Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1391 Shen Zhanyao's Lecture: The Story of Curing a Pregnant Woman of Rabies (Two Chapters Combined)
Fang Yan didn't wait outside for people to be kicked out.

They went directly to other wards. Five people came for medical treatment today, but only four were admitted.

One of them, Lu Wen, requested not to be hospitalized, and his condition met the criteria for not being hospitalized, so Fang Yan agreed.

Next up is Mr. Song, who is hospitalized with Parkinson's disease. He needs to take Zhen Ding Wan (a traditional Chinese medicine). There's also a young boy with allergic purpura who needs rhinoceros horn. All these medications need to be re-prepared.

Fang Yan waited there for the medicine to arrive, and only left after seeing the patient take it and confirming that it was effective.

By the time he left, Wang Zhenlin had already been properly dismissed by the head nurse.

Then Fang Yan took Shen Zhanyao and Ma Xinghua to the cafeteria. They were already cooking, and the aroma of the food filled the air, making Shen Zhanyao and Ma Xinghua swallow hard. Fang Yan told them:

"You can get your food in a little while. Just come over and get your food with your tickets. I have something to do, so I won't keep you company. This afternoon, we'll go to school and share with our classmates about Dr. Shen's cure of rabies," Fang Yan said to the two of them.

Shen Zhanyao nodded repeatedly.

Fang Yan then continued:

"I'll be free at home tonight. Come over for dinner, and I'll cook for you myself to welcome you."

Shen Zhanyao quickly said:
"Oh, Director Fang, you're too kind!"

Ma Xinghua was a little embarrassed. He hadn't done anything all day, just showed them around for a while. Not only were meals provided, but they were also going to Fang Yan's house for dinner that night.

Fang Yan didn't say much to them, and after greeting them, he headed straight for the outpatient building.

When he arrived, there were only two people left in line outside Lu Donghua's door. After watching them, he could call it a day.

When Fang Yan arrived, Lu Donghua greeted him.

Fang Yan was actually just checking to see if Wang Zhenlin had come over. He was afraid that Wang Zhenlin would be like a leech, sticking to him like a leech and chasing him away from the inpatient department, so he would come from somewhere else.

It seems that this person isn't as resilient as I thought.

"Have you made arrangements for all the patients in your inpatient ward?" the old man asked in dialect while examining a patient's tongue.

Nodding in dialect:

"It's all settled. All four patients in the hospital have taken their medication and are responding well. They even took Shen Zhanyao and his cousin to visit Zhang Fu."

"I'm inviting them to dinner at my house tonight, and you can talk to them then."

The old man nodded, turned off the flashlight, and went back to writing his medical records.
"Yeah, that's good!"

While writing, he asked:
"By the way, what about Wang Zhenlin?"

“He’s already gone.” Fang Yan walked to his side and looked at the medical record. This was a patient with spontaneous sweating and aversion to wind.

As the old man wrote the medical records, he said:
"This person is really strange. He came here today and just stayed by my side to treat people. He didn't talk about anything else. He seems so normal that he's almost abnormal."

"He traveled all the way back from Japan, just to say a few words to an old man like me who isn't very friendly to him. That doesn't make much sense."

Fang Yan nodded and said:

“I was just about to tell you about this. Although I don’t know what he’s up to, I can tell he’s been hanging around us and our patients, which makes me uneasy. I’ve already made arrangements at the inpatient department to have the nurses register patients and their families. For those who are neither family members nor accompanying assistants, we’re strictly limiting their visits and movement to avoid any problems on our end.”

The old man put down his pen and nodded:

"Hmm, your arrangement is good. I still can't figure out what this person is up to. It's best to keep him under control."

Fang Yan then continued:

"So I think you should just not see patients tomorrow, so this person won't come looking for you again."

Lu Donghua was slightly taken aback when he heard Fang Yan's arrangement, but he still nodded and said:

"Row."

"Anyway, I have no idea what this guy is up to. I get creeped out by his stare. Today, I felt really uncomfortable while seeing patients."

