昔朱子之论脉诀也。曰词最浅鄙。非叔和本书明甚。又曰世之高医。以其赝也。遂委弃而羞
言之。予非精于道者。不能有以正也。以俟明者而折中焉。朱子于此有隐词矣。其议之也。不过曰词
最浅鄙。且曰俟明者而折中。则不以世医之委弃为然可知也。夫朱子之不能恝然于脉诀者。盖有以见
夫作者之苦心。乃故作此浅鄙之词。不欲用脉经之深隐。使末学终无所问津焉耳。至其词有异于脉经。
则又非无义而不足为大病何也。脉经且未尝尽合于古矣。岂惟脉经。即难经言四时脉状。且与素问大
异矣。后人虽疑而辨之。卒不似排抵脉诀。直至欲取而焚之者。徒以脉诀文词浅鄙。易生轻侮耳。而
孰知作者苦心。正在是哉。其私心之所得。临证之所见。确有异于古之所云。遂毅然恻然为后人告也。
岂独滑亦有寒。脾亦候尺为义本先民耶。夫固不免偏驳矣。然自诋之太过。而濒湖李氏脉学。遂蹶起
而行于世。而脉法且因之而愈微昔人谓脉诀行而脉经隐。我更慨脉学行而脉法坏也。其书极简。最便
驽骀。而托本于脉经则名高。使明哲亦奉之而不以为陋。夷考其词。究于脉理何所发明。能尽合脉经
之旨耶。人之便之者。徒以其较脉诀更简而已矣。岂真有以见夫脉诀之非。而欲由脉学而上溯脉经耶。
余已刻脉经。复虑其词隐奥。不便俗学也。因取俗行张注脉诀视之。则注词浅陋。毫无所发。旋见石
山医按中。有戴氏脉诀刊误。或释或辨。委曲详尽。诚可宝贵。虽其所辨不无过词。要亦执古太严。
而于大义则无不赅洽矣。亟付剞劂。为脉经
之羽翼焉。夫脉诀上较脉经已为简矣。不谓其后乃有李氏脉学。更简于脉诀。使天下靡然从之。并脉诀
亦摈弃而无过问者。犹之讲伤寒者。其始犹知伤寒百问。至今日则但取陈修园时方妙用附录之。区区
数版而已。夫天下事日趋于简便。人心日趋于儇薄。义理日趋于暗昧。典型日趋于紊乱。而其祸竟蔓延
而至于医也。是书也。果得风行海内。习医者果恍然于脉理有如是之精且详。而耻以李学自 也。则医
中少一屠刽。生民不止少一夭枉矣。戴氏之功。视叔和何如哉。
光绪辛卯夏五周学海记。
过去朱熹在评论《脉诀》时说：“它的文辞最为浅显粗俗，显然不是王叔和的原著。”他又说：“世上的高明医生，因为知道它是伪作，于是抛弃它并以此为耻谈论它。”我并非精通医道之人，无法对此进行纠正，只能等待明眼人来评判折中。朱熹在这里有隐晦的言辞了。他批评它，不过是说“文辞最浅显粗俗”，并且说“等待明眼人来评判折中”，由此可见他不认同世医抛弃《脉诀》的态度。
朱熹之所以不能对《脉诀》漠不关心，大概是因为看出了作者的苦心，故意使用这些浅显粗俗的文辞，不想用《脉经》那样深奥隐晦的内容，使得初学者最终无处入门请教。至于它的文辞与《脉经》不同，也并非没有意义且不足以成为大毛病。《脉经》尚且不完全符合古法，岂止是《脉经》，就连《难经》中关于四季脉象的描述，也与《素问》大相径庭。后人虽然怀疑并辨析它们，终究不像排斥《脉诀》那样激烈，甚至到了想要拿来焚烧的地步，仅仅因为《脉诀》文辞浅显粗俗，容易让人产生轻蔑侮慢之心罢了。然而谁又知道作者的苦心恰恰就在这里呢？其中私下的心得、临证时的所见，确实与古人所说的有所不同，于是毅然决然、悲悯地为后人告知。这难道仅仅是因为滑脉也有寒象、脾脉也候于尺部作为义理依据是先民的观点吗？书中固然不免有些偏颇驳杂之处，但因为它自我贬低得太过分，导致李时珍（濒湖）的《脉学》便趁机兴起并在世间流行，而脉法因此更加衰微。
前人曾说《脉诀》盛行则《脉经》隐没，我更感慨《脉学》盛行则脉法败坏。这本书极其简略，最适合资质平庸的人学习，而且依托《脉经》的名义所以名声很高，使得明智的人也尊奉它而不认为它简陋。仔细考察它的文辞，究其对于脉理的阐发，能完全符合《脉经》的宗旨吗？人们方便使用它，只是因为它比《脉诀》更简单罢了。难道是真的发现了《脉诀》的错误，而想要通过《脉学》上溯到《脉经》吗？
我已经刊刻了《脉经》，又担心它的文辞深奥隐晦，不便世俗学者学习。于是取来世俗流行的张氏注释的《脉诀》查看，发现注释的文辞浅陋，毫无发明之处。随即在石山医案中见到戴氏的《脉诀刊误》，有的解释，有的辨析，曲折详尽，确实值得宝贵。虽然他的辨析有些不无过激之词，但也算是执守古法太严，而在大义方面无不周全完备。于是急忙交付刻印，作为《脉经》的羽翼辅佐。
《脉诀》相比《脉经》已经算简略了，没想到后来竟然有李氏的《脉学》，比《脉诀》更简略，使天下人盲目追随，连《脉诀》也被抛弃无人过问。这就好比研究伤寒病的人，起初还知道《伤寒百问》，到如今却只取陈修园的《时方妙用附录》，区区几版而已。天下的事情日益趋向简便，人心日益趋向轻薄，义理日益趋向昏暗，典范日益趋向混乱，而其祸患竟然蔓延到了医学领域。如果这本书果然能在海内风行，习医者果然恍然明白脉理有如此精详，并以自满于李氏之学而为耻，那么医界就会少一些屠夫刽子手，百姓也就不会减少因夭折而枉死的人了。戴氏的功劳，与王叔和相比如何呢？
光绪辛卯年五月周学海记。
In the past, when Zhu Xi commented on the *Mai Jue* (Pulse Mantra), he said: "Its language is the most shallow and vulgar; it is clearly not Shuhe's original book." He further stated: "The eminent physicians of the world, knowing it to be a forgery, have thus discarded it and feel ashamed to speak of it." I am not one who has mastered the Dao of medicine, so I cannot correct this matter; I can only wait for those with clarity to judge and find the middle ground. Zhu Xi had implicit words here regarding this issue. His criticism was merely that "the language is the most shallow and vulgar," and that he "waited for the enlightened to judge and settle it." From this, it can be known that he did not agree with the worldly physicians' abandonment of the *Mai Jue*.
