Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1349 Dialect Version of the Deadly Cancer-Fighting Soup, Lu Donghua at Peking Union Medical College Hospital (Two Chapters Combined)
The other members of the Sima family echoed this sentiment, since they had come back specifically to seek treatment from Fang Yan. In fact, even if the treatment plan were more outrageous, they would have no choice but to accept it.

The fact that there is a treatment available is already quite good news for them.

Then Fang Yan took out the prescription she had written and handed it to the nurse.

"Have the pharmacy prepare the medicine according to the instructions I wrote above, and remember to grind the medicine for oral administration into smaller pieces."

The nurse nodded upon hearing Fang Yan's words.

Fang Yan said to Mr. Sima:

"I'll come over when the medicine is ready. You can rest for a while."

Mr. Sima nodded.

Then Fang Yan went outside, and his family members started talking inside the room.

The patient's daughter, who hadn't spoken until now, said:
"Will this medicine work? I'm still a little skeptical. Back in Europe, the medicine prescribed by those specialists was so expensive, but it still didn't work."

However, the patient's wife immediately said:
“It’s different… The doctors before only focused on the lump on the neck, either cutting it out, giving medicine, or doing radiation therapy. None of them asked if the feet were cold or if the patient could sleep at night. Dr. Fang is different. After taking the pulse, he said, ‘The water has dried up and the fire has surged.’ I think he’s right.”

At this moment, the patient's son said:

“When I went to the nurses’ station this morning, I overheard two nurses chatting. They were saying that a patient with late-stage lung cancer that Dr. Fang had treated had recovered, and another patient with brain cancer had recovered to the point where he could walk again. Before we came here, didn’t we ask around? We were told that Director Fang of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Peking Union Medical College Hospital was someone who could cure diseases that others couldn’t. Now it seems that we were right.”

The secretary then added:
"We have investigated all the information, it is absolutely reliable."

The secretary felt that her professionalism was being questioned.

Even now, they're still doubting Fang Yan's medical skills.

“That’s right,” the patient’s wife chimed in.

"Stop overthinking it, just listen to Dr. Fang. I've lived for over sixty years, what kind of people haven't I seen? He has sharp eyes, speaks frankly, doesn't beat around the bush, and is truly capable. This is the only way we have now, so let's cooperate well and not cause any trouble for him."

Mr. Sima, who was lying on the bed at this moment, also said forcefully:

"Treat him first...we'll talk about it later..."

After he said that, no one in his family objected.

Fang Yan has arrived at the nurses' station and is looking at some of the things that have arrived today.

These were sent by some overseas Chinese businessmen who had previously received medical treatment here and recovered, all to express their gratitude for the care they received, which enabled their recovery.

This can also be considered an investment. They can get treatment for diseases that are incurable abroad, but not here. No one can guarantee that other family members won't get sick in the future. By building good relationships with the people here now, they can receive timely treatment if any family members have any problems in the future.

It's nothing more than social interactions and maintaining relationships.

These overseas Chinese businessmen all have investment projects in China. Compared to the money they spend on these investments, the things they send over are a small amount.

Fang Yan understood their feelings, and told Director Liao about it. He told Fang Yan and his team to keep the money.

However, things are already running out of space here, so Fang Yan plans to put these things in the warehouse first, and then arrange them there when the new building starts to be used.

After finishing things here, the medicine at the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy was ready.

The recipe for this dialect is:

30g each of seaweed, raw licorice, kelp, raw pinellia, fresh ginger, scrophularia, pollen, clam shell, oyster, yellow yam, momordica cochinchinensis, white flower tongue grass, prunella vulgaris, raw coix seed, and Paris polyphylla; 15g each of fritillaria cirrhosa, ophiopogon japonicus, and peach kernel; 10g each of white ginseng (stewed separately), schisandra chinensis, cremastra appendiculata, and sophora tonkinensis; 2 spoons of bamboo sap; 12 whole scorpions; 4 centipedes; 1.5g of agarwood; and 1.2g of realgar (powdered and swallowed).

"Director Fang, the medicine is ready," the nurse greeted Fang Yan.

"Coming!" Fang Yan replied.

The medicinal liquid in the porcelain bowl was still steaming warmly, carrying a rich but not pungent medicinal aroma. It lacked the bitterness and irritation of ordinary Chinese medicine, and instead, thanks to the blending of fresh ginger and bamboo sap, it had a more gentle and soothing fragrance.

Fang Yan knocked on the door and then went inside with the nurse.

Before administering the medicine, Fang Yan first examined Mr. Sima's tongue coating and pulse.

