扁鹊有言。疾在腠理。熨 之所及。在血脉。针石之所及。其在肠胃。酒醪之所及。是
针灸
故弃针与灸而莫之讲。每遇伤寒热入血室。闪挫诸疾。非药饵所能愈。而必俟夫刺者。则束
手无策。自愧技穷。因悟治病犹对垒。攻守奇正。量敌而应者。将之良。针灸药因病而施者
。医之良也。思得师指而艰其人。求之远近。以针鸣者。各出编集标幽、玉龙、肘后、流注
、神应等书。其于捻针补泻。尚戾越人从卫取气。从荣置气之说。复取素、难而研精之。旁
究诸家。又知素、难为医之鼻祖。犹易为揲蓍求卦之原。诸家医流。如以钱掷甲子起卦。勾
陈玄武。 蛇龙虎断吉凶。似易而乱易也。后世针灸亦若是尔。呜呼。不溯其原。则昧夫古
人立法之善。故尝集节要一书矣。不穷其流。则不知后世变法之弊。此聚英之所以纂也。安
故狃近者。犹曰易穷则变。变则通。通则久。是以诗变而骚。君子取之。郡县者。封建之变
。租庸者。井田之变。后人因之。固足以经国治世。奚怪于针灸之变法哉。奚是古非今为哉
。岂知封建井田变。而卒莫如周之延祚八百。针灸变。而卒莫如古之能收功十全。如使弊
而可因。则彼放荡逾闲者。可以为礼。以之安上治民。妖淫愁怨者。可以为乐。以之移风易
俗哉。夫易谓穷斯变通久。素、难者。垂之万世而无弊。不可谓穷。不容于变而自通且久也
。周子谓不复古礼。不变今乐。而欲至治者远。然则不学古医。不变今俗。而欲收十全之功
者。未之有也。兹续编诸家而折衷以素、难之旨。夫然后前人之法。今时之弊。司命者知所
去取矣。
时嘉靖己丑夏六月六日四明梅孤子高武识
扁鹊曾说：病邪在腠理（皮肤与肌肉之间的间隙），是熨法（热敷疗法）所能达到的范围；病邪在血脉，是针石（针刺和砭石）所能达到的范围；病邪在肠胃，是酒醪（药酒或发酵药剂）所能达到的范围。因此，如果抛弃针灸而不加研习，每当遇到伤寒热入血室（外感热病中，热邪侵入血室所致的病证）、闪挫（扭伤、挫伤）等各种疾病，非药物能够治愈，而必须等待施刺者来处理时，就会束手无策，自愧技艺穷尽。
于是领悟到治病如同两军对垒，进攻与防守、奇兵与正兵的运用，能根据敌情灵活应对的，才是良将；根据病情施用针灸或药物的，才是良医。我想寻求明师指点却难以找到合适的人选，于是向远近各方请教，那些以针灸闻名的人，各自出版了《标幽》、《玉龙》、《肘后》、《流注》、《神应》等书籍。这些书籍关于捻针补泻的手法，尚且违背了越人（扁鹊）“从卫取气，从荣置气”的理论。我又重新研读《素问》和《难经》以求精研其理，广泛探究各家学说。
进而知道《素问》和《难经》是医学的鼻祖，就像《易经》是揲蓍求卦（用蓍草占卜）的源头一样。后世众多的医流派别，就像是用铜钱投掷来起卦，通过勾陈、玄武、螣蛇、青龙、白虎等神煞来判断吉凶，看似容易实则扰乱了《易经》的正统。后世的针灸也是如此。唉！如果不追溯源头，就会不明白古人立法的美好之处，所以我曾经编纂过《节要》一书。如果不穷究流变，就不知道后世变法带来的弊端，这就是《针灸聚英》得以编纂的原因。
安于旧习、拘泥于近世做法的人，或许会说：“《易经》讲‘穷则变，变则通，通则久’。”因此，《诗经》演变为楚辞，君子予以采纳；郡县制是封建制的变革，租庸调法是井田制的变革，后人沿用这些制度，确实足以治理国家、安定社会，对于针灸的变革又有什么可奇怪的呢？何必厚古薄今呢？
哪里知道封建制和井田制虽然变革，但最终没有比得上周朝延续国祚八百年的长久；针灸虽然变革，但最终没有比得上古代方法能取得十全疗效的。如果弊病可以沿袭，那么那些放纵逾越礼法的行为，就可以成为礼仪，用来安定君上、治理百姓；那些妖艳淫荡、忧愁怨恨的音乐，就可以成为雅乐，用来移风易俗吗？
《易经》说：“穷则变，变则通，通则久。”但《素问》和《难经》流传万世而没有弊端，不能说它已经“穷”尽，不容许变革而自然通达且长久。周敦颐说：“不复古礼，不变今乐，而欲至治者远矣。”既然如此，那么不学习古代医学，不改变当今陋习，而想获得十全疗效的，是从未有过的。这次我续编各家学说，并以《素问》、《难经》的宗旨进行折衷评判。这样以后，前人的方法和当今的弊端，掌管生命健康的医生就知道如何取舍了。
大明嘉靖己丑年夏六月六日，四明梅孤子高武识记。
Bian Que once said: When the pathogen is in the couli (the interstitial spaces between skin and muscle), it is within the reach of hot compress therapy; when it is in the blood vessels, it is within the reach of acupuncture and bian stones; when it is in the stomach and intestines, it is within the reach of medicinal wines. Therefore, if one abandons acupuncture and moxibustion without studying them, whenever encountering diseases such as cold damage with heat entering the xue shi (blood chamber) or sprains and contusions, which cannot be cured by herbs alone but require needling, one would be at a loss for measures and ashamed of one's limited skills.
