CHAPTER 360: 336 POISON SPREADS THROUGH TWO FOCAL POINTS

For Zhu Minyan, there was no rush for these one or two minutes. What was important now was to resolve Zhu Fanzhong’s situation.

When Wu Buwei brought the medicine, he waited for it to cool down a little and then, with a nurse’s help, fed it to Zhu Fanzhong.

As soon as the first spoonful of medicine went in, a hint of a smile appeared on Du Heng’s face.

Effective disease record 863/1,000.

+1, confirmed effective.

Looking at the suddenly increased number, Du Heng mused that when treating chronic diseases, the count for effective disease records increased straightforwardly. However, with acute and severe diseases, a single prescription wasn’t enough to cure the patient completely. Throughout the process, several different prescriptions had to be used. For example, Li Qiuhua’s prescription had been changed more than three times during her treatment. If his initial prescription for such acute and severe diseases was effective, and the effective disease record count increased, but a subsequent treatment error led to the patient’s condition worsening or even death, would that added point be deducted? Following this line of thought, what if the count of effective records had just reached a reward threshold, and he had claimed that reward? If the count was later reduced, what would happen to the reward he’d received? Would it be revoked? That’s an interesting thought.

However, Du Heng had no intention of testing this theory. Of course, he couldn’t actually try it; he’d probably get his head bashed in.

While everyone else was still anxiously watching Zhu Fanzhong after he finished the medicine, a slight smile touched Du Heng’s lips. He instructed the three new doctors to monitor the patient, then signaled Wu Buwei to accompany him towards the backyard.

Wu Buwei quickly caught up and asked quietly, "Senior Brother, are we leaving him?"

"Just temporarily. Afterward, remember to give him medicine every two hours without stopping."

"Anything we should pay attention to?"

"When Zhu Fanzhong starts to defecate and has a smooth bowel movement, remember to remove the mirabilite from the prescription. By the way, do you know what mirabilite is used for?"

Wu Buwei’s walking posture stiffened slightly. This sudden questioning caught him a little off guard—it had been a month since Du Heng had quizzed him like this, ever since he’d passed his licensing exam. But this feeling... it was great!

Of course, that was just Wu Buwei’s private thought. If Du Heng knew, he’d surely call him a ’pervert.’

Wu Buwei stiffened slightly and quickly replied, "Mirabilite, a mineral medicine, tastes salty and bitter, and has a cold property. It can purge, moisten dryness, soften hardness, clear heat, and reduce swelling. It is mainly used to treat..."

"Alright, that’s enough," Du Heng interrupted. "Now tell me about its contraindications."

"Pregnant women should use it with caution." Wu Buwei remembered this quite well.

Unexpectedly, Du Heng asked again, "Anything else?"

Anything else?

Wu Buwei was dumbfounded; that was all he remembered!

Du Heng didn’t say anything, merely continuing to walk forward. "Mirabilite cannot be used with sulfur or Sparganium. Combined with sulfur, it can cause severe intestinal cramps and diarrhea, potentially leading to sulfide poisoning. The silicon dioxide, calcium oxide, and volatile oils in Sparganium can react chemically with mirabilite, altering the properties of both substances. Although these are things TCM pharmacists should master, if you, as a prescribing doctor, don’t know this and the pharmacy returns your prescription, it would be quite embarrassing. If the pharmacist also fails to notice, it could lead to serious problems. So, you should eliminate such uncertainties yourself and never rely solely on others to carefully review your prescriptions."

Wu Buwei nodded. "I’ll remember that, Senior Brother."

"By the way, what do you think of the three new guys?" Du Heng changed the topic.

Wu Buwei didn’t answer immediately. He followed Du Heng slowly and only spoke after a few seconds, "Similar to how I was half a year ago."

Du Heng chuckled lightly and looked back at Wu Buwei. "What do you mean, ’the same as you were half a year ago’?"

Wu Buwei also chuckled. Since it was just the two of them, there was no need for reservations. He said directly, "Doctor Han is a bit better, having a few years of experience. But the other two are like I was six months ago—they have a superficial understanding of many things but lack depth."

"Oh, so you’re saying you’re very skilled now?"

"Just average, I suppose. A bit better than them. Enough to get by."

As they talked, the two reached the door of the ward in the backyard.

Upon entering, both of them wiped the smiles from their faces.

Once in the ward, Du Heng and Wu Buwei tacitly avoided mentioning Zhu Fanzhong, simply asking for Zhu Minyan’s examination report.

After reviewing all of Zhu Minyan’s medical records and examination reports, Du Heng and Wu Buwei both drew in a sharp breath.

From an initial small, soybean-sized lump, it had grown to its current state in just one month.

The progression of the disease was terrifyingly rapid.

Du Heng and Wu Buwei took another deep breath, both understanding that given Zhu Minyan’s current condition, even with chemotherapy and radiation therapy, she likely didn’t have much time left. The disease was advancing too quickly.

Furthermore, chemotherapy and radiation therapy severely damage the body’s healthy qi, which could accelerate the disease’s progression even more.

Du Heng had a general idea of the situation and began his examination.

The mass on the left side of her neck was the size of a fist and had already spread downwards to the left supraclavicular fossa. It felt uneven and very hard to the touch.

On the right side, there were six thumb-sized masses linked together like a chain, also feeling firm.

