师毗陵人，胡姓，本儒家子，生而敏慧，稚年寄育僧舍，长寻剃发，法名住想，字慎柔。性
喜读书，凡一切宗乘，以及儒书经、史、子诸编，无不究览。心血耗疲，得瘵疾几不起。时
查了吾先生寓医荆溪，师往求治，岁余获痊。了吾先生泾县人，为太平周慎斋先生高座。师颖
悟沉静，了吾先生深器之，欲授以己学，师由是执贽，事先生十余年。先生惧其学识过己，
乃令往从慎斋先生，与薛理还偕行。理还亦毗陵人。予于己卯春，曾识荆于嘉水，时年已逾
七十。因出了吾生平所验案及禁方赠予，予自此益尽窥了吾之学。慎斋先生名满海内，从游
弟子日众，师随侍，每得其口授语，辄笔之。先生初无着述，今有语录数种行世，多师所诠
次也。师自是归里，治病辄应，履日盈户外，然性好施，虽日入不下数金，而贫如昔。岁庚
午，吴江宰熊鱼山先生夫人，抱奇恙六七年矣。延师至，以六剂奏效，一时荐绅士大夫，咸
服其神明，因往来吴会间，里居之日少。岁壬申，予时习岐黄家十余年，雅慕师，每相过从
，谈论辄达曙忘倦，师每忾生平所学，嗣者寥寥，言之惋然。然窃谓师貌古神暗，当得永年
。亡何，丙子仲夏，忽示疾，以手札招予，授生平所着书，凡虚损一，痨瘵一，所札记师训
一，治病历例一，医案一。又数日竟脱然去，年六十五。距今又十年矣！予将以其书寿之于
梓，因为之传。
师父是毗陵人，姓胡，本是儒家的子弟。他生来聪慧敏捷，幼年时寄养在僧舍中，长大后寻找机会剃度出家，法名住想，字慎柔。他生性喜爱读书，凡是各种佛家宗派的典籍，以及儒家经、史、子部的各类著作，无不深入研读。由于心血耗损过度，他得了痨病（慢性消耗性疾病），几乎无法挽救。当时查了吾先生寓居在荆溪行医，师父前去求治，经过一年多时间痊愈了。了吾先生是泾县人，曾是太平周慎斋先生的得意门生。师父聪颖悟性高且性格沉静，了吾先生非常器重他，想要把自己的医术传授给他，于是师父带着礼物拜师，侍奉先生十多年。先生担心他的学识超过自己，便让他前往跟随慎斋先生学习，与薛理还一同前往。理也是毗陵人。我在己卯年春天，曾在嘉水结识了他，那时他已经七十多岁了。他拿出平生所验证的医案及保密药方赠送给我，我从此更加深入地窥探到了了吾先生的学问。慎斋先生名扬天下，跟随学习的弟子日益增多，师父随侍在侧，每次听到先生的口头传授，就立即记录下来。先生起初没有著述，现在市面上流传的几种语录，大多是师父整理编次的。师父从此回到家乡，治病总是有效，每天登门求诊的人门槛都踏破了，但他生性好施舍，虽然每天收入不下几两银子，但生活依然贫穷如昔。庚午年，吴江知县熊鱼山先生的夫人，患有奇异的疾病已有六七年了。请师父去诊治，用了六剂药就见效了，一时之间推荐来的士绅大夫们，都佩服他医术高明，因此他在吴会地区往来频繁，在家居住的日子很少。壬申年，我研习岐黄之术（中医）已十多年，一向仰慕师父，经常互相拜访，谈论起来常常通宵达旦不知疲倦，师父每每感叹平生所学后继者寥寥无几，言语间充满惋惜。但我私下认为师父相貌古朴神态内敛，应当能够长寿。没过多久，丙子年仲夏，他突然生病，写信招我去，将平生所著的书籍交给我，共有《虚损》一卷，《痨瘵》一卷，《札记师训》一卷，《治病历例》一卷，《医案》一卷。又过了几天，他便安然离世，享年六十五岁。距今又十年了！我将把这些书刻印出版，因此为他写了这篇传记。
The Master was from Piling, surnamed Hu. He was originally a son of the Confucian scholarly class. Born with keen intelligence and wisdom, he was sent to live in a Buddhist monastery during his childhood. Upon reaching adulthood, he sought ordination as a monk, taking the Dharma name Zhuxiang (Residing in Thought) and the courtesy name Shenrou (Cautious and Gentle). He had a natural love for reading; regarding all schools of Buddhist doctrine as well as Confucian classics, histories, and philosophical works, he studied them thoroughly. Due to excessive mental exertion and depletion of heart blood, he contracted Lao disease (a chronic consumptive disease, often referring to tuberculosis or similar wasting conditions) and nearly died. At that time, Mr. Zha Liaowu practiced medicine in Jingxi. The Master went to seek his treatment and recovered after more than a year. Mr. Liaowu was from Jingxian and was a distinguished disciple of Mr. Zhou Shenzhai from Taiping. The Master was quick-witted, calm, and composed. Mr. Liaowu greatly valued him and wished to transmit his own medical knowledge to him. Consequently, the Master presented gifts to formally become his student and served him for over ten years. Fearing that the Master’s learning might surpass his own, Mr. Liaowu then directed him to study under Mr. Shenzhai. The Master traveled together with Xue Lihuan. Mr. Lihuan was also from Piling. In the spring of the Jiyi year, I had the honor of meeting him at Jiashui; he was already over seventy years old. He presented me with records of cases verified throughout his life and secret prescriptions. From this, I gained deeper insight into Mr. Liaowu’s medical scholarship. Mr. Shenzhai was famous throughout the land, and the number of disciples studying under him grew daily. While attending upon him, the Master recorded every oral instruction he received. Although Mr. Shenzhai initially left no written works, several types of recorded sayings are now circulating in the world, mostly compiled and edited by the Master. Thereafter, the Master returned to his hometown. His treatments were invariably effective, and the threshold of his home was worn down by visitors daily. However, he loved charity; although his daily income amounted to several taels of silver, he remained as poor as before. In the Gengwu year, the wife of Mr. Xiong Yushan, the magistrate of Wujiang, had suffered from a strange illness for six or seven years. The Master was invited to treat her, and efficacy was achieved in just six doses. At that time, the recommended scholars and officials all admired his miraculous skills. Consequently, he frequently traveled between Wu and Kuai regions, spending little time at home. In the Ren Shen year, having practiced Traditional Chinese Medicine (Qi-Huang school) for over ten years, I deeply admired the Master. We visited each other often, discussing matters until dawn without feeling tired. The Master would often sigh that there were few successors to his lifelong learning, speaking with regret. However, I privately believed that given his ancient demeanor and subdued spirit, he should enjoy a long life. Not long after, in mid-summer of the Bing Zi year, he suddenly fell ill. He summoned me with a handwritten letter and handed over his lifetime writings: one volume on Deficiency and Damage (Xu Sun), one volume on Tuberculosis/Consumption (Lao Zhai), one volume of notes on the Master’s teachings, one volume on examples of treating diseases, and one volume of medical cases. A few days later, he passed away peacefully at the age of sixty-five. Ten years have passed since then! I intend to have these books printed and published, and thus wrote this biography for him.