Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1356 Cooling Down the Three Treasures, "Transferring Western Medicine to Improve Cure Rate!" (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets)

"If it doesn't hurt, then it's not a big problem. It means it's not intestinal damage," Lu Donghua reassured Zhang Fu after hearing this.

"Move aside a bit, let me see what's going on." Fang Yan had already quickly walked into the restroom.

Upon entering the restroom, Fang Yan first saw Zhang Fuzheng bending over and leaning against the wall. Although his face was pale, he wasn't sweating and his breathing was relatively steady.

Fang Yan glanced at the toilet and, sure enough, found blood in the formed stool.

"Did you feel any pain in your anus or a dragging pain in your abdomen when you pooped?" Fang Yan asked Zhang Fu, deliberately lowering his voice.

Zhang Fu shook his head, his voice a little weak: "I just... saw blood on the paper when I finished wiping, but I didn't feel anything else."

"Dr. Fang, what's going on?" Zhang Fu asked Fang Yan.

"It's most likely that when he was expelling the foul matter earlier, his intestines moved quickly and slightly rubbed against his anus or intestinal mucosa. It's not internal bleeding," Fang Yan stood up and explained to Zhang Fu, who was sweating profusely with panic. "If it were internal bleeding caused by stagnant toxins, the blood would be black and mixed with the stool, and it would definitely hurt. This is fresh blood, so it doesn't hurt. It's just a slight scratch on the mucosa, nothing serious."

Lu Donghua followed him in, glanced at the toilet, and nodded: "That's right. You see, the stool is already formed, which means that the intestinal function is not disordered. If the medicine had damaged the stomach and intestines, it should have caused diarrhea long ago. Now that it can pass normal stool and expel the residual blood from the small wounds, it means that the intestines are slowly returning to normal."

Zhang Fu's brother finally breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his brow: "I was so scared! When I saw the blood, I thought I had drunk the wrong medicine..."

Anyone would panic if they saw blood coming from that spot!
"Don't overthink it." Fang Yan patted his arm, then turned to Zhang Fu, "How are you feeling now? Still want to go?"

Zhang Fu stood up, leaning against the wall. He shook his head and said:

"I'm not going anymore, I'm a little tired."

Zhang Fu helped him quickly back to the ward. After they had gone a little further away, Lao Hu whispered to Fang Yan:

"What happened? Why are you bleeding?"

"It's nothing serious, just a slight abrasion to the mucous membrane." Fang Yan also lowered his voice, afraid that Zhang Fu would hear and get nervous again. "When he was passing that clump of foul-smelling stuff, his intestines were moving quickly, and since that stuff was sticky, it probably rubbed against the mucous membrane inside his anus or intestines, which is why he bled a little."

He paused, then added, "You see, he didn't cry out in pain, and his stool is formed. If the medicine had damaged his stomach and intestines, he would either have had diarrhea long ago, or the blood would be black, and he would also have abdominal pain. The current situation actually shows that his intestinal function is slowly recovering; otherwise, how could he have normal stool?"

Old Hu listened, and his furrowed brows relaxed: "So that's what happened. I was startled too. I thought your prescription was too strong and had hurt someone."

“This prescription is really potent.” Fang Yan glanced at the ward and lowered his voice even further. “Think about it, rhubarb, peach kernel, and ground beetle are all considered ‘fierce’ ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine.”

"Take rhubarb for example. It can purge, clear, and break up blood stasis. It has a strong cooling effect. When blood stasis and toxins are blocked in the intestines, rhubarb can push them out and break up clumps of blood stasis. But if the dosage is not accurate, you will have endless diarrhea and become weak from it."

"Look at peach kernels, they are specifically designed to penetrate into the meridians to clear away blood stasis. Rhubarb clears blood stasis in the intestines, while peach kernels clear blood stasis in the meridians. When the two are used together, they can dig out deep-seated blood stasis and toxins. However, peach kernels are too strong in promoting blood circulation. If people who are prone to bleeding use them, they may cause new problems. If used correctly, they are a savior; if used incorrectly, they will cause trouble."

