夫人之有目，犹天之有日月也。假使天无日月，何以判阴阳。人而无目，何以辨物色。
故目为司明之官，心肝脾肺肾，五经皆系焉。然则目亦乌可不明耶。嗟夫，世之病目者多，或以
酒色而起星障，或以风火而生云翳，不有良药，何以疗之。然良药非良医，莫能用也。余尝
闻苏子有言，药虽进于医手，方多传于古人，旨哉斯言。今业三指禅者，不揣医者意也之义
，不究病源，妄施药饵，转致瞽废终身，良可慨焉。爰思十室之邑，必有忠信，天下之大，
岂乏良医。其有能起瞽废者，复游于光天化日之下，厥功亦伟矣哉。胡芝樵太守，妫川名下
士，尝仕吴楚间多惠政，迨改官之闽宰沙县令龙溪，深得国侨宽猛之术，民情翕然，去思来
暮，所至兴歌。余同舟十稔矣，第知太守之学问渊邃，潜心好古，其撑肠文本，奚啻五千
卷而已哉，从未知其通岐黄学。唯其家人间有疾作，未尝延医于外，窃有疑焉。客冬荆人，
患喘濒危者屡矣。有谓太守能治之，遂延至寓，投以剂，卒赖以安，太守其扁鹊后身乎。会
出示手钞年偶斋所刊目科，为清江邓氏书，后附异传目科七十二回答，合成一册，重加校订
，名之曰启蒙真谛。藏之有年，不欲秘自炫奇，亟付铅椠，以公同好。乃问序于余。余自惭
谫陋，不谙医理，何敢序是书。噫，是诚问道于盲也。今观夫是书之有条不紊，意义兼赅，
运用之神，非蠡能测，洵目科中未见书也，余何幸而见之。今一展卷间，便了然于中，窃谓
不特启予一人之蒙，将以启天下千万人之蒙也。太守以启蒙真谛而名是书者，其谁曰不然。
光绪八年岁在壬午灯节后一日嘉善曹晋墀谨序于绿榕城西之尺蠖居
人的眼睛，就像天空中的太阳和月亮。假如天空没有日月，凭什么来分辨阴阳？人如果没有眼睛，凭什么来辨别事物的颜色。
所以眼睛是主管光明的器官，心、肝、脾、肺、肾五脏的经脉都与眼睛相关联。既然这样，眼睛又怎么可以不明亮呢？唉，世上患眼病的人很多，有的人因为纵欲饮酒而患上星障（眼中出现如星点般的翳膜），有的人因为风火邪气而生出云翳（像云一样遮蔽视线的翳膜），如果没有良药，用什么来治疗它们呢？然而，好的药物如果没有良医使用，也是无法发挥作用的。我曾经听说苏子说过：“药虽然是由医生之手进用，但方剂大多传承自古人。”这话真是说得好啊。如今那些从事“三指禅”（中医脉诊）的人，不揣度医者意会的精神，不探究疾病的根源，胡乱施用药饵，反而导致患者终身失明残疾，实在令人感慨。我想，十户人家的小村落，必定有忠信之人；天下如此之大，难道缺乏良医吗？那些能够治愈盲人残疾的人，重新让患者在光天化日之下重见光明，他们的功劳也是很大的啊。
胡芝樵太守，是妫川名门望族的后代，曾在吴楚一带做官，留下了许多惠民的政策，后来改任福建沙县县令（龙溪为沙县古称或相关地名，此处指其任职经历），深得春秋时期郑国子产（字国侨）宽严相济的治国之术，民心归附，离任时百姓思念他，期待他归来，所到之处百姓都歌颂他。我和他同船共事已有十年了，只知道太守学问渊博，潜心喜好古籍，他满腹经纶，何止五千卷书而已，却从未知道他通晓岐黄之学（中医）。只是偶尔听说他的家人生病时，不曾从外面请医生，我心里对此感到疑惑。去年冬天，我的妻子多次患喘证，病情危急。有人说太守能治疗这种病，于是邀请他到寓所，投以药剂，最终依靠他的治疗得以平安，太守难道是扁鹊再世吗？
恰逢他出示手抄本《年偶斋》刊印的眼科书籍，这是清江邓氏的书，后面附有《异传目科七十二回答》，合成一册，经过重新校订，命名为《启蒙真谛》。这本书收藏多年，不想独自炫耀奇特，急忙交付刻印，以与同道中人共享。于是向我求写序言。我自惭学识浅薄，不懂医理，怎敢为这本书作序。唉，这确实是向盲人问路啊。现在看这本书条理清晰，意义完备，运用之神妙，不是蠡测（用瓢量海水，比喻见识狭隘）所能测度的，确实是眼科中未曾见过的书，我多么有幸能见到它。如今只要展开书卷，心中便立刻明白，我认为这不仅开启了我一个人的蒙昧，将要开启天下千万人的蒙昧。太守用《启蒙真谛》来命名这本书，谁说不是这样呢？
光绪八年，岁次壬午，灯节后的第一天，嘉善曹晋墀在绿榕城西的尺蠖居恭敬地写下这篇序。
The human eye is like the sun and moon in the sky. If there were no sun and moon in the sky, how could one distinguish Yin and Yang? If a person had no eyes, how could they distinguish colors?
