Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1100 The Unorthodox Secrets of the Thirteen Ghost Needles, How to Treat Severe Fatty Liver (Two Chapters Combined)
Upon hearing that He You had actually fainted in the toilet, Fang Yan was also taken aback, wondering if the illness was so severe.

However, he immediately realized that He You was his maternal great-uncle and a returned overseas Chinese, so he had to help him get treatment.

"What's going on? Where are they now?" Fang Yan asked Zhao Qingkai.

Zhao Qingkai was also terrified and said to Fang Yan:

"He's on a bench in the hallway right now, receiving emergency treatment. He was fine when he went into the restroom, but when he came out, he looked unwell and collapsed after taking a few steps."

Fang Yan patted him on the shoulder and said:

"Don't panic, take me there now."

After speaking in dialect, he turned to the patient and said:
"Mr. Wei, you can be admitted here. We will have someone arrange a ward for you, and someone will give you a body wash in the ward."

The patient nodded repeatedly:
"Alright! Dr. Fang, please don't worry about me for now, go and save the person!"

Then Fang Yan and Xie Chunrong pointed to Mr. Wei, indicating that he would take over the next steps.

Xie Chunrong nodded.

Fang Yan then walked outside with Zhao Qingkai. The others looked behind them, and Jin Wubing was the first to follow, followed by Huang Qiming, and then the others.

The newlyweds followed Fang Yan and Zhao Qingkai toward the restroom at the end of the corridor.

From a distance, you could see several people in white coats gathered around a bench in the passageway, rescuing people.

The person pinching the old man's philtrum at that moment was Yan Yifan from the dialect class.

There were also caregivers helping out, and some patients watching from the sidelines.

"Make way! Make way, Director Fang is here!"

Zhao Qingkai shouted at the people blocking his way.

The onlookers immediately made way, and Yan Yifan saw Fang Yan approaching and quickly said to him:
"Brother Fang, the old man..."

"It's alright, I'll handle it." Fang Yan patted his shoulder, gesturing for him to step aside.

The old man's philtrum was already red from being pinched, but he still hadn't woken up. Fang Yan went up and lifted his eyelids to check his pupils, which were reacting rather slowly.

Fang Yan saw that his face was flushed and his breathing was heavy, but he just didn't wake up.

Fang Yan came to my side again and touched the Cun, Guan, and Chi points. The pulse was slippery and rapid, especially the left Cun (heart). A slippery pulse indicates phlegm and dampness, and a rapid pulse indicates heat. This suggests that phlegm and heat are disturbing the mind.

"What happened?" Huang Qiming came over and asked Fang Yan.

Fang Yan glanced at him and said:

"Acute sputum syncope!"

"Huh?" Huang Qiming was taken aback.

The dialect explanation is as follows:
"Phlegm and dampness obscure the sensory orifices, and liver wind stirs internally, which means that excessive phlegm and heat leads to mental confusion."

Huang Qiming said:
"No, I mean, how did this suddenly happen?"

Looking at him, Fang Yan felt that the old man was quite good at feigning innocence.

Then Fang Yan said with an innocent look:

"I don't know, maybe it's just the change in environment?"

Huang Qiming: "..."

I never expected this kid to be just as disgusting.

Turning his head, Fang Yan had already taken out the Sea Dragon Needle and started bleeding directly from He You's hand.

After a few needle pricks, dark purple blood began to flow from He You's fingertip.

"What's going on?" Jin Wubing asked Fang Yan.

As he administered the acupuncture to the old man, Fang Yan explained:

"In traditional Chinese medicine, this is called acupuncture at the ten acupoints, which means pricking the tips of the ten fingers to release blood, clear heat and open the orifices."

After saying that, he addressed the people around him:
"Someone come and help me press the Renzhong and Neiguan acupoints! Also, pinch and rub the Hegu acupoint to unblock the Qi!"

"Me! Me! Me!" Jin Wubing immediately stepped forward when he heard Fang Yan offer to help.

Fang Yan pointed to the acupoints and then said:
"Learn from me, and press rhythmically together."

“Okay!” Jin Wubing nodded.

Then the two began pressing acupoints.

The blood was still flowing from my finger.

Upon seeing this, Jin Wubing exclaimed in surprise:
"Wow, this blood is so dark!"

Dialect explanation:

"Bloodletting from the fingertips can release stagnant heat in the internal organs, open the mind and refresh the spirit. This color indicates that the bloodletting was done in the right place."

