Life inevitably leads to death; this is the constant law of all things. However, people do not die from old age but from disease. While this applies to all living beings, it is particularly severe in humans. Therefore, the sages pitied them and medicine arose. With the rise of medicine, people began to die not from disease, but from improper medical treatment. The wise were indignant at this and said, "To fall ill without resorting to medication is to attain the middle way of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Zhongyi), is it not true?"

Some might argue, "This statement applies only to Shanghan (Cold Damage)." I reply, "It is not limited to Shanghan; although it applies to other diseases as well, it is most prominent in Shanghan."

Generally, medicine reveres Huangdi (Yellow Emperor) and Qibo as its ancestors. Their works still exist today, yet they contain theories but no prescriptions. The completeness of treatment methods began with Zhang Zhongjing. Although Zhang Zhongjing is renowned specifically for his work on Shanghan, over the past two millennia, those who have gained fame in medicine and served as models for later scholars have all entered the realm of understanding by studying Zhang Zhongjing's books, thereby gaining direct access to the profound mysteries of Huangdi and Qibo.

Thus, if Huangdi and Qibo are likened to Fuxi and King Wen (ancient sage kings), then Zhang Zhongjing is akin to Confucius. The lineage of the Yishui School (e.g., Li Dongyuan) is comparable to the Neo-Confucian masters such as Zhou Dunyi and the Cheng brothers; the lineage of the Jinhua School (e.g., Zhu Zhenheng) is comparable to the great Confucian scholars of the Guan and Min schools. Such analogies are appropriate.

Wang Haogu stated, "The methods for treating Shanghan can be used to treat miscellaneous diseases (Zabing), but the methods for treating miscellaneous diseases cannot be used to treat Shanghan." Is this truly the case? Since Shanghan methods originate from Zhang Zhongjing, they can treat miscellaneous diseases. Conversely, so-called "miscellaneous disease methods" have rarely glimpsed the path of Zhang Zhongjing, and thus cannot effectively treat Shanghan.

Given this, should one neglect reading the *Shanghan Lun* (Treatise on Cold Damage)? Yet, among contemporary physicians, some do not read books at all throughout their lives, blindly adhering to Tao Hua's (*Tao Jie'an*) *Six Books*, regarding them as precious treasures. Upon careful examination, Tao's works merely plagiarize the remnants of Zhang Zhongjing (of Nanyang). They have not even reached the threshold of the Yishui School, yet they disparage the *Shanghan Lun* as incomplete. This misleads future learners and makes them sinners against Zhang Zhongjing. Nevertheless, the world still reveres him, leading to countless premature deaths that are beyond recounting.

I studied Zhang Zhongjing's works when I was young, and now that I am old, I have still not fully penetrated their inner chambers. Throughout my life, I have annotated these texts extensively with cinnabar and lead powder, wearing out the paper and fading the ink. Yan Daoche from Haiyu admired these annotations and wished to have them printed. I did not consent, not out of stinginess, but out of caution.

During the Dingyou and Wuxu years, at the request of Gao Sheng from Jiashan, I began compiling the *Zhuzheng Zhunsheng* (Standard Mirror for Miscellaneous Diseases), excluding Shanghan. This was not due to neglect, but because I found the task difficult. This autumn, Jiang Zhongwen, a fellow Jinshi, learned that besides the *Miscellaneous Diseases*, I had also compiled volumes on Shanghan, gynecology, pediatrics, and surgery, collectively titled the *Zhunsheng*. He sent an envoy to copy them, unaware that I was overwhelmed by sorrow and administrative burdens, preventing me from drafting the text. Moved by this situation, I first completed the eight fascicles on Shanghan, starting on the first day of the eighth lunar month and finishing on the Double Ninth Festival.

Someone asked, "Completing hundreds of thousands of words in forty days—is this not too hasty?" I replied, "My mental preparation and extensive reading spanned over thirty years; it cannot be called hasty."

Another asked, "Shanghan is just one category of disease; why use hundreds of thousands of words? Is it not too verbose?" I answered, "I still worry that it is insufficiently detailed." This book is designed so that readers can check symptoms to find treatments. If the syndrome differentiation is not detailed, errors may occur; if it is detailed, there will inevitably be cross-references and repetitions, making it verbose.

Later commentators on Zhang Zhongjing’s work, whether seeing the complete picture or only a fragment, can serve as guides for learners. To provide comprehensive selection and documentation, verbosity is unavoidable. Furthermore, when a reader encounters a concept they do not understand, causing confusion, and seeks clarification from an expert, the expert fears not providing enough detail. If the explanation is not thorough... Although I am dull-witted, my aptitude for learning medicine is not inferior to others'. I share my lifelong unfinished inquiries with the world and future generations. Readers may fear the text is too easy to finish, rather than worrying about its length.

He Zhiren from Danyang possesses secret medical knowledge, has a compassionate heart dedicated to saving beings, and is courageous in righteousness. Before my book was finished, he had already gathered craftsmen and materials, willing to help circulate it. It is because of this support that I could complete it quickly. I write this preface to explain.

In the 32nd year of the Wanli era, corresponding to the Jiachen year, on the Double Ninth Festival, Nianxi Jushi (Layman Nianxi), Wang Kentang, courtesy name Yu Taifu, wrote this.