MC Bookstore Chapter 1268 Tea Talk with He Wenliang
Chapter 1268 Tea Talk with He Wenliang
Chen Yang took a sip of rock tea, the mellow and sweet aftertaste spreading on his tongue. He put down his teacup and looked at the leading figure in the field of traditional Chinese medicine in Shanzhou.
He Wenliang is over seventy years old, with half-white hair, but he is still in good spirits and his eyes are still sharp.
He was wearing a simple Zhongshan suit, the cuffs of which were slightly worn, but it was clean and tidy.
"Mr. He is too kind."
Chen Yang smiled and said, "It's also because Haofei is hardworking enough."
"You are all excellent."
He Wenliang smiled and said, "Xiao Jingyun has such high standards."
"correct......"
Then He Wenliang asked with a smile, "I heard that you met an old lady with a high fever and coma at the affiliated hospital this morning. Did you have any particular thoughts about her?"
Chen Yang was slightly taken aback, then realized that although He Wenliang hadn't gone to the hospital, he was fully aware of what had happened.
"The patient's heat toxicity is extremely high and has entered the blood level, but the pathogenesis is not simple."
Chen Yang said, “Judging from the tongue and pulse, there is indeed a sign of excessive heat in the Yangming Qi level, but the shape of the rash and the course of the disease make me feel that there may also be factors of external toxins penetrating into the interior.”
"External poison?" He Wenliang's eyes lit up.
"The patient went to the countryside before the onset of the disease. Although the family could not say exactly what they came into contact with, I suspect that they may have come into contact with certain special plants or insect toxins."
Chen Yang said, "Shanzhou is mountainous, and some plants that look ordinary are actually poisonous. Some insect toxins can also cause severe allergic reactions."
He Wenliang nodded slowly: "Your idea is very interesting. When I was young, I was making medical rounds in the mountains and I saw similar cases. An old farmer was scratched by a plant called 'hemp grass' and a few days later he developed a high fever, rash, and coma. His symptoms are somewhat similar to what you described."
"Hemp hemp?" Chen Yang noted down the name.
"It's a plant common in mountainous areas. Its stems and leaves have fine hairs that can cause redness and itching when touched, but it's usually not this serious."
He Wenliang recalled: "That old farmer's situation was special. It was later discovered that he had not treated his cuts in time and had been soaked in water in the field, which aggravated the infection and caused the toxins to penetrate deeper."
Chen Yang pondered: "So it may be a combination of factors—external toxins, infection, drug allergies, ultimately leading to excessive heat and toxins and a deficiency of vital energy."
"Yes, the worst thing in clinical practice is to be one-sided."
He Wenliang smiled and said, "It's good that you didn't let the most obvious possibility of 'drug allergy' limit your thinking and were able to think of other possibilities. Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes 'examining the symptoms to find the cause,' and the causes of illness can be very complex, so we must consider all aspects."
The two discussed the case at length, from differential diagnosis to treatment strategies, from medication experience to prognosis.
He Wenliang's rich clinical experience greatly benefited Chen Yang. Through his visits to various places over this period, Chen Yang's biggest takeaway was that sometimes treating certain diseases is not simply a matter of how skilled the doctor is.
Experience, insight, and life experience are all very important.
As Chen Yang was pondering this, He Wenliang asked with a smile, "I heard that you led a group of young people across most of China this time. What special gains did you make?"
Chen Yang put down his teacup and said earnestly, "The biggest gain is seeing the vitality and diversity of traditional Chinese medicine among the people."
"In Jiangdong Province, we met a folk doctor who used 'medicinal needles' and 'thunder and fire moxibustion' to treat stubborn arthralgia, with remarkable results but high risks; in Sichuan, we met an old pharmacist who had unique insights into the processing of Chinese medicine; in Qianzhou..."
Chen Yang recounted his experiences along the way in detail, which He Wenliang listened to with great interest.
