Chapter 812: Analytical Approach

Chapter 812: Chapter 812: Analytical Approach

Ju Jiahong’s fingers tightened slightly around his pen. For the first time, he felt that the man sitting across from him was a true rival, someone capable of conversing with him at the absolute pinnacle of medicine.

"Dampness is viscous and stagnant, trapping and obstructing the clear Yang..." Li Xu’s voice continued to echo in the quiet conference room. He didn’t pause at the crowd’s shock, having entered an optimal state of instruction. His speaking pace wasn’t fast, yet every single word landed heavily on their logical minds.

"Due to the sticky, greasy nature of damp-heat pathogens, they act like glue, trapping the patient’s already weakened Yang Qi. This not only makes it difficult for the Yang Qi to fight off external pathogens, but it also causes the illness to linger. When the body’s Yang Qi is suppressed, its ability to stimulate and energize the body’s functions becomes relatively insufficient. In traditional Chinese medicine, we say that ’clear Yang exits through the upper orifices, while turbid Yin exits through the lower orifices.’ Right now, the clear Yang cannot rise. Because the brain isn’t receiving the warmth of the Yang Qi, lethargy naturally occurs."

Seeing the confused yet anxious looks in the parents’ eyes, Li Xu used a vivid analogy to make it easier for them to grasp. "To help everyone understand this more intuitively, we can imagine the body’s digestive and transportative functions as steaming buns. The child’s original spleen and stomach deficiency-cold, along with the lack of Yang Qi, is like having a very small fire beneath the stove. Meanwhile, the external damp-heat pathogen is like a thick layer of oil poured directly over the water in the pot.

"With a small fire, it’s already difficult for the water to boil and produce steam," Li Xu explained, spreading his hands to gesture. "But with a layer of oil covering the surface, it becomes even harder for the water to boil and for the steam to rise. If the buns sitting on top aren’t being steamed by the heat, they will naturally stay ice-cold. In the human body, this ’bun’ is our brain. Without the rising warmth of the Yang Qi, the person remains in a murky, ’unboiled’ state all day long. In other words, they just want to sleep."

The young doctors in the audience couldn’t help but murmur among themselves.

"That’s such a vivid explanation."

"Yeah. When Yang Qi doesn’t rise, it’s like an endless night. The body mistakenly thinks it’s evening, so it naturally stays asleep. I’ll never forget this analogy for the rest of my life."

Traditional Chinese medicine theories had always been notoriously obscure and difficult to understand, leaving countless students with massive headaches over Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements. Yet, Li Xu’s words had thoroughly explained an incredibly esoteric pathology using the most basic, everyday common sense.

"I didn’t expect Li Xu to be this impressive. He really doesn’t seem like someone in his thirties."

"Right? That analysis essentially unearthed the very root of the disease. I was just debating whether to use Huang Lian to clear the heart fire. Now that I think about it, if I had used Huang Lian, the fire would be even smaller and the water even colder. The poor kid might have ended up sleeping himself to death."

Li Xu’s explanation had meticulously unraveled the illness layer by layer, making it crystal clear. Whether it was Zhu Gaoyuan and Liu Haixue, who had already caught a vague glimmer of the solution earlier, or the ordinary young doctors who had been completely clueless, everyone was now listening, utterly enraptured.

Sitting in the seat of honor, Song Luojun opened his half-squinted eyes. He had been observing Li Xu this entire time. He realized that Li Xu’s logical thinking and ability to simplify complex concepts might subtly surpass even that of his own grandson, Ju Jiahong.

There was an old saying in the TCM community regarding a "Lucid Physician." A doctor who could cure illnesses was a good doctor, but one who could explain pathology so clearly that a three-year-old could understand was a "Lucid Physician." Such a person was a true prodigy who had achieved a masterful, comprehensive grasp of medical theory.

"Dr. Li’s analysis is excellent," Ju Jiahong said, taking a deep breath. He knew that as the host and leader of this session, he had to demonstrate his own caliber to build upon Li Xu’s foundation.

