Chapter 51 Can Traditional Chinese Medicine really provide emergency care? Could it be...?
Wang Jingde and Qian Chenghai were colleagues at Qinghe City Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. Later, Qian Chenghai transferred to the provincial capital, but the two maintained a good relationship. After Wang Jingde joined the provincial medical college, he frequently invited Qian Chenghai to give lectures.
Qian Chenghai rarely sought his help, so it's no wonder Wang Jingde was surprised this time.
The current certification for special talents in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is simply a matter of applying to the health administration department and passing an examination if it's just a regular medical license. However, Qian Chenghai is using his and Lao Li's connections, clearly intending to recommend them for direct certification as renowned doctors.
The title of "renowned doctor" is a national recognition of professional TCM practitioners; it is a kind of honor, and you could say it's somewhat like a professional title.
The current regulations stipulate that to be certified as a renowned doctor, if you have an employer, you need to be recommended by your employer; if you are practicing independently without an employer, you need to be recommended by at least three doctors who are already renowned doctors.
Many skilled folk doctors don't really care about these things; reputation doesn't need official certification, and ordinary people can find out for themselves. Therefore, such joint recommendations are actually quite rare. And in the 21st century, these "hidden gems" are becoming increasingly rare.
He never expected that Qian Chenghai would want to recommend someone to take this route.
"Why didn't you give me any hints when you came last time?" he asked suspiciously.
Qian Chenghai: "Of course it's because we've only known each other for a short time. Old Wang, don't you know me? I've never recommended anyone all these years, have I? This Dr. Zhang is definitely a top-notch doctor. Anyway..." He chuckled twice, "He's better than me."
These past few days, he, like his grandson Qian Bojiang, has been frequently visiting Qinghe Ancient Town. The more he talks with Zhang Zhongjing, the more they click, and the more he feels that the other party is unfathomable.
"Oh!" Wang Jingde was genuinely surprised. "You, Qian Chenghai, actually have people who respect you?"
He knew Qian Chenghai all too well; he was truly capable. If it weren't for his attachment to his homeland, Qian Chenghai would probably have achieved far more than him by now. Talented people are always a little arrogant, and he had rarely seen Qian Chenghai praise someone so highly.
Qian Chenghai sighed: "You can't deny it. Sometimes you can tell how capable someone is just by chatting with them or looking at their prescription."
"That's true." Wang Jingde pondered for a moment, "However, Old Li has never been easy to talk to, and he has some prejudice against folk healers..."
Qian Chenghai: "That's why I came to you."
The "Old Li" they were talking about was the third person they planned to find, and also the one with the highest status among the three. Currently, his student was in charge of the review, so if he could step in, the matter would be a sure thing.
Wang Jingde: "Okay, let me meet that Dr. Zhang tomorrow. I'll get to know him and then think about how to recommend him to Old Li."
Qian Chenghai smiled and said, "Okay. Dr. Zhang should have just arrived today. Let's do it tomorrow. I'll bring him over tomorrow."
......
The provincial capital is, after all, a first-tier city, with a better economy and a larger scale than Qinghe. The group saw a more prosperous urban landscape, especially enjoying the cool summer breeze on the river cruise ship at night and admiring the dazzling night view formed by the high-rise buildings on both banks, which they praised highly.
"I wish the starry sky were as dazzling as it used to be," Su Jun said with a touch of regret.
While working on his water-powered armillary sphere, he frequently visited the Imperial Observatory and developed a love for stargazing. After arriving in modern times, he felt everything was fine except for the hazy, gray night sky, which was nothing like the clear, bright skies of ancient times, where the Milky Way was clearly visible to the naked eye.
Lu Xiaoqi shook her head regretfully: "Forget about it in the city. Even if the air is good, the light pollution is too severe."
Su Jun hummed in agreement, then added, "Things are rarely perfect."
Zhang Zhongjing, who was listening nearby, chuckled and said, "If everyone could think like you, there wouldn't be so many illnesses caused by emotional imbalances."
The group chatted and laughed as they disembarked from the cruise ship. Lu Xiaoqi planned to take them to the pedestrian street along the river for a stroll and to grab a bite to eat. Every city has such a pedestrian street for tourists to visit and linger. Lu Xiaoqi always complained about it when she traveled, but she still went every time. Especially this time, when she was acting as a part-time tour guide with them, she felt that the pedestrian street was indeed a great place to visit.
