Time Travel: The Best Doctor in Ancient Times

Chapter 44: Chapter 24 Uncle Song’s Tuberculosis_2

Was this pulse diagnosis?

He had seen the master doing just this every day, placing his hands on each patient’s pulse, alleviating their worries and pain. Had Madam also learned to do it?

Indeed, it was a family tradition. Madam had truly read medical books from a young age…

“Uncle Song, open your mouth,” Gu Changsheng looked up and ordered Uncle Song.

Uncle Song obediently opened his mouth, looking puzzledly at his wife.

Gu Changsheng frowned and pondered for a while before speaking, “Uncle Song, your tongue coating is thin and red, and your pulse is fine and rapid, indicating damage to both qi and yin, a sign of pulmonary yin deficiency. This illness only started recently; initially, it was just dry mouth and chronic dry cough, but prolonged neglect has led to consumptive lung disease.”

Uncle Song was shocked, unbelieving and trembling as he spoke, “Is what Madam says true? I have visited many medical halls, and they all said it was caused by cold entering my body, a condition that hadn’t been resolved from its root cause for a long time.”

Gu Changsheng nodded and then shook her head, continuing, “The disease was indeed initially caused by cold entering the body, but the situation is no longer the same. Uncle Song, you’ve had this condition for at least three to five years now, and it has indeed become consumptive lung disease.”

Uncle Song was dismayed, knowing consumptive lung disease was an incurable illness. Madam had just returned, and he hadn’t had the chance to care for her yet; how could he face the master!

Gu Changsheng was also very sorrowful, looking silently towards the sky—it never rains but it pours!

However, seeing Uncle Song’s utterly despondent demeanor, she immediately snapped back to reality. Now was not the time for self-pity. As a doctor, she couldn’t just watch her patients’ slow decline to death, especially since Uncle Song’s condition wasn’t yet hopeless. “Uncle Song, there’s no need to worry. Your condition is still manageable. From now on, you should limit your contact with others and cover your mouth and nose with a cloth when going out, as the disease is contagious and might infect others.”

Since there were young children in the house, Gu Changsheng had to make some precautions.

Hearing this, Uncle Song backed away in terror, coughing twice before stopping at the doorstep.

The contagious nature of his disease was new to him, and it sounded frightening; he mustn’t pass it to Madam.

“Uncle Song, do not panic. You are just at the initial stage of consumptive lung disease. I will give you acupuncture for seven consecutive days to remove the cold stagnation within your body, complemented by medicinal soups for nourishment. Within half a month, you should see significant improvement.”

“Acupuncture?” Uncle Song looked at Gu Changsheng in confusion, then looked up excitedly, his voice trembling, “Madam, are you saying this disease can be treated?”

In ancient times, once diagnosed with consumptive lung disease, most didn’t survive more than a few years and suffered terribly until death. He had never heard of using acupuncture for it, nor had he heard that it could be cured…

Gu Changsheng was aware that the medical knowledge during the Zhou Dynasty was not flourishing, and acupuncture was not yet widely practiced; even many medicinal materials were inadequate in variety and preparation.

Faced with such times, Gu Changsheng didn’t know whether to feel fortunate or regretful.

She had fiercely tormented several of the remaining elder traditional Chinese medicine practitioners in the modern era, until she finally had the chance to apprentice under Yhan’s, whose medical skills were famous for using miraculous acupuncture techniques. Yhan believed that a patient’s ailments are reflected in their appearance, manifest on their countenance, and emerge through their pulse, but the root cause lies in the body’s meridians and acupoints. Diseases should be diagnosed through acupuncture and aided by medicinal soups to eradicate their root causes.

Yhan’s methods were profound and extensive, and even with her exceptional talents, it had taken five arduous years to achieve great accomplishment, mastering Yhan’s authentic teachings. She firmly believed that there were countless ailments in the world, but there were no diseases that couldn’t be treated with precise medical skills.

“Uncle Song, do not be perplexed. Although consumptive lung disease is complex and difficult, it is not untreatable. Changsheng will certainly try her utmost.” The difficulty of treating consumptive lung disease was undeniable, but if treated with acupuncture and supported by medicinal soups, and properly nourished, improvement was definitely possible.

Although Uncle Song was not fully convinced, a patient’s desire to survive is instinctual. Moreover, he had to remain well; if something happened to him, who would take care of Madam and her children? Except for Xiao Cui, everyone around them was somewhat unknown. He couldn’t rest easy; he must recover to take care of Madam and her children so he could face the late master with dignity!

Thinking this, Uncle Song nodded firmly, covered his mouth and nose, and knelt down at the doorstep to Gu Changsheng, “Madam, this old servant’s life is insignificant, but before the master passed, he entrusted Madam to my care. I am incompetent, causing Madam to suffer so much, yet I must not die, I have no face to die!”

Gu Changsheng said no more but turned and instructed Xiao Cui to prepare ink and paper. She bent her head and began to compile a prescription, avoiding expensive medicinal herbs since they were running low on silver coins, listing only the essentials.

“Codonopsis and Licorice Root each 15 qian, Astragalus and Atractylodes 10 qian, Rehmannia, Schisandra… add three bowls of water, simmer on a gentle fire down to one bowl, and drink while hot.” Gu Changsheng thought as she wrote down the prescription, looking at Xiao Cui, “Xiao Cui, go and fetch the medicine, remember to soak the materials for a moment before boiling.”

On the side, Xiao Cui answered and sighed, wiping away a tear, “It used to be that people came to our medical hall to see a doctor and fetch medicine, but now we have to go to other medical halls to fetch medicine, this…”

Gu Changsheng chuckled softly, patting her head, “Does Xiao Cui feel embarrassed?”

Xiao Cui hung her head and didn’t speak; she just felt that life was full of uncertainties.

Gu Changsheng also felt this sentiment, but even so, she was determined to treat Uncle Song. This elderly servant periodically coughed softly, each sound striking her heart. She was a doctor, a skilled practitioner of medicine, and no matter the era, healing and saving lives was her duty and the oath she took under Yhan’s teaching.

“Alright Xiao Cui, don’t dawdle, go quickly and fetch the medicine for Uncle Song, or would you rather wait for your Madam to go herself?” Gu Changsheng pushed Xiao Cui towards the door, talking as they walked, “Xiao Cui, just accept it and go be embarrassed. Your Madam here cares a lot about face, it’s better for you to lose face than me—better you than me.”

Xiao Cui looked back at Madam speechlessly and hurried outside.