"The most potent one is the ground beetle. This insect can directly 'gnaw' away hard, stagnant blood clots, like the jelly-like foul stuff that Zhang Fu Pai had. It's all thanks to it that you can dismantle it. But this thing is a little poisonous and has a cooling effect. It must be stir-fried first and then soaked in alcohol to reduce the toxicity. The amount must also be strictly controlled, otherwise it may damage the spleen and stomach, or even cause poisoning."

"However, to be fair, these medicines are 'strong' for a reason. The blood stasis and toxins are so deep that they can't be broken down without strong medicine. This is called 'using strong medicine to treat serious illnesses.' As long as the prescription is right and the dosage is accurate, it can clear away the blood stasis and toxins while minimizing harm to the body."

"But today's bleeding was definitely due to my misjudgment; I used a little too much force. I'll have to adjust the prescription later."

Hearing this, Old Hu nodded, but his master, Lu Donghua, said:
"No, it can't be adjusted! I even feel the medicine isn't strong enough."

"Huh?" Fang Yan and Lao Hu were both taken aback.

All that was heard was the old man saying:
“Think about it, Zhang Fu is in the acute phase of rabies. The stagnant toxins are deeply embedded, wrapped together with the rabies virus. If the medicine's effects wear off and the stagnant toxins aren't completely cleared, they might flare up again, and there won't be a chance!” He lowered his voice, but it revealed an undeniable firmness. “What’s this little bit of bleeding today? It’s just a small tear in the mucous membrane, not an internal organ injury. As long as he’s not in pain and his stool is formed, it means his intestines can withstand the medicine’s effects.”

He paused, then pointed towards the ward: "Didn't you see? His low-grade fever has subsided, the itching from the ants crawling on his body has lessened, and he can even have normal bowel movements. These are all signs that the medicine is working perfectly! If we adjust the medication now, reducing the amount of ground beetle and rhubarb, the toxins won't be cleared properly, and all the suffering we endured before will have been for nothing."

Lu Donghua then looked at Fang Yan:

“I believe that when we use strong medicine to treat serious illnesses, we must have the confidence to ‘prefer the medicine to wait for the disease, rather than the disease to wait for the medicine.’ As long as there are no signs of serious damage to the stomach and intestines, such as watery diarrhea or black bloody stools, we should not easily change the prescription. While the stagnant toxins still have a way to go, we should flush them out again to clear the toxins from the root!”

Fang Yan hesitated for a moment. Zhang Fu had indeed improved, but he had been sick for a long time. He was bitten by a dog in February of this year, and it was almost October now. The stagnant toxins had accumulated in his body for so long that they were already tightly intertwined with his qi and blood. Changing the prescription might indeed result in insufficient strength and a tug-of-war within his body, which would only prolong the illness.

Fang Yan was silent for a few seconds, running through his thoughts. When he looked up at Lu Donghua, his eyes were already determined: "Master, you are right. This stasis has been lingering for almost eight months. If we loosen our grip now, it will indeed be difficult to break the deadlock. I will listen to you. I will not adjust the prescription, but I will add some ingredients. I plan to use Zixue Dan, in a small amount."

"Purple Snow Pill?" Old Hu interjected from the side, looking curious. "What kind of medicine is that?"

"It's one of the 'Three Treasures for Cooling Down,' which can clear heat and calm wind, and also help to clear heat toxins from the meridians," Fang Yan explained, her gaze never leaving the direction of the ward. "Although Zhang Fu's low-grade fever has subsided, the rabies toxins are still hidden in his meridians. Relying solely on the Blood Stasis Decoction to clear the intestines and superficial stagnation might not be thorough enough. Adding a small amount of Purple Snow Pill can help disperse the remaining toxins in the meridians and stabilize any internal wind that may not have completely subsided, preventing further convulsions and sensitivity to wind."