“Let’s continue!” Fang Yan said to Jin Wubing.

As the others pressed down, He You's throat made a rattling sound, and his body twitched slightly.

Half a minute later, there was still no response, and Huang Qiming and those around him were on tenterhooks.

At this moment, Fang Yan remained calm and continued pressing the acupoints.

About a minute later, the old man still hadn't woken up.

Fang Yan hesitated for a moment, suspecting the old man was faking death. He opened the old man's eyelids again and found the same reaction.

There's really no response.

We can't let the old man die here. Even if he's going to die, he should die somewhere else, not in this building of the Traditional Chinese Medicine department.

He suddenly remembered a variation of one of the Thirteen Ghost Needles techniques.

So he took out the sea dragon needle and inserted it into the Baihui acupoint. Then, he inserted two more needles at the same time into the Fengchi acupoints on the left and right sides, with the needles inserted at a 30-degree angle, just touching the anterior edge of the occipital condyle.

Jin Wubing got too close and could only smell a faint, fishy odor seeping from the needle's tip, like the smell of a swamp after rain.

"Press down the inner gate!" Fang shouted in a low voice, reminding Jin Wubing.

Jin Wubing shuddered and quickly did as instructed.

Then Fang Yan took out the fourth needle, roughly pried open the old man's mouth, and directly pierced the Jinjin Yuye acupoint below He You's tongue.

As soon as the needle went in, He You's throat jerked violently, and dark purple blood mixed with phlegm surged to the back of his tongue.

Huang Qiming's eyes widened when he saw Fang Yan suddenly use acupuncture.

At this moment, Fang Yan flicked the end of the needle with his finger, and several needles on his body trembled at the same time. Then He You's eyelids suddenly started twitching violently.

"Hey! There's movement!" The people around looked on in surprise.

“The phlegm is stuck in the Lianquan acupoint.” Fang Yan finished speaking, flipped his wrist, and inserted another needle. The needle was rotated in the “Green Dragon Swings its Tail” technique. He You’s neck twisted to the left uncontrollably. With a muffled groan, a clump of grayish-black phlegm suddenly sprayed from the corner of his mouth, almost hitting Huang Qiming’s face. Fortunately, he dodged quickly and it landed on his leather shoes. Everyone could see that there were a few strands of dark red blood mixed in with the phlegm.

Upon seeing this, everyone made way in disgust.

Just seconds after the phlegm fell, He You suddenly opened his eyes. The cloudiness in his pupils quickly faded, replaced by a look of fear.

He opened his mouth, but could only make a hoarse sound. It wasn't until Fang Yan pulled out the needle from his Fengchi acupoint that he suddenly coughed up a piece of phlegm the size of half a fingernail, which had a fishy and pungent smell.

"He's awake! He's awake!" Jin Wubing jumped up, his fingers still pressed on the Neiguan acupoint, and pointed at He You, saying:

"Amazing! Look at his eyes, they're not glazed over anymore!"

As everyone looked over, He You's breathing gradually became steady, and his flushed face faded to a normal pale red. However, the cold sweat on his forehead flowed down his wrinkles and condensed into water droplets at his temples.

Fang Yan put the needle away and wiped He You's finger with a cotton ball. Only then did everyone notice that the dark purple blood had turned bright red.

Then Fang Yan inserted several sea dragon needles into the needle pouch.

"Qingkai, help the old man to my consultation room," Fang Yan instructed Zhao Qingkai.

Then he said to Chen Wenwei:
"Wenwei, please make a cup of Wendan Decoction for me. Remember to add three qian of bamboo sap."

"Okay!" The two nodded in agreement.

Then Fang Yan stood up, looked around at the people, and said:

"Everyone, please disperse!"

Everyone just witnessed Fang Yan's first aid skills; it was practically a miracle.

The old man wouldn't wake up no matter what, but Fang Yan woke him up instantly after a few acupuncture treatments. It was simply amazing. He truly deserves to be called a legend at Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

"Yifan, you should go see a doctor too!" Fang Yan said to Yan Yifan.

He was among the first to participate in the rescue efforts, and although he didn't make a difference, his actions were still commendable; at least he stepped forward and began to help.

At this moment, Huang Qiming looked at the bloody phlegm on his feet with some disgust. He had to find a place to treat it, but he was still thinking about the acupuncture technique Fang Yan had just used.

