Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1040 Subacute Combined Spinal Cord Degeneration: A Prophecy Fulfilled – Wrong Medication Prescribed! (Two Chapters Combined)
“I’ll prescribe medicine for you. You just need to go to the Chinese medicine shop to get the medicine, and decoct and take it according to the method I wrote down. In theory, you just need to take the medicine on time. But if you’re not comfortable with that,” Fang Yan paused, took out a note from his pocket, “send me a telegram every Wednesday, clearly writing down the condition of your tongue coating and bowel movements, and I will adjust the prescription according to your symptoms.”

The middle-aged man held the prescription, glanced at it, and then looked up at Fang Yan:

"Didn't you say you wanted to give me acupuncture? Are you expecting me to do it myself?"

“Of course not,” Fang Yan said, picking up the sea dragon needle and swirling it twice on an alcohol swab. Seeing the cold light condensing on the needle tip, he continued:
"You can find a doctor in Hong Kong to give you acupuncture. It only involves a few simple acupoints and is not difficult."

He then tapped the blank prescription form again:

"I'll give you a treatment right away, and then draw a diagram to clearly show the acupoint locations and needle depths. With this prescription, any knowledgeable TCM doctor can perform the acupuncture."

The middle-aged man finally relaxed his brow and nodded, his Adam's apple bobbing.

The dialect is leaving Hong Kong tomorrow, which is indeed the most appropriate solution at the moment.

Then, speaking in dialect to the middle-aged man:
"Pull your pants down a bit, lie face down on the bed, I'm going to give you the injection."

"Do I need to take my pants off?" the middle-aged man asked.

He said in dialect:

"There is a point called Changqiang above the coccyx that controls the opening and closing of the anus."

Although the middle-aged people were somewhat unwilling, they knew that they had no choice but to comply with the dialect.

He followed the instructions in the dialect and lay down by the bed.

Fang Yan then came to his side with the sea dragon needle, tapped the lowest point of the patient's coccyx with his fingers, and asked:
"Can you feel this dent?"

The middle-aged man nodded.

Fang Yan continued:

“Back when Zheng He sailed to the Western Ocean, the ship’s medical officer would treat diarrhea here, and it was called ‘Fen Shui Guan’ (Water Dividing Pass).”

As he spoke, the sea dragon needle gleamed coldly between his fingers, and the tip quickly pierced the skin at an angle.

I felt a numbness and immediately arched my back. It wasn't pain, but a chill that crept up my tailbone.

"Where does the needle sensation go?" Fang Yan flicked the end of the needle, and the needle of the sea dragon needle vibrated and made a buzzing sound.

After recovering, the middle-aged man found that he had goosebumps on his skin and felt a surge of heat spreading in his lower abdomen.

“Abdomen,” the man said.

Fang Yan nodded, indicating that it seemed to be in place.

Then he took out a second needle, aimed it at the patient's Zusanli acupoint, and inserted it. His movements of lifting and inserting the needle handle were as fast as rowing a boat. The patient suddenly felt his entire calf filled with a sore and swollen sensation, and numbness and itching shot from Zusanli to his toes.

He immediately told Fang Yan how he felt, and Fang Yan responded by saying:
"Lie on your side, exposing your belly."

The man rolled over and lay on his side, lifting his clothes. Fang Yan aimed at his Tian Shu acupoint, and as the Hailong needle pierced through his fingers, he heard a "gurgling" sound from the other man's stomach. Fang Yan then flipped his wrist, tilting the needle half an inch to the right.

The man immediately felt a numbness in his lower body.

“Just these few spots, leave the needles in for ten minutes,” Fang Yan said to him.

The middle-aged man felt a bit awkward. The Zusanli and Tianshu acupoints were fine, but the first one, Changqiang acupoint, was indeed awkward.

I think I need to find a trustworthy traditional Chinese medicine doctor.

Fang Yan glanced at the time and said to the man:

"You stay here and call me in ten minutes."

The man nodded.

Then Fang Yan left the room and went outside.

Director Liao saw that only Fang Yan came out and asked him:
"what's the situation?"

He said in dialect:

"He just had an acupuncture needle inserted, and it's still in place. I'll remove it in ten minutes."

"Is there anything seriously wrong?" the patient's family members asked, coming closer to ask.

He said in dialect:

"It's not a big deal, but he didn't pay attention to it before, and it's been a long time now."

"Just follow my instructions for treatment, and you should be fine recovering."

