我记得二十年前，我校的彭坚教授讲过一句话，他说：“我们湖南中医应该研究熊继柏现象。”确实是学徒出身，我倒不在乎什么研究我的现象，也没有谁研究过我的现象。我一直在考虑的是中医的教育问题。我不讲规律，我就讲讲我是怎么读书的。

苦抄与背诵：打好中医基础

《医学》这本书，虽然有着师傅的指导，但是打好基础主要还是要靠自己的努力。我用的方法是苦抄与背诵。第一本书——《雷公炮炙四大药性赋》，我四个早上把它背完，一个早晨背一个药性，寒、热、温、平，就四个早上背完了。白天我就玩，没有事干。

背完了接着就是《药性歌括四百味》，当时背了，但现在我不一定还记得。四大药性赋我还能背，要我写我还能写下来。《药性歌括四百味》I just write not down, connect not together. This is the second book.

第三本书——《医学三字经》。要说明的是，我读的书都是抄来的，不是原版的。Firstly, there was no book to buy; secondly, I couldn't afford it. All were copied from my teacher's, copied with mistakes, my teacher corrected them, and then taught me again to read. That's how it was.

The third book is Medical Three-Character Classic. My teacher lectured on this one. "Medicine begins with Guigong and Huangdi," Guigong and Huangdi are who? At that time I didn't know what they were like now do. "Lingshu made up of Sushu", Lingshu and Sushu are what? At that time all unknowns. “Jinji came out more ambiguous”, Jinji is what unknown now known already at that time whole back now if anyone want me copy can be done in a night without any error neither need textbook nor absolutely no mistake either.

The fourth book is Pulse Decisions, including Wang Shu He Pulse Decisions and Border Lake Pulse Decisions two pulse decisions books which are our current lectures about diagnosis skills.

This is the fourth book.

The fifth book is Medical Canon Golden Mirror Diagnosis Heart Formula Essentials, talking about diagnosis skills.

In summary when i first started studying medicine i mainly focused on three areas: pharmacology through memorizing medicinal properties of herbs such as those found in 《雷公炮炙四大药性赋》 (Four Medicinal Properties Assessed by Lei Gong) or songs like 《药性歌括四百味》 (Pharmacological Song Encompassing Four Hundred Flavors). Then I studied diagnostic techniques through memorizing formulas such as those found in 《伤寒论新注》（New Annotated Treatise on Cold Damage）and internal medicine through memorizing texts like 《金匮要略》（Essential Prescriptions from the Golden Cabinet）.

After laying these foundations down i began learning prescriptions for treatment under the guidance of my teachers starting with Chen Xuan’s “方剂” (Formulas) followed by reading internal medicine texts such as Chen Xuan’s “时方妙用” (Marvelous Use of Time-Related Formulas).

My early education laid the foundation for becoming a skilled practitioner but it was only possible because of my teachers who taught me not just to read but also understand these ancient texts effectively making sure their knowledge would never fade away over time despite being passed down orally generation after generation while keeping its essence intact without losing any significance along the way thereby preserving this traditional healing art known today as Chinese Medicine or TCM - Traditional Chinese Medicine