Fang Yan first gestured to the nurse to place the medicine bowl on the bedside table, then bent down and half-squatted, gently placing his hand on Mr. Sima's wrist pulse. After a moment, he felt that although the pulse was still thin, it was no longer weak and feeble. When he pressed down, he could feel a steady pulse, like a stove fire that had just been lit, not strong but resilient. This was the effect of the Yin-nourishing decoction and the Qi-supporting white ginseng slowly showing up.

The pulse has stabilized, becoming more substantial than before, and the deficiency heat has subsided considerably.

Fang Yan released his hand and gestured for Mr. Sima to open his mouth. He then carefully examined Mr. Sima's tongue coating in the natural light from the window. The previous dryness and prickles on his tongue, along with the yellowish coating, had faded considerably. A thin layer of moist saliva covered his tongue, and the teeth marks on the edges were also lighter. Only the tip of his tongue still had a faint red color, indicating that the dryness in his lungs had not completely dissipated. This perfectly matched the combination of Ophiopogon japonicus and pollen in the prescription.

The tongue coating has improved a lot, and the body fluids are coming in, which means that the kidney yin has been replenished to a sufficient extent. The next step is to see if the medicine for softening and dispersing nodules can penetrate the body.

Fang Yan straightened up and said to Mr. Sima, "The medicine may still be a bit bitter when you drink it later, but please bear with it. Fresh ginger has been added to this medicine, which can suppress the bitterness and protect your spleen and stomach, so it won't burn your stomach."

Mr. Sima nodded, his Adam's apple bobbing, his voice clearer than before: "I...I can drink."

Fang Yan then asked the nurse to bring over the medicine bowl. She then took out the small paper packet containing the medicine powder from the treatment tray. The whole scorpion, centipede, and realgar had been ground into a fine powder, almost without any visible particles. There was also a small cup of warm yellow wine next to it.

"This contains insect-based medicine and realgar. Grind it into powder and swallow it. The medicinal power can directly enter the blood to attack blood stasis. It works faster than decocting it in medicine. Taking it with rice wine can also guide the medicine to the lump on the side of your neck, making the effect more accurate."

As he spoke, he divided the powder into two equal portions, first scooping half a spoonful of the liquid and bringing it to Mr. Sima's lips: "Please drink a couple of sips of the liquid to moisten your throat before taking the powder."

Mr. Sima obediently opened his mouth. When the medicine entered his mouth, he frowned slightly, but instead of dodging it as before, he slowly swallowed it.

The family members stood around, not daring to breathe. Mr. Sima's wife even gently patted his back to make sure he didn't choke.

After Mr. Sima swallowed the medicine, Fang Yan quickly handed him the first dose of powder and then offered him a cup of rice wine: "Swallow it with the wine, and it will be less bitter."

Mr. Sima frowned, swallowed the medicine powder with yellow wine, his Adam's apple bobbed, but thankfully he didn't choke.

Next, the remaining medicine was slowly fed to him. Fang Yan's movements were very gentle. One spoonful of medicine was just enough for Mr. Sima to swallow in one gulp. There were only three pauses in the middle: once when Mr. Sima wanted to catch his breath, and twice when his family handed him warm water to rinse his mouth.

He drank the entire bowl of medicine and two portions of powder without any trouble, leaving not even a drop at the bottom of the bowl.

"How are you? Is your stomach feeling alright?" Fang Yan put down the empty bowl and touched Mr. Sima's stomach area. She felt relieved when she didn't sense any tension or resistance from him.

Mr. Sima shook his head, his eyes showing less weariness and more energy:
"I...can't explain it..."

Upon hearing this, Fang Yan began to examine Mr. Sima's pulse.

He was more focused now than when he was taking the pulse, because this time he needed to carefully discern the path of the medicine in his body after taking it, as well as the subtle changes in the Qi of his internal organs.

Pulse diagnosis in dialects takes longer, requiring careful comparison of the pulse under the fingertips.

After touching her for a while, Fang Yan confirmed that her pulse was indeed a bit stronger than before she took the medicine. Her previously thin pulse seemed to have relaxed slightly, and the rhythm of her pulse was more stable. There was no agitation caused by the strong effects of the medicine. Instead, it had a gentle, subtle effect.

"Hmm... your pulse is flowing smoothly, and the medicine's effects are starting to penetrate your blood." Fang Yan said slowly.

As he spoke, he observed Mr. Sima's expression: the tension he had felt earlier had eased considerably, his eyes were brighter, and he did not exhibit the weakness or irritability commonly seen after taking medication; even his breathing was more even than before.

