业医者多矣，而医书尤多，大都繁征博引，专执一偏，尊信太深，误人匪浅。又或胪列方症，论绪
弗详，用以治人，率皆不验，比比者更未易屈指数。盖书多而无补生人之用，即谓之无书焉可也。忆余
自侍皇太后疾，辞都门，由海上归故里，过京口，揽金焦之秀，获晤竹泉赵君。谈医竟日，于《灵》、
《素》、越人、长沙、《千金》、《外台》，暨元明诸老作，靡不淹贯。信于斯道三折肱者，夙深钦佩。
今君以所着《医门补要》示，余受而读之，如诵白香山诗，老妪都能解说，而又撷经之腴，搜方之秘，
其言甚简，而其治甚验，洵医林之宝筏，寿世之奇珍也。爰属付剞劂氏而僭弁数语于简端云。
光绪二十三年秋八月上浣孟河文植马培之拜手书序
立言有裨于世，足为千古可重而不废者，必性命之学，经济之文，所以历久而弥彰也。然无益之
说，虽长篇屡牍，焉得人人而重之至若可重者，欲其见诸实事，大则体国经野，泽被下民而靡穷，小则
拯急恤灾，征诸日用而最切。盖莫近乎医，医能去病，人不能无病，病不能不医，以医有起死回生之力也
。医岂易言乎哉？苟医者胸无洞见，拘定旧规，不知变通，
经治必然功少，是以医贵乎精，学贵乎博，识贵乎卓，心贵乎虚，业贵乎专，言贵乎显，法贵乎活，方贵
乎纯，治贵乎巧，效贵乎捷，知乎此，则医之能事毕矣。抑知古今内症之书，已极浩瀚，果能潜心考究，
加以临症经历，自可日进乎神明。非比外科必须传授，另多手法奇方，或有专长之症，试之必奏其神。又
往往秘其术而藏其方，不肯一白诸人。殆欲矜其独得，以为射利与传家之具也。余不惮数十年心瘁
，搜求前贤之义蕴，并所历各症之情形，更将师传以
后化出诸法，汇辑成帙，以灾枣梨。愧无深文绮语，以供称许，要使阅者，了然心目。一得之愚，未必于
医林无小补云尔。
从事医学行业的人很多，而医书更是繁多。大多数医书繁征博引，却专执一偏之见，对某些理论或经验尊信太深，从而误导患者，造成的危害不小。又有一些医书只是罗列方剂和症状，论述头绪不详细，用来治疗病人，往往都不见效，这种情况比比皆是，甚至难以一一列举。书籍虽多，但对救人的作用却没有补充，那么称它们为“没有书”也是可以的。
回忆我当年侍奉皇太后治病，辞去京城职务，从海路回到故乡，经过京口（今镇江），欣赏金山、焦山的秀丽景色，有幸结识了竹泉赵君。我们谈论医学整整一天，对于《灵枢》、《素问》、扁鹊（越人）、张仲景（长沙）、孙思邈的《千金方》、王焘的《外台秘要》，以及元明时期各位老前辈的著作，他无不精通透彻。确实是一位在医学之道上多次实践而经验丰富的人，我向来对他深表钦佩。
如今赵君将他所著的《医门补要》展示给我，我拿过来阅读，感觉就像诵读白居易的诗一样，连老妇人都能解说明白，同时又汲取了经典著作的精华，搜罗了方剂的奥秘，他的言辞非常简练，但治疗效果非常显著，确实是医学界的宝贵指南，造福世间的奇珍异宝。于是委托刻印工匠刊印此书，并在书前冒昧地写上几句话作为序言。
光绪二十三年秋季八月上旬，孟河文植马培之恭敬地书写序言。
立言若能有益于世间，足以成为千古重视而不被废弃的，一定是关于生命本质的学问和经世济民的文章，所以能历久弥新，更加彰显。然而无益的言论，即使长篇累牍，怎么能得到每个人的重视呢？至于那些值得重视的内容，必须体现在实际事务中：大的方面可以治理国家、规划疆土，恩泽惠及百姓而没有穷尽；小的方面可以拯救急难、抚恤灾荒，应用于日常生活最为切实。大概没有比医学更贴近这些的了。医学能够去除疾病，人不可能不生病，生病了就不能不医治，因为医学有起死回生的力量。
医学难道容易谈论吗？如果医生胸中没有独到的见解，拘泥于旧的规矩，不知道变通，那么经过治疗必然功效很少。因此，医生贵在精研，学问贵在广博，见识贵在卓越，心态贵在谦虚，事业贵在专注，言语贵在显明，方法贵在灵活，方剂贵在纯正，治疗贵在巧妙，疗效贵在迅速。懂得这些，医生的职责就完备了。
况且知道古今内科疾病的书籍已经极其浩瀚，如果能潜心考究，加上临床经历，自然可以日益达到神妙的境界。不像外科必须依靠传授，拥有许多手法和奇特的方子，或者针对有专长的病症，尝试后必然奏效。又往往有人秘密保存他们的技术和隐藏他们的方子，不肯向他人公开。大概是想要夸耀自己独有的心得，把它作为谋取利益和传给后代家业的工具。
我不怕耗费几十年的心血，搜求前贤义理的蕴藏，以及我所经历的各病症的情形，再将师传以后变化出来的各种方法，汇编成册，刻印出版。惭愧的是没有深奥华丽的辞藻来供人称许，只希望让读者在心中了然于心。这一点点愚钝的见解，未必对医学界没有小小的补益吧。
There are many who practice medicine, and medical books are even more numerous. Most of these works cite extensively but adhere to one-sided views, holding certain theories or experiences with excessive reverence, thereby misleading patients and causing significant harm. Others merely list prescriptions and symptoms without detailed discussion; when used to treat patients, they often prove ineffective, a situation so common that it is hard to enumerate. If books offer no practical benefit to saving lives, they might as well be considered non-existent.