However, they encountered an accident just as they arrived at the entrance to the pedestrian street.
A rapid sound of wheels screeching against the ground rang out, followed by a loud "bang".
Someone shouted, "You've hit someone!"
Was there a car accident?
Lu Xiaoqi led everyone to a sudden stop. Some people quickly left the scene, while others gathered around. From their discussion, she learned that a food delivery driver on an electric scooter had suddenly rushed out from around the corner and been hit by a motorcycle that couldn't brake in time.
"It's terrible, there's blood everywhere."
She felt a pang of pain just listening to it and shuddered. Before she could react, she saw Zhang Zhongjing already pushing his way forward: "I'll go take a look."
Lu Xiaoqi was a little anxious; the words "You haven't gotten your medical license yet" were already on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them back. After thinking for a moment, she asked Sister Song Wu to push Li Bing to a secluded spot by the roadside, while she pulled Su Jun along and quickly followed.
Sure enough, an electric scooter lay overturned on the ground, and the delivery guy in the yellow uniform was lying there, pale-faced and breathing rapidly, with a large scrape on his forehead. But the most serious injury was to his calf; his pants were soaked with blood, which had even seeped onto the ground.
The driver of the car that hit the person was frantically dialing for emergency medical assistance.
Zhang Zhongjing squeezed out and squatted down next to the young man.
Someone nearby saw him about to reach out and quickly shouted, "Sir, don't move him. Wait for the ambulance to arrive."
Zhang Zhongjing raised his head: "I am a doctor."
The man paused for a moment, then fell silent. He had an air of otherworldly wisdom, the kind of old Chinese medicine doctor or Taoist priest you'd see in period dramas; he could easily pass for a physician...
But is it traditional Chinese medicine?
Zhang Zhongjing actually had a lot of first aid experience. He lived in an era of frequent wars and often encountered wounded people. He even served in the army for a while. Later, he thought about publishing his first aid experience in a medical book, but then the plague broke out, and he devoted himself to the study of typhoid fever, so he had no time for anything else.
He pressed his finger on the young man's philtrum and then pried open his eyelids. Seeing that his pupils reacted, Zhang Zhongjing was finally relieved.
I increased the pressure a little, and the guy groaned.
Zhang Zhongjing then placed his fingers on his pulse and began to examine it.
The onlookers whispered among themselves: "Will it work? He's a traditional Chinese medicine doctor; I don't think traditional Chinese medicine is good for emergency treatment."
"Sigh, let's try anything, even if it's a dead end. Why hasn't the ambulance arrived yet?"
Some people quietly took out their phones and started recording videos.
Zhang Zhongjing paid no attention to what the people around him were doing; all his attention was focused on the injured man. After taking his pulse, his brow furrowed, and it seemed that the situation was not good.
"Bring me my medicine bag," he said to Su Jun, who was standing guard beside him.
Zhang Zhongjing never left his medicine bag behind. He had come to the provincial capital to participate in an assessment, so he naturally brought his medicine bag with him.
Su Jun took out a medicine bag and gave it to him. He first pulled out a long gold needle from it, and asked Su Jun to help him take off the injured man's shoes and socks. He then found the hidden white spot on the big toe and neatly inserted it.
A soft gasp rippled through the surrounding crowd.
"It's acupuncture!"
Can acupuncture stop bleeding?
"have no idea."
Most people's impression of acupuncture was still limited to relieving muscle fatigue and joint pain, and they were all whispering about it. Fortunately, Zhang Zhongjing's series of treatments seemed smooth and skillful, and no one stood up to stop him.
"Pull his pants up," he instructed Su Jun, "on the injured leg."
Su Jun did as instructed, and his pants became stuck to his legs with blood.
"Here you go, I have scissors." A bystander offered a helping hand.
Thank you.
After the pants were cut open, a series of gasps filled the air. The young man's shinbone was clearly broken, with bone fragments protruding from his skin; it looked like he was in excruciating pain.
“This fracture needs to be immobilized, otherwise it might cause problems if you move it later.” Zhang Zhongjing stood up, looked around, and quickly noticed a pair of bamboo chopsticks in the takeout box that had rolled to the ground. He immediately picked them up and asked Lu Xiaoqi, “Do you have a handkerchief or a belt?”