Fang Yan reached out and gently pressed the skin around the lump on Mr. Sima's neck. Unlike before, he didn't frown when pressed. Only when he touched the core of the lump did Mr. Sima take a breath, but he did not resist anymore.

"The blood and qi around the lump have improved. The skin here used to be cold, but now it feels warm to the touch, which means that the medicine has guided the yang qi here, so the stagnation can gradually dissipate."

Fang Yan withdrew his hand and explained to the family members who had gathered around, "In the next few hours, he may feel a little sleepy and want to sleep. That's his body repairing itself with the help of the medicine. Don't wake him up. If he feels thirsty, give him some warm water, but don't give him too much, so as not to dilute the effects of the medicine."

Mr. Sima's wife nodded quickly, already holding a cup of warm water in her hand:

"Don't worry, we've got it. We'll let him sleep when he's sleepy and give him water when he's thirsty. We won't make him do anything unnecessary."

“There’s one more thing,” Fang Yan added. “If you experience heart palpitations, cold sweats, or acid reflux, call me anytime, no matter how late it is. Don’t wait.” Mr. Sima’s son quickly agreed, “Understood, Director Fang. We’ll take turns keeping an eye on things and contact you immediately if anything happens.”

When Fang Yan left Mr. Sima's ward, she specifically told the nurse on duty to come and check on Mr. Sima's mental state and body temperature every hour, and to report any abnormalities immediately. Only then did she feel at ease and head towards the outpatient building.

There were still quite a few people queuing up on the TCM outpatient floor today.

The other clinics in the area were also lit up. Zhu Zhixin was patiently explaining the prescription to an old lady, Deng Chunyan was taking a patient's pulse, and Lei Lian and Zhu Lina were organizing medical records. The entire clinic was busy but not chaotic. The five young doctors recruited earlier had become capable of working independently after this period of adjustment. In addition, the original team members took turns to support them, so Fang Yan didn't need to worry too much.

Then Fang Yan finally arrived at the door of Lu Donghua's clinic, where he was treating a woman in her forties.

While he was taking Fang Yan's pulse, Lu Donghua pointed to a seat next to him and told him to sit down for a while.

Unlike the dialect, Lu Donghua couldn't multitask; he had to count diligently.

Fang Yan went to his master's side and looked at the medical records he had written. He had already seen four patients.

This is the fifth one so far.

The above description is quite simple. Yesterday afternoon, I suddenly felt dizzy, had tinnitus in my right ear, like a hissing sound, saw things spinning, and was afraid to open my eyes. I also experienced nausea and vomiting. I took dizziness-relieving pills and fluphenazine at the clinic at my workplace, which relieved my symptoms.

I still experience dizziness, tinnitus, nausea, excessive phlegm, irritability, and a feeling that things are still spinning.

After about half a cup of tea's time, Lu Donghua slowly withdrew his hand, looked up at the patient, and said in a gentle but firm voice: "Your dizziness is not just 'dizziness,' it's phlegm and dampness obstructing your senses, and it's also accompanied by some internal liver wind. The onset of the illness was yesterday afternoon. Did you drink iced drinks or get exposed to cold wind before that?"

The patient was taken aback, then nodded repeatedly: "Doctor, you're absolutely right! It was hot at noon yesterday, and I drank two bottles of iced soda in the company cafeteria. In the afternoon, I stood in the windy corridor and chatted for a while. Not long after, I started to feel dizzy, like there was wind blowing in my ears, and I vomited twice. The medicine didn't help much."

“That’s right.” Lu Donghua picked up his pen and added to the medical record, “Causes: Indulging in cold drinks and external wind-evil,” and continued, “Your tongue coating is white and greasy, and you have a lot of phlegm, which means that there is a lot of phlegm and dampness in your body; your pulse is wiry and slippery, and wiry indicates the liver, and slippery indicates phlegm, which means that the phlegm and dampness are carrying liver wind upwards and blocking the ‘clear orifices’ in your head, which is why you feel dizzy and have tinnitus; your irritability is because the phlegm and dampness have been stagnant for a long time and have turned into heat, and your nausea is because the phlegm and dampness have invaded your stomach. The diazepam and phenytoin you took before can only temporarily suppress the symptoms, but they have not cured the root cause.”

The patient nodded repeatedly, his tone full of urgency: "How long do you think I need to take this medicine to get better? I still have to keep an eye on my job, and I can't keep feeling dizzy all the time."