……

After arranging things here, Lu Donghua will rest for a while after finishing his consultations today. It just so happens that Xiao Li and his team are wrapping up their movie these days, so the old man can go and take a look tomorrow.

Fang Yan also spoke with Director Liao about Wang Zhenlin's performance that day after lunch.

Director Liao also agreed with the arrangement regarding Fang Yan. Rather than being constantly watched by others, it would be better to make it difficult for the other party to get close. Although on the surface this person is still an overseas Chinese who has returned to China, based on the previous experience, Director Liao has already had people collect information about this person.

The harder it is to find information about this person, the more it suggests that there may be a powerful force behind them.

This means that what he's about to do is a big deal.

What Director Liao fears most now is not that someone stole a secret recipe for the dialect, but that Wang Zhenlin might cause trouble among the returned overseas Chinese and ruin the entire project.

For example, on the plane back, this guy mentioned donating a building, and Director Liao hasn't even settled accounts with him yet.

If he causes any more trouble, we'll be busy dealing with him.

Moreover, we can't arrest or deport him right now, because what he's doing seems to be an attempt to get Director Liao and the others to do the same, so he can complain bitterly abroad, saying he did nothing wrong and was treated unfairly.

This has made some overseas Chinese businessmen who want to return to China afraid to do so. Even if it's just one overseas Chinese businessman who is discouraged from returning, it's still a loss.

Hearing what Director Liao said, Fang Yan realized that this guy was really in a dilemma – whether to get rid of him or not.

It's a bit like masters exchanging blows.

Of course, they can't expel him from the country, but they can keep him away from hospitals.

Meanwhile, we are investigating this person as quickly as possible to find out his true purpose.

……

Time flew by and it was afternoon. Fang Yan drove Shen Zhanyao and Ma Xinghua, who had finished eating, to the school. Everything had been arranged beforehand, and Shen Zhanyao was to give a sharing session to the students in the lecture hall that afternoon.

It's not just for graduate students; it's for other students too, to tell them that traditional Chinese medicine can indeed cure rabies.

Before giving a lecture to Western medicine doctors, Fang Yan planned to rehearse it internally first.

Shen Zhanyao was also a little nervous about this class. He never expected that he, a doctor from a county town, would be able to teach college students and a group of university professors from the capital.

This was something he never dared to imagine before. After being taken to school by Fang Yan, he first greeted the celebrities he had only seen in newspapers, papers, and books.

Then at 2 p.m., he arrived at the lecture hall, which was packed with people. Not only were there people in the seats, but people were also standing in the aisles. Fang Yan and some young students even stood at the classroom door, watching him begin to talk about how he used the Blood Stasis Relief Decoction to treat rabies.

"Comrades," he began with a slight Zhejiang accent, and the audience fell silent instantly.

"The prescription we're going to talk about today is hidden in Zhang Zhongjing's book! This prescription was originally for treating postpartum abdominal pain caused by 'blood stasis in the abdomen below the navel' in women. The prescription is very simple: two ounces of rhubarb, twenty peach kernels, and twenty worms (remove the legs) boiled together, mixed with honey to form pills, decocted in wine and taken all at once, so that 'fresh blood will be discharged like pig liver'!"

He turned around and quickly wrote the original text on the blackboard, chalk dust falling everywhere: "But our ancestors never imagined that this prescription could jump out of a woman's stomach and catch the mad dog's poison!"

"This story goes back a long time. It was in the fifteenth year of the Guangxu Emperor's reign, in Xiangshan, Zhejiang. A cow that had been bitten by a rabid dog died. When they cut open its belly..."

Shen Zhanyao has never given a lecture, but he is extremely familiar with this formula and has explained it to countless people. He speaks of it fluently.

After introducing the very origins of his work, he began to recount his stories of treating patients.

He was telling the story of his cousin, Ma Xinghua.