Lu Donghua's eyes lit up, and he nodded in approval: "This is a good addition! Zixue Dan can penetrate deep into the poison and does not conflict with the blood stasis breaking effect of Xiaoyuxue Tang. It just fills the gap in the prescription. However, the dosage must be strictly controlled, at most half a pill, dissolved in warm water and mixed into the decoction. Do not add too much, lest the cooling effect be too strong and damage his spleen and stomach."

“I know, just half a pill.” Fang Yan agreed and turned to walk towards the nurses’ station. “I’ll go get the medicine now and have the pharmacy prepare it as soon as possible. While his stomach and spleen can still handle it, I’ll send the medicine over quickly and push it forward while the stagnant toxins still have a way out.”

Just then, Zhang Fu's older brother came out and said to Fang Yan:

"Director Fang said that the feeling of ants crawling on his hands is gone."

Upon hearing this, Fang Yan quickly stepped forward and followed Zhang Fu into the ward.

Zhang Fu was already lying in bed when Fang Yan said to An Dong:

"Go to the pharmacy and get half a Purple Snow Pill."

Anton responded and quickly walked out, while Fang Yan went to the bedside and whispered to Zhang Fu, "Is the ant-like crawling sensation on your hand really gone? Do you still feel it in other parts of your body, like your arms and legs?"

Zhang Fu moved his fingers and gently raised his arm, his eyes filled with surprise. He said softly, "I just finished pooping and rested for a while. Suddenly my hands feel refreshed. Before, I always felt like there were little bugs crawling on them, and it was so itchy. Now I don't feel anything at all, but I still feel that sensation on my legs."

"The medicine's effects are starting to travel into the meridians," Fang Yan said to his master, Lu Donghua, who was standing beside him.

Then he reached out and felt Zhang Fu's pulse, confirming that it was stronger and more stable than before.

"Your pulse has stabilized considerably, so the medicine must be very effective." At this point, Zhang Fu couldn't wait any longer and asked:
"When can we have another drink?"

His brother has been sick for so long, he can't wait to get him cured.

Fang Yan waved to him:

"Don't rush. He needs to rest for the afternoon before he can drink the medicine. He just finished expelling the toxins and had a normal bowel movement. His body needs to recover, otherwise his spleen and stomach won't be able to handle the medicine."

He then looked at Zhang Fu and softened his tone: "If you feel tired now, take a nap. If you are hungry when you wake up, have your brother go to the cafeteria and get a bowl of millet porridge to tide you over. After you finish the porridge, rest for half an hour before taking your afternoon medicine. This way, you will absorb it better and it won't irritate your stomach."

Lu Donghua chimed in, "How can you rush treatment? The medicine is already working; the itching in your hands is gone, and your pulse is stable—these are all good signs. If we rush to administer the medicine now, we might damage your spleen and stomach, which would only delay your recovery."

Zhang Fu nodded and scratched his head, saying, "I was too anxious."

A short while later, Anton returned with the Purple Snow Pill and a clean small bowl.

Fang Yan took the medicine, carefully broke off half of the pill and put it in a bowl, then poured in some warm water to dissolve it slowly.

He noticed that Zhang Fu was still afraid of water, an uncontrollable fear. Since this hadn't improved, it couldn't be considered a good sign. He composed himself and said again:
"Here, get a towel and blindfold yourself!"

The others noticed that when Zhang Fu saw the warm water in the bowl, his eyes instantly panicked, his hands unconsciously clenched the blanket, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

His chest heaved violently, and his face changed color.

Afraid of water, still afraid of water!

This reaction doesn't lie.

Zhang Fu's older brother found a clean towel and quickly covered Zhang Fu's eyes, speaking softly and slowly: "Don't be afraid, you won't be able to see the water with your eyes covered. I'll feed you, swallow slowly, it won't choke you."

He held the bowl, scooped up a little medicine with a small spoon, and first tested the temperature with Zhang Fu's lips: "Here, drink! You'll feel better after drinking it!"

