This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

”That’s fine. Thank you for your trouble today, President Du.”

”You’re being too polite.” Du Heng chuckled. ”Director Song, remember to come and find me in three days. We can’t interrupt the treatment for this illness.”

After seeing off Director Song, Du Heng sat down at Wu Buwei’s computer and began to input the disease record.

Li Shuxun approached and said, ”Senior Brother, let me help you with the input.”

Du Heng shook his head gently. ”It’s alright, I’ll do it myself. Just one disease record won’t be the death of me.”

Du Heng glanced at the people in the office, all idle and looking for something to do. Then, he looked back at the disease record before him. ”Come now, everyone, I have a very interesting case here. Let’s discuss it together. Do you all have time?”

Do they have time?

Of course, they had time. The ward round had finished, and everything that needed doing was done. Now, they were all just waiting for the lunch break to go and eat.

They had no choice but to sit down one by one, each adopting a serious, attentive expression.

Seeing that everyone was ready, Du Heng then described Director Song’s condition, attributing it to ’a certain patient’ to maintain anonymity, and recounted the details to everyone.

”Alright, everyone, let’s first discuss what exactly is going on with this patient.” After speaking, Du Heng paid them no further mind and began to concentrate on inputting the disease record.

After listening, everyone stared at each other; no one dared to speak first. Doctor Ma had no choice but to be the first to speak.

After a soft cough, he said, ”Based on the symptoms the Dean described just now, when the patient first became ill, it was due to excessive nervousness during sexual activity. Later, the high intensity of his work led to severe mental stress. And mental stress will inevitably lead to liver qi stagnation. So, I believe this disease should be approached from the liver.”

After speaking, Doctor Ma paused for a moment, glanced around at those present, and then turned his gaze to Du Heng.

Du Heng, engrossed in inputting the disease record, heard the voice trail off and said directly, ”Don’t stop. Continue with your reasoning.”

Doctor Ma could only continue, ”My reasoning is that the external genitalia are traversed by the Jueyin Liver Meridian of the Foot. Therefore, the cause must be in the liver, and treatment should focus on soothing the liver and relieving depression.”

With Doctor Ma having started, and Du Heng seemingly wanting to hear everyone’s opinions, others grew eager to contribute. However, they were a bit slow to speak, and Li Shuxun preempted them.

”I have a slightly different idea about this condition,” Li Shuxun spoke up.

”If you have an idea, just say it.” Du Heng, having also finished typing the disease record by this point, leaned back and looked at Li Shuxun.

Li Shuxun looked around and said loudly, ”From the description just now, we know that the patient already experienced Yang Wei (impotence) and premature ejaculation before the retraction of his genitalia. Only then did the external genitalia retract into the abdomen. So, this should be a problem of abnormal reproductive function. And since the kidney governs reproduction, the site of the disease must be in the kidney.”

Hearing Li Shuxun’s words, everyone who had been about to speak leaned back. Doctor Ma also frowned; Li Shuxun isn’t wrong, he thought.

But Du Heng just chuckled and said, ”So, what’s the problem with the kidney, and how should it be treated?”

Hearing Du Heng’s question, Li Shuxun felt he must be on the right track and spoke with even more confidence, ”Before the onset of the illness, the patient experienced an aversion to cold and a general feeling of coldness. This is a manifestation of insufficient kidney yang. Therefore, the treatment should focus on warming and nourishing kidney yang.”

After speaking, he looked at Du Heng, awaiting his final judgment.

But before Du Heng could speak, another, older doctor spoke up, ”I also have a slightly different idea.”

Du Heng smiled faintly. ”Dr. Gu, please go ahead.”

Dr. Gu, a middle-aged man, coughed, looked around at his colleagues, and then focused his gaze on Du Heng, who was sitting upright.

Although he was still an attending physician, the reason I haven’t been promoted to Senior Physician, or even Deputy Senior Physician, isn’t due to my own abilities, he mused. It’s just bad luck and the limitations of this platform at the Municipal Maternal and Child Health Hospital. It has nothing to do with my actual skill level.

”Doctor Ma and Dr. Xiao Li aren’t wrong,” Dr. Gu stated, ”but you’ve overlooked a very important point.”

Doctor Ma and Li Shuxun, thus singled out, looked at Dr. Gu together with puzzled expressions, waiting for him to continue.