“My cousin Ma Xinghua, the one standing at the door right now, was bitten by a rabid dog many years ago when he was visiting a student’s home. He didn’t pay attention to it at the time, but when the symptoms appeared, he started to be afraid of water and had convulsions. When I found out, I immediately went to his house and started treating him with a blood-stasis-reducing decoction… As a result, on the morning of the third day, he was able to ask for food! I gave him four more doses of the medicine, and the blood in his stool changed from black to red, and then to normal. His fear of water was also gone. Now you see him, he’s no different from a normal person, and he can even teach children in the village!”

Ma Xinghua raised his hand and waved to the crowd, drawing everyone's attention. Although he seemed a little nervous, he still kept his hand up so that everyone could see him.

This is a very honorable task, as Fang Yan had told him before. Then Shen Zhanyao's voice grew louder as he said:
"I later treated a twelve-year-old child who was also bitten by a rabid dog and was afraid of light and water. I used the same remedy and he recovered in seven days. Now he can even help herd cattle for his family!"

He turned around and drew a simple "pathogenesis diagram" on the blackboard:
"The poison of rabies is 'blood stasis poison,' which is hidden in the blood vessels. The blood stasis decoction is like a 'cleaner.' Rhubarb expels the poison downwards, peach kernel opens up the blood vessels, and worms burrow into the meridians to dig out the deeply hidden poison. This is not something I made up. The 'Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber' has long said that 'if blood stasis is not removed, new blood cannot be generated.' Once the poisonous blood is cleared out, the body will naturally get better!"

Then he looked at Fang Yan and said:
"Just recently, Comrade Fang Yan used this prescription to treat a patient. I went to see that patient this morning, and he is almost fully recovered!"

Fang Yan was a celebrity at school. Everyone looked at him. Fang Yan waved to all the students and then said:
"Yes, just a few days ago I treated a rabies patient. At the time, I wasn't very confident. Although I had read some of Dr. Shen's medical cases, I didn't really believe that Xiaoyuxue Decoction could really treat rabies. However, after the patient started to detoxify after taking the medicine, I believed it."

"I have made detailed medical records, and I will share them with everyone after the patient recovers in a few days."

After hearing the dialect spoken, a lively discussion broke out in the audience.

Not only inside the classroom, but even outside the windows, people were having a heated discussion. To be honest, they were skeptical of what Shen Zhanyao had said earlier, but now that Fang Yan was talking about it, things were different.

Compared to Shen Zhanyao, what Fang Yan said carried much more weight.

"Did you hear that? They're saying it in dialect, so it must be true!" People whispered among themselves, and quite a few of them were saying it.

"Traditional Chinese medicine can treat rabies, and with such a simple method, who would have thought?"

"Exactly. If it were me, even if the answer were placed in front of me, I would still think it was a lie."

"It's only because it's a dialect that I dare to do this."

"This person is from Zhejiang. It's obvious that he was specially invited here, probably to verify the authenticity and to cooperate with the publicity."

"This should definitely be publicized: Traditional Chinese medicine can treat rabies! Western medicine considers it an incurable disease."

The people below discussed it in hushed tones, creating a buzzing sound.

At this moment, Wang Yuchuan stepped forward and greeted them:
"Alright, quiet down, let's continue listening to Comrade Shen's lecture!"

Shen Zhanyao felt he had said enough, but when he heard Wang Yuchuan say that, he could only look at Fang Yan, meaning he didn't know what to say anymore.

Fang Yan went on stage and whispered a reminder:
"You can talk about those special cases, such as a pregnant woman being bitten by a rabid dog and the process of your recovery. Even if there are no records, you should still remember some of them, right? Or you can talk about other special cases."

Shen Zhanyao only came to his senses after hearing this, and nodded, saying:

"Row!"

Then he cleared his throat and said:
"Director Fang asked me to talk about some special cases. These cases were originally recorded, but they have been lost due to some issues. However, I can still remember some of them, so I'll share them as a treatment approach!"

After Shen Zhanyao finished speaking, his face showed a solemn expression of recollection, and his voice became deep:

"If we're talking about special cases, the one I'm most afraid of and the one I'll never forget in my life is treating a pregnant woman."

His gaze swept across the dark mass of people below the stage, and at that moment, everyone seemed to be affected by his expression, turning their attention to him.

