Chapter 10 Gu Baobao Takes Emergency Measures
"Baby! Gu Baobao! Quick! Go check! Li Hongbing got bitten on the neck by a pheasant!"
"Grandpa Chen isn't here, you should go and take a look!"
The door was suddenly pushed open, and several sweating commune members crowded around a pale-faced person.
The man, supported by two men, rushed in, followed by the Red Soldier's wife, who was crying so hard she was almost breathless.
Gu Baobao felt a chill and immediately stood up.
"Wild pheasant neck" is a local name for a highly venomous viper.
It is highly toxic, has a rapid onset of symptoms, and can be fatal or cause serious disability if not treated promptly.
She strode forward:
"Lay him flat! Where was he bitten? How long has it been?"
The man supporting Li Hongbing quickly placed him on the simple wooden bed inside the house.
Li Hongbing was already somewhat delirious, his face was pale, he was covered in cold sweat, and his lips were trembling so he couldn't speak a complete sentence.
His wife rushed to the bedside and pointed to his left calf:
"Here...right here! Around noon, in the bean field on the east slope...it's been about half an hour!"
Gu Baobao crouched down and carefully rolled up Li Hongbing's trouser leg. Above his calf, she could see two clear fang marks, the area around which was swollen and the skin a horrifying dark purple that was spreading outwards.
The situation is urgent!
"Do you have any rope? Strips of cloth! Clean strips of cloth!"
Gu Baobao quickly gave the instructions, her mind racing at the same time.
Standard first aid treatment includes applying a tourniquet, but this cannot completely block the artery. Cleaning the wound and detoxifying are also important. More importantly, detoxification is crucial!
Old Chen certainly doesn't have any readily available antivenom, so he can only rely on effective local herbs.
A man hurriedly tore a relatively clean strip of cloth from his undershirt and handed it over.
Gu Baobao took it and quickly tied a tight bandage about a palm's width above Li Hongbing's wound, near his heart, to slow down the rate at which the toxins flowed back with the venous blood.
Her movements were steady and precise; as she stabbed, she spoke to Li Hongbing, who still retained a sliver of consciousness:
"Uncle Hongbing, bear with it. Try not to move now, the more you move, the faster the poison will spread."
"Baby, is this...is this okay? Should we take him to the commune clinic right away?"
An older man who had come along asked worriedly.
"We definitely have to deliver it, but we can't just sit around waiting on the road."
Without raising her head, Gu Baobao gently pressed around the wound with her fingers, observing the swelling and color changes, and quickly assessing the toxicity and spread in her mind.
"We need to take emergency measures and bring it under control first."
"laugh--!"
A loud, but clearly mocking laugh came from the doorway.
Gu Baobao looked up and saw that Ye Ke had followed her there and was standing at the door.
He crossed his arms, his face bearing that look of superiority and impatience that city dwellers have when they watch country folk messing around.
"Gu Baobao, I'm telling you, don't pretend to know what you don't and show off your abilities."
Ye Ke's clear voice sounded particularly jarring in the chaotic atmosphere.
"This is a poisonous snake bite, it can be fatal! Just tie it up with a strip of cloth."
Are you playing house? Get someone to take him to the commune right away! Can you take responsibility for delaying his treatment?
Her words were so sharp that they immediately drew the attention of everyone inside and outside the house.
Hongbing's wife paused in her sobs, looking at Ye Ke with a blank and frightened expression, then at Gu Baobao.
Gu Baobao didn't stop what she was doing, and she didn't even lift her eyelids.
She was intently recalling the local folk remedies for dealing with snake venom that Old Chen had mentioned during their casual conversation, as well as the antidotes that might grow in the surrounding area.
Time is life, and wasting time talking to this kind of person is a complete waste.
But just because Gu Baobao ignores it doesn't mean others don't have opinions.
Wang, an elderly woman who had long disliked Ye Ke's aloofness and whose son had been ridiculed when he tried to speak to her, stood up and retorted, hands on her hips:
"Hey Ye Zhiqing, anyone can make sarcastic remarks, right? You know what I mean? If you know what I mean, then come and do it!"
Standing there spouting nonsense, if you're so capable, why don't you treat Hongbing?
