尝谓吴陵刘氏纯所辑玉机微义以发明之。复采集名论为初教之资也。并刻之。名曰医经
国小
。以传其书。首本草。次脉诀。次经络。次病机。次治法。次运气。凡六卷。一本于素问灵
枢难经。及张仲景王叔和至近代刘守真张洁古李明之朱仲修诸家之书。撮其切要。缀为韵语
。类粹。以便初学。本末条理。明切简备。医学之指南。而端本之书也。凡善学人。皆务本
。况医人之司命其可昧本而苟乎哉。学医者诚能熟究是编。融会于心。将所行皆正途。所用
皆正法。触类长之。于几岁十全何有哉。此书非刘氏莫之为。非陈公亦莫之传。学医之幸
。生民之幸也。纯字宗浓。吴陵人。其父叔渊。仲修之高弟。授受有自云。
正统三年己未岁九月甲子光禄大夫柱国少师兵部尚书兼华盖殿大学士国史总裁同知经筵
事庐陵杨士奇序
医意也。临病立意以施治也。其书内经载运气病源靡不悉备。候天地之变。究疾病之机
。尽
调治之理。此神圣爱人之仁。拯羸救枉济物之至道也。医道斯立。秦越人演其精义述难经。
汉张仲景论伤寒。用药定方。晋王叔和集次及撰脉经以示后学。意亦至哉。经去圣远。遗文
错简。后学专方而惑意。幸唐太仆令王冰重整其义。启大法之幽玄。释神运之奥妙。析理于
至真之中。俾学人遇诸审脉。用药去病。根本无贬损医之道明矣。而其为法。制胜伐其势。
资化助其生。扶危定乱之功。本诸经论。知气识病。治理得焉。嗟乎学必本于经。病必明于
论。治必究于方。而能变通而无滞斯能尽夫立医之意矣。昔丹溪朱先生。以医鸣江东。家君
亲从之游。领其心授。纯度。窃以先生之旨。辑其医之可法。本诸经论之精微。节目更为定
次。歌语引例具图以便记习。至于脉诀之未备者。亦为增正。名曰医经国小。盖欲初学人。
得以因流寻源而不蹈夫他歧之惑。有志于古神圣爱人济物之道者。其无诮愚以管窥而蠡测
。或有未至。矜其志而加正焉。则不惟医道之幸。亦斯民之幸也。
洪武二十一年冬十一月朔日吴陵刘纯序。
我曾认为，吴陵刘氏纯所编纂的《玉机微义》对此进行了阐发。我又采集了前人的著名论述，作为初学者的学习资料，并刻印出版，命名为《医经国小》，以流传此书。全书首列本草（中药学），其次为脉诀（诊脉歌诀），再次为经络，再次为病机（疾病发生发展的机理），再次为治法，再次为运气（五运六气学说）。共分为六卷。内容完全依据《素问》、《灵枢》、《难经》，以及张仲景、王叔和直到近代刘守真、张洁古、李明之、朱仲修等诸家的著作，摘录其中精要之处，编缀成韵文，分类提炼，以便初学者学习。内容本末条理清晰，明白确切，简明完备，是医学的指南，也是端正根本的书籍。凡是善于学习的人，都必须注重根本，何况医生掌管着人的生死，怎么可以忽视根本而苟且从事呢？学医的人如果能深入钻研这部书，融会贯通于心，那么所施行的都是正道，所使用的都是正法，触类旁通，举一反三，几年之内达到十全十美的医术境界又有什么困难呢？这本书如果不是刘纯先生编写，没有人能写成；如果不是陈公，也没有人能传播它。这是学医者的幸运，也是百姓的幸运。刘纯字宗浓，是吴陵人。他的父亲刘叔渊，是朱仲修的高徒，师承渊源有自。
正统三年己未岁九月甲子日，光禄大夫、柱国、少师、兵部尚书兼华盖殿大学士、国史总裁、同知经筵事庐陵杨士奇作序。
所谓医意，就是面对疾病确立治疗意图来实施治疗。那部《内经》记载了运气（五运六气）和病源（疾病本源），没有不详尽完备的，观察天地的变化，探究疾病的机理，穷尽调理治疗的道理。这是神圣之人爱护人类的仁爱之心，拯救瘦弱、纠正偏差、救济万物的最高道德准则。医学之道由此确立。秦越人（扁鹊）演绎其精义，撰写《难经》；汉代张仲景论述伤寒，用药确定方剂；晋代王叔和收集整理并撰写《脉经》以展示给后学者。他们的用意也很深远啊！经典远离圣人时代久远，遗留的文字错乱简牍散失，后学者只专注于方药而对医理感到困惑。幸好唐代太仆令王冰重新整理阐发其义理，开启大法门的幽深玄妙，解释神妙变化的奥妙，在至真之中剖析道理，使学习者能够审慎地诊脉，用药祛病，从根本上没有贬损医学的道理，这非常明确。而他的治疗方法，克制邪势，资助化生以助长生机，扶危定乱的功效，都基于经典论述，知晓气机认识疾病，治理得当。唉！学习必须基于经典，治病必须在理论上明晰，治疗必须究察于方药，并且能够变通而不拘泥，这样才能穷尽建立医学的用意。昔日丹溪朱先生，以医术闻名于江东。家父亲自跟随他交游，领受了他的心传。我刘纯私下里认为先生的宗旨，辑录其中值得效法的医学内容，基于经典理论的精微之处，对条目次序重新定夺，引用歌语和例子，配上图表以便记忆和学习。至于脉诀中不完备的地方，也加以增补修正，命名为《医经国小》。大概是希望初学者，能够顺着流溯源，而不陷入其他歧途的迷惑。有志于古代神圣之人爱护人类、救济万物之道的人，请不要嘲笑我像从管子里看天、用瓢量海水那样见识浅陋。如果有不足之处，恳请您的志向得到肯定并加以指正，那么不仅是医学道的幸运，也是百姓的幸运。
洪武二十一年冬十一月初一，吴陵刘纯作序。
I once held the view that Liu Chun of Wuling, in his compilation *Yuji Wei Yi* (Subtle Meanings of the Jade Machine), elucidated these principles. I further collected famous treatises to serve as resources for beginners, had them printed, and named the work *Yijing Guoxiao* (A Small Primer on Medical Classics) to disseminate it. The book begins with Bencao (Pharmacology/ Materia Medica), followed by Maijue (Pulse Diagnosis Rhymes), then Jingluo (Meridians and Collaterals), then Bingji (Pathogenesis), then Zhifa (Treatment Methods), and finally Yunqi (Five Movements and Six Qi). It comprises six volumes in total. Its content is fundamentally based on *Suwen* (Basic Questions), *Lingshu* (Spiritual Pivot), *Nanjing* (Classic of Difficult Issues), as well as the works of Zhang Zhongjing, Wang Shuhe, and later masters such as Liu Shouzhen, Zhang Jiegui, Li Mingzhi, and Zhu Zhongxiu. I extracted their essential points and compiled them into rhythmic verses, categorized and refined for the convenience of beginners. The fundamentals and details are clearly organized, precise, concise, and comprehensive; it serves as a compass for medicine and a text to establish the root. Anyone who is good at learning must focus on the root. How much more so for physicians who hold the fate of life and death? If medical students can thoroughly study this compilation and integrate it into their minds, everything they practice will be on the right path, and all methods used will be correct. By extending knowledge through analogy, achieving perfect medical skills within a few years would be no difficulty. This book could not have been written without Mr. Liu Chun, nor could it have been transmitted without Mr. Chen. It is a blessing for those studying medicine and for the people. Liu Chun, courtesy name Zongnong, was from Wuling. His father, Liu Shuyuan, was a senior disciple of Zhu Zhongxiu, and the lineage of transmission has its clear origins.