Thus, I realized that treating disease is like two armies facing each other in battle; those who are good generals can adjust their attacks and defenses, using orthodox and unorthodox tactics according to the enemy's situation. Similarly, those who are good physicians apply acupuncture, moxibustion, or herbs according to the disease. I sought guidance from teachers but found it difficult to locate suitable mentors. I consulted practitioners near and far who were renowned for acupuncture. They had published various compilations such as *Biao You*, *Yu Long*, *Zhou Hou*, *Liu Zhu*, and *Shen Ying*. However, regarding the techniques of needle manipulation for tonification and sedation, these works still deviated from the theory of Yue Ren (Bian Que) regarding "extracting qi from the Wei level and depositing qi into the Ying level." Consequently, I re-examined the *Su Wen* (Basic Questions) and *Nan Jing* (Classic of Difficult Issues) to study them meticulously, while also investigating the theories of various schools.
I came to understand that the *Su Wen* and *Nan Jing* are the ancestors of medicine, just as the *Yi Jing* (Book of Changes) is the origin of divination using yarrow stalks. The myriad medical schools of later generations are like those who cast coins to generate hexagrams, interpreting auspiciousness and inauspiciousness through deities such as Gou Chen, Xuan Wu, Teng She, Qing Long, and Bai Hu. This approach seems easy but actually confuses the true meaning of the *Yi Jing*. Acupuncture and moxibustion in later times have been similarly affected. Alas! If one does not trace back to the source, one will fail to appreciate the excellence of the legislative principles established by the ancients. For this reason, I previously compiled a book titled *Jie Yao* (Essential Excerpts). If one does not exhaustively investigate the evolution of practices, one will not know the drawbacks of later reforms. This is why *Zhen Jiu Ju Ying* (Gathering of Excellence in Acupuncture and Moxibustion) was compiled.
Those who are content with old habits and constrained by recent trends might argue: "The *Yi Jing* states, 'When things reach an extreme, they change; when they change, they become smooth; when they become smooth, they endure.' Thus, the *Shi Jing* (Book of Odes) evolved into Sao (Chu Ci poetry), which gentlemen adopt; the commandery-county system is a transformation of the feudal system, and the Zu Yong Diao tax system is a transformation of the Well-Field system. Later generations adopted these changes, which were indeed sufficient to govern the state and pacify the world. Why should there be anything strange about changes in acupuncture? Why criticize the past and praise the present?"
However, did they realize that although the feudal and Well-Field systems underwent changes, none lasted as long as the Zhou Dynasty, which endured for eight hundred years? Although acupuncture methods have changed, none have achieved the perfect efficacy (ten out of ten cures) as effectively as the ancient methods. If flawed practices could be inherited, then unrestrained behaviors violating propriety could become rituals to stabilize rulers and govern people; and licentious, sorrowful, or resentful music could become elegant music to transform customs and purify society.
The *Yi Jing* says, "When things reach an extreme, they change; when they change, they become smooth; when they become smooth, they endure." But the *Su Wen* and *Nan Jing* have been transmitted for ten thousand generations without flaw; they cannot be said to have reached an "extreme" requiring change, nor do they lack the capacity to naturally remain smooth and enduring. Zhou Dunyi stated, "If one does not restore ancient rites and does not alter contemporary music, one will be far from achieving perfect governance." In the same way, if one does not learn from ancient medicine and does not reform contemporary bad habits, one will never achieve perfect curative results.
In this continuation, I have compiled the teachings of various schools and reconciled them with the principles of the *Su Wen* and *Nan Jing*. In this way, physicians responsible for life and death will know what to retain and what to discard from the methods of the predecessors and the deficiencies of the present time.
Recorded by Mei Gu Zi Gao Wu of Siming on the sixth day of the sixth month of summer in the Ji Chou year of the Jiajing reign.