数页书岂能疗千万病。然有纲举目张之法。盖病总由脏腑。总不外虚实寒热。审知其为何
脏何腑之虚症实症。寒症热症。而联其病类以集之。则药归同路。疗一病可。疗千万病亦无
不可。固不在多立病名。多立方书也。此所谓镜也。
凡人不愿知医者。以卷帙浩繁。见而生畏。不知从何学起也。兹但言其现何病象。系何脏腑。
作何治法。寥寥数语。亦易知矣。其一切经络源委。概不缕叙。避繁赜也。若欲究其全。则自有
诸名家书在。
用药如用兵。须量其材力之大小。盖有一利。即有一弊。如大补大攻。大寒大热之品。误用即
能杀人。各部后分为猛将次将。俾阅者不敢轻用。即用亦必斟酌分量。庶知利害。
人生一小天地。病之轻者。如日月之食。不转瞬自必回和。断不可轻易服药。恐益乎此则损
乎彼也。暾阅历既久。悉知其故。宁受众怨。不轻 情。此事如老将临阵。大贾航海。愈历炼而
愈知畏耳。
是书浅近。说法别无精意。不过愿人人稍知医理。不为庸医所误。以延寿命。且乡僻间不及
延医者。亦可对症自医。取其便耳。至医家读书少而阅历浅者。得此亦有头绪。稍知把握。便
可活人。
医家首在立品。古人云。行欲方而智欲圆。心欲小而胆欲大。人之性命在我掌握中。专心揣
求。尚虞有失。此事岂同儿戏乎。若一涉利心。则贫富歧视。同道相攻。伪药欺售。置人命于脑
后矣。试仰观苍苍者何物耶。而为病家者。亦宜以上宾礼貌相待。须思此人为我父母妻子
救命而来。岂可任我招之来麾之去也。
是编大半采仲景、东垣、景岳、钟龄诸家之说。亦述而不作之意。
凡古人立方。寓有精意。然断不可呆用。余尝见浅医。未经阅历。遇暑倦辄用清暑益气汤。而
不知黄 之闷。遇热喘辄用生脉散。而不知五味子之敛。卒至暑热伏留。缠绵床蓐而毙。甚
可哀也。他如六味地黄汤及麻黄汤桂枝汤等。必须斟酌万稳而进。或用次将之品代之。否
则一误之下。不可挽回。归咎古人。古人岂任受哉。
几页书怎么可能治愈千万种疾病呢？然而，有提纲挈领、条理清晰的方法。因为疾病总归源于脏腑，总离不开虚、实、寒、热四种性质。若能审察清楚是哪一脏哪一腑的虚证或实证、寒证或热证，再将其病类归纳汇总，那么药物就能归于同一治疗路径。这样，治一种病可以，治千万种病也没有不可以的。这确实不在于设立过多的病名和创制过多的方书。这就是所谓的“镜”（比喻像镜子一样反映病情本质）。
普通人不愿意学习医学，是因为医书卷帙浩繁，一见就感到畏惧，不知道从哪里学起。这里只说明表现出什么病象，属于哪个脏腑，采用什么治法，寥寥数语，也很容易理解。至于一切经络的源流委曲，一概不详细叙述，是为了避开繁琐深奥的内容。如果想要探究全部细节，自然有各位名医的著作可供参考。
用药如同用兵，必须衡量药材药力的强弱大小。因为有一利就必然有一弊。像大补、大攻、大寒、大热这类猛烈的药物，如果误用就会杀人。将各部药物分为“猛将”和“次将”，是为了让读者不敢轻易使用；即使使用，也必须仔细斟酌剂量，这样才能知晓利害所在。
人生就是一个小天地。病情较轻的，就像日食月食一样，不一会儿自然会恢复调和。绝对不可以轻易服药，恐怕顾此失彼，对这边有益却损害了那边。我江涵暾阅历已久，完全知道其中的缘故。宁愿承受别人的埋怨，也不轻率地随意用药。这件事就像老将上阵、大贾航海一样，经历得越多就越知道敬畏。
这本书内容浅显易懂，说法上没有特别精深的意旨，不过是希望人人都能稍微懂得一些医理，不被庸医所误，从而延长寿命。而且乡间偏僻处来不及请医生时，也可以对症自我医治，图个方便罢了。至于那些读书少、阅历浅的医生，得到这本书也有个头绪，稍微知道把握要点，就可以救活病人。
医生首要在于树立品德。古人说：“行为要方正，智慧要圆通，心思要缜密，胆量要宏大。”人的性命掌握在我们手中，专心研究推敲，还担心会有失误，这种事难道同儿戏一样吗？如果一旦涉及利益之心，就会对贫富区别对待，与同道互相攻击，用假药欺骗售卖，把人的性命抛在脑后。试着抬头看看苍天是什么样子呢？而作为病人家属，也应该以接待贵宾的礼貌相待。必须想到这个人是为我的父母妻子救命而来的，怎么可以任由我招之即来挥之即去呢？
本书大半采录了张仲景、李东垣、张景岳、钟龄等诸家之说，也是遵循“述而不作”（只阐述前人学说，不擅自创作）的本意。
凡是古人创立的方剂，都蕴含精深用意，但绝对不可死板套用。我曾见过医术浅薄的医生，没有阅历，遇到暑天疲倦就用清暑益气汤，却不知道黄芩会导致胸闷；遇到热性气喘就用生脉散，却不知道五味子具有收敛作用。最终导致暑热邪气伏留体内，缠绵病榻而死，非常可悲啊。其他如六味地黄汤以及麻黄汤、桂枝汤等，必须斟酌得非常稳妥才能进服，或者用“次将”类的温和药物代替。否则一旦误用，就无法挽回，若归咎于古人，古人哪里能承受这种指责呢？
How could a few pages of books cure tens of millions of diseases? However, there is a method of grasping the general principle while attending to details (Gangju Zhizhang). Diseases generally originate from the Zang-Fu organs (Viscera and Bowels) and essentially do not go beyond deficiency (Xu), excess (Shi), cold (Han), and heat (Re). If one can carefully ascertain which Zang or Fu organ suffers from a deficiency or excess syndrome, or a cold or heat syndrome, and then categorize and collect them by disease type, the medicines will follow the same therapeutic path. In this way, treating one disease is possible, and treating tens of millions of diseases is also feasible. Indeed, it does not lie in establishing too many disease names or creating too many formula books. This is what is meant by "Mirror" (Jing), reflecting the essence of the condition.
Ordinary people are unwilling to learn medicine because medical texts are voluminous and overwhelming, causing fear and uncertainty about where to begin. Here, we only describe what symptoms appear, which Zang-Fu organs are involved, and what therapeutic methods should be used. With just a few words, it is easy to understand. The origins and complexities of all meridians and collaterals are not detailed here to avoid being overly cumbersome. For those who wish to explore everything in full, there are naturally works by various renowned masters available.