Centering his focus, he summarized by following Li Xu’s train of thought: "The child’s heat symptoms are exactly as Dr. Li described—a pathological manifestation of an invading external pathogen. The child already suffers from spleen and stomach deficiency-cold, and the damp-heat pathogen has further blocked the rise of clear Yang, resulting in the child’s lethargic slumber. From this perspective, our treatment must employ a two-pronged approach. On one hand, we must dispel dampness and clear heat to sever the external pathogen’s interference. On the other hand, we must use warming tonics and ascending dispersal to stimulate the child’s Yang Qi, rallying the body’s righteous Qi to fight the pathogen and elevate his physiological excitability."

Since Li Xu had already analyzed the symptoms to perfection, Ju Jiahong dropped his previous testing tone. Instead, he began to outline the specific treatment strategy. In a way, this had become a sort of "remote duet" between the two of them over the medical case.

"When it comes to dispelling dampness and clearing heat, the renowned Qing Dynasty physician and founder of the Warm Disease School, Ye Tianshi, possessed incredibly rich experience." Ju Jiahong spoke unhurriedly, showcasing the solid academic foundation befitting a chief physician of Renmin Hospital’s TCM department. "Since ancient times, warm-heat pathogens have caused massive headaches for generations of physicians. The famous Qing Dynasty doctor Wu Jutong once lamented the thorny nature of damp-heat pathogens in his *Treatise on Warm Diseases*. He wrote, ’Merely clearing heat will not alleviate the dampness, while merely dispelling dampness will cause the heat to blaze fiercely.’

"This means that if you simply use bitter and cold medicines to clear the heat, the chilling properties will further damage the Yang Qi of the spleen and stomach," Ju Jiahong earnestly elaborated to the doctors in the audience. "When Yang is deficient, dampness flourishes, making it even harder to eradicate. Conversely, if you only use hot, dampness-drying medicines, you will be adding fuel to the fire, causing the heat pathogen to become even more ferocious. This creates a vicious cycle.

"However, Ye Tianshi provided a solution to this dilemma in his treatise: ’Alternatively, seep the dampness out beneath the heat. By not clashing directly with the heat, it will inevitably become isolated.’"

Ju Jiahong’s expression grew radiant. "To target the damp pathogen in this child’s case, we can use two groups of medicinal herbs. The first group is for aromatically transforming dampness. This includes Agastache, White Cardamom, and Sweet Flag. By utilizing their fragrant properties to ascend, float, and transform dampness, we can disperse that layer of ’oil’ on the water’s surface. The second group is for clearing heat and promoting diuresis to expel dampness. This includes Talc, Chenpi, and Akebia Stem. Through their sinking and descending power, we can guide the damp-heat out of the body through urination."

Earlier, Li Xu had provided an exhaustive macro-analysis of the pathology; now, Ju Jiahong was delivering a detailed breakdown of the micro-level treatment. The doctors in the room nodded continuously as they listened.

Ju Jiahong truly lived up to his reputation as the number one young doctor in Feng City. Although he might lack the proper mindset and grassroots awareness, just as Hao Xiangchen had mentioned, his application of clinical prescriptions and his solid grasp of classical theories were absolutely impeccable. In the entire room, aside from a national grandmaster like Song Luojun and a freak of nature like Li Xu, no one else could firmly overpower Ju Jiahong in terms of theoretical breadth.

"For this medical case, we can follow the prescription logic of Ye Tianshi’s Sweet Dew Disinfection Pill, essentially adhering to the original formula." His pen flying across the whiteboard, Ju Jiahong wrote out the prescription. "For ascending and transforming dampness, we use Sweet Flag, White Cardamom, and almond. For clearing heat and promoting diuresis, we use Talc, Chenpi, Akebia Stem, and Coix Seed. These herbs are essential for clearing heat and guiding it downward. At the same time, to account for lightly clearing the upper burner, we can slightly pair it with Forsythia Suspensa and Fritillaria Bulb."

After finishing his explanation, Ju Jiahong turned his head. With a gaze conveying the mutual respect of equal academic exchange, he asked warmly, "What do you think of this approach, Dr. Li?"