This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

”Doctor Du, you just said that the combination of ophiopogon and northern schisandra was to nourish its source of generation without harming its foundation. So, Doctor Du, what research evidence do you have to support this claim?”

”Doctor Du, although I practice Western medicine, I am familiar with some classic, renowned prescriptions of Traditional Chinese Medicine, like the ’Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Decoction’ you just mentioned. I know its effects and contraindications. But that’s a classic, renowned prescription, a verified prescription derived from long-term application. You, however, just said that jujube kernel and chamomile, when combined, can ensure smooth heart qi. So my question is, how do jujube kernel and chamomile interact or regulate each other, and what is the scientific basis for this effect?”

”Hello, Doctor Du. I am the emergency department Director of this hospital. My question is: what is the probability of adverse effects with your medication? If an emergency arises, where in the body is it most likely to manifest, and what form would it take? Also, if we need to perform emergency resuscitation, what are the chemical properties of the drugs you’re using now? Will they conflict with our standard emergency medications?”

...

Seven or eight questions bombarded Du Heng.

Du Heng was a bit dumbfounded. Research basis? Scientific support? Support my foot! What bloody science is this! My prescription is a traditional Chinese medicine compound prescription, not a Western medicine formulated at the molecular level. More importantly, this prescription is tailored specifically for this elderly patient today—a classic example of individualized treatment. Where am I supposed to find research basis and scientific support for that? If I cite Traditional Chinese Medicine classics, they definitely won’t accept it. They want molecular research, the kind they’re familiar with. Anything not conforming to their methods would be branded pseudoscience. Besides, even if I gave them the answers they wanted, they’d just grill me on dosages, using their ’scientific’ approach to pick it apart.

Du Heng’s mind raced. I’m quite familiar with the theories and classics of Traditional Chinese Medicine now, but explaining them using their kind of ’scientific research’… that really struck a raw nerve. I’m a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine compound prescriptions, a successor to traditional techniques. This kind of research on Chinese herbal medicines, already leaning towards modern medicine, isn’t my forte. I genuinely don’t know if any such research reports even exist! Moreover, while I might have some influence in Society, in front of this group gathered in this room, my reputation and standing make me insignificant. Explaining things using traditional Chinese medicine methods won’t convince them. So, even though I understand what they’re getting at, I have no way to respond.

However, at this moment, Sun Jiaxiang gave a soft cough, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.

Then, the elder began to address the questions aimed at Du Heng one by one.

He was very old, old enough to be the grandfather of the doctors who had just posed the questions.

He held a high position. His titles—Academician, Tutor for PHD, Tenured Professor, National Medical Master, head of the Health Committee, and overlord of the Capital Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Research Institute—were each dazzling enough to lend immense credibility to his words.

He possessed vast experience. He had served at least three generations of national leaders, as well as current and former heads of various Capital Departments. The resurgence and revival of Traditional Chinese Medicine had been built up, bit by bit, under his guidance.

More importantly, he was a pharmacology expert himself, having become an Academician due to his research in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The same words carried entirely different weight coming from him compared to Du Heng.

As Sun Jiaxiang continued to field the barrage of questions, Du Heng gradually noticed a subtle pattern among the attendees.

The representatives from various Departments sent to ’oversee’ the proceedings were all calmly observing from the sidelines. They neither asked nor answered questions, nor did they even interject.

The questioners, however, were all from the field of modern medicine. Du Heng recognized two of them without needing an introduction. One was a cardiovascular expert of the same caliber as Sun Jiaxiang, whose student was currently the nation’s top heart surgeon.

Another, though not from the Capital, was an equally renowned Kidney Disease Expert. His student, in particular, had achieved global recognition in nephrology.

It was rumored that this elder’s student had performed over thirty kidney transplants and published more than ten papers on the subject, all featured on prominent Foreign medical platforms.

So, these weren’t just nationally renowned experts; they were leading figures in their respective fields globally.

The only minor caveat was the surgeon’s failure to disclose detailed donor and recipient data, leading some to suspect data fabrication.

Of course, given that the work had been published on top-tier international professional platforms, this minor flaw was largely overlooked and didn’t detract from the student’s standing as a world-leading kidney expert.

With two such recognized titans present, it was clear the others were of comparable stature. I’m definitely not qualified to go head-to-head with these people right now.

The rest of the attendees were divided into two distinct groups, with a very clear line drawn between them.