CHAPTER 214: 214 SPLEEN DEFICIENCY AND DAMPNESS OBSTRUCTION

Xu Pinglin was stunned by this number and immediately pulled back the hand he had been pointing at the girl.

Du Heng laughed casually. "No problem, let her film. We conduct normal consultations and treatments here. There’s nothing to hide."

He then turned his gaze to the girl. "Miss, since you have 30,000 viewers in your live stream, you should understand the potential impact if you misspeak, shouldn’t you?"

Hiding behind her phone, the girl retorted, clearly unconvinced by Du Heng’s words, "What did I say wrong? My mom has been treated here for eight years and hasn’t gotten better. Is that wrong?"

Du Heng had just reviewed the patient’s disease record, so he had some understanding of why her condition had progressed to this state.

Moreover, with 30,000 people in the live stream, this point had to be clarified; otherwise, it would negatively impact both the Provincial First Hospital and Xu Pinglin.

"I’ll correct two inaccuracies in what you said. First, this lady’s condition hasn’t remained uncured because the hospital and doctors failed to treat it. Rather, it’s due to her own dietary and lifestyle habits, which have caused recurrent gastritis, persisting to this day," Du Heng explained.

"That’s nonsense!" the girl shouted, agitated.

Du Heng didn’t want to argue with her, nor could he.

In today’s society, the one holding the camera usually has the upper hand. By the time everyone realizes their mistake and apologizes, any apology is utterly useless. The damage and harm have already been done.

So, he just shook his head slightly and said in a very calm tone, "Whether I’m talking nonsense or not, we have the medical diagnosis and treatment records here. You can examine them yourself, or you can ask your mother."

He paused, then continued, "Now, let’s address the second point. The patient currently has atrophic gastritis, not cancer."

The girl fell silent, but her phone remained steadily aimed at Du Heng.

She discovered that as long as she filmed Du Heng, her live stream became very popular, and the number of viewers increased rapidly.

Du Heng wasn’t aggressive; it was enough to clarify the matter.

Besides, this wasn’t his territory. Being too forceful might give the impression of overshadowing the host. That wouldn’t be good.

Sitting across from the patient, he first carefully observed her condition.

Her face was sallow, her skin dull, and weariness was evident between her eyebrows.

"Could you get me a pulse-taking pillow?" Du Heng asked, looking up at Xu Pinglin.

Before Xu Pinglin could speak, someone had already hurried out, quickly returning with a pulse-taking pillow. He even thoughtfully helped Du Heng position it.

And, in doing so, he conveniently secured an excellent observation spot.

What a clever fellow.

"Place your hand here, and I’ll take your pulse," Du Heng said.

After Du Heng had taken the pulse in both her arms, he then examined the patient’s tongue. "Can you tell me the order in which you received other treatments?"

The woman recalled, "I was diagnosed with atrophic gastritis in March. At that time, their director treated me. First, I took medicine, then I underwent some triple therapy, but nothing worked."

"Moreover, after the treatment, my stomachache worsened, and I lost my appetite. Later, I went to the Provincial Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. They prescribed... yin-nourishing and stomach-friendly medicine. I took it for a month, but there was still no effect."

As she spoke, the patient turned her gaze to Li Jianwei. "In May, the director here introduced me to Director Li. He also wrote a prescription for me, using medication for clearing heat and detoxification, but it still had no effect."

The patient’s expression gradually dimmed. She wasn’t intentionally trying to cause a scene; she simply wanted her condition treated so she could be healthy.

But now, hearing that it might be turning into cancer, she was terrified.

Moreover, she hadn’t only seen these doctors; she had been to other hospitals too.

But the treatments they used were largely similar to those at the Provincial First Hospital. Not only were they ineffective, but with each treatment, her condition worsened, and she felt more miserable.

"How has your appetite been recently?"

The patient shook her head. "I feel bloated after eating just a little. I have no desire to eat all day."

"What about your bowel movements? Are they regular?"

"Not really. I often only go to the bathroom once every four or five days. I’m a bit constipated," she replied.

"Is it particularly hard?"

"Not especially."

Du Heng narrowed his eyes. His syndrome differentiation result was neither the stomach yin deficiency diagnosed by the Chinese Medicine Hospital, which would require yin-nourishing and stomach-friendly medicine, nor Li Jianwei’s approach of clearing heat and detoxification. Instead, it was spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction.

Seeing Du Heng’s expression, the quick-witted young man from before had already taken a prescription paper from his pocket and was waiting earnestly for Du Heng to speak.

Meanwhile, the others were already muttering curses about this brown-noser under their breath. He’s so opportunistic, such a suck-up!

"The patient’s tongue is pale with a white, greasy coating, and her pulse is soggy. This indicates chronic spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction from a long-standing illness. The treatment principle should be to strengthen the spleen, transform dampness, warm the yang, and regulate qi."

The previously quiet onlookers buzzed with discussion upon hearing this result.

Du Heng’s syndrome differentiation was completely different from the previous two prescriptions; it wasn’t based on the same line of thought at all.

Although Du Heng hadn’t prescribed the medicine yet, these people were all graduate students who had gained practical experience with their teachers in the wards. They possessed this basic medical knowledge.

If the syndrome differentiation was different, the medication would certainly be different.

But why this particular syndrome differentiation result?

The whispers from behind also reached Du Heng’s ears, but he offered no explanation.

Instead, he continued, "The prescription is: scorch-fried medicated leaven, fried malt, fried barley sprouts... raw atractylodes. Seven doses in total. One dose per day, taken in two separate administrations. Follow up in one week."

Then he turned to the patient. "I’ve prescribed medicine for you to strengthen the spleen, transform dampness, warm the yang, and regulate qi. After you go home, you need to take the medicine on time. Also, you should cultivate good eating habits, which will benefit your stomach."

The patient and her husband nodded simultaneously. Although they didn’t know how effective the medicine would be, Du Heng’s calm and confident demeanor gave them a sliver of hope and the willingness to try.

"First, eat light, easily digestible foods, and maintain a regular three-meal schedule."

"Second, chew your food slowly and thoroughly. I seem to recall a news report about a famous actress who chews each mouthful 22 times before swallowing. This practice is indeed beneficial because the more you chew, the more saliva you produce. Saliva, in turn, has a protective effect on your stomach lining."

Xu Pinglin finally interjected, "People who wolf down their food, ninety-nine percent of them, have stomach problems. This is something you absolutely must pay attention to."

The couple nodded emphatically.

"Third, ensure regular bowel movements to reduce the burden on your gastrointestinal tract."

"Fourth, don’t let your stomach get cold."

"Fifth, avoid rich, greasy, and strongly flavored foods, as well as milk. Also, eat less raw, cold, and stimulating food. Your illness, in its initial stages, was actually caused by your diet. Later, due to a lack of proper care, it slowly developed into its current state."

The couple listened, finding his advice sensible, and nodded repeatedly.