When he lifted her clothing, it was much as he had guessed: in areas with abundant lymphatic distribution, such as the underarms and groin, there were hard lumps the size of date pits.

From behind his mask, Du Heng let out a soft sigh. After taking her pulse by the bedside, he also examined her tongue coating.

The tongue coating was yellow, thick, and greasy; its center was black and dry. The six pulses were deep, slippery, frequent, and full.

The tongue itself was pale and red, but the black coloration was what all TCM doctors dreaded seeing most; its appearance signified that the illness had reached an extremely dangerous stage.

The pulse diagnosis was even worse; three or four different pulse types were present, indicating a chaotic internal state.

Fortunately, Zhu Minyan’s illness had a short onset time, and she hadn’t undergone radiation or chemotherapy. Her healthy qi was still relatively sufficient, meaning she could withstand aggressive treatment.

Serious illnesses require drastic medicine, but a strong constitution is necessary to endure such an onslaught.

"Zhu Minyan, can you speak?"

Zhu Minyan, lying on the sick bed, nodded gently.

"How do you feel right now?"

"My head hurts terribly, like someone’s smashing it with a hammer. My chest feels incredibly tight, and it’s very difficult to breathe."

As Zhu Minyan spoke, Du Heng could smell a strong, foul odor even through his mask; its thin layer offered no barrier.

"What about your bowel movements and urination? How many times have you gone today?" Du Heng didn’t dare make any unnecessary movements, simply standing up to ask again.

Perhaps because she was a young woman and shy about such questions, or perhaps because her breathing was too labored for her to want to speak, her mother answered instead, "She hasn’t had a bowel movement for five days, and she’s urinating very little."

"Have you observed what her urine looks like?"

"It’s very dark, like old tea, almost black. And it has a very strong smell."

Du Heng remained silent for a moment. "Let your daughter rest. We’ll go discuss her treatment plan. If anything changes or seems wrong, call a nurse or doctor immediately."

"Okay, I understand."

Upon leaving the ward, Du Heng removed his mask, savoring the pleasure of breathing freely.

Such an action felt a bit insensitive, but honestly, Zhu Minyan’s oral odor had been truly overpowering just now.

In the office, Du Heng asked Wu Buwei, "Buwei, what’s your syndrome differentiation result?"

Wu Buwei sat silently in his chair, pondering for a long time before saying, "I can’t differentiate it. None of the conclusions I reach feel right."

"Tell me the one you think is most likely correct."

After a moment’s thought, Wu Buwei said, "Phlegm-toxin stasis and obstruction."

Du Heng, pen in one hand and a prescription paper in the other, nodded after Wu Buwei finished. "My syndrome differentiation is largely consistent with yours. It’s a severe case: phlegm-toxin disseminating into the two visceral regions, toxin entering the blood aspect, obstructing qi flow, and clouding the mind."

Wu Buwei quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He really had improved!

Just as joy began to swell in his heart, he quickly suppressed it. Looking at Du Heng earnestly, he asked, "Senior Brother, what treatment method do you plan to use?"

Instead of answering immediately, Du Heng asked Wu Buwei a question in return, "Buwei, have you seen the gastric cancer prescription I formulated at the Provincial First Hospital?"

Wu Buwei nodded. Whenever Du Heng performed treatments elsewhere and returned, he would have the Provincial First Hospital send over a copy of the records.

Wu Buwei was responsible for organizing these documents for Du Heng each time, and he had studied that particular gastric cancer prescription extensively.

"I know, Senior Brother. The day before yesterday, didn’t you mention that the previous gastric cancer patient recovered after taking this prescription of yours? Are you thinking of using that same prescription again, Senior Brother?"

Du Heng nodded gently. "That’s right. I plan to use that prescription again. For severe illness, drastic medicine is needed. Given the speed of Zhu Minyan’s disease progression, we don’t have time to take things slowly."

Du Heng tapped the table lightly with his pen, his eyes narrowing slightly. "This prescription has extraordinary effects on nourishing Yin, transforming phlegm, attacking indurations and expelling nodes, breaking blood stasis, and detoxifying. With a few adjustments, we can use it for Zhu Minyan."

After a brief pause, Du Heng’s voice dropped to a murmur as he thought aloud, "Floating seaweed, raw licorice, wood turtle seed, vinegar turtle shell..." He paused. "No, this prescription alone isn’t enough. The medicinal strength is insufficient."

Wu Buwei knew Du Heng wasn’t speaking to him then but was lost in thought, so he sat quietly to the side, not daring to disturb him in the slightest.

Du Heng mused for a long time, the pen in his hand rhythmically tapping the table.

Suddenly, Du Heng’s eyes lit up. "That’s right! Combine it with Manganolith Rolling Phlegm Pills! Manganolith’s potent nature effectively targets accumulated phlegm. Rhubarb, bitter and cold, can open the downward path. Scutellaria baicalensis clears fire from the Upper Jiao. Agarwood descends and regulates qi. This combination will surely attack indurations, expel nodes, and sweep away blood toxins!"

With his line of thought clear, Du Heng immediately picked up his pen and began writing the prescription.

Of course, the dosages were as large as ever, and there was no shortage of potent, even toxic, medicine ingredients.

After writing it, Du Heng picked it up and read it carefully twice. Confirming there were no omissions or errors, he handed it to Wu Buwei.