Chapter 765 A Dream of Youth 297
Xie Ning withdrew her hand and asked the old doctor to show her the prescription. Seeing that it contained three qian of Sichuan teaspoons and three qian of dog spine, she asked why.
"General Xu had a sore back, so I added a few more herbs. He just took the medicine and is now sleeping soundly."
Xie Ning nodded. The medicine contained sleep-inducing ingredients, which explained why she was sleeping so soundly.
"Open the south window to let in some fresh air, then have someone open another room and fumigate it with Atractylodes lancea, and then move General Xu there." She was referring to the window on the kang (a heated brick bed). The window needed to be opened so that the room would be brighter. She felt a little stuffy when she came in, but she was in a hurry to understand the illness, so she didn't pay attention to it.
Just as Xie Ning finished writing the prescription and sterilizing the utensils, General Xu woke up. He wouldn't normally wake up so early, but he probably had a strong drug resistance, so even after taking sleep aids, he couldn't sleep for long.
He regained some consciousness when Xie Ning took his pulse, and then struggled to get up.
"Thank you, sir."
Xie Ning nodded slightly, "General Xu, please don't move. I'll clean your wound in a bit."
Just as he was about to prop himself up a little, General Xu collapsed back down. However, he still felt very uncomfortable with the pain in his back and the soreness in his waist. He said to the old servant beside him, "Quickly bring me my magic powder."
His voice was slightly hoarse because his throat was also swollen.
Xie Ning initially didn't know what this "immortal powder" was, and asked with a smile, "General Xu, what is this immortal powder? You will have to take other medicines later, and it wouldn't be good if the medicines clashed."
The old doctor standing to the side hesitated, but seeing that the old servant had already brought the medicine over, he said softly, "My lord, the Immortal Powder is the same as the Cold Food Powder."
It can also be called Wushi San (五石散).
Xie Ning was immediately stunned and hurriedly grabbed the old servant's arm, "No!"
Immediately, everyone in the room looked over. "Why not?" It was Old Madam Xu who spoke.
Xie Ning looked at Old Madam Xu with some surprise, "Could it be that General Xu often takes Five-Stone Powder?"
Madam Xu sighed, "He suffers from many ailments. Five-Stone Powder can relieve the pain, make one's mind clear, and strengthen the body."
Those without money can't afford it.
Xie Ning knew how many hidden wounds General Xu had sustained from the battlefield, but he couldn't use them to take Wushi Powder, which was... a kind of drug.
"This Five-Stone Powder is not a miraculous medicine, but rather a poison. A famous doctor from the previous dynasty once said, 'I would rather eat wild kudzu than take Five-Stone Powder.'" Wild kudzu is a highly poisonous herb.
"General Xu's back pain was likely caused by excessive consumption of cold food powder." Some medical books also say that "all back pain is caused by consuming five-stone powder," which shows the harm of five-stone powder.
Everyone was shocked. General Xu was reluctant to believe it, but he knew that Xie Ning was a highly skilled physician and there was no need for him to harm Xie Ning in such matters. He hesitated and said, "But many powerful and wealthy people take the Five Stones, and they don't seem to have any problems."
Moreover, this Five-Stone Powder was so valuable that he felt the pinch when he bought it.
"General Xu, to put it bluntly, when someone dies, at most it is said that they died of illness, but they would not say that they died from taking Five-Stone Powder. Moreover, the deceased's appearance is never shown to outsiders, so how would others know that they have suffered from the harm of Five-Stone Powder?"
Those who took Wushi Powder for a long time suffered various ailments: some had their tongues retract into their throats, some developed carbuncles on their backs, some suffered from ulceration of the spine, some were in so much pain that they contemplated suicide, and some even died because they mistakenly drank cold wine instead of hot wine… If General Xu does not believe this, he can consult the historical records of the Wei and Jin dynasties later.”
After the effects of Wushi San take hold, one will generally become abnormally excited and need to walk or run continuously. One must also drink warm wine to dissipate the effects of the medicine until one is drenched in sweat. Otherwise, one's life will be in danger. If one accidentally drinks cold wine, one will also die.
When she took General Xu's pulse, she felt something was wrong, but she thought she should treat the wound first and then ask. After learning that he had taken Wushi Powder, she knew what was wrong.
Over the years, not many ministers and nobles have sought her medical treatment. Even if they did, she would find it difficult to detect their illnesses by taking their pulse unless they told her.
The old servant's hands trembled, and he looked at the medicine bottles on the tray with some fear.
Madam Xu was also frightened. She glanced at General Xu's festering back and quickly told the old servant to take away the Five-Stone Powder.
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