Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 941 Righteousness Not Yet Exhausted, Are Twelve Needles Too Many? (Two Chapters Combined)
Clearly, the person they were talking about was Zhou Zhaoqin. At this moment, Fang Yan couldn't help but sigh at how inefficient information dissemination was in this era.

In the internet age, a simple click of the mouse and a web search will bring you a wealth of information.

However, nowadays, an event can still be spread as if it were something new, even after it has been happening for a long time.

Take Zhou Zhaoqin's medical treatment as an example. It not only appeared on domestic television, radio and newspapers, but also in the American media because of Henry Heimlich.

Even so, some people only recently learned about this.

In the internet age, information is abundant and it is difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood; in this era, information is scarce and people have no way of knowing many things.

Fang Yan said to Zhang Zhong:

"Thank you for your trust, Mr. and Mrs. Zhang. Let me check on Ms. Zhang's current condition first."

"Okay, okay!" Zhang Zhong nodded quickly.

Fang Yan opened his consultation table drawer and took out a flashlight.

He knelt down in front of Ms. Zhang's wheelchair.

Seeing that the other person was staring blankly in one direction, he first tried to make eye contact with Ms. Zhang.

When Fang Yan made eye contact with Ms. Zhang, her eyes seemed to react slightly, and then she naturally looked away, avoiding eye contact with Fang Yan.

“She was conscious of it; she deliberately avoided eye contact with me just now,” Fang Yan said.

Hearing this, Zhang Zhong and his wife were somewhat bewildered.

They hadn't noticed this situation at all before.

"Huh? It's conscious?"

Then the couple also tried to speak in the local dialect and made eye contact with their daughter, who was looking down. They found that their daughter would indeed avoid their gaze and look at another place nearby, continuing to stare blankly.

After a couple more attempts, it was clear that she was getting agitated. She was talking to herself louder and holding her head more tightly.

Zhang Zhong said to his wife:

"She really is reacting. Could it be that she has recovered somewhat? Or perhaps the hospital in Japan made a mistake in their diagnosis?"

Seeing his agitated expression, Mrs. Zhang said:

"Don't rush, let's see what Dr. Fang has to say."

Fang Yan picked up the flashlight and said:

"I'll shine a flashlight on her first and then see her reaction."

"Okay." The couple agreed in unison, feeling that the next second, right now, they could already sense the difference in the dialect.

Then Fang Yan shone a flashlight on Ms. Zhang, only to find that she had no intention of avoiding him at all.

Instead, he stared blankly at the light.

Seeing this, the patient's father, Zhang Zhong, asked Fang Yan:

"She's not afraid of light, but she's afraid of making eye contact with people?"

"what's the situation?"

The dialect also gave me a headache. This kind of brain disease is the most difficult to treat, and the key is that there are very few records about it in traditional Chinese medicine.

There are currently limited examples of dialects that can be referenced.

After realizing that Ms. Zhang's situation was not simple, Fang Yan could only try things out little by little.

So Fang Yan didn't answer Zhang Zhong's question, but instead said to him and his wife:
"Try calling her name."

Upon hearing this, the patient's mother was the first to do as instructed, shouting to Ms. Zhang:
"Little Persimmon, it's Mommy."

"Why are you calling her by her nickname? It's been years since I called her that," Zhang Zhong said to his wife with disdain.

Then he shouted loudly at his daughter:

"Zhang Si, can you understand?"

Fang Yan and Yuan Qingshan, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but frown.

The patients didn't react; they were almost knocked out of their ears by the shout.

The dialect reminded him:
"Communicate with her in a language she is familiar with."

Mrs. Zhang switched to Japanese:

"Little persimmon baby, private baby girl!" (Little persimmon baby, I am my mother!)
Mrs. Zhang called her daughter several more times, and Zhang Zhong also called her several times, but there was still no response.

Fang Yan then stopped them:
"okay."

Zhang Zhong couldn't wait to ask Fang Yan:

"Dr. Fang, what exactly is going on?"

He said in dialect:

"I haven't examined the pulse or tongue yet; I only have a preliminary guess."

Hearing Fang Yan say this, Zhang Zhong, who had been holding back for a long time, pressed him for an answer:

"You can just tell me your guess."

Seeing his anxious expression, Fang Yan knew that if she didn't explain things to him first, he would start to have problems.

So Fang Yan stood up and said:

“I believe that Ms. Zhang’s ability to instinctively avoid eye contact indicates that she has not completely lost her mind and is “conscious.” However, due to phlegm and blood stasis blocking the brain orifices, which is what we in traditional Chinese medicine call “phlegm and blood stasis blocking the orifices,” she has become confused and resistant to external communication. In traditional Chinese medicine, this is also called “the spirit does not guard itself.”

