧氏的《本草纲目》，也时有取舍。真是到了顶点，无以复加了。
他的儿子涟水县令刘淳，在任三年，政通人和，没有夭折和瘟疫疾病的祸患，他从家学渊源中得到的益处不少，并希望让百姓共同达到仁寿的境界，委托我校对并刻印此书。我的弟弟言扬恰好在此地担任教育官员，协助订正，最终得以完成。这是一种仁术。刘先生有范仲淹公那样良相良医的愿望，只是未能像范仲淹那样以功业显赫，而是将情怀寄托于医书之中，这大概是时代造成的吧。后世读这本书的人，可以了解作者的时代背景了。
康熙己卯年夏六月天贶节，嘉兴后学高佑 谨序
The principle of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) is fully encompassed by Yin and Yang. Their movement and stillness serve as mutual roots; thus, the Yin within Yang and the Yang within Yin are also fully encompassed.
The Yin and Yang of Heaven and Earth must necessarily disperse into the Five Phases (Wu Xing). This is what is meant by "form resides on Earth, Qi circulates in Heaven," leaving nothing out, thereby rendering it inexhaustible within the Six Directions (the universe). Consequently, is it not from this that humans derive their Zang-Fu organs, Qi and Blood, Ying (Nutritive Qi), and Wei (Defensive Qi)? Similarly, is it not from this that plants, insects, fish, birds, beasts, metals, stones, water, and earth derive their properties of warmth, coolness, cold, heat, dryness, dampness, ascending, and descending?
Although Yin and Yang are relatively easy to distinguish, the concepts of "Yin within Yang" and "Yang within Yin" are subtle and difficult to articulate. Even Shennong and the Yellow Emperor, with their divine sagacity, relied on tasting herbs, inner vision, and the use of needles, stones, and bi (stone lancets) to probe their boundaries and examine their meridians before they could grasp these principles. How absurd, then, are the rash actions of mediocre practitioners and arrogant fools! To thoroughly examine the Yin within Yang and the Yang within Yin, one must observe all things, understanding that while all things share a single Taiji, each thing possesses its own Taiji. By knowing that human nature corresponds with the Four Seasons, and that drug properties correspond with the Zang-Fu organs, we realize that the underlying principle is identical.
Human nature corresponds with the Four Seasons, and drug properties correspond with the Zang-Fu organs, because both acquire form by inheriting the Qi of Heaven and Earth, and their natures are inherent within them. Thus, although movement and stillness are opposite, they serve as mutual roots; although Yin and Yang are distinct, they serve as mutual dwellings. This is what is meant by: "The Five Phases are but Yin and Yang; Yin and Yang are but Taiji; Taiji is but Wuji (Non-Limit)." This represents the unity of the One amidst the Many. The Great Creation has its root in the transformation of Qi, yet the generation of humans and all living beings does not transcend this. For humans, the Taiji of Yin and Yang is complete, housing the Zang-Fu organs; for other things, the Yin and Yang of Taiji are divided into Qi and Flavor. This is the One dispersing into the Many. Tracing back to the One establishes the Substance (Ti), wherein the functions of the Many are fully present; dispersing into the Many activates the Functions (Yong), while the Substance of the One remains intact.
Sages such as Xuanyuan (Yellow Emperor) and Qibo possessed innate knowledge of this. Later sages like Zhang Jiegou, Li Dongyuan, Wang Haizang, and Zhu Danxi elucidated and clarified it. They had divinely illuminated the subtle and ineffable mysteries of the harmonious blending of Pre-Heaven and Post-Heaven energies. Mediocre practitioners fail to perceive this, and authors often select imprecisely or describe vaguely. It is indeed arduous to explore the interplay of Yin and Yang to regulate the fluctuations of fullness and emptiness. This is precisely why Mr. Liu Yunmi, Grand Coordinator of Qianjiang, authored *Bencao Shu* (Compendium of Materia Medica Descriptions).
Mr. Liu passed the Jinshi examination in the Yichou year of the Tianqi era. He began his career as a county magistrate, served as a supervising official, resigned in protest against contemporary trends, and gained renown for his upright integrity. At the end of the Chongzhen reign, he was recommended again. He later traveled through the Fujian and Zhejiang coastal regions. Seeing the decline of central authority and realizing that the situation was hopeless, he firmly requested retirement at an age dedicated to studying the *I Ching* (Book of Changes). He styled himself "Liyuan Yisou" (Recluse of Li Garden) and lived in seclusion, writing for thirty years, paying special attention to this work. His heart was set on benefiting all beings, but since he could not achieve this through political action, he embedded his aspirations in this book. With profound learning and exquisite insight, he was able to discern the inherent natures of materia medica, penetrate the mysteries of Yin and Yang, and grasp the origin of harmonious transformation. The compilation collected formulas and theories from various schools, weighing and comparing them. Even works revered as canonical, such as Li Shizhen’s *Bencao Gangmu* (Compendium of Materia Medica), were subject to selection and omission. Truly, there is nothing more to add.
His son, Liu Chun, Magistrate of Lianshui, governed for three years with effective administration and social harmony, sparing the people from premature death and epidemics. He derived significant benefit from his family's scholarly heritage and wished to enable the common people to attain benevolence and longevity. He entrusted me with proofreading and publishing the book. My younger brother, Yan Yang, who served as an educational official in this region, assisted in correcting the text, leading to its completion. This is a benevolent art. Mr. Liu harbored the wish of Fan Zhongyan to be both a capable minister and a skilled physician. However, unlike Fan Zhongyan, he did not achieve fame through political merit but instead devoted his passion to medical texts. This was likely due to the constraints of his times. Readers of this book in later generations may understand the context of its author.
On the Tianshuang Festival in the sixth month of summer, in the Ji Mao year of the Kangxi reign, Gao You, a junior scholar from Jiaxing, respectfully wrote this preface.