At this point, Fang Yan said to the family members:

"Oh, by the way, speaking of which, you should also keep an eye on his diet."

Fang Yan paused and said:
"Cold, greasy, and spicy food—he always ate cold meals while sailing, and his spleen and stomach were already trapped by cold and dampness. From now on, he must eat hot food, even in summer, and he can't take the easy way out."

"The weather here in Hong Kong is hot, so I have to give up things like iced beer."

The patient's family members, of course, knew their family's situation and immediately nodded in agreement.

Next, Fang Yan returned to his previous seat, sat down again, and said:
"Come on, who's the last one?"

Fang Yan subconsciously glanced at the teenager in the crowd.

The next second, an elderly man sitting behind the child waved, was helped to his feet by those around him, and said with a smile:

"It's my turn, it's my turn."

He stood up, took the cane offered by others, shook off the people supporting him, and slowly walked over.

Fang Yan then realized that the man's complexion was actually not very good, but he had put on a very clever makeup. If Fang Yan hadn't been paying close attention, she really wouldn't have been able to tell.

"Is there anything wrong with your health, Mr. Fang?" Fang Yan asked.

The other person took a deep breath, paused, and then slowly uttered a disease name in a dialect that they had rarely heard even in their previous life:

"Subacute combined spinal cord degeneration".

Fang Yan paused for a moment, and some information he had seen in his previous life popped into his mind.

It is clearly a condition named by Western medicine.

Subacute combined spinal cord degeneration, in Western medicine, is considered a neurodegenerative disease caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. It mainly damages the posterior columns, lateral columns, and peripheral nerves of the spinal cord. If left untreated, it can lead to severe neurological dysfunction.

In 1889, German neurologist Arnold Pick first discovered a clinically rare progressive neurological disease. Patients presented with numbness, weakness, paresthesia, and ataxia in the limbs. Pathologically, demyelination of the posterior and lateral columns of the spinal cord was observed, and it was then called "progressive spinal paralysis".

Around 1950, several studies clearly linked this disease directly to vitamin B12 deficiency and named it "subacute combined spinal cord degeneration".

It is extremely rare in clinical practice.

At that time, Fang Yan was looking up information about the 1929 Nobel Prize in Medicine winners and discovering that liver preparations could treat pernicious anemia, which inspired him to learn about the treatment of this disease.

So I read some reports about this disease back then.

This condition usually occurs in patients with pernicious anemia due to atrophy of the gastric mucosa leading to a deficiency of intrinsic factor, which prevents the absorption of vitamin B12.

Other people who develop this disease include long-term strict vegetarians, alcoholics, people who have had part of their stomach removed, and some patients who have been taking the diabetes medication metformin for a long time.

By 1978, although the disease was relatively rare, there was already a well-established treatment method available.

Just fill in what's missing.

Both injections and oral administration of vitamin B12 are acceptable.

Of course, the troublesome part is that you have to take the medication for life. It's not something you can just supplement by replenishing what you lack. Even if you supplement it, it will still be lost. Even if you improve your diet and lifestyle, you still have to continue treatment.

As for why, even those with dialects don't really understand.

However, it does conform to the laws of capital.

Fang Yan composed herself and asked him:
"This illness was diagnosed by Western medicine, and you should have received treatment, right?"

"It was treated, but it didn't work," the old man replied.

Then he began his own account:

"I experienced numbness and coldness in my limbs two years ago. At the time, I didn't pay much attention to it, thinking that it was just a cold and that it would get better on its own. However, the numbness in my limbs didn't get better. It felt like ants were crawling on them, and my shoulders were also aching."

"But that's how it is. I went for a checkup, but they didn't find anything wrong."

"I just let it go. Anyway, it didn't interfere with my normal life. I can just bear with it and it will pass."

"But in the last two months, things have changed. My hands can no longer do fine work. They shake badly when I use chopsticks or hold a pen. Then my legs started shaking too, and it felt like my body was tied up with ropes."

"Later, I went to a hospital in Hong Kong for a checkup, but they couldn't find anything wrong. They suspected that I had a mental problem and was imagining that I was sick, so they recommended that my family members be hospitalized in a mental hospital for examination."

"Last month, I went to the UK, where they diagnosed me with this disease after a check-up."

"They gave me injections and medicine, and treated me for a long time, but I didn't see any improvement. Now I have to use a cane and I need to be fed. It's so painful. I was thinking of asking you, Dr. Fang, if you could find a way to treat me with traditional Chinese medicine."

