When Lu Xuan sat down, a middle-aged man in his thirties walked in. The mont he saw Lu Xuan, he sat down, sowhat excitedly, "Dr. Lu, you’ve changed my biased view of doctors."
Lu Xuan looked at him, not understanding.
"My na is Zhou Binghe."
Zhou Binghe introduced himself and continued, "Actually, I’ve had this illness for over five years now. I’ve been to many hospitals and seen many doctors. To be honest, I almost wanted to give up, not because it couldn’t be treated, but because the attitude of so doctors made really lose trust in them.
Do you know? Just last week, I went back to my hotown. I thought I’d go to the hospital there for a check-up since I had so free ti. Because it was a last-minute decision, I got a late appointnt. When it was al ti, the doctor directly stopped the clinic and told to co back in the afternoon. But in the afternoon, there was a hospital-wide eting, and the doctor wasn’t there. That day I ended up going there for nothing. When I tried to get a refund for the appointnt, it was a hassle and I didn’t get my registration fee back until near closing ti.
Honestly, it was exhausting.
My wife heard about you and urged to co for a check-up. Initially, I was reluctant because I was really disappointed with doctors. But seeing you and hearing what you just said, I realized that good doctors do exist, and it was just bad luck that I hadn’t encountered one before."
After finishing, Zhou Binghe looked seriously at Lu Xuan, "Dr. Lu, thank you, thank you for giving a new perspective on doctors."
Lu Xuan listened quietly, and after Zhou Binghe finished speaking, he smiled and said, "Actually, I’ve had experiences similar to yours before. It’s just a matter of putting oneself in others’ shoes. Every profession has its bad apples. Don’t give up on yourself because of so people’s irresponsibility, and don’t torture yourself because of others’ mistakes."
Zhou Binghe was deeply respectful, "Thank you, Dr. Lu, I understand now."
Lu Xuan nodded, then asked, "Now, tell about your condition."
Without hesitation, Zhou Binghe explained everything.
He even took out so previous examination reports.
Lu Xuan reviewed them attentively for a while, and already had an answer.
Hiccup syndro.
Also known as reflux esophagitis in Western dicine.
He self-dicated with oprazole and mosapride, which alleviated the symptoms significantly, but they relapsed after stopping the dication. He sought multiple hospital consultations without improvent, with the condition fluctuating, also accompanied by chronic non-atrophic gastritis.
The main symptoms were heartburn, acid reflux, hiccups, bad breath, poor appetite, normal sleep, and bowel movents once a day.
Having understood the condition, Lu Xuan checked his pulse and observed Zhou Binghe’s tongue.
"The tongue is red, with a yellow greasy coating, teeth marks around the edges, and the pulse is deep and slippery."
Lu Xuan murmured softly.
A deep, slippery pulse indicates both a deep pulse and a slippery pulse. A deep pulse is often associated with internal diseases, and a slippery pulse is generally associated with phlegm, food accumulation, and excess heat.
With his judgnt made, Lu Xuan cald his mind and began to listen closely.
[Reflux esophagitis? That’s the term in Western dicine. In terms of traditional Chinese dicine, besides ’vomiting acid’, it can be categorized under ’stomach distension’, ’chest obstruction’, or ’epigastric pain’, where the treatnt often focuses on the liver.]
Treatnt focused on the liver?
Lu Xuan frowned, sowhat puzzled.
Fortunately, the following explanation quickly reminded him of so of the content he had morized.
[In ’Suwen Xuanji Yuanbing Shi - Vomiting Acid’, it says, "The sourness is the flavor of liver wood. When the heat becos excessive and restrains tal, it cannot harmonize wood, thus liver wood becos overly pronounced, resulting in sourness." Zhu Danxi also said, "Swallowing sour acid is due to damp-heat accumulated in the liver, manifesting between the lungs and stomach."
The patient’s ’vomiting acid’ is due to disharmony between the liver and stomach, with liver qi disturbing upward, obstructing the throat and chest, and transforming into heat and sourness due to stagnation.
Without stagnation, there is no sourness; various accumulations start with qi stagnation, thus the treatnt first unblocks the liver, then soothes the center.]
Upon hearing this, Lu Xuan’s eyes lit up with a sudden realization.
The wonder of traditional Chinese dicine lies here. Especially for soone like him, with a proper educational background in Chinese dicine, often just a few pointers can lead to comprehensive understanding.
And such pointers are crucial.
This is what experience is about.
When it cos to unblocking the liver, while Lu Xuan might not know it all by heart, he knows quite a bit.
Unblocking the liver initially involves regulating Qi, and soothing the center requires fortifying the spleen, mainly focusing on the thod of "unblocking."
The liver governs the regulation and dispersal of Qi, enabling the smooth functioning of the spleen and stomach.
Therefore, the approach often starts with the liver and stomach, regulating Qi to alleviate stagnation, enabling the internal organs to function smoothly.