"Her failure to avoid strong light reflects a lack of spiritual nourishment, leading to a separation between her perception and response to external stimuli."

"In traditional Chinese medicine, we believe that 'the eyes are the messengers of the heart.' When the brain's orifices are blocked by phlegm and blood stasis, although some instinctive reactions are retained, such as avoiding eye contact, higher cognitive functions, such as judging the dangers of strong light, are impaired."

Seeing the puzzled looks on Zhang Zhong and his wife's faces, Fang Yan said:

"To summarize simply, I believe it is a combination of symptoms caused by phlegm, blood stasis, dampness, and turbidity obstructing the brain orifices, resulting in a lack of nourishment for the spirit and the remnants of instinct."

"However, this is only a deduction. We need to continue to collect more information in order to correctly verify it."

Zhang Zhong slapped his thigh and said:

"I understand now, my brain is just blocked, not broken!"

"Right?"

Fang Yan nodded:
"That's understandable."

Hearing this, Zhang Zhong became excited and said to Fang Yan:

"Dr. Fang, I know you're different from Japanese doctors!"

After saying that, he immediately cursed:

"They can't even do a test like yours, damn it, all they know is how to collect money!"

Mrs. Zhang patted her husband on the shoulder and reminded him:
"Look at you, swearing again!"

Zhang Zhong's bandit-like temper flared up at this moment, and he burst into curses:
"Damn it, they deserve to be cursed! My daughter hasn't even reached that level yet, and they've already sentenced her to death. My ancestors for eight generations are cursed!"

After he finished cursing, he remembered that Fang Yan was there, and hurriedly apologized to Fang Yan:

"Dr. Fang, I'm so sorry! I just got a little excited thinking about what happened in Japan."

He waved his hand in a local dialect.

It's no wonder he got excited; anyone would have been.

Next, Fang Yan squatted down again to continue observing Ms. Zhang.

He wanted to listen carefully to what she was muttering, but even with his amazing hearing and knowledge of many languages, he still couldn't understand her.

Fang Yan observed that her complexion was dull and pale, and her lips were bluish-purple.

One could faintly hear low rattling sounds during breathing.

Although they said that Ms. Zhang couldn't control her urination and defecation, she still smelled very clean.

It must have been cleaned before they arrived.

Or perhaps some other measures were taken.

Fang Yan asked Zhang Zhong:

Is she taking any Western medicine now?

Zhang Zhong responded:
"Yes, at mealtimes, I mix the Western medicine with her food and feed it to her."

After he finished speaking, his wife added:
“As long as it’s put in her mouth, she will swallow it on her own.”

He asked in dialect:

"What kind of Western medicine is it?"

Then Zhang Zhong's wife took out a bag and showed Fang Yan the medicine inside:

"It's all here."

Fang Yan glanced at the contents and muttered to himself:

"B vitamins, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), phenobarbital..."

Yuan Qingshan, standing to the side, asked in a low voice:
"Brother Fang, what are all these for?"

Dialect explanation:

"These B vitamins help promote nerve repair and regeneration, and improve nerve function."

“Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) can participate in cellular energy metabolism, provide energy for nerve cells, and help restore the function of damaged nerves.”

"Phenobarbital can be used to relieve symptoms such as anxiety and insomnia in patients, help relax the mind and body, improve sleep quality, and help restore nerve function."

Yuan Qingshan suddenly realized:
"I see……"

He didn't know if Fang Yan had read the Japanese instructions on the box or if he already knew the effects of these medicines, but in his eyes, it was already very impressive.

“But it’s no use. I’ve been taking it for so long and I still haven’t gotten better,” Zhang Zhong said from the side.

This father probably has many unpleasant memories from the Japanese hospital, which is why he still harbors resentment.

Fang Yan then reached out and tugged at Miss Zhang's hand, which was covering her head.

I discovered that she wasn't actually that strong; with a gentle pull, she let go of her head.

Fang Yan observed her for a moment, then began to feel her pulse.

After touching her with his left hand, Fang Yan did the same thing and pulled her right hand down. As soon as he pulled her right hand down, she raised her left hand and hugged her head.

Fang Yan took the pulse on the right hand again and found that the pulses at the cun, guan, and chi positions on both wrists, a total of six positions, all showed the characteristics of a wiry pulse, straight and long, like pressing a zither string.

When pressing the pulse forcefully in the dialect, a choppy pulse may also be observed.