At this time, other traditional Chinese medicine practitioners were also interested in dialect acupuncture.

Lin Wenfeng asked Fang Yan:

"Dr. Fang, what kind of acupuncture technique did you use just now? I've never seen it before."

Fang Yan glanced at him and said:

Have you ever heard of the "Thirteen Ghost Needles"?

Upon hearing this, the group was taken aback, but quickly realized what was happening.

This acupuncture technique is indeed quite effective.

But they had only heard of it, never seen it.

I never expected to see it with my own eyes today.

Fang Yan said to them:

"Alright, there are still patients waiting, let's go over there."

As he spoke, he walked towards his consultation room.

The others quickly followed.

Once they reached the outside of the consultation room, Fang Yan called out to the next person at the door, inviting them to come in together.

Most of the Wei family members had already left the consultation room with the patient, except for Mr. Wei, who was still inside. He was holding a box and said to Fang Yan:

"Dr. Fang, this is a small token of my appreciation from Hong Kong. I'm counting on you for the rest of my treatment!" Fang Yan didn't know what was in the box, but when he took it, he found it was quite heavy.

He nodded and said to Mr. Wei:
"You're too kind. We should do our best to treat and save lives."

Mr. Wei smiled and nodded, then glanced at He You, who had just been brought in and was still recovering, and said to Fang Yan:

"Then I'll take my leave now. You go ahead with your work!"

Fang Yan nodded.

Next, we greeted the patients and their families who had just arrived. The person who came this time was a Singaporean businessman surnamed Hao, who was fifty years old this year and whose family was in the business consulting business.

It's somewhat similar to Wang Jin's father-in-law, Wang Shusen.

In fact, the two people knew each other.

He was recommended by Wang Shusen. Last time, Wang Shusen ate clean and hygienic food in India, which aggravated his old illness. It was Fang Yan who saved him. (See Chapter 942)
To repay Fang Yan for saving his father, Wang Jin set up the Qihuang Passing on the Torch Foundation for Fang Yan.

Fang Yan recently heard from someone at their office report on the progress of the funding. The Ministry of Health is now in charge of this, mainly to provide accommodation and meals through the fund during the postgraduate entrance examination in Beijing, in order to expand the influence first.

Basically, it's about competing with the Huo family's foundation.

The doctor I'm seeing today is named Hao Shouchang. He smiled and said to the patient in dialect:

“I don’t have any major problems. It’s just that Lao Wang has been recommending me to come back, and Director Liao also said that I’m an old friend. I was his business partner when we were in Hong Kong, so I should be ranked first.”

He was showing off his status and relationship with Director Liao. It is indeed easy for business consultants like him to influence the decisions of some companies.

Hao Shouchang and Director Liao knew each other back when Director Liao was in Hong Kong. The two had been friends for a long time. Even without investing in China, Hao Shouchang could still influence many people. So, Director Liao had some considerations in letting him see patients at the front.

Fang Yan said to him:
"Mr. Hao, is there anything wrong with your body?"

Hao Shouchang said:
"About two months ago, I felt a bit weak, didn't have much of an appetite, and disliked oily food. I also felt some bloating on the upper right side of my abdomen."

"I had a check-up in Singapore before I came here, and another one in Hong Kong. Look, this is the check-up report."

Fang Yan took the report and asked him:
"Are there any other discomforts?"

Hao Shouchang said:
"That's all, that's basically it."

Fang Yan opened the document bag and looked at the inspection report inside. The report, detailing the first inspection in Singapore, stated:
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 105 U/L (normal <40 U/L), HBsAg and HBeAg positive.

Upon seeing this, Fang Yan frowned. Good heavens! A hepatitis B virus carrier!
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is mainly found in liver cells. When liver cells are damaged, ALT is released into the bloodstream, leading to an increase in serum ALT levels.

The normal range is usually <40 U/L, but Hao Shouchang's ALT was 105 U/L, which is significantly higher than the upper limit of normal. This indicates that hepatocytes may have been damaged and liver function may be abnormal.

HBsAg is the outer shell protein of the hepatitis B virus. A positive result indicates that the body is infected with the hepatitis B virus and is one of the important markers of hepatitis B virus infection.

A positive HBeAg result usually indicates that the hepatitis B virus is actively replicating in the body and is highly infectious.

Based on the above indicators, the patient is very likely suffering from chronic hepatitis B.

