源家世山阴。习儒学。自家忠敏公殉前明难后业医。先王父广生公、幼敏悟。通儒书。诸子旁流。靡不详
究其义。更以外科医世鲜精者。尤加考求。冥搜幽索。遂尽其奥 。膺世祖章皇帝召。以御医侍值内庭。
先王父性谨慎自重。圣祖仁皇帝尤嘉信之。赐与优渥。累擢太医院判官。遇休沐。兀坐一室。先大人昭
远公与诸伯叔侍。环列惟医家书。发疑问难。校 折衷。隆寒盛暑。常丙夜。乃命就寝。在直庐。或中夜有
得。必索火记之。会丁曾王母忧家居。更简练揣摩。订为书。颜之曰外科大成。凡四卷。部类三十有二。锓
而藏其板于家。是时先大人亦以御医侍值内庭。性实介慎。历事圣祖仁皇帝世宗宪皇帝。两朝恩眷
特殊。赠太医院判官。忆源方垂髫。先大人即以大成课源兄弟。而冢兄弘涛早世。季弟国兴成戊戌进
士。乃心王事。又不果卒业。先大人尝训源曰、嗣我家学人。其惟汝乎。源不肖。惟恐不克仰承。用是黾勉。
不敢自逸。于今五十余年。己未冬。今上谕太医院判官吴谦等纂医宗金鉴一书。以源世外科医。
钦命纂修。源识谫学陋。何所与能。惟窃取先王父大成之意旨而敷扬之耳。而谬叨优录。感愧交并。嗟
夫、医者意也。意之所之。死生系焉。矧外科之六脉三因。阴阳善恶。端杂绪棼。黍粟不辨。有失之尺丈而
不知者。是编也。义晰辞明。字释句解。部分类别。领挈纲提。疮疡之微者无不载。方法之善者无不备。集
曰大成。洵可谓集外科之大成也与。源年届七旬。两儿邦相邦柱俱驽钝。深惧先业失传。缘命坊人印
行海内。非特业是科者。有所式循。庶几先王父之精神学问。亦不至湮没云尔。
时乾隆岁次癸亥秋七月既望孙男宏源敬识
我的家族世代居住在山阴。我研习儒学。自从家忠敏公为前朝殉难后，我家便改行从医。我的祖父广生公，自幼聪慧敏捷，通晓儒家经典，对于诸子百家的旁支流派，没有不详细探究其义理的。又因为当时外科医生大多不够精专，他尤其加以考证探求，深入挖掘隐秘奥妙，从而穷尽了其中的深奥道理。他接受世祖章皇帝的召见，以御医的身份在宫廷内侍奉值班。
我的祖父性格谨慎自重，圣祖仁皇帝特别嘉奖信任他，赐予丰厚的恩惠，多次提拔他为太医院判官。遇到休假时，他便独自静坐在一间屋子里，我的父亲昭远公与各位伯叔在一旁侍奉，周围环绕的都是医书。他们提出问题、质疑疑难，校勘折中，无论严寒酷暑，常常工作到半夜，才命令就寝。在值房中，有时半夜有所心得，必定点灯记录下来。恰逢遭遇曾祖母的丧事居家守孝期间，他更加简练揣摩，编纂成书，题名为《外科大成》。全书共四卷，分为三十二个部类，刻印后将书板藏于家中。那时，我的父亲也以御医身份在宫廷内侍奉值班。父亲性情耿直谨慎，历经圣祖仁皇帝和世宗宪皇帝两朝，受到特殊的恩宠眷顾，被追赠为太医院判官。
回忆我年幼垂髫之时，父亲就用《外科大成》来教导我和兄弟们。而长兄弘涛早逝，幼弟国兴考中戊戌年进士，一心为国效力，也没有完成学业。父亲曾经训诫我说：“继承我家医术的人，大概只有你了。”我不才，唯恐不能胜任以承继先志，因此勤勉努力，不敢自我安逸。到现在五十多年了。己未年冬天，当今皇上谕令太医院判官吴谦等人编纂《医宗金鉴》一书，因为我世代从事外科医学，钦命我参与纂修。我见识浅陋，学识粗疏，能有什么贡献呢？只是窃取祖父《外科大成》的意旨而加以发扬光大罢了。然而错误地受到优厚的录用，感激与惭愧交织在一起。
唉！医者靠的是意念（悟性）。意念所达之处，关系着死生。更何况外科涉及六脉和三因，阴阳善恶，头绪繁杂纷乱，细微之处难以分辨，有的甚至失之毫厘而不知。这部书，义理清晰，言辞明白，字句解释详尽，部分类别分明，提纲挈领，疮疡中细微的情况无不记载，方法中优良的内容无不具备。集称为“大成”，确实可以说是集外科之大成啊。我年龄已近七十岁，两个儿子邦相、邦柱都资质愚钝，深深担心家传医术失传，于是命令坊间刻印发行于海内。不仅让从事这一科的人有所遵循，希望祖父的精神学问，也不至于湮没无闻罢了。
时乾隆癸亥年秋季七月十六日，孙男宏源恭敬记述。
My family has resided in Shanyin for generations. I studied Confucianism. After my ancestor, Lord Zhongmin, perished in the turmoil of the previous dynasty, our family turned to medicine. My grandfather, Mr. Guangsheng, was naturally astute from childhood and well-versed in Confucian classics. He meticulously investigated the principles of various schools of thought beyond the mainstream. Furthermore, since surgeons at that time were rarely highly skilled, he paid particular attention to their study, searching deeply into obscure mysteries until he exhausted their profound secrets. He was summoned by Emperor Shizu (Zhuang) and served as an Imperial Physician within the inner court.