Fang Yan nodded, surprised that the Hong Kong hospital hadn't found anything wrong. His illusions were shattered; he'd thought Hong Kong's healthcare system in 1978 was pretty advanced, but it turned out to be like this… Fang Yan then asked:
"Hmm... what kind of treatment did they give you in Britain?"

"It's best to keep the receipts."

The old man shook his head:

“I didn’t keep the receipts. Their treatment didn’t improve my condition, so I came back in a fit of anger. I left all my hospital stuff in England.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a middle-aged man next to him said:
"If you'd like, I can contact the hospital there."

Dialectal wave:
"It's okay, it's okay. I was just asking. It's fine if you don't have it."

Then, Fang Yan said to the old man:
"Tell me how your body feels right now, in detail."

The old man thought for a moment, then said:

"I have strength in my limbs but I can't use it. If I try to exert any force, I sway uncontrollably. I have to use a cane to walk."

Fang Yan picked up a pen and paper and started writing, then asked:
"Do you still feel ants crawling on your hands?"

The old man shook his head and said:
"No, I can't feel anything in my hands or feet now. Even if you stick a needle in, I won't feel anything."

Fang Yan looked at his fingers; there was no unusual color. So she asked:
"Do you eat and have regular bowel movements?"

The old man said:
"normal."

After saying that, he changed his mind:

"Oh, no, I feel a bit bloated after eating."

Nodding in dialect:

"okay."

Then, Fang Yan pointed to his hand:
Give me your hand, I want to test it.

Fang Yan took out the sea dragon needle to test whether he really had no feeling.

The old man was somewhat taken aback when he saw that Fang Yan was really going to prick his hand, but since he had already said it, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and hand it to Fang Yan.

Fang Yan gently pricked the old man with the needle, then looked at him:
"Do you feel it?"

"No," the old man said. "I didn't feel anything up there."

He said:
"You have to use your palm to feel it."

He asked in dialect:

"But I can see that your fingers can move."

The old man said:
"There is no pain sensation, and the joints can still be controlled."

Fang Yan nodded, then asked:

"Where in your feet can you not feel anything?"

The old man said:
"Only my toes are numb, I can still feel everything else." "Hmm..." Fang Yan stroked his chin and said to the old man:
"Take my pulse with your left hand, and stick out your tongue so I can see it."

Then, speaking in dialect, they touched the old man's left hand and saw his tongue sticking out. They saw that the tongue was dark and had a thin, greasy coating.

Then, Fang Yan continued to ask:
"Besides what we just mentioned, is there anything else you'd like to add?"

The old man thought for a moment and said:
"I should have said everything I needed to say."

Just as he finished speaking, the old man suddenly remembered something and said:

"Oh, right, although I can no longer feel pain in my fingers and toes, there are certain situations where I can still feel pain, and it can be extremely painful."

Fang Yan was taken aback and asked:
"Huh? What's going on?"

The old man said:
"I'm afraid of the wind and the cold. If I'm exposed to the wind outdoors for a while, even without the wind blowing directly on my fingers and toes, I will feel a lot of pain. And I also feel this when the temperature drops."

Upon hearing this, Fang Yan suddenly understood.

He nodded and said:

"okay, I get it."

Then, he carefully began to take the pulse.

After examining both hands, they finally determined that the old man's pulse was thin and weak.

After Fang Yan's diagnosis was completed, Director Liao asked him:

"How is this spinal cord degeneration usually treated in Traditional Chinese Medicine?"

Fang Yan turned to Director Liao and explained:

“In traditional Chinese medicine, subacute combined spinal cord degeneration falls under the categories of ‘Bi syndrome’ and ‘Wei syndrome.’ Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the continuous circulation of blood and qi in a person’s body depends entirely on the yang qi that propels it forward. The limbs are the foundation for the gathering of yang qi. If the yang qi cannot reach the hands and feet, the fingers and toes will feel cold. If the yang qi is insufficient, the circulation of blood and qi will be sluggish.”

“If the blood vessels are blocked at this time, a person will experience pain and numbness in their limbs, and will walk unsteadily, unable to stand up, and will feel weak in their legs and unable to support their body. There is also a situation where the chest and waist feel as if they are tied up with ropes, and they cannot bend their waist. Ultimately, all of this is caused by the blockage of yang energy and obstruction of the meridians.”