Therefore, the eye is the organ responsible for vision, and the meridians of the five Zang organs—Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lung, and Kidney—are all connected to it. In that case, how can the eye fail to be bright? Alas, many people suffer from eye diseases nowadays. Some develop *Xingzhang* (star-shaped nebulae or opacities) due to excessive alcohol and sexual indulgence, while others suffer from *Yunyi* (cloud-like nebulae or opacities) caused by wind and fire pathogenic factors. Without effective medicines, how can these be treated? However, good medicines are useless without skilled physicians to administer them. I once heard Su Zi say: "Although medicines are administered by the hands of doctors, prescriptions are mostly inherited from ancient masters." How profound this statement is! Today, those who practice *Sanzhichan* (a traditional pulse diagnosis technique) do not ponder the intuitive understanding of physicians nor investigate the root causes of diseases; instead, they recklessly prescribe medications, often leading to lifelong blindness and disability. This is truly lamentable. I think, even in a village of ten households, there must be loyal and trustworthy people; given the vastness of the world, surely there are no lack of skilled physicians. Those who can restore sight to the blind and allow patients to live again under the broad daylight have achieved great merit.
Governor Hu Zhijiao was a scholar from a prestigious family in Guichuan. He served in the regions of Wu and Chu, implementing many benevolent policies. Later, he was transferred to serve as the magistrate of Shaxian County in Fujian (Longxi being an ancient name or related locality), where he skillfully applied the principles of leniency and severity exemplified by Ziqiao (Zi Chan, courtesy name Guoqiao) of the Spring and Autumn period. His governance won the hearts of the people; upon his departure, they missed him and hoped for his return, singing songs of praise wherever he went. I have traveled with him on the same boat for ten years. At that time, I only knew that his learning was profound and that he devoted himself to studying ancient texts; his erudition amounted to far more than five thousand volumes. I never knew that he was proficient in *Qihuang Xue* (Traditional Chinese Medicine). It was only when his family members fell ill that I noticed he did not invite external physicians, which aroused my curiosity. Last winter, my wife suffered from severe asthma multiple times, nearing death. Someone mentioned that the Governor could treat such conditions, so we invited him to our residence. After administering a prescription, she recovered safely. Was the Governor a reincarnation of Bian Que?
He then presented to me a handwritten copy of an ophthalmology book published by *Nian'ou Studio*, authored by Deng of Qingjiang. Attached to it were the *Seventy-Two Q&A Responses of Heterodox Ophthalmology*. These were compiled into one volume, carefully revised, and titled *Qimeng Zhen Di* (The True Essence of Enlightenment). Having kept this book for years, he did not wish to keep its uniqueness secret but hurriedly arranged for its printing to share it with fellow enthusiasts. He then asked me to write a preface. I felt ashamed of my shallow knowledge and ignorance of medical principles; how dare I preface this book? Alas, this is indeed asking a blind man for directions. However, observing this book now, I find it well-organized and comprehensive in meaning. Its application is so divine that it cannot be measured by a gourd ladle (a metaphor for limited insight); it is truly a rare book in the field of ophthalmology. How fortunate I am to see it! Merely by opening the scroll, everything becomes clear to me. I believe that it will not only enlighten me alone but also enlighten millions of people throughout the world. Who would deny that the Governor named this book *Qimeng Zhen Di* appropriately?
Preface written respectfully at Chihuo Ju, west of Green Banyan City, Jiashan, on the first day after the Lantern Festival in the year Renwu (1882) of the Guangxu era, by Cao Jinchu of Jiashan.