Those who had been whispering earlier also shifted their attention to the podium.

Fang Yan also stared at Shen Zhanyao with great interest.

"I can't remember the exact year, but it must have been during the autumn harvest. It was in Shuanghe Commune. A woman surnamed Qin was four months pregnant when she was on her way to help her parents' home. A mad dog with bloodshot eyes pounced on her at the village entrance and bit her calf, leaving it bloody."

"Her husband chased the dog away with a carrying pole. He was terrified and only thought about sending his wife back to her parents' house to rest and recover. No one expected that in less than twenty days, things would start to go wrong. She had a persistent low-grade fever, numbness in her hands and feet, and would tremble all over when she heard a dog barking. To make matters worse, she would shrink back when she saw a water vat, and make a 'hoarse' sound in her throat. She couldn't be fed water or food!"

He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing.

The audience below the stage became more serious.

Shen Zhanyao continued speaking:

“By then I had already made a name for myself. They came down to the epidemic prevention station, but the station wouldn’t take them in. They told them to take them to my house. So they pulled people onto a cart and came right up to me. As soon as they arrived, the whole family knelt down at my door, their foreheads hitting the ground repeatedly, begging me to save them.”

"But when I saw her swollen belly, my heart sank! What kind of medicine is this 'Blood Stasis Removal Decoction'? Rhubarb is a powerful medicine, strong and deep, rushing downwards; ground beetle (earth beetle) burrows and breaks up blood stasis; peach kernel is slippery and promotes blood circulation. These three medicines together are like an axe that can split mountains and split rocks! This medicine is so potent that even an ordinary strong man can't withstand the diarrhea. How could she, a pregnant woman with such a delicate fetus in her belly, withstand this tiger-like medicine?!"

"Am I saving someone or having an abortion?"

Upon hearing this, the lecture hall fell silent; everyone was stunned for a moment.

The elderly professors in the front row frowned, while the students in the back row craned their necks.

Yes, how can a pregnant woman use the Blood Stasis Relief Decoction?
Shen Zhanyao said:
"I've read through medical books until they're worn out and asked every old doctor I could, but none of them have ever encountered anything like this! Saving the adult might hurt the child; if I hesitate and don't act, neither the adult nor the child will survive!"

“The Qin family’s eyes were swollen from crying. They knelt on the ground and hugged my legs, saying, ‘Save one, save one! If the child is gone… we accept our fate!’ But those two words, ‘accept our fate,’ stabbed my heart like a knife! How could I choose? How would you choose in my place?” Shen Zhanyao’s voice trembled slightly.

The students below also clenched their fists instinctively.

How to choose?
If they were in this situation, they probably wouldn't know what to choose either.

Shen Zhanyao continued:
"I didn't have time to think too much at the time, I really had no choice! I could only take a gamble and changed the recipe on the spot."

"The original prescription for rhubarb was two liang, but I only dared to use half a liang, fearing that the purging would be too strong and harm the fetus; I also reduced the amount of peach kernel and worm. But simply reducing the amount was not enough, I was afraid that the medicine would not be strong enough to expel the blood stasis and toxins, so I added another ingredient, donkey-hide gelatin. This donkey-hide gelatin is made from donkey skin, and it is sweet and neutral in nature. It is best at nourishing blood and yin, calming the fetus and stopping bleeding. I thought that I could use its gentle and nourishing power, like a soft cushion, to protect the unborn baby and slightly resist the strong effect of the blood stasis-breaking medicine."

"I was just imagining things."

At this moment, Fang Yan picked up the chalk and wrote down the changes above the original square on the blackboard:
One ounce of rhubarb (originally two ounces), ten peach kernels (originally twenty), ten worms (originally twenty, feet removed and boiled), and three mace of donkey-hide gelatin (melted). Make into pills with refined honey, decoct in wine, and take immediately.

Everyone looked at the blackboard, and some of them had a look of sudden realization.

At this moment, Shen Zhanyao paused slightly, glanced at the blackboard, and then nodded to Fang Yan to express his gratitude.

Fang Yan raised his hand, signaling him to continue.