"However, the old man's situation is a bit special."

"In addition to poor circulation of Yang energy and blood stasis leading to blocked meridians, there is also wind and toxins lurking in the meridians."

"The old man is getting old, and his yang energy is weak, which makes it difficult to promote the circulation of qi and blood. There is blood stasis in his body, and the blood deficiency generates wind evil. The wind evil carries pathogenic factors and invades the meridians, causing the meridians to become blocked."

"I believe that what is needed now is to unblock the yang energy, promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, while dispelling wind and harmonizing the meridians."

After speaking in dialect, he paused, then added:

"However, this disease has been going on for too long, so we can't expect it to be cured all at once."

"I'm afraid the old man will need to have a follow-up visit every now and then."

Director Liao frowned slightly upon hearing this and asked:
"You mean... you want the old man to go to the capital?"

Shaking his head in dialect:

"No, I recommend Professor Deng Tietang from Guangzhou."

Why bother going to the capital when there are big shots in Lingnan? It's too much trouble.
Fang Yan turned to the old man and said:
“I can write a clear medical record. Please keep it safe, sir. You can go to Guangzhou to see Professor Deng when the time comes.”

The old man laughed:
"Great! It's best not to go to the capital, so as not to be annoying, haha..."

Even those speaking in dialects don't understand what these words mean, so they pretend not to hear them.

Hearing that the old man himself had agreed, Director Liao nodded and said:
"Then do as you say."

Fang Yan agreed, then checked the time and said:

"Okay, wait a moment, I'll go get a needle and then come back to write the medical record and prescription."

After saying that, he got up and went to the old man from before, and took the sea dragon needle off his body.

Then they went into the bedroom and removed the sea dragon needle from the middle-aged man's body as well.

After putting away his tools, Fang Yan returned to his original spot, picked up paper and pen, and began to write.

Detailed medical records need to be shown to others, so the local dialect must be written down well.

Everything, from beginning to end, was clearly written in the medical records, using local dialect.

Then Fang Yan wrote a prescription. Since he had never treated this disease before and there was no similar prescription in ancient books, Fang Yan could only write a prescription based on his own experience.

川桂枝9g、浮萍草9g、全当归9g、大丹参15g、淡木瓜9g、杜红花9g、桃仁泥9g、乌梢蛇9g、地鳖虫9g、炙山甲4.5g、左秦艽12g、鸡血藤15g。

To prepare the decoction, soak the herbs in 500ml of spring water for 30 minutes, ensuring the water level is about two finger joints above the herbs.

Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 25 minutes, and extract 200ml of the liquid.

Add 300ml of water to the second decoction, simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, and extract 150ml of the liquid;

Mix the two decoctions together and take them warm twice a day, morning and evening (one hour after meals).

Roasted pangolin scales need to be decocted for 15 minutes first to enhance their medicinal effects;

Wrap the peach kernel paste in gauze before simmering to prevent the dregs from being suspended in the liquid.

After writing down the dialect, I added a dialect explanation below:

Cinnamon twig (9g): warms and invigorates Yang Qi, promotes the circulation of Qi and blood, and improves cold limbs.

Angelica sinensis (9g), Salvia miltiorrhiza (15g), Carthamus tinctorius (9g), and Prunus persica (9g): promote blood circulation, remove blood stasis, clear the meridians, and relieve numbness and pain.

Duckweed (9g): dispels wind and releases the exterior, relieving pain when exposed to wind;
Black-striped snake (9g), ground beetle (9g), pangolin scales (4.5g): Insect-based medicines penetrate deep into the meridians, clearing away wind-evil and blood stasis.

Gentiana macrophylla (12g): dispels wind and dampness, relaxes muscles and tendons, and prevents dryness and heat from damaging yin.

Papaya (9g) and chicken blood vine (15g): Nourish blood and promote blood circulation, soften tendons and veins, and improve limb weakness and tremors.

After writing it down, Fang Yan placed the folded prescription into the old man's palm:
"Old man, take this medicine for seven days first. If you start to feel your toes again, then send me a telegram."

"I'll revise the prescription for you later. You can't keep taking this insect medicine; we'll have to adjust it gradually."

The old man nodded:
"Okay! I've written it down."

Fang Yan then thought for a moment and said:

“When you go to Guangzhou to see Professor Deng, bring all these medical records and telegrams with you. He will understand them at a glance.”

