Secret Transmission of Medical Efficacy

1. Read the first two volumes on cold-warm differentiation first, then volume three on pulse patterns and the rise and fall of yin and yang, and finally review the patterns and treatments against the formulas at the end of the book.
2. While reading, note the differences in symptoms and treatment between cold-damage and warm-disease, and compile a cold-warm comparison table.
3. Read alongside the relevant passages of Wen Re Lun, noting where the supplementary sections of this book are placed.
4. For formulas, keep materia medica and formula reference works at hand to check drugs and combinations, avoiding memorizing formulas in isolation.

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.