上古之圣人，仰观天之六气，俯察地之五行，论草木、金石、禽兽之性，而合于人之五
脏、六腑、十二经脉，着有《本草经》，词古义深，难于窥测。汉季张长沙《伤寒论》、《
金匮要略》，多采中古遗方，用药之义，悉遵《本经》，应验如响。自李唐而后，《千金》
、《外台》等书，有验有不验者；盖与《本经》之旨，有合有不合也。沿及宋、元诸家，而
师心自用，药品日增，经义日晦，只云某药治某病，某病宜某药，因陋就简，愈趋愈下。
而流毒之最甚者，莫如宋之雷 ，窃古圣之名，着为《炮制》，颠倒是非，不知《本经》为
何
之，而东垣纯盗虚名，无稽臆说流传至今，无有非之者。李濒湖
世俗之说，以多为贵，不无
喧客夺主之嫌。汪 庵照《纲目》而
精通医学，起死回生指不胜屈。
前着
四卷
，视前着又高一格，俱从所以然处发挥，且以《内经》之旨，《金匮》、《伤寒》之法融贯
于中，一书堪为医林之金书，洵神农之功臣也。
余自髫年，以慈闱多病，矢志于医。因本草向无缮本，集张隐庵、叶天士、陈修园三家
之说，而附以管见，名为《本草经三注》，而集中唯修园之说最多。今得修园之《本草经读
》，则余《三注》之刻，可以俟之异日矣。喜其书之成而为之序。
上古时期的圣人，仰观天空的六气（风、寒、暑、湿、燥、火），俯察大地的五行（木、火、土、金、水），论述草木、金石、禽兽的药性，并将其与人的五脏（心、肝、脾、肺、肾）、六腑（胆、胃、小肠、大肠、膀胱、三焦）、十二经脉相对应，编写了《神农本草经》。其文字古朴，义理深奥，难以窥测。
到了汉代末年，张仲景（字长沙）撰写《伤寒论》和《金匮要略》，大量采用了中古时期遗留下来的方剂，用药的原则完全遵循《神农本草经》，疗效迅速且准确，如同回声响应一样灵验。
自从唐代以后，《千金方》、《外台秘要》等书籍，有的有效，有的无效；这是因为它们与《神农本草经》的宗旨，有的契合，有的背离。
延续到宋代、元代的各位医家，便主观自用，药品种类日益增加，经典义理日益晦暗不明，只是简单地说某种药治疗某种病，某种病适宜用某种药，因循守旧、简陋草率，医术水平越来越低下。
其中流毒最严重的，莫过于宋代的雷斅，他窃取古代圣人的名义，撰写了《炮炙大法》，颠倒是非，不知道《神农本草经》究竟是何种宗旨，而李东垣纯粹是盗取虚名，没有根据的主观臆说流传至今，没有人去纠正它。李时珍（号濒湖）受世俗说法影响，以数量多为贵，不免有喧宾夺主之嫌。汪昂（号讱庵）依据《本草纲目》而精通医学，起死回生的案例数不胜数。
此前我撰写的四卷本著作，比之前的著作又高出一个层次，都是从“所以然”（即原理机制）处进行发挥，并且将《黄帝内经》的宗旨、《金匮要略》和《伤寒论》的方法融会贯通于其中，这本书堪称医林中的金科玉律，确实是神农氏的功臣。
我自幼年时，因为母亲多病，便立志学习医学。因为《本草经》向来没有抄写整理的定本，于是汇集了张隐庵、叶天士、陈修园三家的学说，并附上自己的浅见，命名为《本草经三注》，而集中以陈修园的学说最多。如今得到了陈修园的《神农本草经读》，那么我《本草经三注》的刊刻就可以等待来日再作了。为此书得以完成而感到高兴，因而写了这篇序言。
The sages of antiquity, looking up to observe the Six Qi (Wind, Cold, Summer Heat, Dampness, Dryness, Fire) of Heaven, and looking down to examine the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) of Earth, discussed the properties of herbs, minerals, birds, and beasts, aligning them with the human Zang organs (Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lung, Kidney), Fu organs (Gallbladder, Stomach, Small Intestine, Large Intestine, Bladder, Sanjiao), and Twelve Meridians. They compiled the *Shennong Bencao Jing* (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica). Its language is archaic and its meaning profound, making it difficult to fathom.
In the late Han Dynasty, Zhang Zhongjing (courtesy name Changsha) authored the *Shanghan Lun* (Treatise on Cold Damage) and *Jingui Yaolue* (Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet). These works extensively adopted prescriptions from the middle ancient period, and their principles of medication strictly followed the *Bencao Jing*. Their efficacy was immediate and accurate, like an echo responding to a sound.
Since the Tang Dynasty, books such as the *Qianjin Fang* (Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold) and *Waitai Miyao* (Secret Essentials of the Outer Chamber) have shown varying degrees of efficacy; this is because their alignment with the principles of the *Bencao Jing* has been inconsistent.
Continuing into the Song and Yuan dynasties, various practitioners relied on their own subjective opinions. The number of medicinal substances increased daily, while the classical meanings became increasingly obscure. They merely stated that "a certain herb treats a certain disease" or "a certain disease requires a certain herb," adhering to陋习 (conventions) and simplicity, causing medical standards to decline progressively.
Among these, the most detrimental influence came from Lei Xiao of the Song Dynasty. He appropriated the names of ancient sages to write the *Paozhi Faguan* (Methods of Processing Drugs), reversing right and wrong, and failing to understand the true intent of the *Bencao Jing*. Meanwhile, Li Dongyuan merely borrowed prestige without substance, allowing his baseless speculations to persist to this day without correction. Li Shizhen (courtesy binhu) was influenced by secular views, valuing quantity over quality, which inevitably raised concerns about overshadowing the main subject. Wang Ang (courtesy Ren'an), based on the *Bencao Gangmu* (Compendium of Materia Medica), achieved mastery in medicine, with countless cases of reviving the seemingly dead.
My previous work, consisting of four volumes, represented a higher level than my earlier writings. It elaborated on the underlying principles ("so-why") and integrated the doctrines of the *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) with the methods of the *Jingui Yaolue* and *Shanghan Lun*. This book serves as a golden standard for the medical community and is indeed a meritorious servant of Shennong.
Since my childhood, witnessing my mother's frequent illnesses, I vowed to study medicine. As there had previously been no standardized manuscript of the *Bencao Jing*, I collected the theories of Zhang Yinan, Ye Tianshi, and Chen Xiuyuan, adding my own insights, and titled it *Bencao Jing Sanzhu* (Three Annotations on the Divine Farmer's Materia Medica). Among these annotations, those by Chen Xiuyuan were the most numerous. Now that I have obtained Chen Xiuyuan's *Shennong Bencao Jing Du* (Reading the Divine Farmer's Materia Medica), the publication of my *San Zhu* can be deferred to another day. Delighted by the completion of this book, I wrote this preface.