The reason Zhu Xi could not remain indifferent to the *Mai Jue* was likely because he perceived the author's painstaking effort. The author deliberately used such shallow and vulgar language, avoiding the profound and obscure content of the *Mai Jing* (Systematic Classic of Pulse Diagnosis), so that beginners would not be left without a path to enter the field. As for its language differing from the *Mai Jing*, this was not without meaning nor sufficient to constitute a major flaw. Even the *Mai Jing* does not fully conform to ancient standards. It is not just the *Mai Jing*; even the descriptions of seasonal pulse patterns in the *Nan Jing* (Classic of Difficult Issues) differ greatly from the *Su Wen* (Basic Questions). Later scholars suspected and辨析 (analyzed/distinguished) these texts, but never rejected them as fiercely as they did the *Mai Jue*, going so far as to want to burn it. This was solely because the *Mai Jue*'s language was shallow and vulgar, easily inviting contempt and disrespect. Yet, who knows that the author's painstaking effort lay precisely in this? The private insights and clinical observations contained therein indeed differed from what the ancients claimed, leading the author to resolutely and compassionately inform future generations. Was it not merely because slippery pulses also indicate cold, and the spleen is also examined at the chi position, based on the principles of our ancestors? Although the book inevitably contains some biased and mixed views, because it overly disparaged itself, Li Shizhen's (Binhú's) *Mai Xue* (Study of Pulses) rose to prominence and circulated in the world, causing pulse diagnosis methods to become even more diminished.
Ancient people said, "When the *Mai Jue* prevails, the *Mai Jing* becomes hidden." I sigh more that "when the *Mai Xue* prevails, pulse methods are ruined." This book is extremely concise, most convenient for those of mediocre aptitude, and by claiming origin from the *Mai Jing*, it gained high prestige, causing even wise men to revere it without considering it crude. Upon careful examination of its language, what innovation does it offer regarding pulse theory? Can it fully align with the purport of the *Mai Jing*? Those who find it convenient do so only because it is simpler than the *Mai Jue*. Is it truly because they saw the errors in the *Mai Jue* and wished to trace back to the *Mai Jing* through the *Mai Xue*?
I had already printed the *Mai Jing*, but worried that its language was too profound and obscure for common learners. Therefore, I took the commonly circulated Zhang-annotated version of the *Mai Jue* to review it. I found the annotations shallow and devoid of any insightful discoveries. Subsequently, in the *Shishan Yian* (Medical Cases from Shishan), I encountered Dai's *Mai Jue Kanwu* (Correction of Errors in the Pulse Mantra). It provided explanations and distinctions, being thorough and detailed. It was truly precious. Although his corrections were not without some excessive remarks, they adhered strictly to ancient standards while comprehensively covering the major principles. I hurriedly arranged for its printing to serve as a wing or supplement to the *Mai Jing*.
The *Mai Jue* was already simpler than the *Mai Jing*. Unexpectedly, later came Li's *Mai Xue*, which was even simpler than the *Mai Jue*. This caused the world to follow blindly, discarding the *Mai Jue* entirely. It is like those studying Shanghan (Cold Damage diseases): initially, they still knew the *Shanghan Baiwen* (Hundred Questions on Cold Damage); today, they only take Chen Xiuyuan's *Shifang Miaoyong Fulu* (Appendix of Wonderful Uses of Time-Specific Formulas), mere few pages. Affairs in the world tend toward simplicity day by day; human hearts tend toward frivolity; principles tend toward obscurity; models tend toward chaos. And this disaster has spread to medicine. If this book indeed circulates widely throughout the land, and if medical practitioners suddenly realize that pulse theory is this precise and detailed, and feel ashamed to rely on Li's learning, then there will be fewer butchers among doctors, and the people will suffer fewer premature deaths. How does Dai's merit compare to Shuhe's?
Recorded by Zhou Xuehai in the fifth month of the Xinmao year of the Guangxu era.