Lu Xiaoqi shook her head.
A girl nearby immediately exclaimed, "I have one! I have one!"
She took a silk scarf off her bag: "How about this?"
Zhang Zhongjing accepted it: "Okay."
Using bamboo chopsticks and a silk scarf, he created a simple splint to immobilize the patient's injury. After doing all this, he remained squatting on the ground, pressing on the patient's Zusanli and Shangjuxu acupoints.
After waiting for about three or four minutes, we finally heard the siren of an ambulance. The car owner hurriedly brought over the paramedics who had finally arrived.
When the group arrived at the scene, they were taken aback. Lu Xiaoqi quickly went over to them and said, "My elder relative is a doctor. He just treated his wound and stopped the bleeding."
The paramedics nodded, noticed the gold needles on the patient's big toe, and a thought popped into their minds: Is this actually traditional Chinese medicine?
Now that they were here, Lu Xiaoqi leaned over and whispered a few words to Zhang Zhongjing. Zhang Zhongjing, who also wanted to see how Western medicine performed emergency care, immediately stepped aside.
Someone lifted the injured person onto a stretcher to prepare for transporting them to the vehicle, while someone else came over to inquire about the first aid measures taken.
He then recounted his actions in detail: "Besides fixing the wound, pricking Yinbaixue has a hemostatic effect, and pressing Zusanli and Shangjuxu can strengthen the kidneys and nourish the vital energy. In addition, judging from his pulse, I am afraid that his spleen has ruptured and there is a risk of internal bleeding."
The paramedics paused for a moment, then nodded: "Understood, we'll be careful."
The ambulance, carrying the injured, drove off again, making a lot of noise.
Zhang Zhongjing stood there, staring at the direction the car had disappeared for a long time before he came to his senses. If this were in Qinghe City, he would definitely have followed it and gone to the hospital to get checked out, but now that they were in the provincial capital and he had companions with him, it wouldn't be appropriate.
The crowd that had gathered gradually dispersed.
"Let's go too," Zhang Zhongjing said with a smile. "We're actually quite hungry."
......
The injured deliveryman was quickly taken to the emergency room. After the bleeding was stopped, he was sent for a CT scan, which revealed a ruptured spleen with internal bleeding. He was then rushed to the operating room.
The next morning, the emergency room resident, who had worked through the night, did some final work and wasn't ready to leave until noon.
At noon, the atmosphere in the emergency room office finally became a little more relaxed, and everyone was able to sit down, take a break, and chat for a bit.
While in the emergency room, I kept thinking about a case I saw last night, which I shared with my colleagues: "...It was said that an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor was on-site to perform emergency treatment. After taking the pulse, he said that the spleen was likely ruptured and that we should be careful. As it turned out, when we got to the hospital and had a CT scan, it really was a ruptured spleen."
"So amazing? Can you even tell by taking a pulse?"
"It must have been a coincidence, right? It's quite normal for organs to rupture after an impact."
The young doctors all shook their heads, thinking the old traditional Chinese medicine doctor must have just guessed correctly. They were all medically educated and wouldn't think traditional Chinese medicine was useless, but many people selectively believe in it—they think acupuncture and certain classical formulas are useful, but pulse diagnosis... Everyone remembers the news from a few years ago about someone specifically creating a test to diagnose pregnancy using pulse diagnosis, and the accuracy rate wasn't very high.
Many people subconsciously believe that pulse diagnosis is nothing but pseudoscience.
The senior emergency room inpatient, despite his extensive experience, shook his head: "Don't underestimate veteran traditional Chinese medicine doctors. Besides, the on-site handling yesterday was quite good..."
That must be a very experienced doctor.
Before the others could say anything more, a cough came from the doorway: "What are you talking about?"
Everyone turned to look and immediately stood up: "Director!"
Seeing an elderly man with gray hair standing next to the head of the emergency department, they all tensed up: "Old Li!"
Old Li was a specially appointed expert at the hospital, a veteran traditional Chinese medicine doctor, and a renowned physician in the province. They were discussing his impending death, and Old Li overheard them taking his pulse. They all felt things were going badly!
