This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

Some of Du Heng’s ideas even unexpectedly coincided with my own. At this moment, I’ve lost confidence in Doctor Guan from my own hospital. Although Doctor Guan might not be able to compete anymore, this perception won’t change.

As the two were deep in conversation, Zhang Dewen and his junior colleague entered, interrupting their talk.

Upon seeing this, Director He stepped aside and said, ”Sir Zhang, we have been waiting for you.”

Zhang Dewen nodded to Director He, then carefully sized up Du Heng. This is my second encounter with Du Heng, yet my attitude has changed drastically from the first.

Du Heng was still very respectful to his seniors and greeted him respectfully, ”Hello, Sir Zhang.”

Zhang Dewen nodded slightly and then said softly, ”I heard from Director He earlier that you were able to treat the patient with three doses of medicine, which I admit I cannot do. So, I’m curious. I want to hear Doctor Du’s understanding of the patient’s condition. Was my diagnosis wrong, or was my medication incorrect, preventing me from achieving the same results as Doctor Du, who saw effects with just three doses of medicine?”

With a slight gesture of his hand, he invited, ”Doctor Du, could you share your thoughts on this condition?”

His words were soft yet sharp, and he still maintained the pride and demeanor of a senior.

Du Heng cleared his throat. ”Director Jia has a bad temper and is prone to anger due to his job. Moreover, before the onset of the illness, he already showed mild signs of a stroke. Anger injures the liver, causing liver fire to stir frenetically, even disturbing the sovereign fire, leading to insufficient heart blood and the symptoms of a stroke. As medical texts say, the Heart cannot be subjected to heat; when heat is present, there is a lapse. This is the cause of Director Jia’s frequent convulsions. Based on this judgment, regulating liver qi should suffice for gradual recovery.”

As Du Heng spoke, Zhang Dewen’s brow slowly furrowed. What Du Heng said is also my diagnosis. But with this diagnosis, I don’t believe Du Heng can come up with a medicine that could cure this disease with just three doses based on existing Chinese herbal medicine.

However, Zhang Dewen had the patience not to interrupt Du Heng hastily. He wanted to listen to how Du Heng would prescribe medicine later. Only after hearing the prescription could he make a final judgment.

As Zhang Dewen’s thoughts began to drift, Du Heng paused briefly and changed the topic radically. ”This diagnosis is a common one that Chinese Medicine Doctors arrive at when treating liver qi stagnation stroke cases. This diagnosis cannot be said to be wrong, but it’s not completely right either. If treatment is based on this line of thought, the patient’s recovery time would be prolonged, wasting the optimal treatment time, and perhaps even leaving some sequelae due to the use of certain medicines. It’s a method that treats the symptoms but not the root cause, with too many uncertainties.”

Director He opened his mouth but didn’t say anything. What Du Heng just said was the result of my consultation with colleagues from the Chinese Medicine Department. I didn’t expect Du Heng to reject it directly, which suddenly makes me feel a little embarrassed. Well... this embarrassment is just a polite awkwardness that emerged simply because we are colleagues.

Director He remained silent, but Zhang Dewen suddenly asked, ”Doctor Du, are you saying that the previous diagnosis is wrong?”

Du Heng shook his head. ”As I just said, this diagnosis cannot be considered wrong, only incomplete. It doesn’t reveal the root cause of the disease.”

”Please, elaborate.” Zhang Dewen maintained the demeanor of an elder, showing consideration for the junior.

Du Heng adjusted himself slightly and continued, ”The root cause of Director Jia’s illness is alcohol consumption. And alcohol consumption injures the liver, which seems to bring us back to the previous topic. However, it’s not quite the case.”

Everyone remained silent, all staring intently at Du Heng, waiting patiently for his further explanation.

”We all know that the liver and gallbladder share an exterior-interior relationship; when liver qi inversion occurs, gallbladder qi also inverts, and when liver fire stirs, gallbladder fire stirs as well,” Du Heng said softly. ”With this premise in mind, let’s re-examine Director Jia’s alcohol consumption. When alcohol enters the viscera, it must first enter the gallbladder. When alcohol seeps into the gallbladder, it is converted into water. However, alcohol is highly heating in nature. If consumed excessively, although the alcohol is converted into water, its heat is not completely dissipated and remains in the gallbladder. Moreover, Director Jia is prone to anger, which injures the liver. Consequently, the liver fire, having nowhere else to vent, is diverted into the gallbladder. With the heat from the alcohol and the fire from the liver, the gallbladder becomes even hotter.”

After a brief pause, Du Heng continued, ”The liver and gallbladder are the mother of the Heart. When the mother is hot, it will call upon its child to help alleviate the situation. Therefore, heat in the gallbladder will naturally transfer to the Heart. As we mentioned earlier, the Heart cannot withstand heat; when subjected to heat, it leads to a lapse.

