Chapter 804: Rebuttal

Chapter 804: Chapter 804: Rebuttal

As soon as Liu Haixue finished speaking, the atmosphere in the conference room instantly turned serious.

Aconite was an herb that traditional Chinese medicine practitioners both loved and hated. Used well, it could bring the dying back to life; used poorly, it was a death warrant.

"The *Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor* divides medicines into superior, medium, and inferior grades. Although Aconite belongs to the inferior grade, it has an irreplaceable effect in critical and severe cases. I would like to ask everyone, in today’s legal environment, how should we balance dosage and risk in clinical practice?" Liu Haixue threw out a highly practical question.

Immediately after, Qu Wenxuan from the Second Hospital chimed in, "I think that most Aconite today undergoes strict processing, so the aconitine content is already extremely low. When administering emergency treatment to patients with Yang deficiency on the verge of collapse, we can use a heavy dose at our discretion. However, in regular outpatient clinics, we should still follow the Materia Medica."

"I disagree." Gu Yingyin from the Children’s Hospital frowned. "We are dealing with living, breathing lives. Many physicians nowadays advocate the ’Fire God School,’ easily prescribing tens or even hundreds of grams of Aconite. This is absolutely unacceptable in pediatric clinical practice..."

The discussion gradually grew heated. Several young experts in the inner circle went back and forth, quoting classics and citing authoritative texts.

Ju Jiahong listened quietly all the while, his fingertips gently tapping the table. When everyone had said their piece, he suddenly turned his head. His gaze bypassed the crowd and landed straight on Li Xu, who was sitting in an outer corner.

"Dean Li, I heard that you’ve encountered severe cases like massive hemorrhage and syncope syndrome. What unique insights do you have regarding the use of Aconite?"

As soon as these words came out, the chatter in the conference room came to an abrupt halt. Over a hundred pairs of eyes simultaneously turned to the youngest man in the back row.

"Li Xu? Who is that?"

"The newly promoted vice dean of the City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine? I heard my teacher mention him. They say he’s been making quite a splash at the medical college lately."

"What’s his professional title? Why would Director Ju suddenly single him out?"

No one present was a fool. What was Ju Jiahong’s status? For him to take the initiative to ask a question was in itself a highly prestigious form of recognition—or rather... a highly challenging form of pressure.

Sitting at the back of the crowd, Li Xu had been looking down, recording the opinions of the experts from earlier. He did not look flustered by being suddenly called out. Instead, he smoothly set down his pen and stood up.

"Since Director Ju asked, I will briefly share my humble opinion." Li Xu’s voice was not loud, but his enunciation was clear and perfectly audible in the quiet conference room. "A moment ago, several teachers mentioned the toxicity and processing of Aconite. However, in my view, the use of Aconite is not about the ’dosage,’ but about the struggle between ’timing’ and ’healthy qi.’"

Li Xu took a few slow steps forward, arriving at an opening of the U-shaped table. He didn’t seem the slightest bit intimidated just because he had been seated on the periphery.

"The reason Aconite is toxic is because it is an item of Pure Yang; it moves quickly and doesn’t linger. If a patient’s Primordial Qi hasn’t completely collapsed, heavily using Aconite will instead stir up the ministerial fire, causing it to run wild. This is what we call ’adding fuel to the fire.’ However, if Yang Qi is on the verge of escaping, the limbs are cold, and the pulse is faint to the point of disappearing, then Aconite is no longer medicine, but a sliver of hope for survival."

Li Xu’s eyes were bright as he looked straight at Dong Yongnian and Ju Jiahong in the main seats. "Most doctors today keep their dosages too strict due to fears of medical liability. But I believe the use of Aconite lies in ’restoring Yang’ rather than ’generating fire.’ If it is for warming the middle and dispelling cold, the Lizhong Decoction is sufficient. But if it is to save a life, ten grams, twenty grams, and thirty grams is often the difference between life and death."