The atmosphere suddenly became awkward.
Unfazed by the awkwardness, Old Li asked directly, "Were you just discussing traditional Chinese medicine emergency treatment? What happened?"
The emergency room resident dutifully repeated the topics they had just discussed.
Old Li became interested: "Oh? Did that old gentleman come to the hospital with you?"
The resident shook his head.
At that moment, a quick-witted female intern suddenly pulled out her phone: "Is this it? I saw it this morning, and it sounded so familiar when you guys were discussing it..."
She held the phone up to Mr. Li's face, and Mr. Li immediately took off his reading glasses hanging around his neck and looked at it carefully.
The video of last night's car accident, taken by someone else and uploaded online, quickly climbed to the top of the local trending list. Many people lamented that the driver was completely innocent in this misfortune, but also sympathized with the deliveryman who was being exploited by the platform, leaving messages and praying for the deliveryman's speedy recovery.
Many people also noticed Zhang Zhongjing's treatment of the wounded.
Is it Traditional Chinese Medicine?
【Ugh, what use is Traditional Chinese Medicine in this kind of situation? Are they going to brew the medicine on the spot?】
[What's with the sarcastic tone? Yunnan Baiyao was invented by the very traditional Chinese medicine you all look down on. Well, judging by your idiotic appearance, you probably haven't even fully developed your brain; it's normal that you don't know these basic facts.]
[This person looks like a very experienced traditional Chinese medicine doctor.]
Ignoring the chaotic comment section, Dr. Li carefully watched all of Zhang Zhongjing's actions in the video, nodded, returned the phone to the intern, said nothing, exchanged a few words with the head of the emergency department, and then turned and left.
Everyone relaxed their shoulders.
Old Li is a very serious and unsmiling person, which is quite intimidating.
The head of the emergency department shook his head helplessly: "You guys..."
After exiting the elevator, Mr. Li received a phone call from someone identified as "Wang Jingde".
“Old Li, I’ve already met this Dr. Zhang, and he’s truly amazing.” Wang Jingde’s voice came through. “This time it’s absolutely reliable. Not to mention me, you know Old Qian, and you don’t trust his recommendation? Here, come over now and meet him too.”
Old Li snorted coldly: "With that look in your eyes, I don't even want to say anything more."
His resistance to Wang Jingde's recommendation was not without reason.
At that time, Wang Jingde also recommended a folk doctor, saying that his family had a long tradition of medical practice and that his skills were passed down through generations. Wang Jingde had met the man and, finding his medical skills to be of good quality, co-signed the letter of recommendation with him.
As a result, after obtaining the title of renowned doctor, the doctor no longer practiced medicine and saved lives in his hometown as before. Instead, he became enthusiastic about socializing, using his title to befriend some social elites, and then advertising some substandard products in order to make quick money.
Old Li was very depressed.
He felt he had misjudged the person and was somewhat angry with Wang Jingde, wondering if he didn't know how to assess the character of the people he recommended.
So when Wang Jingde called him again, Old Li initially didn't answer. Now that the other party was persistent, Old Li sighed and could only give Wang Jingde the courtesy he was owed.
"I can go, but let me make this clear beforehand: if the medical skills or the person is not up to standard, I will not sign the consent form."
Wang Jingde: "Hurry up! I'm not kidding, this Dr. Zhang is really amazing this time!"
His praise aroused Li Lao's curiosity, so after lunch he went to the provincial medical college.
At this time, Zhang Zhongjing, accompanied by Wang Jingde, was observing the situation at the medical school.
He came over right after breakfast today, accompanied by Su Jun. Lu Xiaoqi and Song Wu Sao accompanied Li Bing to the provincial museum.
The provincial medical college gave Zhang Zhongjing a great surprise. He saw many young people going back and forth between different buildings to attend different classes, and he felt that this was the vitality that the medical profession should have.
But he also had a question: "Teaching an apprentice can lead to the master starving; don't the old doctors of today keep their knowledge to themselves?"
When he taught his apprentices, he taught them everything he knew. However, he was an anomaly at the time. Most people chose to keep their skills to themselves, hiding their true abilities and only passing them on to the next generation in their families. They would only teach the superficial aspects to apprentices who came from outside.
