As he was leaving, Du Heng glanced at the electric mattress that had been under Qi Gang all this ti. He marveled once again at its quality. The mattress had been turned on for five days and nights, yet it hadn’t burnt out, nor had it set Qi Gang on fire.
The Qi family should consider enshrining this electric mattress as a token of their gratitude!
Back at the Health Clinic, Qi Gang was swiftly admitted to a Hospital room and quickly put on a nutrient solution.
Despite sleeping soundly for five days and nights, Qi Gang was on his last legs, his body teetering on the brink of collapse.
"Buwei, take Qi Gang for the necessary check-ups. I need to get so food; I’m starved," Du Heng said.
Feeling the acid reflux from his hunger, Du Heng instructed Wu Buwei and headed towards the Canteen.
He had called Fan in the afternoon to reserve three als for them at the Canteen; otherwise, their only other option would have been Instant Noodles.
Once he had comfortably satiated his hunger, Du Heng returned to prepare Qi Gang’s prescription and treatnt plan.
In the Office, Wu Buwei walked in with the completed inspection sheet and sat beside Du Heng, watching him type Qi Gang’s diagnosis and prescribed dication into the computer.
Wu Buwei suddenly asked Du Heng, "Senior Brother, we all know that when a person gets too weak, they faint. Why is that?"
Without turning his head, Du Heng continued typing on the keyboard and chuckled, "It’s insufficient cerebral blood supply, causing oxygen deficiency. You’re asking this?"
Hearing Du Heng’s slightly teasing words, Wu Buwei quickly shook his head. "Senior Brother, that’s not what I ant. I didn’t express myself clearly. I was asking why, in traditional Chinese dicine, it’s called a phlegm-obstructed mind."
Du Heng paused his typing for a mont, turned to Wu Buwei, and explained, "Insufficient heart strength inevitably leads to excessive phlegm, and excessive phlegm travels directly along the heart ridian.
"This way, the phlegm-qi attacks the Heart too quickly and fiercely. Fortunately, CV-17 acts as a barrier in front of the Heart, preventing phlegm from entering it, serving as a layer of protection. However, by the sa token, the heart qi is also blocked by CV-17 and cannot ascend to connect with the rest of the body, leading to the situation you’re observing."
"I understand."
"Good that you understand. Now, I have a question for you," Du Heng grinned. "In this situation, what thods can quickly awaken soone?"
Wu Buwei thought for a mont; this question wasn’t too difficult. "Orally administering dicine to transform turbidity and open the orifices, followed by acupuncture at CV-17, can quickly awaken the person."
"Good. Now, I ask you, can this thod be used on Qi Gang?"
Wu Buwei looked at Du Heng speechlessly.
Du Heng hadn’t administered orifice-opening dicine like Supre Jewel Elixir, nor had he used acupuncture. Instead, he was sitting in the Office slowly writing out a prescription for a decoction. This clearly ant this thod couldn’t be used.
I’m not an idiot! Even if I can’t think of it, I can at least see it!
Seeing the look in Wu Buwei’s eyes, Du Heng paused for a mont, then it dawned on him, and he laughed heartily. "My mistake. Let change the question: why can’t this thod be used?"
"I don’t know." Wu Buwei now had a policy regarding Du Heng’s questions: if he knew, he’d say so; if he didn’t, he’d admit it.
And as Wu Buwei progressed, Du Heng’s questions beca increasingly difficult, so the number of tis he had to say "I don’t know" also grew.
Du Heng, feeling rather resigned about Wu Buwei’s current approach, could only explain it himself. "Rember this: when the heart qi is deficient, CV-17 is also deficient. When CV-17 is deficient, it can only act as a protective barrier for the Heart; it cannot provide any enhancent to it.
"If we were to rashly awaken Qi Gang at this point, his heart strength would still be insufficient and unable to ascend and connect with his body. However, once he’s awake, the burden on his system increases, which would inevitably lead to a stroke."
Du Heng turned back and resud typing on the keyboard. "To address this issue, we just need to urgently replenish the ’fire’ of his Monarch and Minister, supplented with phlegm-dispelling dicinal herbs. This will allow the heart qi to break through the obstruction at CV-17 on its own.
"At this ti, using a modified Four Gentlen Decoction to tonify and benefit the qi is most appropriate."
Having said this, Du Heng paused again. "I’ve explained it so clearly. How about you try to make these modifications yourself?"
Wu Buwei thought for a mont, then nodded. "I can."
He imdiately lowered his head and began to think. After a good while, he looked up and said, "Reduce the licorice. Licorice promotes dampness. Qi Gang has excessive phlegm, and dampness can aggravate phlegm, so it must be removed."
"Correct. Continue."