Dr. Gu chuckled softly. ”The Dean mentioned earlier that when the patient has an episode, a cold sensation from his lower abdomen rushes directly to the crown of his head. What symptom is this?”

He looked around again and, not waiting for others to speak, continued, ”If you have carefully read the medical texts, you will realize this is none other than Running Piglet Syndrome. Running Piglet, where qi from the lower abdomen surges up to the chest and throat, correct? So, I believe the treatment for this illness should start with treating Running Piglet Syndrome.”

After Dr. Gu finished, Dr. Ma immediately refuted, ”The symptoms are indeed very similar to Running Piglet Syndrome. However, patients with Running Piglet Syndrome might experience labored breathing, palpitations, irritability, and other symptoms, but they absolutely will not experience retraction of the genitalia due to cold. Therefore, this patient’s presentation is simply a manifestation of insufficient yang qi in the body; it has nothing to do with Running Piglet Syndrome.”

Now things were moving. With Doctor Ma having set a fine example, others began to voice their opinions one after another. However, their contributions no longer proposed new ideas for syndrome differentiation but rather coalesced into three distinct discussion groups, making the office quite lively.

Du Heng did not stop them, just listening quietly. After all, truth is revealed through reasoning, and understanding through discussion. Such debates help everyone improve. Regardless of who is right or wrong, there will be gains in the end.

Of course, this doesn’t apply to those whose hearts aren’t in it.

As everyone was discussing enthusiastically, Wu Buwei returned to the office.

However, just as he entered, he was taken aback by the lively atmosphere of the discussion.

He had been there for ten days. Usually, the people he saw were all preoccupied with their own tasks, appearing rather lax and disorganized. He had truly never seen anything like it before.

Curious, he asked a colleague at the edge of the group what was happening. After understanding the reason for the discussion, he didn’t rush to join in but instead lowered his head and began to ponder.

As the discussion progressed, the three groups gradually merged into two: the liver and kidney proponents slowly joined forces, while the Running Piglet Syndrome argument remained separate.

However, after listening for a while, Wu Buwei felt that their combined liver and kidney argument still differed somewhat from his own understanding, so he timidly raised his hand. ”Everyone, may I say a few words?”

Instantly, everyone fell silent, even the fiercely debating Dr. Gu.

Who is Wu Buwei? He was Du Heng’s junior fellow apprentice, personally mentored by him. Moreover, during the recent stroke training, they had all come to recognize Wu Buwei’s capabilities.

”Dr. Wu, please speak.”

”The liver is fundamental to the body’s endurance against fatigue, and the vitality of human life activities depends on the strength of kidney function. Considering all the patient’s symptoms, he likely has a deficiency in his Lower Prime and yin cold affecting the liver and kidney.”

After Wu Buwei finished speaking, he looked at everyone. Seeing they remained silent, he continued, ”Moreover, the patient was previously under mental stress and physically exhausted by his demanding job. The combination of these factors led to sexual dysfunction, malnourishment of the Zongjin (reproductive area), and cold causing contraction. Therefore, the treatment method should be to warm the liver and kidney, regulate Yin and Yang, and nourish the lower Jiao.”

After Wu Buwei finished, everyone looked at each other. Just as they were mulling over whether his words were correct, applause suddenly reached their ears.

Turning around, they saw Du Heng, who had been silent until now, smiling and gently clapping.

”That was very well said, and your understanding of the liver and kidney is quite accurate.” Du Heng smiled at Wu Buwei. ”However, next time, please try not to be so verbose. Everyone here is a senior doctor; you don’t need to explain so much. Your first two points, that ’the liver is the root of physical stamina’ and ’the kidney is the official in charge of the body’s strength,’ would have sufficed.”

Wu Buwei nodded in response to Du Heng’s gentle guidance.

However, this habit of his—explaining things in plain language—was something he had learned from Du Heng. Over the past year, when Du Heng explained conditions to patients at the Health Clinic, he rarely used traditional Chinese medicine terminology, mostly opting for plain language. Having seen and heard this approach so often, Wu Buwei had adopted it himself.

Although Du Heng had critiqued Wu Buwei’s delivery, his ability in syndrome differentiation genuinely impressed Du Heng and brought him credit.

A junior Chinese Medicine Doctor with an undergraduate degree, under my guidance for less than a year, and he already has this level of ability... Best not to dwell on it, or I’ll get too proud.

His smile fading, Du Heng prepared to pose a more challenging question to Wu Buwei.