Even though Grandpa Chen isn't here, it's better for the baby to take a look than to just wait around!
If you're not going to help, then shut up and get in the way!
"you!"
Ye Ke blushed, choked by the retort. She wanted to argue, but looking at Li Hongbing's frightening wound, how could she dare to actually touch him?
The "Rural Medical and Health Handbook" she was reading did mention that snake bites should be treated by stopping the bleeding, bandaging, and taking the patient to the hospital, but it didn't explain the specific procedures or medications to use!
She could only force herself to maintain her composure and say stiffly:
"I'm reminding her not to do anything reckless! She needs to use scientific methods!"
"Scientific method? Then tell me a scientific method."
Another aunt also joined the battle.
Ye Ke was speechless for a moment, stammering and unable to say anything coherent. Her face turned even redder, and she could only glare fiercely at Gu Baobao's back.
Gu Baobao completely ignored the verbal sparring behind her. She quickly said to a boy next to her:
"Tiedan, hurry to Dongpo and search carefully around the area where Uncle Hongbing was bitten."
Is there a herb with leaves shaped like a palm, small purple flowers, and a slightly bitter, fishy smell from its roots? I need it quickly!
Tie Dan responded and took off running.
She then said to the Red Soldier's wife:
"Auntie, don't cry. Go find some clean, cooled boiled water, the more the better, and also find the cleanest cloth."
After giving her instructions, she continued to tend to the wound. Without professional tools, she could only use the most basic methods.
She first used cooled boiled water, temporarily using the water from her water bag, to carefully rinse the surface of the wound. Then, under the tense or suspicious gazes of the crowd, she bent down:
[Host! What are you doing? Sucking with your mouth? Absolutely not! Even minor abrasions in your mouth could lead to poisoning!]
De Fu screamed.
Gu Baobao rolled her eyes inwardly:
Shut up, do you think I'm stupid?
She simply leaned closer to examine the depth of the teeth marks and the color and characteristics of the oozing fluid.
After confirming that there were no readily available devices, she decisively abandoned the unrealistic idea of ​​detoxification and focused on finding and preparing topical antidotes.
Time passed by, and each second seemed exceptionally long.
Li Hongbing's groans grew weaker and weaker, and the swelling seemed to be slowly spreading.
The Red Soldier's wife's sobs were muffled, and the atmosphere in the room was so heavy it felt like water could be squeezed out of it.
Although Ye Ke shut her mouth, the sneer of watching a good show lingered on her lips.
Just as everyone was feeling anxious, Tiedan rushed back like a gust of wind, clutching several uprooted plants tightly in his hand. "Sister Baobao! Look, isn't this it? We found it next to the rock where Uncle Hongbing fell!"
Gu Baobao took it and looked at it:
It has palmate leaves, slightly purple stems, tiny purple flowers, and a distinctive scent from its roots.
That's right, it's a variant of Paris polyphylla, locally known as "Snake-Not-Seeing," and it's one of the herbs that Old Man Chen mentioned has a certain relieving effect on viper venom!
Moreover, its growth near areas frequented by venomous snakes conforms to the natural law of "mutual generation and mutual restraint".
"That's it!"
Gu Baobao perked up.
"Quick, find me something to mash it up, I need clean stones and a bowl!"
Immediately someone handed over a stone for pounding medicine and a rough porcelain bowl.
Gu Baobao quickly washed the herbs, especially the roots and stems, and put them in a bowl, then began to pound them vigorously.
In the instant that everyone's view was blocked by the action of pounding medicine and the gathering crowd,
With a slight twitch of her fingertips, a tiny, almost invisible drop of spiritual spring water silently dripped into the medicinal mud.
It shouldn't be too much, as too much would arouse suspicion, but this little bit should be enough to maximize the medicinal effect and have a purifying and soothing effect.
The medicinal paste was quickly mashed into a dark green paste, emitting a strong, bitter, and fishy smell.
Gu Baobao used a clean wooden sliver to scoop up the medicinal paste and applied it evenly to Li Hongbing's wound.
Apply a thick layer to completely cover the two fang holes, then wrap and secure it with another clean strip of cloth that has been torn off.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com