"The formula contains Ginseng and sojutsu var, which can rescue depleted heart qi. However, Qi Gang’s CV-17 is blocked by phlegm, so I’m afraid they won’t be able to pass through. Even if they do, their dicinal strength will surely be insufficient."
Wu Buwei paused. Now he needed to add adjuvant herbs; he had to think carefully.
Suddenly recalling Du Heng’s previous prescriptions, Wu Buwei’s eyes lit up. "Add aconite! Use aconite to break through the encirclent."
Du Heng smiled. "Are you sure?"
Wu Buwei was taken aback.
Was I wrong?
He lowered his head to think again. No, it’s not wrong. Aconite supplents fire and assists yang; it’s primarily indicated for insufficient heart-yang. This follows exactly the line of thinking from Du Heng’s previous prescriptions!
Wu Buwei looked at Du Heng, sowhat puzzled.
Du Heng didn’t rush to reveal the answer but said slowly, "Think about Qi Gang’s current condition. How much aconite can be used, and what effect would it have?"
With that single sentence, the confusion in Wu Buwei’s mind vanished.
Qi Gang hadn’t had any food or water for five days and was extrely weak. If too much aconite were used, it wouldn’t supplent fire and assist yang; instead, it would likely cause a terminal resurgence before death.
He had just forgotten a saying: "Deficiency does not accept supplentation." dicine that is too potent can be detrintal.
But if a small amount of aconite was used, its dicinal effect would surely be insufficient. What, then, should be used to supplent it?
Seeing Wu Buwei lower his head in thought again, Du Heng left him to ponder on his own.
A good practitioner of traditional Chinese dicine certainly needs accurate diagnostic and treatnt skills based on pattern differentiation. However, if they don’t know how to prescribe dicine, or if their prescriptions are imprecise, that’s also unacceptable.
Du Heng didn’t have much more to type. After he finished, Wu Buwei slowly raised his head.
This ti, however, he wasn’t as confident as before, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "Add ginger juice. Ginger juice itself has the effect of resolving phlegm. Moreover, it’s warm and moistening in nature, so it won’t conflict with aconite."
Du Heng lightly patted the table. "Not bad. You’ve finally rembered to use these inconspicuous things."
As he spoke, the printer started WHIRRING AND CHUGGING, spitting out various necessary forms. "I’ve told you before, ginger has nine ’flavors’ or aspects. Used correctly, it’s a panacea."
"For example, ginger juice has the effect of dispelling phlegm. So, in the future, when you encounter patients with bronchial issues or phlegm in their throats, don’t just think about prescribing dicine. Advise them to eat more foods containing ginger juice. Dietary therapy is also an excellent thod."
Saying this, Du Heng pushed himself up from the desk with both hands. "To get back on track, I’ll add one more dicinal ingredient for you: calamus, to act as a dicinal guide. Calamus has the effects of opening the orifices, resolving phlegm, and dispersing wind. We’ll borrow its dicinal strength as a guide to lead the aconite and the other herbs in the formula directly to the heart palace, which will enhance their expelling power."
Just as he finished speaking, the printer also happened to stop.
Du Heng picked up the printed sheets, looked at Wu Buwei, and said with a smile, "Choose one: will you go decoct the dicine, or will you handle Qi Gang’s paperwork?"
"I’ll go decoct the dicine."
As he spoke, Wu Buwei put down Qi Gang’s inspection sheet that was in his hand, got up, and walked out.
Du Heng smiled, picked up the other docunts, and also headed out.
「Half an hour later.」
Wu Buwei ca running to Du Heng. "Brother Du, Qi Gang’s awake!"
Du Heng glanced at Wu Buwei. "Feeling a strong sense of accomplishnt, aren’t you?"
Wu Buwei nodded energetically.
For common diseases and typical types of strokes, Du Heng had already established clear treatnt protocols. Wu Buwei just had to follow them, like drawing a tiger by copying a cat. Although he handled many such cases, there wasn’t much sense of accomplishnt.
But Qi Gang today was different. A case like his was truly rare.
Usually, when people forcibly overexerted their bodies to this extent, if they collapsed, they were either rushed to the operating table for a craniotomy or sent directly to the crematorium to be cremated. How could anyone be as fortunate as Qi Gang?
So, to prescribe dicine for such a rare case, and for it to be effective with just a single dose—it was impossible not to be overjoyed!
Wu Buwei left joyfully, but Du Heng couldn’t fall asleep no matter what.
Every ti he closed his eyes, the image of Qi Cai’s wife smiling at him would flash before him, instantly startling him awake.
He passed the entire night in such a daze, and when he woke up in the morning, he had two dark circles under his eyes.
Everyone who saw Du Heng asked with concern what had happened, but Du Heng couldn’t explain his situation. He could only evade their questions and change the subject.
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