Chapter 627 - 485: Rhinoceros Horn

"Junior brother, we added buffalo horn to the fever-reducing medicine, and it works well, but some people respond less effectively..."

"What about bezoar, how much do we have left?"

"Not much. At this rate, in less than three days, we will run out of bezoar..."

"From now on, except for emergency use on critically ill patients, use bezoar and buffalo horn sparingly together, try to save chances of survival for these patients. Additionally, use mulberry silkworm feces, bamboo leaves, and dried tangerine peel water first for fever reduction. These three medicines are cheap and widely available. If ineffective, then use Silver Qiao Powder..."

"Be cautious with pregnant women and children regarding medication use, and those with weak constitutions should avoid excessive consumption of cold medicines to prevent liver and kidney damage!"

"Physical methods to reduce fever can be used concurrently, and acupuncture can also be applied. Let those few kids of ours come over; they all have learned acupuncture. They might not know much else, but having them do this work is not a problem."

By the end of the day, Lin Miao adjusted the treatment strategy based on the patients and the progression of their conditions.

Balancing resources with actual needs.

If medications were used freely, even if all the fever-reducing and detoxifying herbs stored in Dongshan Prefecture were collected, they would not be enough.

Moreover, no one knows how long this "great epidemic" will last.

The best for fever reduction is rhinoceros horn, but Lin Miao has never seen a rhinoceros horn. He has always used buffalo horn as a substitute.

Although buffalo horn can substitute, the dosage required is eight to ten times that of rhinoceros horn, and some unique effects of rhinoceros horn cannot be replaced by buffalo horn.

Rhinoceros horn is the horn of a rhinoceros.

Lin Miao doesn’t know if there are "rhinoceros" animals in this world.

Rhinoceroses require specific conditions for temperature and humidity, generally above ten degrees, in temperate, mid-altitude regions.

Evidently, Dongshan Prefecture does not meet these living conditions.

If there were rhinoceroses, they should exist in the humid climate of the south, like in Nanzhao, where the Southern Border tribes live. The climate there is very suitable for rhinoceros existence.

However, the medicinal value of rhinoceros horn does not seem to be recorded in this world’s medical books.

"I know the kind of rhinoceros you’re talking about, sir. It is a gentle exotic beast living in the southern jungles, and there are quite a few of them. As for its horn, it’s usually cut off by the Southern Border’s Barbarian Clan (indigenous tribes) to make decorations or wine cups!" Yue Mei’Er immediately recognized it after seeing Lin Miao’s hand-drawn sketch of a rhinoceros.

Compared to the people of Da Li, the people of Yue Country and Nanzhao often refer to the Southern Border tribes as the "Barbarian Clan."

"Barbarian" and "exotic" have differences. Exotic means not of our kind, while "Barbarian," although it has a derogatory meaning, still acknowledges their human identity.

This is a fundamental difference.

Perhaps Yue Country and Nanzhao both wish to coexist peacefully with the Southern Border tribes. Although the Southern Border is vast, the harsh natural conditions make it difficult to survive there even if occupied, but it contains many minerals not found elsewhere on the continent, which are scarce resources. Exchanging goods is more beneficial than annihilating one side.

Due to internal divisions and conflicts, the Southern Border has no capacity for northern expansion, and the Central Plains countries have no desire to invade the Southern Border. If they did win, besides plundering some Barbarian Clans and minerals, the people would retreat into the depths, making it impossible to obtain Southern Border products for many years to come.

At the national level, targeting is basically gone, but there are still those who take risks for wealth.

The exotic slave auctions in the black markets across the continent come through such channels.

The "Fire Spirit" tribe girl Lin Miao bought, whom he named Lin Ying, is from the distant Southern Border.

Lin Miao did not treat her as a slave, even giving her the surname "Lin," and personally teaching her martial arts.

He basically treats her like a "sister."

As for whether she will turn out to be an "ungrateful person," it’s still too early to tell. At the very least, this girl is neither warm nor cold towards Lin Miao and doesn’t seem to have completely let down her guard.

But this is getting off-topic.

Lin Miao showed the rhinoceros sketch to Lin Ying. She looked at Lin Miao in surprise and nodded.

It must have been strange because Lin Miao had never been to the Southern Border, and rhinoceroses are a unique beast of the region. They call it the Barbarian Bull, a totem sacred beast of the Barbarian Bull Tribe!

Unless poaching is involved, the Barbarian Bull Tribe doesn’t allow the sacred beast’s horn to circulate outside.

Lin Miao had seen a rhinoceros horn cup at the Xu Family before, which he bought back. Though of little practical use, its medicinal value was significant, and he had used quite a bit over the past year.

Basically, except for emergencies, he is reluctant to use the remaining rhinoceros horn cup.

But in this current situation, if a patient’s high fever doesn’t subside and the buffalo horn proves ineffective, the rhinoceros horn must be used.

The problem is, even if the entire rhinoceros horn cup is ground into powder, it won’t be enough for a few uses. If he could acquire one or two rhinoceros horns, it would be ideal.

This made Lin Miao think of the confiscated properties of Marquis Lingyang and the Ye Family, both having many treasures, possibly with ornaments or decorations made from rhinoceros horn.

It’s worth a try. If found, it would be invaluable for saving lives, and Lin Miao wouldn’t hesitate to spend a significant sum to purchase it.

Such things are bound to be hard to find, yet are lifesaving medicines, so the more, the better.

Especially if made into "An Gong Niu Huang Pill," it would be a life-saving drug at critical moments. In his own world, authentic raw materials for it are nearly extinct. Even if they exist, they are kept in private collections, never for sale.