儒可无用乎。耳目心思等之木石。百年为可悼也。儒可有用乎。兵刑钱谷绍之职司。一时为可鄙也。居今之世。志
古之道。求所谓卓然自命。上不溷君王而下不委诸草莽者。其在岐黄之业乎。夫岐黄之业。谈何容易。不知阴阳消长之
理者。不可与言医。不知死生变化之故者。不可与言医。不知草木虫鱼邱陵牝牡之性情者。不可与言医。不知古今异宜
刚柔互用应变合于秒忽者。不可与言医。若是则五经四子之书。医之宗旨也。二十一史前后成败君臣兴废之所由。医之
证据也。与夫诸子百家零星传记杂出于饮食药石之书医之杂俎也。宰相须用读书人。国医须用读书人。如是而儒之一生。
无用不等之木石。有用不缀之职司。休德令闻而擅其美。岂不重赖夫医也耶。医之不可易言。儒之不可易言也。余性鄙
寡交。不乐轻与人。人不屑吾与。犹忆总角时。郡中得交罗君淡生。即今之东逸也。探所得细绎胸中经史衮衮可听。旁
及古文本学。皆可法知其非常人。未几陵谷变迁。隐见于烟雨蓬茨之下。名可得闻。迹不可得见。如是者三十年。君之
读书乐道。视壮年又何如。而内经博议诸书出矣。人谓与东逸先生同时朝夕讨论不倦。所重岂在区区。余曰。儒之无用
者如彼。有用者又如此。百岁而后。其欲尚有东逸者。非博议诸书。又焉足千古哉。
友弟石年赵汝揆拜书。
读书人难道没有用处吗？如果像木石一样只有耳目心思，百年人生便令人哀叹。读书人难道没有用处吗？如果仅仅从事兵刑钱谷等日常职务，一时之间便显得卑陋。
生活在当今之世，立志追求古人的大道，寻求那种卓然自立、上不混淆君王意志、下不委身于草野之人，大概就在于岐黄医学这一行业吧。
然而，岐黄医学并非易事。不懂得阴阳消长规律的人，不可以与他谈论医学；不懂得生死变化原因的人，不可以与他谈论医学；不懂得草木虫鱼、丘陵雌雄性情的，不可以与他谈论医学；不懂得古今适宜不同、刚柔相互运用、应变符合毫厘细节的人，不可以与他谈论医学。
如果是这样，那么五经四子的书籍，是医学的宗旨所在；二十一史中前后成败、君臣兴废的原因，是医学的佐证依据；至于诸子百家零星传记以及杂出于饮食药石之书的内容，则是医学的杂学旁收。
宰相必须任用读书人，国家的大医也必须任用读书人。像这样，读书人的一生，无论是看似无用（如同木石）还是看似有用（忙于职司），都能享有美好的德行和声誉而独擅其美，这难道不是很大程度上依赖于医学吗？
医学不可轻易言说，正如读书人不可轻易言说一样。我生性鄙陋，交往稀少，不喜欢轻易与人结交，别人也不屑与我交往。但我还记得在童年时期，郡中结识了罗淡生君，就是现在的东逸先生。他探究所得，细细梳理胸中的经史典籍，滔滔不绝且可听可闻，旁及古文文本之学，都可以看出他绝非普通人。不久之后，世事变迁（陵谷变迁），他隐居在烟雨蓬茨之下，名声可以听闻，踪迹却不可得见。像这样的情况持续了三十年。罗君读书以乐道，比起壮年时期又是如何呢？于是《内经博议》等书问世了。人们说与东逸先生同时朝夕讨论不知疲倦，所看重的难道只是区区小事吗？我说：读书人无用时像那样，有用时又如此。百岁之后，如果还有像东逸这样的人，如果没有《博议》等书籍，又怎能流传千古呢？
友弟石年赵汝揆敬书。
Can Confucian scholars be of no use? If they are merely like wood and stone, possessing only ears, eyes, and mind, their hundred-year life is a cause for sorrow. Can Confucian scholars be of no use? If they merely engage in the routine duties of military affairs, justice, finance, and grain, they appear contemptible in a moment.
Living in the present world, aspiring to follow the Way of the ancients, seeking those who stand out independently, neither confusing the will of the monarch nor submitting to the common people, such individuals must lie within the profession of Qi Huang (Traditional Chinese Medicine). However, the profession of Qi Huang is not easy to discuss. One who does not understand the principles of Yin-Yang waxing and waning cannot be spoken to about medicine. One who does not understand the causes of life and death transformations cannot be spoken to about medicine. One who does not understand the natures of herbs, insects, fish, hills, and male and female animals cannot be spoken to about medicine. One who does not understand that ancient and modern practices differ, that rigid and flexible methods are used interchangeably, and that adaptation must align with minute details cannot be spoken to about medicine.
If this is the case, then the Five Classics and Four Books are the fundamental principles of medicine. The reasons behind success and failure, and the rise and fall of rulers and ministers recorded in the Twenty-One Histories, serve as evidence for medicine. Furthermore, the scattered biographies of various schools of thought and miscellaneous texts derived from books on diet and medicinal stones constitute the eclectic knowledge of medicine.
Just as a Prime Minister must employ educated scholars, so too must the state's physicians employ educated scholars. In this way, whether a Confucian scholar appears useless (like wood and stone) or useful (engaged in official duties), they can achieve virtuous conduct and renowned reputation, excelling in their own right. Is this not largely due to the influence of medicine?
Medicine cannot be lightly discussed, just as the path of the Confucian scholar cannot be lightly discussed. My nature is humble and I have few acquaintances; I do not enjoy associating casually with others, and others disdain associating with me. Nevertheless, I still recall my childhood days when I made friends with Mr. Luo Dansheng in our prefecture, who is now known as Dongyi. He explored his findings and meticulously elaborated upon the classics and histories in his mind, speaking fluently and intelligibly. His knowledge extended to classical philology, revealing him to be far from an ordinary person. Not long after, worldly changes occurred (mountains turned into valleys), and he lived in seclusion under misty rains and overgrown weeds. His name could be heard of, but his whereabouts could not be seen. Such was the situation for thirty years. How did Mr. Luo's joy in reading and following the Dao compare to his youth? Thus, works such as *Neijing Boyi* were published. People say that discussing matters day and night with Mr. Dongyi without tiring, what one values is surely not trivial matters. I reply: Confucian scholars may seem useless as described, yet useful as described. A hundred years later, if there are still individuals like Dongyi, without the *Boyi* series of books, how could they last through the ages?
Your friend and younger brother, Shi Nian Zhao Ru Kui, respectfully inscribed.