"Ms. Zhang, I am your attending physician. Can you open your mouth so I can see your tongue?" Fang Yan said to Ms. Zhang. This was Fang Yan's old method. Although he knew that the patient would not understand him and would not pay attention to him, the patient's family members could hear him.

Just then, Zhang Zhong interrupted, saying:
"I'll pry it open for you, you should be able to see. I'm the one who feeds her, I have experience." After saying that, he immediately started to pinch his daughter's chin on both sides, and Ms. Zhang's mouth opened immediately.

Then he noticed that Ms. Zhang's tongue was dark purple, swollen, with teeth marks on the edges from pressure, and a thick, greasy white coating.

Even though Ms. Zhang's mouth was controlled, she was still muttering to herself, which allowed Fang Yan to see the bulging, bluish-purple veins under her tongue. In other words, the two veins under her tongue were thickened, dark purple, and tortuous.

"Alright, let her go," Fang Yan said to Zhang Zhong.

He was originally the patient's father, but with his bald head and the girl he was holding, he looked like a kidnapper.

"How are things now? Can you figure out what happened?" Zhang Zhong released his daughter and asked Fang Yan.

Fang Yan nodded and said:

"Now we can confirm that my previous deduction was correct. Ms. Zhang's condition is due to phlegm, blood stasis, dampness and turbidity obstructing the brain orifices, resulting in malnourishment of the spirit."

At this moment, Zhang Zhong couldn't wait to ask:

Is there any way to treat it?

"Yes," Fang Yan nodded.

These words immediately excited Zhang Zhong and his wife.

Mrs. Zhang's eyes immediately welled up with tears.

Zhang Zhong was immediately overjoyed.

Then my eyes turned red. After so much treatment, I've finally found someone who can treat me.

He explained to them in dialect:
"After examination by Western doctors in Japan, they said that Ms. Zhang had suffered damage to her brain nerves. However, from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, her condition is that there is blood stasis and blockage in the meridians of her brain, but it is not yet completely hopeless. When we feel her pulse, we can feel that it is both wiry and hesitant, which means that the Qi in her body can still propel the blood flow, and the blood stasis has not completely 'coagulated'. Moreover, she can still swallow food and respond to external stimuli, which proves that her spleen and stomach are still working normally, which gives us hope for treatment."

"Although Ms. Zhang's illness is quite serious, she is young and all her organs are still healthy. Furthermore, her tongue coating hasn't turned grayish-black or become dry and cracked, indicating that the damp phlegm in her body hasn't yet transformed into heat and damaged her yin energy. As long as she persists with treatment, combined with acupuncture to unblock her meridians and gradually recuperate, she still has hope of regaining consciousness and control over her urination and defecation."

Zhang Zhong nodded repeatedly after hearing this, then said to his wife:

"I knew those Japanese hospitals were talking nonsense! I knew it! Damn it!"

"Although I didn't have any evidence at the time, I had a feeling that they weren't taking responsibility!"

Compared to the excited Zhang Zhong, Mrs. Zhang said to him:
"Oh dear, don't get agitated. Let the doctor explain it more clearly; I still don't quite understand."

After all, the dialect used a lot of technical terms. Mrs. Zhang felt like she understood, but upon closer inspection, she realized there were still many questions.

Fang Yan understood what she meant, stood up, returned to his seat, and said:
"It's like the water pipes in your house are blocked by silt, preventing the water from flowing smoothly. This is similar to how the meridians in a person's brain are blocked by stagnant blood and phlegm. Fortunately, the water pipe itself hasn't cracked, meaning her brain nerves haven't completely died. As long as we clean out the silt and repair the water pipe, the water can flow normally again, and the brain's function will gradually recover."

"Japanese hospitals say this disease is incurable because they only look at the brain structure on the CT scan and think that if there is damage, it's hopeless. But our traditional Chinese medicine is different. It pays more attention to whether the flow of Qi in the body is smooth. It's like not just looking at whether the water pipe is broken, but paying more attention to whether the water can flow normally. As long as the blockage can be cleared, the body's functions may be restored."

As he said this, he picked up a pen and began to write down medical case records.

At the same time, he said:

“I plan to treat her in stages. The first stage will focus on ‘clearing phlegm and removing blood stasis, opening the orifices and waking up’ to get Ms. Zhang awake first. Then we will move on to the second stage, which will focus on ‘strengthening the spleen and kidneys, nourishing yin and brain’ to repair the damaged vital energy.”

Zhang Zhong said to his wife:

"Did you understand? I understood, anyway."

Mrs. Zhang nodded:

"I understand. Doctor Fang can not only restore our girl's senses, but also make her completely better."