I recall the time when I attended upon the Empress Dowager, resigned my post in the capital, and returned home via the coast. Passing through Jingkou (modern Zhenjiang), admiring the scenic beauty of Jinshan and Jiaoshan, I had the fortune to meet Mr. Zhao Zhuquan. We discussed medicine for an entire day. He was thoroughly versed in the *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot) and *Su Wen* (Basic Questions), the works of Yue Ren (Bian Que), Zhang Zhongjing (Changsha), Sun Simiao’s *Qian Jin Fang* (Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold), Wang Tao’s *Wai Tai Mi Yao* (Important Medical Prescriptions from the Outer Cabinet), as well as the writings of various masters from the Yuan and Ming dynasties. Indeed, he is one who has gained profound expertise through repeated clinical experience, and I have long held him in deep admiration.
Now, Mr. Zhao presented his newly authored work, *Yi Men Bu Yao* (Supplemental Essentials of Medicine). Upon reading it, I felt as if reciting the poems of Bai Juyi: accessible even to an old woman, yet simultaneously extracting the essence of classical texts and uncovering the secrets of prescriptions. His language is concise, yet his treatments are highly effective. It is truly a precious raft in the forest of medicine and a rare treasure for benefiting the world. Therefore, I commissioned its printing and ventured to write a few words at the beginning of this volume.
In the early ten days of the eighth month of autumn, in the 23rd year of the Guangxu reign, Ma Peizhi of Menghe, Wenzhi, respectfully wrote this preface.
Words that contribute to the world and remain valued and unabolished throughout history must be those concerning the study of life and literature aimed at governing society, thus enduring and becoming more prominent over time. However, useless theories, even if lengthy, will not be valued by everyone. As for what is truly valuable, it must manifest in practical actions: on a grand scale, it involves governing the state and planning territories, extending boundless benevolence to the people; on a small scale, it entails rescuing the urgent and alleviating disasters, being most pertinent to daily life. Nothing is closer to this than medicine. Medicine can cure diseases; since humans inevitably fall ill, they must seek medical treatment, because medicine possesses the power to revive the dead and restore the dying.
Is medicine easy to discuss? If a physician lacks insightful understanding, sticks rigidly to old rules, and fails to adapt, their treatments will inevitably yield little success. Therefore, physicians should excel in precision, broaden their learning, demonstrate outstanding insight, maintain humility, specialize in their profession, speak clearly, employ flexible methods, use pure prescriptions, apply ingenious treatments, and achieve rapid efficacy. Understanding these principles completes the duties of a physician.
Furthermore, while ancient and modern books on internal diseases are vast, diligent study combined with clinical experience allows one to gradually reach a state of divine proficiency. This differs from surgery, which relies heavily on transmission, unique techniques, and special prescriptions for specific conditions, where trials often yield miraculous results. Often, practitioners keep their skills secret and hide their formulas, unwilling to share them openly, perhaps to boast of their exclusive insights or to preserve them as tools for profit and family legacy.
I did not shy away from decades of painstaking effort to search for the profound meanings of former sages, document the conditions of various diseases I encountered, and compile the various methods evolved from my teachers’ teachings into a single volume for publication. Lacking profound and ornate rhetoric to invite praise, I only hope that readers will gain clear understanding. This humble opinion may offer some minor contribution to the field of medicine.