Qian Chenghai, who came to accompany him, found his question a bit strange and laughed: "Doctors are a profession that values seniority and experience, especially for internal medicine doctors like us. The older we get, the more sought after we become. Although we teach, how can these students learn so easily? It takes at least ten or eight years before they can show their talent."
He sighed softly; these days, young doctors have it tough.
Thinking of her son again, she became even more worried. Even if it takes ten or twenty years, let alone ten or eight, some children still won't understand.
Wang Jingde nodded in agreement: "What's most worrying now is that young people are no longer coming to study medicine, let alone traditional Chinese medicine. Good talents are in high demand."
Su Jun, who had been listening silently, suddenly spoke up: "It's because there are too many people now, so there are a lot more doctors. Naturally, there's no longer the same competitive spirit as before."
They used to have only so many people and such a small market, and many ordinary people couldn't afford medical care. A town could only support a few doctors, so naturally, the apprentice would starve while the master starved.
But I don't worry about that at all now, or rather, I don't have to worry about it most of the time.
Wang Jingde chuckled: "Yes, the young man is right. Our country only has about 3 doctors per 1,000 people, while those established developed countries can reach 5 or even higher. And among them, the proportion of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners is even smaller, so we still need to make greater efforts."
Zhang Zhongjing couldn't help but smile and shake his head slightly.
Having three doctors for every thousand people was a luxury in ancient times! Yet they still seemed dissatisfied. Sigh, it's true what they say, comparisons are odious.
He then looked at the curriculum for medical students and was surprised to find that these young people had a lot to learn. Biology, chemistry... he couldn't understand any of it, but it all seemed very impressive.
Zhang Zhongjing's gaze quickly settled on a particular subject.
Epidemiology.
His hands began to tremble slightly, and he seemed lost in thought. Su Jun, standing nearby, quickly noticed his unease: "Dr. Zhang?"
Zhang Zhongjing was brought back to his senses by his shout, but the deep sorrow in his heart still lingered for a long time.
He asked Wang Jingde and Qian Chenghai, "What stage has the research on the plague reached now?"
"That's a difficult question to answer," Wang Jingde said, having just finished discussing medical principles with him for a long time and deeply admiring him. In his mind, he had already vaguely formed a persona for Zhang Zhongjing: a rare and extraordinary master who was devoted to his ancestral medicine, stayed in a small town, focused solely on practicing medicine, and paid little attention to worldly affairs. It was quite normal that he was unaware of the current development of epidemiology.
He and Qian Chenghai introduced Zhang Zhongjing to him, and then said, "Now, the study of epidemic diseases in traditional Chinese medicine is also a key discipline that the higher authorities are paying close attention to. For example, the Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine has established this discipline based on the theory of febrile diseases. Our medical school also plans to prepare for the establishment of this discipline. When that happens, we will definitely have to invite you to give a few lectures."
Zhang Zhongjing was somewhat excited: "I will obey your orders without question."
He suddenly remembered that Lu Xiaoqi had asked him what his wish was. Originally, he thought he had no obsessions and was indifferent to worldly affairs. But now, he felt that he might be starting to have some thoughts.
When Elder Li arrived, they were discussing the Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases and the Synopsis of Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber.
Zhang Zhongjing listened to later generations discussing his book, finding it both amusing and slightly embarrassing. As he listened, he wondered to himself, "Was this what I was thinking when I wrote this? I don't remember."
When they heard some details and started arguing about the wording in the book, he even corrected them: "The original text isn't actually like this; the original text is actually like this..."
He recalled what he had written at the time, and combined it with his recent insights from studying later generations of medical techniques, and revised that sentence again.
Qian Chenghai and Wang Jingde exchanged bewildered glances: "...Is this the original text?"
However, the *Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases* was indeed lost and scattered due to war after Zhang Zhongjing's death, and the current version is a compilation by later generations, having undergone several revisions. But how did Dr. Zhang know what the original text was like?
Su Jun made a fist, put it to his lips, and coughed lightly to remind him.
Dr. Zhang, don't give yourself away!
At this moment, Old Li, who had been listening at the door for a while, kept pondering the original sentence that Zhang Zhongjing had uttered. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was brilliant to use this sentence to explain the case in the book.
He couldn't help but rush in: "Sir, do you have an old edition of the Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases?"
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