Shen Zhanyao continued:
"Once the medicine was decocted, most people would just drink it and be done with it, but this patient was different. It was incredibly difficult to feed her! She was terribly afraid of water. The smell of the medicine or the slightest sound of water would make her convulse. Let alone seeing water. We had to cover her eyes with a thick cloth, and also plug her nose and ears. Her husband held her shoulders tightly from behind, and I used a small spoon to pry open her teeth and sip the medicine bit by bit... It took almost an hour to feed her one bowl of medicine, and her husband and I were covered in sweat."

Shen Zhanyao said, "Start from here," and Fang Yan had already returned to the audience. He then continued:
"The next evening, she started complaining of severe abdominal pain! It came in waves of cramping! The family was terrified. Her mother-in-law cried out, 'What a tragedy! The baby is going to be lost!' She grabbed a broom, ready to hit me, accusing me of being a quack and harming people! My legs went weak, and my back was covered in cold sweat. I quickly checked her pulse; it was rapid but not erratic. Her abdomen felt warm, and there was no sign of bleeding. I gritted my teeth and withstood the pressure, shouting, 'Don't panic! This isn't a miscarriage; the medicine is clearing the meridians, moving the stagnant toxins! It's a good thing!'"

"Actually, I wasn't confident at the time. If I had really miscarried, I would have been furious. To be honest, I regretted taking the case for a tiny bit, but only for a moment..." Shen Zhanyao said to everyone.

Sparse laughter came from the audience.

Then Shen Zhanyao continued:
"In the latter half of the night, the pain miraculously subsided. On the third morning, she weakly opened her eyes and whispered... 'Hungry.' Her mother-in-law shakily brought her a bowl of watery porridge, and she... didn't flinch! She sipped half a bowl! Not long after, she said she needed to relieve herself. This time, what came out wasn't blood clots, but a thin, fishy-smelling, dark brown substance. The most amazing thing!" Shen Zhanyao paused, then suddenly raised his voice, filled with unbelievable excitement, "The most amazing thing is! When her husband helped her lie down, his hand accidentally touched her stomach, and she whispered: 'The baby... the baby just kicked me...'"

A suppressed gasp and incredulous gasps instantly filled the classroom.

Some students in the back row were so excited they wanted to applaud.

"And then what happened?" a female graduate student in the front row couldn't help but blurt out, her voice filled with urgency.

A relieved smile finally appeared on Shen Zhanyao's face, and his wrinkles smoothed out:
"And then? Then she got better day by day! Her fear of wind and water subsided, her low-grade fever went down, and her hands and feet were no longer numb. I gave her five doses of the original prescription for the Blood Stasis Relief Decoction, gradually increasing the amount of rhubarb and insect medicine back to normal, and she continued to use donkey-hide gelatin to prevent miscarriage."

"A few months later, she gave birth to a big, healthy baby boy! His cry was so loud! When I went to the baby's one-month celebration, the little guy was kicking his legs and widening his eyes in his mother's arms, he was so energetic! The Qin family man held the baby and insisted that the baby recognize me as his godfather!"

The entire room fell silent for a moment, then burst into applause.

Shen Zhanyao smiled and looked at Fang Yan. When he saw Fang Yan give him a thumbs up, he smiled too.

After the applause subsided, he continued:

"Comrades! The prescriptions left by our ancestors are flexible, not rigid rules! The key is this..." He pressed his temples hard and patted his chest, "Differentiation and treatment based on syndrome differentiation! Understanding the constant and adapting to change! Responding to each situation! Pregnant women have special constitutions, so medication must be as delicate as embroidery. It must be gentle where it needs to be gentle, protective where it needs to be protective, but it cannot be lenient in attacking the stagnant toxins! As long as the principles and methods are correct, even in the most dangerous situations and the most unlikely cases, traditional Chinese medicine has a glimmer of hope! This is the power of traditional Chinese medicine!"

His voice was loud and firm.

After a brief silence, thunderous applause erupted once again in the lecture hall, lasting for a long time.

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

(End of this chapter)