The couple could hardly hide their joy.

After their daughter suffered carbon monoxide poisoning and ended up like this, they felt like their world had collapsed. In addition, Western medicine in Japan said that brain nerve damage is untreatable, and they were already lucky to have her alive. They were told to be prepared to undergo medical treatment for the rest of their lives.

At that time, I truly felt that there was no hope for the rest of my life.

But as the old saying goes, "When you think you've reached the end of the road, a new path opens up before you."

The way things unfold is often unpredictable.

The couple brought the girl back, and then the dialect told them a completely new version.

In an instant, the gloom vanished.

They saw hope again.

People are afraid of having no hope, and dialects are now giving them what they need most.

Fang Yan had already quickly written down the patient's various symptoms and the results of the diagnosis, and then began to write the treatment plan.

The first stage requires acupuncture and medication.

Prescription written in dialect:
The first stage of the prescription aims to clear phlegm, remove blood stasis, and refresh the mind.

Formula:

10g of Acorus calamus: dispels dampness, opens the orifices, refreshes the mind and improves intelligence;

Turmeric 12g: Promotes blood circulation and regulates qi, clears the mind and relieves depression;
Danshen 15g: Promotes blood circulation and unblocks meridians, improves cerebral microcirculation;

Chuanxiong 10g: ascends to the head and eyes, dispels wind and relieves pain;

Pinellia ternata 10g: dries dampness, resolves phlegm, relieves nausea and vomiting;
Poria cocos 20g: Strengthens the spleen and eliminates dampness, calms the mind and soothes the nerves (high dose enhances dampness removal);
Earthworm 6g: Clears the channels and dispels wind, removes blood stasis and opens the orifices (insect-based drugs enhance the ability to clear the channels).

3g of whole scorpion: calms wind and stops spasms, attacks toxins and disperses nodules;

Polygala tenuifolia 10g: calms the mind and stabilizes the will, resolves phlegm and clears the orifices;

Cinnamon twig 5g: warms and unblocks the meridians, assists yang and promotes qi circulation;

Licorice 3g: harmonizes the effects of other herbs and protects the spleen and stomach.

Just like before, he also wrote down the explanation.

For treating both phlegm and blood stasis, use Acorus tatarinowii and Pinellia ternata to resolve dampness and phlegm, and Salvia miltiorrhiza, Ligusticum chuanxiong, and Pheretima aspergillum to break up blood stasis.

The scorpion and polygala work together to open the orifices, improve mental state, and refresh the mind.

Poria and cinnamon twig invigorate the spleen and warm the yang, prevent pathogenic factors from harming the body's vital energy, and unblock the meridians and strengthen the body's foundation.

Fang Yan then wrote down an acupuncture treatment plan, the composition of which stunned Yuan Qingshan, who was standing next to her.

Five sets were written because of the dialect.

The first group: Awakening the mind and opening the senses:
Baihui (Du Meridian): Raises Yang Qi, awakens the mind and improves intelligence, and improves mental confusion and dementia.

Sishencong (extraordinary acupoint): Located around Baihui, it regulates the Qi and blood in the brain and enhances brain metabolism.

Shenting (Du Meridian): Calms the mind and stabilizes the will, relieving mental agitation and talking to oneself.

The second group promotes blood circulation and removes blood stasis:

Geshu (Bladder Meridian): Blood converges at Geshu, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, thus improving cerebral meridian obstruction.

Xuehai (Spleen Meridian): Promotes blood circulation and unblocks the meridians; when combined with Geshu (BL17), it enhances the effect of removing blood stasis.

Taichong (Liver Meridian): Soothes the liver and regulates qi, promotes qi circulation and removes blood stasis, and relieves liver qi stagnation.

The third group resolves phlegm and eliminates dampness:
Fenglong (Stomach Meridian): A key acupoint for resolving phlegm and clearing away phlegm and turbidity obstruction.

Yinlingquan (Spleen Meridian): Strengthens the spleen and eliminates dampness, promoting the transformation and transportation of water and dampness.

The fourth group focuses on strengthening the spleen and consolidating the foundation:
Zusanli (Stomach Meridian): Nourishes the spleen and stomach, strengthens the body's resistance, and prevents pathogens from harming the body's vital energy.

Sanyinjiao (Spleen Meridian): Strengthens the spleen and removes dampness, harmonizes the liver, spleen and kidneys.

Fifth group of regulating air mechanism:
Neiguan (Pericardium Meridian): Calms the mind and spirit, improves the state of mind where the spirit is not at home.