"Of course, we have gained a lot. Jiangdong Province has a profound foundation in folk traditional Chinese medicine, with many unique experiences and treatments; the Sichuan region attaches importance to classical prescriptions and uses medicines with precision; the integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine in the mountain city is quite in-depth... Each place has its own characteristics and problems."
"Oh? Tell me, what's the problem?" He Wenliang asked with great interest.
“The biggest problem is the disconnect,” Chen Yang said, organizing his thoughts. “Academics and folk practitioners look down on each other, and there is also a gap between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine. Many effective folk remedies are difficult to promote because they lack standardized research; while academic education is sometimes too theoretical and detached from clinical practice.”
He Wenliang nodded: "This is an old problem. When I was young, I followed my master from street to street. Back then, there weren't so many distinctions. A good doctor was one who could cure diseases. Traditional Chinese medicine is all-encompassing and inclusive. Playing to one's strengths and avoiding one's weaknesses is the way of traditional Chinese medicine."
"Mr. He is absolutely right." Chen Yang nodded.
There are indeed many treasures among the people.
He Wenliang lamented, "When I was young, I also liked to go to the mountains and talk to those folk doctors and herbalists. Some of their methods seemed very 'rustic,' but they often hit the nail on the head and had amazing effects. It's a pity that such exchanges are becoming less and less common now."
"Why?" Chen Yang asked.
He Wenliang sighed: "On the one hand, doctors who come from regular medical schools tend to look down on these 'folk remedies', thinking they are unscientific and unregulated."
"On the other hand, folk healers are also wary of the 'academic school,' fearing that their secret recipes will be 'stolen' or criticized. The lack of trust between the two sides breaks the bridge of communication."
Chen Yang deeply agreed: "That's the same old Mr. Lei we met in Jiangdong. He has real skills, but he's very closed off. If we hadn't cured the heart failure patient and won his trust, he would never have let us see his treatment methods."
“That’s the crux of the matter.”
He Wenliang said: "How to build trust, and how to make folk experience and academic knowledge complement each other rather than exclude each other, is a major issue for the development of traditional Chinese medicine."
Chen Yang nodded: "I've been thinking about this issue. The reason I brought everyone out this time is to let them see the real ecosystem of traditional Chinese medicine—not only the standardized diagnosis and treatment in large hospitals, but also the unique folk therapies; not only successful experiences, but also lessons learned from failures. Only by having a comprehensive understanding can we have a comprehensive knowledge."
"You did the right thing."
He Wenliang looked at Chen Yang with admiration in his eyes: "The inheritance of traditional Chinese medicine cannot be confined to books and hospitals; it must be put into practice. Your taking these young people on this trip is more useful than them studying in school for three years."
As he spoke, He Wenliang sighed again, clearly still feeling a bit regretful.
As the two were talking, there was a knock on the office door.
"Come in," He Wenliang said.
The door opened, and a man in his thirties poked his head in. His eyes lit up when he saw Chen Yang: "Director Chen! You're here too!"
Chen Yang recognized the person as Zhao Mingli, one of He Wenliang's graduate students, whom Chen Yang had met once before.
"Xiao Zhao, is something the matter?" He Wenliang asked.
Zhao Mingli walked in excitedly: "Teacher He, Director Chen, we just received news from the First Affiliated Hospital that the old lady who was in a coma due to high fever has woken up!"
Clearly, He Wenliang had been keeping a close eye on Chen Yang's situation.
"woke up?"
Chen Yang stood up: "What are the specific details?"
"His body temperature dropped to 38.5°C, the rash began to subside, he was fully conscious, and he was able to have simple conversations."
Zhao Mingli said with a smile, "The infectious disease department conducted more detailed examinations and detected a rare plant toxin in the patient's blood. Combined with the medical history, it was basically determined to be contact poisoning complicated by a severe allergic reaction. The integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment plan has been very effective, and the patient's condition is now stable!"
Chen Yang and He Wenliang exchanged a glance and both showed relieved smiles.
"Let's go to the hospital."
He Wenliang stood up: "I also want to see this case with my own eyes."