"More importantly..." Li Xu paused, his tone deepening. "Many people worry about the toxicity of Aconite, but ignore the role of ’licorice.’ Boiling licorice together with Aconite doesn’t just moderate the medicinal properties; it is the key to neutralizing the aconitine. As long as it is decocted properly and paired correctly, what is there to fear about Aconite?"

Listening to Li Xu speak with such confidence, the doctors who originally looked at him with contempt gradually grew solemn. This discourse not only demonstrated a solid theoretical foundation but also revealed a kind of stern decisiveness that could only be possessed by someone who had personally experienced life-and-death rescues.

Dong Yongnian couldn’t help but nod slightly, whispering to Hao Xiangchen beside him, "This young man knows what he’s talking about. He is bold yet meticulous."

A strange glint flashed through Ju Jiahong’s eyes. He hadn’t expected Li Xu to shy away from this sensitive topic at all. Instead, Li Xu had directly pointed out the modern traditional Chinese medicine flaw of ’fearing medicine like a tiger.’ This wasn’t just talking about medicine; it was talking about a physician’s strength of character.

"Brilliantly spoken, Dean Li." A faint smile appeared on the corners of Ju Jiahong’s mouth. "However, if faced with a patient suffering from ’true heat and false cold’—someone with a persistent high fever but cold limbs—would Dean Li still dare to use this ’number one medicine for restoring Yang,’ Aconite?"

This question was extremely tricky. True heat and false cold was the easiest place to make a mistake in traditional Chinese medicine dialectical diagnosis. If Aconite was mistakenly used for a Yang syndrome, it would basically be sending the patient to their death. Ju Jiahong wasn’t just testing him; he was digging a hole for Li Xu and gauging his grasp on the bottom line of ’dialectics.’

The conference room instantly fell into a deathly silence. Everyone held their breath, waiting to see how this newly emerged young man would handle the challenge.

Liu Haodong anxiously rubbed his hands together on the sidelines. He thought to himself, "Ju Jiahong is too insidious. This ’clinical trap’ could destroy one’s reputation with a single misstep."

However, Li Xu smiled. He looked at Ju Jiahong, his tone neither haughty nor humble, displaying extreme composure:

"Director Ju, the situation you mentioned is already clearly explained in the *Treatise on Cold Pathogenic and Warm Pathogenic Diseases*. When Yin flourishes and repels Yang, the patient has a high fever but does not want to take off their clothes; this is true cold and false heat. Conversely, when Yang reaches its extreme and resembles Yin, the patient’s hands and feet are freezing, but they are mentally restless and irritable; this is true heat and false cold. If it is the former, not only must Aconite be used, but it must also be paired with a large dose of dried ginger. If it is the latter, anyone who dares to lay a finger on Aconite is simply ignorant and incompetent."

...

Sitting in the main seat, Ju Jiahong slightly retracted his previously calm and composed smile, his gaze fixed on Li Xu. He truly hadn’t expected that in a place like Feng City, someone would actually dare to refute his arguments so bluntly.

Li Xu did not shy away from Ju Jiahong’s sharp gaze. He looked around the room, his voice firm. "Director Ju mentioned earlier that physicians with profound foundations can often cure diseases using small prescriptions and small doses. There is nothing wrong with this statement in itself, but it is only one dimension of traditional Chinese medicine. If, in our pursuit of this ’effortlessness,’ we subconsciously avoid those heavy, dangerous, and critical cases, that is not only the cowardice of a healer but also the castration of traditional Chinese medicine’s legacy.

"The ancients said that using medicine is like deploying troops. If a general only knows how to patrol the streets and stand guard during times of peace and prosperity, he will never grasp the true essence of military strategy.

"Only on the battlefield, where the enemy is closing in and lives hang by a thread, amidst the iron-blooded tempering of life and death, can you truly see the true meaning of medicinal properties.

"Why is Aconite called the ’number one medicine for restoring Yang and saving from collapse’? Because in that critical moment, it is the only divine weapon capable of turning the tide.

"If you are afraid to wield this divine weapon, or even think that not wielding it is a sign of skill, then when the enemy actually charges right up to your face, what will you use to save the patient’s life?"