Golden Chamber Medleys

Author: Sun Simiao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-12-01
Features: As it is known, the medical classics and canonical prescriptions concern life and death, and are indeed of utmost significance and urgency. Among the medical classics and canonical prescription books, to select the finest and best, and to publish them for the benefit of the world, leaving them as gifts for later generations, what greater benevolence and vast grace could there be! Our ancestors, with their virtue of cherishing life rooted in their nature, sought healing in the scriptures and were particularly devoted to the profession of healing the sick. Therefore, since the early years of the Qing Dynasty, they have extensively collected medical books and filled the libraries with them. Since then, through the years of virtue and dedication, by the era, they have repeatedly published medical formula books for later generations. The world has benefited from their profound benevolence and grace, not only as nourishing rain but also as life-giving balm. In the early years of the era, the medical system was reformed. In recent years, all systems have been established, and all means of nurturing and encouraging medical practice have been implemented. However, the cost of publishing medical books has come entirely from the private funds of medical officials, with no official printing. We, as mere members of the medical bureaucracy, greatly fear that the canonical prescriptions, being of utmost urgency, cannot select the finest and best books to widely disseminate, leaving later generations without a way to honor the deep benevolence and intentions of our great office and generations of ancestors in cherishing life.
Through our diligent research, we found that since the Jin and Tang dynasties, medical literature has been vast, and the number of books preserved and passed down to this day is also limitless. Among them, seeking a work that can support and guide Changsha and set a standard for future generations, nothing compares to Sun Simiao's Taiping Shenxiang Jiayin Fang. This book was once widely circulated in the Tang Dynasty in its true form, but only a few volumes remain, while the rest have long been lost. The versions now circulated are believed to be from the Ming Dynasty's transmission and carving of the Daoist Canon, where arbitrary revisions and errors are numerous, and the divisions into volumes greatly deviate from the original. There are also often copies of the Yuan Dynasty, with relatively correct text, somewhat readable, but still free of errors at times, none of which can be considered truly excellent.
The only exception is the manuscript of the Song Dynasty published by Lord Uesugi, who served as the governor of Mizusa. Its calligraphy is clear and legible, and upon examination of the missing parts and prohibitions, it is evident that it is a Northern Song publication. Occasionally, there are supplements from the Dian and Chun periods, which are merely a few pages, still maintaining the (corrections) of Lin Yi and others, clearly traceable. This manuscript has long been lost since the Yuan and Ming dynasties, and it was not until the Kangxi era that Zhang Lu, in his work Thousand Gold Prescriptions Derivation, mentioned checking the text against the Song edition but found it identical to Ming-era market publications. The General Catalog of the Siku Quanshu (Four Treasuries) in the Qianlong era also specially recorded the Daoist Canon version, indicating its loss.
Each volume of this manuscript bears the (seal) of the Jinza Library, proving that it was originally owned by Hideshi Northbar. It has been preserved for over 500 years. This single volume stands as a rare treasure in the world, truly unparalleled. We believe that among the extant works of Sun Simiao, this is the finest and best, yet if it were to be lost now, it might fade into oblivion and be irretrievable. Would this not be a great failure in our duty, failing to live up to the deep benevolence and intentions of our great office and ancestors in cherishing life?
Therefore, we unanimously agreed to contribute private funds to have it published. We heard that the court was considering issuing funds to support the publishing of medical works. Faced with this grand initiative, we were especially honored, and urgently requested skilled copyists to faithfully transcribe, selecting talented young scholars for meticulous verification, without a single day of rest. Thus, within half a year, the printing was completed.
Only two leaves remained of the fourth volume, which we supplemented based on the Yuan edition. Some passages had slight discrepancies or errors, likely due to variations from other versions, which we carefully cross-referenced and compiled as "Anomalies" to append at the end. This is done to ensure that the strengths and weaknesses are both clear, providing a basis for future scholars to verify and trust.
Given the ever-changing nature of diseases, it is essential to rely on texts to understand them. A single misplaced character can lead to serious misjudgments, which is why this record was created.
We recall that when we previously edited and published the Yuan Dynasty's Thousand Gold Wing Prescriptions, we were filled with admiration for its rarity. Now that this work is complete, Sun Simiao's books shine side by side, once again illuminating our realm. How grand is this! Yet, we know that the fortune of things being revealed or hidden depends on fate, and perhaps it was destined that this era should bring this light to life, rather than happening by chance.
Unable to contain our joy, we dare not overlook our limitations and have strived to contribute our small efforts, hoping that medicine will continue to flourish, talents will continue to grow, and everyone will follow the path of truth to explore the profound depths of Changsha. Thus, all medical officials will be grateful for this. And for all medical practitioners in the land, this will allow them to understand and honor their craft, spreading the deep benevolence and grace of our great office and ancestors to all corners of the world. The legacy of this era will be remembered and cherished, benefiting the world for all eternity.