Preface by Yang Shiqi of Luling, Guanglu Daifu (Grand Master of Ceremonies), Zhuguo (State Pillar), Shaoshi (Junior Preceptor to the Emperor), Minister of War, Grand Secretary of Huagai Hall, Director-General of National History, and Associate Scholar of the Imperial Study, on the day Jiazi of the ninth month of the Jiwei year of the Zhengtong era (1439).
The "medical intent" refers to formulating a treatment strategy upon encountering a disease. The *Neijing* (Inner Canon) comprehensively covers Yunqi (Five Movements and Six Qi) and Bingyuan (Etiology), observing changes in heaven and earth, investigating the mechanisms of disease, and exhausting the principles of regulation and treatment. This is the benevolence of the sages in loving humanity, the highest Dao of saving the weak, correcting deviations, and benefiting all things. Thus, the Way of Medicine was established. Qin Yueren (Bian Que) expounded its profound meanings and wrote the *Nanjing*. In the Han Dynasty, Zhang Zhongjing discussed Shanghan (Cold Damage), prescribing medicines and establishing formulas. In the Jin Dynasty, Wang Shuhe collected and arranged materials and wrote the *Maiejing* (Pulse Classic) to instruct future generations. Their intentions were indeed profound! Since the classics are far removed from the sages, with scattered texts and damaged bamboo slips, later learners became confused by focusing solely on formulas while neglecting the underlying intent. Fortunately, Wang Bing, Taibu Ling (Director of the Court of Imperial Entertainments) of the Tang Dynasty, reorganized and clarified these meanings, revealing the mysteries of the great laws, explaining the profundities of divine movement, and analyzing principles within ultimate truth. This enabled learners to carefully examine pulses, use medicines to cure diseases, and preserve the fundamental integrity of medicine without diminishment. His methods involved overcoming pathological excess and assisting physiological transformation to support life. The merit of rescuing the critical and stabilizing chaos is rooted in the classic theories: knowing Qi and recognizing disease leads to proper governance. Alas! Learning must be based on the classics, understanding disease requires clarity in theory, and treatment must be investigated through formulas. Only by being flexible and unobstructed can one fully realize the intent behind establishing medicine. In the past, Master Zhu Danxi became renowned for medicine in Jiangdong. My father personally studied under him and received his heart-to-heart transmission. I, Liu Chun, privately considered the master's principles, compiling what was worthy of emulation in medicine, based on the subtleties of the classics. I reorganized the sequence of topics, included rhyming verses and examples, and added diagrams to facilitate memorization and study. Where the Pulse Rhymes were incomplete, I also supplemented and corrected them, naming the work *Yijing Guoxiao*. The aim is to allow beginners to trace the source from the branches and avoid confusion with divergent paths. Those who aspire to the ancient Dao of sages loving humanity and benefiting all things should not mock my limited perspective (like looking at the sky through a tube or measuring the sea with a ladle). If there are shortcomings, I respectfully ask for your endorsement and correction. Then it will be a blessing not only for the Way of Medicine but also for the common people.
Preface by Liu Chun of Wuling, on the first day of the eleventh lunar month in the winter of the 21st year of the Hongwu era (1388).