Hegu (Large Intestine Meridian): Regulates Qi flow. When combined with Taichong, it forms the "Four Gates Opening" to relieve Qi stagnation.

After writing it down, the dialect was also included, along with the acupuncture technique:
Baihui, Sishencong, and Shenting: Use gentle, flat needling and twisting to primarily regulate the brain's meridians. Since the patient is sensitive, avoid strong stimulation.

Fenglong and Yinlingquan: Use the lifting and thrusting purging method to enhance the phlegm-resolving and dampness-eliminating effects.

Geshu and Xuehai: Use the twisting and turning purging method to enhance the effect of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis.

Zusanli and Sanyinjiao: Tonify, strengthen the spleen and support the body's vital energy.

Yuan Qingshan couldn't help but remind Fang Yan:
"Brother Fang, twelve needles at a time! Or... how about using Master Cheng's 'One Needle to Open All Acupoints' technique?"

He was subtly telling Fang Yan that he wondered if there might be too much needlework involved.
After all, Ms. Zhang's physical condition was not good. Treating her with twelve needles at the same time, especially the purging acupoints such as Geshu and Xuehai, could easily over-mobilize her qi and blood, posing a risk of "depleting qi and damaging her vital energy" to the weak patient.

Traditional Chinese medicine has a principle of "tailoring to the individual's condition." In this case, for someone like Ms. Zhang, generally speaking, if the patient is weak, fewer acupuncture needles should be used.

In other words, when treating patients with physical weakness, the number of acupoints is usually simplified to avoid excessive intervention.

Yuan Qingshan believes that twelve needles violate the principle of "few but exquisite" needle use.

Moreover, dialects are something that Master Cheng can understand perfectly, but he insisted on using this method.

This puzzled him.

Zhang Zhong and his wife didn't understand, but they still looked at the dialect.

Fang Yan, having heard Yuan Qingshan's veiled hint, pointed to the prescription he had written earlier and said:
"This time, we'll give you the medicine first, then we'll give you the injection."

“Ms. Zhang’s pathogenesis is complex and requires multi-target treatment. Simply using ‘one needle to open all the orifices’ cannot take into account the interactive effects of phlegm, blood stasis and dampness. It is necessary to use multiple sets of acupoints to awaken the brain, remove blood stasis, eliminate dampness, strengthen the spleen and regulate the qi to form a synergy. This is consistent with the multi-target effects of drugs such as calamus, salvia miltiorrhiza and earthworm in the prescription.”

Yuan Qingshan was taken aback, and then he understood.

The dialect means that these twelve needles are all for the purpose of coordinating with the previous medicine!
The twelve needles focus on "clearing phlegm and removing blood stasis, opening the orifices and refreshing the mind," which echoes the insect-based medicines in the prescription for breaking up blood stasis and opening the orifices, striving to quickly unblock the brain's meridians.

He immediately blushed deeply, realizing he had been so focused on the needles that he hadn't even considered that the prescription was actually for this purpose.

Moreover, he was unaware of this drawback of being able to "open up all orifices with a single needle".

It seems I haven't had enough practical experience.

I initially thought Fang Ge had made a mistake because he was distracted, but it turned out I had made a fool of myself.

Fang Yan then said to him:
“The traditional principle of using fewer needles is mostly used for pure deficiency syndromes, but Ms. Zhang’s condition is a mixture of deficiency and excess, which means phlegm, blood stasis, dampness, and spleen deficiency. Therefore, it is necessary to use both tonifying and purging methods. The twelve needles were my choice after careful consideration.”

"But it's good that you reminded me!"

Fang Yan also affirmed Yuan Qingshan at the end.

He actually quite liked people like Yuan Qingshan, who dared to point out problems instead of remaining silent, and whose reminders were always subtle and to the point.

That's already considered quite sensible.

Another point not mentioned in the dialect is that this period was actually Ms. Zhang's treatment window.

Ms. Zhang's cerebral vascular obstruction has not yet fully solidified, meaning the blood stasis has not "coagulated." Therefore, it is crucial to seize the opportunity to use multiple acupuncture needles to effectively clear the obstruction and prevent the condition from becoming chronic.

Moreover, at this moment, Ms. Zhang's vital energy was not exhausted. Although she was weak, her wiry and hesitant pulse indicated that her Qi could still move the stagnant blood. Her swallowing function and stimulation response were intact, and her spleen and stomach were not damaged, so she had the foundation to withstand multiple acupuncture treatments.

If this window of opportunity is missed, it will be really difficult to treat the dialect later.

Therefore, considering all the above factors, this is the reason why dialects use a full twelve needles.

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

There will be an extra chapter later.

(End of this chapter)