My grandfather possessed a cautious and dignified character, which was especially appreciated and trusted by Emperor Shengzu (Ren). He was granted generous favors and repeatedly promoted to the position of Vice Director of the Imperial Medical Bureau. During his leave, he would sit alone in a room, attended by my father, Mr. Zhaoyuan, and his uncles, surrounded only by medical texts. They raised questions, debated difficulties, and reconciled discrepancies through verification. Regardless of severe cold or intense heat, they often worked until the third watch (midnight) before being ordered to rest. In the duty quarters, if he had insights in the middle of the night, he would surely summon a lamp to record them. When he returned home to mourn his great-grandmother, he further refined and contemplated these matters, compiling them into a book titled *Waike Dacheng* (Compendium of External Medicine). It consisted of four volumes and thirty-two categories. The woodblocks were carved and kept in our family home. At that time, my father also served as an Imperial Physician in the inner court. His nature was upright and cautious. Having served under both Emperor Shengzu (Ren) and Emperor Shizong (Xian), he received special grace and favor from two reigns and was posthumously awarded the title of Vice Director of the Imperial Medical Bureau.
I recall that when I was still a child with hair tied in horns, my father used *Waike Dacheng* to instruct my brothers and me. My eldest brother, Hongtao, died young, and my youngest brother, Guoxing, became a Jinshi in the Wuxu year, dedicating himself to state affairs, so neither completed their studies. My father once admonished me, saying, "You are the one who will inherit our family's medical learning." Being unworthy, I feared I could not live up to this expectation, so I strove diligently and dared not indulge in ease. It has now been over fifty years. In the winter of the Jiwei year, the current Emperor decreed that Wu Qian, Vice Director of the Imperial Medical Bureau, and others compile the *Yizong Jinjian* (Golden Mirror of the Medical Tradition). Because my family has practiced external medicine for generations, I was imperially ordered to participate in its compilation. With my shallow knowledge and limited learning, what contribution could I make? I merely borrowed the intent of my grandfather's *Dacheng* to elaborate upon it. Yet, undeservedly receiving favorable recognition, I am filled with both gratitude and shame.
Alas! Medicine relies on intuition (Yi). Where intuition reaches, life and death hang in the balance. Moreover, external medicine involves the six pulses and three causes, yin and yang, good and evil omens; the threads are complex and tangled, making minute distinctions difficult. One may err by a foot without realizing it. This compilation clarifies principles and uses clear language, explaining characters and sentences in detail. Its categories are distinct, grasping the main points while listing details. Every subtle aspect of sores and ulcers is recorded, and every excellent method is prepared. To call it "Great Completion" (Dacheng) is indeed to say it gathers the greatness of external medicine. Now nearing seventy years of age, and fearing that my two sons, Bangxiang and Bangzhu, being dull-witted, might let our ancestral profession perish, I have ordered the printing houses to publish it throughout the land. Not only should practitioners of this specialty have something to follow, but hopefully, the spirit and scholarship of my grandfather will not be lost to oblivion.
Recorded respectfully by Grandson Hongyuan in the mid-month of the seventh lunar month, autumn of the Guihai year of the Qianlong era.