Elevated ALT levels indicate liver inflammation and damage, while positive HBsAg and HBeAg results further confirm hepatitis B virus infection and active viral replication.

Fang Yan composed herself, relieved that she hadn't eaten at the same table with him last time.

Next came the inspection report from Hong Kong.

Laboratory results: ALT 48 U/L, total/albumin 69/40, BiL (serum direct bilirubin/total bilirubin) 12/34 umol/L, anti-HBsN/S 7.2, all other hepatitis B virus markers were negative, total cholesterol (TC) 4.53 mmol/L (normal 2.8~6.0 mmol/L), triglycerides (TG) 5.08 mmol/L (normal 0.23~1.24 mmol/L). Liver biopsy, light microscopy showed:
The lobule structure is intact, with mild inflammatory cell infiltration and punctate necrosis. Fatty degeneration of hepatocytes accounts for 70% to 75% of the total number of hepatocytes.

Western medicine diagnosis: severe fatty liver and chronic mild hepatitis B.

Fang Yan was stunned by the result; it was completely different from the result in Singapore.

ALT: 48 U/L, which is lower than the test result in Singapore, but still higher than the upper limit of normal (<40 U/L), indicating that the liver inflammation has not completely subsided.

Only anti-HBs (hepatitis B surface antibody) was 7.2 (N/S, which may indicate negative or low titer), while all others were negative.

This contradicts the results from Singapore, which could be due to testing errors, differences in standards between different laboratories, or changes in the condition within a short period of time.

Liver biopsy: showed intact lobular structure, mild inflammatory cell infiltration and punctate necrosis, and severe fatty liver (70%–75% of hepatocytes were fatty).

In other words, after he arrived in Hong Kong from Singapore, the virus replication was at a low level or in a dormant state, and the infectivity became very weak.

"Have you taken any medicine during this time?" Fang Yan asked.

Hao Shouchang said to the dialect:

"I saw a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, and he gave me some medicine."

"The tests showed that my fatty liver is quite severe, but my hepatitis B has stabilized."

Fang Yan nodded.

According to this examination report, his recovery is progressing quite quickly.

The level of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Singapore is quite good!
However, he was still called over here.

He spoke to the patient in a dialect:
"Come here, let me check you out!"

The patient, Hao Shouchang, nodded and cooperated actively.

The dialect made him stick out his tongue and stretch out his hand.

At this moment, the door was pushed open, and Huang Qiming, who had just cleaned his leather shoes, returned. Seeing that Fang Yan was about to make a diagnosis, he quickly walked over. Then, seeing He You sitting on the side of the room, still somewhat dazed, he thought for a moment and walked over to He You's side.

Fang Yan glanced at him briefly, then continued with her work.

He observed that the patient was about 1.72 meters tall, somewhat overweight, which was very typical of a fatty liver patient.

According to the dialect, his tongue is dark in color, has teeth marks, and a thin white coating.

"Roll up your tongue so I can see down there," Fang Yan said to the patient.

Hao Shouchang obediently pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth, revealing the area beneath his tongue.

In dialects, one can see that the veins under the tongue are thickened and elongated.

At this moment, Fang Yan felt his pulse and also observed his palm.

There were no signs of palmar erythema, nor jaundice in the skin or eyes.

In addition, a spider angioma also did not appear.

Spider angiomas are a type of idiopathic telangiectasia, named for their spider-like appearance. Their appearance is associated with elevated estrogen levels and may also be a symptom of certain diseases.

It is commonly seen in liver diseases such as acute and chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis.

Because the liver is an important metabolic organ in the human body, when liver function is impaired, its ability to inactivate estrogen is weakened, leading to an increase in estrogen levels in the body, which in turn causes spider angiomas.

In addition, certain endocrine disorders and rheumatic diseases may also be associated with the occurrence of spider angiomas.

Spider angiomas can appear in some healthy children and pregnant women; Old Hu's wife has one.

Spider angiomas typically appear in areas where the superior vena cava is distributed.

For example, the face, neck, back of the hands, upper arms, chest, and shoulders.

It manifests as a small, round hemangioma with a central diameter of less than 2 mm, from which many capillaries extend outwards and branch, resembling a spider in shape.

Pressing the center of a spider angioma with a cotton swab or matchstick will cause its radiating network of small blood vessels to fade, but it will reappear once the pressure is removed.

His current condition, without spider angiomas or palmar erythema, indicates that the liver function impairment is relatively mild, and the disease may be in its early stages or well-controlled.