"Don't worry, the prescription is right for your condition, you'll see improvement in three days." As Lu Donghua spoke, he picked up his pen and began writing the prescription, the pen tip scratching on the paper. "I'll prescribe a modified Banxia Baizhu Tianma Decoction for you. Banxia, ​​Baizhu, and Fuling strengthen the spleen and remove dampness, while Tianma calms the liver and extinguishes wind. This is the foundation for treating phlegm-dampness dizziness. I'll also add some Chenpi and Shengjiang to regulate Qi and resolve phlegm, Zhuru clears phlegm and heat and stops nausea, and Shichangpu opens the orifices and clears the ears, specifically targeting your tinnitus."

He wrote slowly, explaining the purpose of each herb to the patient, even mentioning the dosage: "Use 10 grams of Gastrodia elata, don't use too much, as it can easily cause dryness; use 6 grams of Bambusa textilis, which clears phlegm and heat without harming the stomach. You vomited before, so your spleen and stomach are weak, and you need to be careful."

The old man's prescription may seem "ordinary," but it is "steady" in every aspect: it not only grasps the core pathogenesis of "phlegm-dampness and liver wind," but also takes into account the patient's concurrent symptoms of "spleen and stomach deficiency and heat transformation." Even the dosage of the medicine takes into account the patient's constitution. There is no strong medicine, but it can accurately target the lesion.

After Lu Donghua finished writing the prescription, folded it neatly, and handed it to the patient, he gave special instructions: "Take the medicine warm, twice a day, half an hour after breakfast and dinner, and don't take it on an empty stomach; don't eat raw, cold, or greasy food for these three days, and don't stay up late. Go to bed before 10 p.m. so that your liver can rest and the wind-evil can be dispelled. If you stop vomiting and feel less dizzy the day after taking the medicine, continue taking it; if you are still very dizzy, or if you have a headache, come here immediately."

The patient carefully put away the prescription, stood up and thanked the doctor repeatedly: "Thank you, doctor. You explained things much more clearly than the previous doctor. I feel much more at ease now!"

After the patient left, the consultation room finally felt a bit empty. Lu Donghua picked up his teacup, took a sip, and looked at Fang Yan:

"How was it? Did I embarrass you?"

Fang Yan was amused by this and said:

"Look at what you're saying! It's only the disciple who disgraces the master, never the other way around!"

He glanced at the medical record he had supplemented and said:

"This prescription is quite good, very reliable."

Lu Donghua said:
“Her phlegm and dampness are mixed with liver wind. If we only remove the dampness without calming the liver, the wind will carry the phlegm upwards. If we only calm the liver without strengthening the spleen, the spleen will not be able to produce phlegm and dampness, and the root of the disease will remain. Banxia Baizhu Tianma Decoction is a classic formula for treating this condition. I added bamboo shavings because I was afraid that her previous vomiting had damaged her stomach. I added acorus to clear her ear orifices. Every herb must be used according to her symptoms. However, these are all common minor ailments that any TCM doctor could treat.”

Fang Yan nodded; the old man was right.

He said to his master, Lu Donghua:
"You see, the practice at Peking Union Medical College Hospital is similar to that at Xiyuan Hospital, isn't it?"

Lu Donghua smiled, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said:
"They're pretty much the same."

He turned to Anton and said:

"Alright, Anton, go and call the next person in!"

Upon hearing this, Anton immediately called in the next person.

The person who came this time was an elderly lady surnamed Guo. She was 83 years old this year, two years older than her master.

For the past two weeks, my chin has been shaking uncontrollably when I open my mouth. It stops shaking when I close my mouth, but my hands start shaking. It's getting worse and worse, and I have difficulty feeding myself with a spoon.

That's why I brought him here to see a doctor.

I looked around and all the doctors were young, but when I saw this old man, I decided to come here.

"Are there any other symptoms?" After looking for so long, Lu Donghua finally saw a patient of the same age.

The patient opened her mouth, but her son spoke first:

“My mom said this morning that she had a dry mouth and a sore throat, and she has also said that she has been hearing strange noises in her ears for the past few days, but we can’t hear them.”

"By the way, she also experiences dizziness, lower back pain, leg pain, and is unsteady when walking. The Western medicine doctor said she has high blood pressure."

Although he is said to be his son, he is actually over sixty years old and looks about the same age as his master, Lu Donghua.

Although Lu Donghua is actually over eighty years old, he looks like he is in his sixties.

Upon hearing this, Lu Donghua first gestured for the old lady to sit on the examination chair, and then asked her to open her mouth. When the old lady opened her mouth, her chin indeed trembled slightly uncontrollably. The trembling was not large but it was very frequent, like a withered leaf swaying in the autumn wind. As soon as she closed her mouth, the trembling stopped immediately.