Using medicine is like using troops; one must assess the magnitude of the medicinal strength. Wherever there is an advantage, there is inevitably a disadvantage. Potent substances such as strong tonics, strong purgatives, strongly cold, and strongly hot herbs, if misused, can kill. Medicines are categorized into "Vanguard Generals" (Mengjiang, potent/strong agents) and "Secondary Generals" (Cijiang, moderate/mild agents) so that readers dare not use them lightly. Even when used, dosages must be carefully deliberated to understand the benefits and harms.
Human life is a small universe. Mild illnesses are like solar or lunar eclipses; they will naturally return to harmony shortly. One must absolutely not take medication lightly, for fear that benefiting one part may harm another. Having extensive experience, I fully understand these reasons. I would rather bear resentment than prescribe medication rashly. This matter is like a veteran general facing battle or a wealthy merchant navigating the sea: the more experience one has, the more one feels awe and caution.
This book is shallow and straightforward, without profound insights in its explanations. Its sole wish is that everyone understands basic medical principles, avoids being misled by quacks, and thus prolongs their life. Moreover, in remote areas where doctors are inaccessible, people can treat themselves according to symptoms for convenience. For physicians with little reading experience and shallow clinical practice, this book provides a starting point and some grasp of key points, enabling them to save lives.
A physician's primary duty is to establish moral character. As the ancients said: "Conduct should be upright, wisdom should be flexible, mind should be meticulous, and courage should be bold." Human lives are in our hands. Even with dedicated study and contemplation, mistakes may still occur; how can this matter be treated as child's play? If profit motives intervene, discrimination between rich and poor arises, colleagues attack each other, fake drugs are sold deceptively, and human life is disregarded. Look up at the vast sky above. Patients' families should also be treated with the courtesy due to honored guests. One must realize that the physician comes to save one's parents, wife, and children; how can one treat them as servants to be summoned or dismissed at will?
This compilation largely adopts the theories of Zhang Zhongjing, Li Dongyuan, Zhang Jingyue, and Zhong Ling, adhering to the principle of "transmitting but not creating" (Shu Er Bu Zuo).
Ancient formulas contain profound intentions, but they must never be applied rigidly. I have seen inexperienced physicians with shallow knowledge using Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang (Clear Summerheat and Boost Qi Decoction) for summerheat-induced fatigue without realizing that Huang Qin (Scutellariae Radix) may cause chest stuffiness; or using Sheng Mai San (Generate the Pulse Powder) for heat-induced wheezing without knowing that Wu Wei Zi (Schisandrae Fructus) has astringent properties. Ultimately, summerheat pathogens remain trapped inside, leading to lingering illness and death, which is truly lamentable. Similarly, Liu Wei Di Huang Wan (Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill), Ma Huang Tang (Ephedra Decoction), Gui Zhi Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction), etc., must be used only after thorough deliberation ensures safety, or substituted with "Secondary General" (milder) herbs. Otherwise, a single error is irrecoverable. Blaming the ancients for such errors is unjust; how could the ancients bear such blame?