Spider angiomas and palmar erythema are typically more common in the middle and late stages of liver diseases such as chronic hepatitis B and fatty liver.

When the liver is damaged over a long period of time, and diseases such as fibrosis and cirrhosis gradually develop, liver function declines further, making these signs more likely to appear.

However, although patient Hao Shouchang currently does not have spider angiomas or palmar erythema, this does not mean that we can be careless.

Severe fatty liver and chronic hepatitis B still require active treatment and management; otherwise, the condition may progress further.

Fang Yan then checked the pulses in both of his hands.

The pulse is deep.

"Excuse me, what is your current weight?" Fang Yan asked the patient.

"About 85 kilograms! I weighed myself in Hong Kong a while ago," the patient said in a dialect.

He spoke in dialect:

"When doing business, eating and drinking are unavoidable. At this age, I'm at the peak of my fame, and many people come to me. I can't refuse them, so my weight keeps going up."

"Plus, staying up late, sitting for long periods, and lack of exercise... it's easy to end up with this figure!"

It seems that he still has a very clear understanding of himself.

His condition is caused by a long-term overconsumption of rich, fatty, and greasy foods, which leads to internal damp-heat accumulation in the spleen and stomach.

When the spleen fails to function properly, water metabolism becomes abnormal, dampness accumulates and phlegm is produced, and phlegm and dampness obstruct the liver meridians, affecting the liver's function of regulating and dispersing.

As a business consultant, prolonged sitting and lack of exercise lead to poor blood circulation, liver qi stagnation, which in turn affects the digestive function of the spleen and stomach, exacerbating the internal generation of phlegm and dampness.

In addition, he is a hepatitis B virus carrier. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the occurrence of hepatitis B is related to external damp-heat epidemic toxins.

When damp-heat toxins invade the body, they lurk in the blood and over time deplete the body's vital energy, leading to liver stagnation, spleen deficiency, and insufficient qi and blood.

Finally, his long-term work pressure and mental stress can also lead to emotional imbalance and liver qi stagnation.

This phenomenon is most common among those who do mental work or work overtime. For example, the big shots at the China Academy of Engineering Physics seem to have liver stagnation as a family ailment, with everyone having it.

When liver qi stagnation is present, it can invade the spleen, causing dysfunction of the spleen and stomach's digestive functions, leading to a pathological state of liver qi stagnation, spleen deficiency, and internal accumulation of phlegm and dampness.

The treatment should focus on tonifying the spleen and replenishing qi, resolving phlegm and lowering lipids.

This illness doesn't need to be diagnosed with a local dialect; a professor at the school once said that obese people often have phlegm and dampness.

The spleen is the source of phlegm. When a patient's spleen is weak, it loses its ability to transport and transform nutrients, and the essence of food and water cannot be properly distributed. Food is not properly digested and transformed, and the essence becomes turbid and condenses into phlegm, which in turn produces turbid substances. Therefore, blood lipids are elevated and there is fatty infiltration in liver cells.

Those skilled in treating phlegm do not treat fatigue but rather regulate qi; when qi flows smoothly, phlegm dissipates.

Fang Yan then wrote a classic prescription for treating severe fatty liver:

15g dried tangerine peel, 15g pinellia, 30g raw hawthorn, 60g artemisia capillaris, 60g alisma plantago-aquatica, 30g psoralea corylifolia, 15g chuanxiong rhizome, 10g raw rhubarb, 15g roasted astragalus membranaceus, 30g salvia miltiorrhiza.

After writing it down, Fang Yan said to the patient:
"Although you don't need to be hospitalized, you need to strictly control your diet, reduce your intake of rich, fatty, and greasy foods, and avoid spicy and irritating foods. Eat more light and easily digestible foods, such as vegetables and whole grains. At the same time, pay attention to regular eating habits, avoid overeating, and don't drink alcohol."

"Another very important point is that appropriately increasing exercise, such as walking, jogging, and swimming, can promote the metabolism of body fat, reduce weight, and improve liver function."

"Exercise intensity should be increased gradually according to one's own condition to avoid overexertion."

"Finally, develop good lifestyle habits, ensure sufficient sleep, and avoid staying up late. I guarantee your fatty liver indicators will return to normal within three months."

PS: The basic chapter of 6000 words is now complete. There will be an extra chapter later.

(End of this chapter)