Speaking to this point, Du Heng chuckled. ”This is precisely where the initial diagnosis went wrong. Director Jia’s illness isn’t caused by liver fire, but by heart heat induced by gallbladder heat. It’s precisely because of the principle that ’the liver and gallbladder share an exterior-interior relationship’ that many Chinese Medicine Doctors, during treatment, focus only on the liver and neglect the gallbladder. This results in them getting their priorities backward and fundamentally missing the core cause of the illness.”

These words made Zhang Dewen, a Chinese Medicine Doctor, blush and feel quite ashamed.

’When the mother is hot, it must call upon its child to help alleviate the situation.’ Zhang Dewen smiled wryly and couldn’t help but say, ”This ’exterior-interior relationship’ between the liver and gallbladder... how exactly does it work? We always tell our students to read books, claiming that everything is in them. Yet, we often find that even after we’ve worn out the pages and meticulously followed the methods described, the results are still unsatisfactory. Heh, it’s truly a case of ’falsehoods passed down in countless volumes, while true transmission lies in a single phrase.’ Doctor Du, your words on the liver and gallbladder could truly be considered canonical in this field.”

Du Heng didn’t know what Zhang Dewen was thinking, but he still modestly said, ”Sir Zhang, you flatter me.”

Zhang Dewen shook his head. ”Right is right, wrong is wrong. There’s no flattery involved. Doctor Du, please continue.”

Regarding Zhang Dewen’s attitude, Du Heng himself didn’t feel much, only thinking, This Master truly has the demeanor of a Master.

However, this made the junior colleague standing behind Zhang Dewen think, My teacher might have lost his mind too! Guan Bo ended up like this, and competing with Du Heng must have been the trigger. Zhang Dewen’s treatment of Du Heng truly baffled the junior colleague. In my opinion, since Du Heng was responsible for his student’s current state, even if Teacher didn’t openly turn hostile, he definitely wouldn’t be showing him such a favorable attitude.

So, Zhang Dewen’s behavior left him very puzzled. Perhaps the junior colleague never realized that it was precisely this kind of petty-mindedness that made Zhang Dewen dislike him. But then again, who ever thinks they themselves are in the wrong?

After hearing Zhang Dewen’s words, Du Heng continued, ”The treatment method is to urgently dispel the heat in the Heart. However, since this heart heat doesn’t originate in the Heart, we must still clear heat from the gallbladder. And since the gallbladder’s heat isn’t intrinsic to it, the ultimate root is to clear heat from the liver. So, this approach is quite different from the regulating liver qi method we discussed initially.”

Du Heng glanced at Director Jia on the sick bed and continued, ”Regulating liver qi requires three months of effort, but clearing liver heat only requires three doses of medicine.”

Zhang Dewen nodded in agreement with Du Heng’s words, but he was most curious about the most crucial step. ”Doctor Du, how are you going to prescribe medicine?”

”Xiaoyao Powder, modified.”

”How will you modify it?”

”Add gardenia to clear fire, kudzu flowers to counteract alcohol toxicity, and white mustard seed to dispel phlegm.” Du Heng’s answer was quick and decisive, showing he had already considered the medication thoroughly. ”Illnesses from alcohol are invariably accompanied by dampness, and dampness readily generates phlegm. Eliminate the dampness, and the phlegm loses its support; eliminate the phlegm, and the fire loses its momentum. Once dampness has no support and fire loses its momentum, there will be no more convulsions. Subsequently, as the heat subsides and qi and blood circulate properly, his limbs will recover. Furthermore, poria and sojutsu var will be used generously in the formula, alongside bupleurum and white peony, to strengthen these effects.”

Once Du Heng finished speaking, Zhang Dewen fell silent, contemplating Du Heng’s proposed medication.

After a long pause, Zhang Dewen said slowly, ”Doctor Du, you are young and exceptionally talented. Your medical skills are comparable to those of the ancient sages. This is a blessing for traditional Chinese medicine and for patients.”

As soon as Zhang Dewen finished speaking, everyone present glanced at each other. Isn’t this appraisal too high? Moreover, it’s coming from a National Medical Master; that carries immense weight! If word of this gets out today, Du Heng’s reputation will no longer be just that of an Internet Celebrity Doctor. He’ll truly have a standing in the national Traditional Chinese Medicine Circle.

A shiver went through Du Heng. He hurriedly straightened up, intending to thank Zhang Dewen.

However, Zhang Dewen immediately continued, ”But, young man, although your medical skills are excellent, character is even more important. In the future, follow the upright and honorable path, and your achievements will be limitless. Don’t resort to underhanded tactics like you did today. Although you’ve won face, it has detracted from your true merit. This is a piece of advice from an old man like me.”

With that, the old man turned and left.