He then asked the old lady to extend her hands. When she raised both hands to the side, her knuckles trembled slightly, and her wrists were also a little unsteady. Just as her son had said, it was indeed difficult for her to even hold a spoon to eat.

Anton looked at Fang Yan as if he wanted to say something, but Fang Yan gestured for him to keep watching.

"Is your hand and chin shaking a little less when you wake up in the morning, and more severe in the afternoon or when you are tired?" Lu Donghua gently placed his fingertips on the old lady's wrist pulse, his tone gentle, so as not to make the old lady feel nervous.

The old lady nodded, her voice trembling slightly: "Yes... I was fine when I first woke up in the morning, but I started shaking after lunch, and it got worse in the evening. I didn't even dare to brush my teeth, afraid of dropping them on the floor."

"Is the dizziness a spinning sensation, or a feeling of heaviness or fogginess in your head?" Lu Donghua continued to ask, his fingertips gently rubbing along with the rise and fall of the pulse, his brows slightly furrowed.

"It's so heavy... My head feels like it's filled with lead. Sometimes when I walk fast, I feel like my feet are floating, and I have to hold onto the wall to walk." The old lady said, then pointed to her ears, "My ears are also restless. They're always buzzing, like there's a little bug flying inside. It's even clearer when I lie down at night."

The son quickly added, "The Western doctor prescribed antihypertensive drugs, and my blood pressure went down a bit after taking them, but the trembling problem didn't get better. They also said it might be Parkinson's disease and told us to go to a bigger hospital for further examination. We thought we'd try traditional Chinese medicine first, so we came here."

Lu Donghua withdrew his hand and then asked the old woman to stick out her tongue. Her tongue was dry and dark, without a trace of saliva, with a thin white coating and several shallow cracks along the edges. He hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking:
"You don't have Parkinson's disease, but rather a deficiency of Yin in the liver and kidneys, with wind-evil stirring internally. As you get older, the essence of the liver and kidneys is gradually depleted. The liver governs wind, and the kidneys govern water. When there isn't enough water, wind easily rises upwards, causing tremors in the chin and hands. Insufficient kidney Yin cannot moisten the throat, resulting in a dry mouth; it cannot nourish the ears, causing tinnitus; dizziness, lower back pain, and leg pain are also due to liver and kidney deficiency, which makes it unable to support the body."

The old lady nodded repeatedly, a glimmer of hope in her eyes: "Doctor, can you cure me? My old arms and legs are shaking all the time, it's not good for them."

“It can be treated, but it will take time to adjust, so please don’t rush.” Lu Donghua picked up his pen and wrote “Liver and kidney yin deficiency, wind-induced muscle spasms” on the medical record. He continued, “I will prescribe you a modified version of Qi Ju Di Huang Wan. Goji berries, chrysanthemum, prepared rehmannia root, and cornus officinalis will nourish the liver and kidneys and replenish yin and blood, which is the foundation. I will also add some gastrodia elata and uncaria to calm the liver and extinguish wind, specifically to treat your trembling problem. Dendrobium and ophiopogon japonicus will promote body fluid production and quench thirst, relieving dry mouth. Eucommia ulmoides and achyranthes bidentata will nourish the liver and kidneys and strengthen muscles and bones, which will also help with your backache and leg pain.”

When he wrote the prescription, he deliberately reduced the dosage of Rehmannia glutinosa and added a small amount of dried tangerine peel: "You are old and have a weak spleen and stomach. Rehmannia glutinosa is rich and greasy, and too much of it can easily cause bloating. Adding dried tangerine peel can regulate qi, which can help with digestion and will not affect the effect of the tonic."

The son leaned over to look at the prescription and asked hesitantly, "Doctor, how long do we need to take this medicine? My mom is also taking blood pressure medication; will there be any conflict?"

Lu Donghua put down his pen and said firmly, "Stop taking the blood pressure medication for now. Take this medicine for three days first, and then come back for a follow-up visit. I'll check if the tremors have lessened and then adjust the prescription. Don't worry, this medicine isn't strong; it's all mild medicine that nourishes the liver and kidneys and calms the wind. It won't harm your body."

“Three days later…that’s right around National Day…” the patient’s son hesitated before continuing.

"What's wrong?" Lu Donghua asked.

The patient's son asked:
"Don't you take a vacation?"

Lu Donghua was taken aback. Oh right, it's the National Day holiday!

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

(End of this chapter)