Back in school, Lu Xuan often heard his ntor emphasize the importance of clinical experience in traditional Chinese dicine. Before gaining such experience, Lu Xuan didn’t feel much about it. He thought that even without clinical experience, he could diagnose and prescribe based on his studies.
Only after interacting with patients did Lu Xuan realize the importance of clinical experience.
And at this mont, this subtle explanation made Lu Xuan more aware of the importance of having a good teacher.
Why do so many graduates from universities majoring in Chinese dicine aspire to work in major hospitals?
Isn’t it because the skilled practitioners are all recruited by major hospitals?
If one seeks guidance, they must go to major hospitals.
Lu Xuan must have received a major stroke of luck from his ancestors, to be able to gain the ’bug’ of overhearing the heart’s voice of Chinese dicine.
Otherwise, as just a recently graduated student, he’d probably have to spend his life working at the Health Center.
[Liver Qi stagnation, accumulated over ti transforms into heat, transversely intruding the stomach, causing stomach burning and acid reflux; the stomach loses its descending function, and the stomach Qi ascends, causing hiccups, bad breath; dampness entraps the spleen, impairing its function, resulting in poor appetite. The disease is located in the stomach, related to the liver and spleen, with Qi stagnation as the main pathological factor, spleen deficiency as the root, followed by damp turbidity, heat stagnation, and blood stasis.
During treatnt, the liver is first to be unblocked and the capital decoupled to alleviate the urgent conditions. Among them, Chaihu, Citron, and Finger Citron are used to unblock the liver and stomach, alleviating Qi stagnation.
Next, the treatnt involves fortifying the spleen and soothing the center to address the root of the disease.
Perilla fortifies the spleen and soothes the center, removing dampness; Magnolia Bark and Immature Bitter Orange direct the stomach Qi downward, reduce Qi and eliminate stagnation, while roasted Hawthorn, roasted Divine Cody, Dried Tangerine Peel, and Chicken Gizzard Skin assist in resolving food stagnation, fortifying the spleen, aiding digestion, and removing accumulations;
Yinchen, Scutellaria baicalensis, and Rhizoma Coptidis cleanse heat and promote diuresis; Zhe Fritillaria, Cuttlefish Bone, Raw Gypsum, Crushed Tile Powder are used to inhibit acid while clearing gastric fire.]
Lu Xuan listened while writing down the prescription in the dical record provided by Zhou Binghe. (The specific dosages are the author’s narrative, not counted in the text)
"Dr. Lu, can my condition be treated?"
Seeing Lu Xuan finish writing the prescription, Zhou Binghe couldn’t help but ask.
"It can be treated."
Lu Xuan nodded and then turned the conversation, "If it’s simply reflux, it’s not difficult, but since you also have chronic non-atrophic gastritis, it might take so ti for a complete recovery. Specifically, it will depend on whether the symptoms persist after taking the dication."
Hearing that it can be treated, Zhou Binghe breathed a slight sigh of relief, "The ti needed doesn’t matter. I’ve also seen many Chinese dicine doctors. Traditional Chinese dicine treats the root, so it naturally takes longer."
"I’m glad you think that way."
Lu Xuan said with a smile.
The reason traditional Chinese dicine has slowly declined and only recently shown signs of resurgence is mainly due to its slow effects. Patients often give up because they don’t see results in a short ti, turning to Western dicine.
Over ti, naturally, fewer people seek traditional Chinese dicine.
"Sit tight for a mont, I’ll go and get the dicine."
Leaving that sentence behind, Lu Xuan got up and walked into the herbal dicine room again.
He has lost count of how many tis he has been to the herbal dicine room now.
While getting the dicine, Lu Xuan thought that the reason why Zhou Binghe’s condition had worsened recently was not just because of the wrong dication, but also due to his prejudice and resentnt towards doctors.
Liver Qi stagnation inevitably affects the stomach.
This is also why many diseases that Western dicine can’t completely cure often involve the use of dications that only alleviate the symptoms. Once the dication is stopped, the symptoms quickly return, primarily because Western dicine tends to treat symptoms rather than the root cause.
Zhou Binghe experienced acid reflux, so dications like oprazole and antacids were prescribed. These dications can only alleviate symptoms but cannot solve the issue fundantally, hence the recurrence once the dication is stopped.
After receiving the dicine, Zhou Binghe left, but Lu Xuan didn’t have the luxury to rest. He continued seeing patients.
All morning, Lu Xuan was so busy that he was overwheld. He even had his lunch while seeing patients, finishing it in the consultation room. The afternoon appointnts continued until 7 PM.
When the last patient left with their dicine from the Traditional Chinese dicine Departnt, Lu Xuan stretched, got up, and moved his muscles.
Having sat all day, his bottom was already numb.
At this mont, Wang Youqing walked in, "How do you feel?"
"Tired."
Lu Xuan looked at the other person, "But... very fulfilled."
He felt unprecedentedly fulfilled. In just one day, he felt like he had learned more than he had in a year at school.
It’s the satisfaction from applying what one has learned.
The kind of satisfaction that feels exhilarating.
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