Zhang Fu hesitated for a moment, then slightly opened his mouth and swallowed the medicine from the small spoon.

After Zhang Fu finished drinking, Fang Yan told him to rest well, and then went out with his master Lu Donghua and the others.

Old Hu spoke first:
"Why are you still afraid of water?"

Fang Yan also wanted to ask this question, but unfortunately, Shen Zhanyao, who wrote the medical records, did not use Fang Yan's recording method; his writing was very general.

Fang Yan rubbed her temples, her tone tinged with helplessness: "There's nothing I can do. I've gone through all of Mr. Shen Zhanyao's medical records before, but he never wrote about when the hydrophobia symptoms would subside. He only noted that 'when the blood stasis and toxins are cleared, the symptoms will lessen,' but he didn't specify to what extent or how long it would take for the hydrophobia to get better."

Lu Donghua sighed as well: "That's how the older generation wrote medical records. They focused on recording the prescriptions and major blood-stasis reactions. They rarely wrote down minor symptoms like hydrophobia in such detail. After all, it was not easy to survive rabies back then, so who would be focused on recording a symptom every day?"

“But I can understand,” Fang Yan added. “Zhang Fu’s situation is special. Others may have been afflicted with stasis for three to five months, but he has been afflicted for almost eight months. The toxic evil is even more tightly bound to the meridians that control ‘water sensation.’ We can only take it one step at a time now. We’ll wait for the medicine to take effect this afternoon and see if the toxicity in the meridians is cleared by another layer. We’re afraid that the reaction to water might be milder.”

Old Hu nodded in agreement: "So the medical record wasn't written clearly. There's nothing we can do about it, we can only wait. Anyway, the itching in his hands is gone, we can always hope that the fear of water will subside eventually."

Fang Yan hummed in agreement and glanced towards the ward again: "Let's wait for him to wake up and have some porridge and his afternoon medicine. If he can clear some more blood when he drains the blood in the evening, his fear of water might ease up a bit. There's no use rushing now; we can only follow the effects of the medicine."

Now that we've reached this stage, there's no turning back. We can only continue following the treatment plan. What Shen Zhanyao didn't write down clearly, Fang Yan has to record himself.

Other symptoms are improving, but if the patient is afraid of water and noise, these two symptoms are not good, so the illness cannot be said to be cured.

Next, I'll wait until before dinner in the afternoon and give him another bowl to see how he reacts.

Just then, Fang Yan heard a series of hurried footsteps coming from the corridor. He looked up and saw that it was Dean Cui Jingyi leading several vice deans.

These people don't usually come here.

"Dean Cui, you..." Fang Yan thought they were there to see Mr. Sima, an overseas Chinese businessman.

Cui Jingyi lowered her voice and said anxiously as she walked up:
"I just heard from the Chinese medicine pharmacy that you treated a patient who had developed rabies?"

Fang Yan nodded.

Seeing this, Cui Jingyi and the other vice deans behind her also panicked a little.

Cui Jingyi glared at him and lowered her voice:

"Oh dear, how come... are you sure traditional Chinese medicine can cure that thing?"

"Where is he?! Quickly transfer him to Western medicine; it's almost National Day, are you going to throw away your cure rate?"

Seeing their expressions, Fang Yan knew they were there to ensure his cure rate, so he quickly said to them:

"Don't panic. The patient has already taken the medicine and is having a detoxification reaction. Everything is improving, and the patient should be able to recover!"

This statement stunned everyone:
"Huh? Rabies? Cured?"

How can these two words be connected?
The leaders looked at each other in bewilderment.

PS: The "Three Treasures of Cooling and Opening" include Zixue Dan, Angong Niuhuang Wan, and Zhibao Dan. Zixue Dan has been used in the field of emergency medicine for thousands of years.

I've gained another 100 monthly votes, and the 4,000-word chapter is now complete. I currently owe everyone 74,000 words.

(End of this chapter)