The old man continued to nod:
"I know."

After speaking in dialect, he said to the old man:
"Alright, then I wish you a speedy recovery!"

The old man asked curiously, "Everyone else has had acupuncture, why shouldn't I?"

Fang Yan tapped his fingertips on the prescription slip, glancing at the old man's hunched back:

“Your illness is in the spinal cord, so the acupuncture needs to target the Du meridian and the Dai meridian, which is different from what they did earlier.”

"The acupuncture point needs to be needled very deep to open the Du meridian, but your pulse is thin and your blood and qi may not be able to support the needle sensation. If you force the needle in, you will faint. You need to recover your body a bit before you can do the needle."

The old man suddenly realized.

Fang Yan thought for a moment and then said:

"But it's true that I didn't think of that. Once you feel better in a few days, you can go for acupuncture."

"Here's what I'll do. I'll write you an acupuncture plan. You can then decide whether to have a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner in Hong Kong perform the treatment, including taking your pulse and inserting the needles. The experienced doctors here are quite capable."

Fang Yan paused for a moment, then said:

"For example, Mr. Li Chunfang from Chunfangtang."

"Okay, good!" the old man nodded.

After speaking in dialect, he couldn't help but add:
"But please don't tell me my name."

The old man laughed heartily:
"Of course, this old man still knows these rules, I'm not so senile as to be that confused."

Fang Yan nodded, realizing that the man was an old revolutionary and that he had indeed said something unnecessary.

But it's better to be safe than sorry, so he continued writing in the dialect.

After writing it down, I handed the form to the old man.

Then Fang Yan looked at Director Liao and said:

"Alright, Director Liao, we've seen all three patients for today."

Director Liao nodded and gave Fang Yan some instructions:
"Very good, then you should rest. Just stay at the hotel and do your activities in full makeup. Don't go out unless it's important. Xue Zhen hasn't reported that he's safe yet, so it's best to be careful."

Fang Yan nodded; it seemed he wouldn't be able to leave today.

Of course, he didn't have much to do. Before coming, he originally planned to go shopping on the street and buy some things to take back home, but Representative Huo had already prepared two large suitcases when he checked in, so Fang Yan didn't have any local specialties to bring.

Next, the three patients and their families who received Fang Yan's treatment today expressed their gratitude to Fang Yan. The two who received acupuncture did feel that their health had improved a lot, and the last one who did not receive acupuncture also felt that Fang Yan's medical skills were not just empty words.

It's still worth having some faith in.

After greeting everyone, Fang Yan took his belongings and bid farewell to Li Chong and Deng Cai.

They still had some things to say in the room, and with that, Fang Yan's business in Hong Kong was considered over.

Next came personal matters in the afternoon.

That is, to go to Li Chunfang to learn the Liaoyuan Needle technique and to get the lost book "Huangdi Mingtang Jing" from him.

However, it's still early, so they're probably still upstairs seeing the doctor. Fang Yan can only wander around the rest of the hotel. There are far fewer people in the hotel today, so as long as he doesn't leave, there shouldn't be any problems.

Fang Yan led Li Cong and Deng Cai to the hotel gym.

There was no one left now. You don't see treadmills or anything like that in China, at least not in Beijing. Fang Yan just treated it as if he had brought them here for fun.

The three of them started playing inside.

Everyone here has a foundation in martial arts; this little thing won't break a sweat.

We didn't finish work until 11:30, and then we headed to the hotel restaurant.

I ran into Ah Ji, who was coming downstairs to eat, as soon as I arrived at the restaurant.

He was all alone, so Fang Yan walked up to him out of curiosity and greeted him:

"Hey, Ah Ji, where's your grandpa?"

Ah Ji turned around and saw that it was Fang Yan, and said:
"He's treating someone up there."

Fang Yan glanced at the time and asked:

"It's still not finished?"

Ah Ji lowered his voice and said:
"You were absolutely right. My grandpa wasn't feeling well yesterday, and he wrote down the wrong prescription. Now they've come knocking on our door, and my grandpa's trying to fix it..."

Fang Yan was taken aback, never expecting that his casual remark yesterday would come true.

The old man discovered a problem during his medical examination.

He asked in dialect:

"Is it serious?"

Ah Ji licked his lips and nodded vigorously.

dialect:"……"

PS: The basic chapter of 6000 words has been updated.

There will be an extra chapter later.

(End of this chapter)