夫医者，活人之事，而亦杀人之机也。今天下医书亦繁多矣，未尽其变，纸上陈言，何
足为用？设沉 当前，医士环视，生之乎？杀之乎？曰杀之也。何以明其然也，拘泥古方，以
疗今疾，如此者，医杀之耳。男子无论矣。女子之情，隐微难见，病不自知，而一委于医，
医又不能得其隐微，望闻问无有焉，一凭于脉，脉其可尽凭乎？惟是妄意揣度，聊复从事焉
。嗟乎，此何等事，而竟以意度之，想当然乎哉？然隐微亦难言矣。从其隐而隐之，则无乎
不隐。如仓公之诊女子，知其思欲不遂，脉出鱼际一寸是也。从其显而显之，则无乎不显。
如妇人因夫不归而发狂疾，哭泣无时，诟詈无度，医者迎而夺之，拔剑砍之，彼则匍伏不敢
仰视，久之愈矣是也。岳武穆云∶运用之妙，存乎一心。兵法也，亦医法也。吾因是而又知
天一生水之义矣。水能生人，亦能杀人，故禹之治水也，穷其源而疏之，因其势而利导之，
自无泛滥之患。禹非能治水也，因水以治水也。人能知禹之治水，则知所以治妇女之科矣。
故《济阴纲目》一书，其立论自调经始，有纲领，有原委，有条贯，有分疏。一病之中，三
致意焉；一方之设，细详释焉。得其隐微，能尽其变，使人阅之，一团生气浮于纸上，讵非
活人之书哉！虽曰济阴，而实所以扶阳也。无阳则阴无以生，无阴则阳无以化，阳施阴化，
而医道之能事毕矣。吾非能知医也，而因医以知医，故重为订之，以广仁人之心而已。虽然
，喻指为月，指终非月，读者因指识月焉可也。
时康熙乙巳岁孟冬月西陵 漪子汪淇右子甫题于孝友堂别业
医生这一职业，是救活人的事业，但也可能是致人死亡的机关。如今天下的医书虽然繁多，但大多未能穷尽病情的变化，只是纸上谈兵的陈旧言论，哪里值得作为实用的依据呢？假设危重的病人就在眼前，医生们围观审视，是让他生还是让他死？答案是让他死。为什么这么说呢？因为拘泥于古方来治疗今天的疾病，像这样的人，就是医生害死了他。男子的情形暂且不论。女子的情志，隐秘细微难以察觉，病人自己也不清楚病因，完全委托给医生，而医生又不能探知那些隐秘细微之处，望、闻、问三诊都不采用，只凭脉诊，脉诊怎么可能完全依赖呢？只能是凭空猜测，姑且从事诊疗罢了。唉！这是多么严肃的事情，竟然凭着主观臆测、想当然地处理吗？然而隐秘细微之处也难以言说。如果顺着隐秘去揣测隐秘，那就无处不隐秘了。比如仓公诊治一位女子，知道她思虑愿望未遂，脉象出现在鱼际穴上一寸处，就是这样（通过脉象推断情志病因）。如果顺着显露的症状去分析，那就无处不显露了。比如妇人因丈夫不归而发狂疾，哭泣没有定时，辱骂没有节制，医生迎上前夺取她的剑并假装砍杀，她便匍匐在地不敢抬头看，过了很久病就好了，就是这样（通过心理疏导/惊吓疗法治愈）。岳武穆说：“运用之妙，存乎一心。”这是兵法，也是医法。我因此又明白了“天一生水”的道理。水能养育人，也能淹没杀人，所以大禹治水，探究源头加以疏通，顺应地势加以引导，自然就没有泛滥的祸患。大禹并非能凭空治水，而是顺应水性来治水。人们如果能懂得大禹治水的方法，就知道如何治疗妇科疾病的道理了。所以《济阴纲目》这本书，其立论从调理月经开始，有纲领，有始末，有条理，有分辨。一种疾病之中，反复斟酌；一个方剂的设立，详细解释。能够探知隐秘细微，能穷尽病情变化，使人阅读时，感觉一团生气浮现在纸上，这难道不是救活人的书吗！虽然说它是救济女性的书，但实际上是用来扶持阳气的。没有阳气，阴就无法生成；没有阴，阳就无法化生，阳施布阴化育，那么医道的能事就完备了。我不是真正懂医的人，而是通过医学来理解医学，所以重新修订它，以推广仁人之心罢了。虽然如此，把比喻当作月亮，手指终究不是月亮，读者通过手指认识月亮就可以了。
时在康熙乙巳年孟冬月，西陵漪子汪淇右子甫题写于孝友堂别业
The profession of a physician is an endeavor to save lives, yet it can also be the mechanism for causing death. Today, medical books in the world are numerous, but few exhaust the variations of diseases; they are merely stale remarks on paper, of what use are they? Suppose a critical patient lies before you, and physicians gaze around: will he live or die? The answer is that he will die. How do we know this? Because adhering rigidly to ancient prescriptions to treat contemporary ailments—such practitioners are the ones who kill their patients. This applies to men as well. However, women's emotions are hidden and subtle, difficult to perceive; patients themselves may not know the cause of their illness and entrust everything to the doctor. If the doctor cannot discern these subtleties, and relies solely on pulse diagnosis without employing observation (Wang), listening/smelling (Wen), and inquiry (Wen), how can pulse diagnosis alone be fully trusted? It becomes mere speculation, a superficial engagement with treatment. Alas! How serious a matter is this, to be handled by mere conjecture and assumption? Yet, the subtle is hard to articulate. If one follows the subtle to interpret the subtle, everything appears obscure. For instance, when Cang Gong diagnosed a woman, he deduced her unfulfilled desires from the pulse appearing one cun above the Yuji point (LU10). Conversely, if one follows the manifest to interpret the manifest, everything becomes clear. For example, a woman went mad because her husband did not return, crying incessantly and cursing without limit. The physician intercepted her, snatched her sword, and feigned striking her; she crawled on the ground, daring not to look up, and after a long time, she recovered. As Yue Fei said, "The subtlety of application resides in the mind." This is both military strategy and medical art. From this, I further understand the principle of "Heaven generates One, Water" (Tian Yi Sheng Shui). Water can nurture life, but it can also drown and kill. Therefore, when Yu the Great controlled the floods, he traced the source and dredged it, guided it according to its natural tendency, thus avoiding disasters of overflow. Yu did not control water by force, but by following the nature of water. If people can understand Yu's method of controlling water, they will understand how to treat gynecological diseases. Thus, the book *Jiyin Gangmu* begins its theoretical framework with regulating menstruation; it has guidelines, origins and consequences, coherence, and distinctions. For each disease, careful consideration is given three times; for each prescription, detailed explanations are provided. By grasping the subtle and exhausting the variations, readers will feel a vibrant energy floating on the pages. Is this not a book that saves lives? Although it is said to aid women, it essentially supports Yang. Without Yang, Yin cannot generate; without Yin, Yang cannot transform. When Yang acts and Yin transforms, the capabilities of medicine are complete. I am not truly knowledgeable in medicine, but through medicine, I come to understand medicine. Therefore, I have revised it again to promote the heart of benevolence. Nevertheless, pointing at the moon is not the moon itself; readers should use the finger to recognize the moon.
Inscribed by Wang Qi, courtesy name Youzifu, styled Yizi of Xiling, at the Bieye of Xiaoyou Hall, in the first month of winter during the Yisi year of the Kangxi reign.