Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 518: Chapter 518: Guidance

Li Xu didn’t answer directly. He just said, "Boy or girl, it’ll be your precious baby. Take good care during the pregnancy. Be careful for the first three months, and don’t overexert yourself."

Although he didn’t say it out loud, Li Xu had a pretty good idea.

Determining a baby’s sex through TCM pulse diagnosis isn’t complete pseudoscience; it has its own unique theoretical basis.

The *Pulse Classic* recorded long ago: "A rapid left pulse indicates a male, a rapid right pulse indicates a female."

It also states: "A slow pulse that is stronger on the left indicates a male, while one stronger on the right indicates a female."

Just now, when Li Xu was taking her pulse, he had clearly felt that the pulse in Sister Zhang’s left wrist was stronger and slightly faster than her right.

According to the ancient methods, it was most likely a boy.

’But this is just an empirical guess, after all. It’s not one hundred percent accurate.’

Besides, as a doctor, adhering to medical ethics was the bottom line. He could never say something like that casually.

After seeing the overjoyed Sister Zhang and her husband out, the atmosphere in the clinic grew even more lively.

Seeing Li Xu remain silent, the curly-haired auntie thought she’d guessed right. She grew more animated and leaned in to ask, "Doctor Li, you can treat infertility, too?"

Li Xu hesitated, glancing at the auntie’s head of graying curly hair. He replied tactfully, "I know a little about it. But Ma’am... at your age, even if I wanted to help, I’m afraid your body just wouldn’t allow it..."

The auntie froze on the spot, her mouth slightly agape. She didn’t react for a long moment.

The other patients and Song Sisi, who was filling a prescription, were all stunned as well.

"Oh my, Doctor Li, where did your mind go?"

The auntie’s face flushed red. She waved her hand, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "What are you talking about? I’m already a grandmother, what baby could I possibly have? I was talking about my daughter-in-law! She wants a second child but hasn’t been able to conceive, and I’ve been worried sick. Besides, even if I could, my old man can’t!"

"HAHAHAHA..."

This time, even Li Xu couldn’t help but laugh. "Oh, so that’s what it was. My mistake. Alright, have your daughter-in-law come by some other day, and I’ll take a look at her."

...

After seeing a few more patients, Li Xu handled each one with the grace of flowing water. Whether prescribing formulas or performing acupuncture, every patient left satisfied.

To the side, Hu Qiming sat on a small stool, his little notebook densely packed with notes. His eyes were alight with eagerness.

Watching Li Xu’s calm, commanding presence, he was itching to have a go himself.

’This is the level I’ve always dreamed of reaching,’ he thought.

Li Xu took advantage of a moment while a patient’s prescription was being filled to turn to Hu Qiming. "Old Hu, how have you been? Have you started seeing patients on your own at the Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine yet?"

Hu Qiming sighed. "Ugh, don’t even mention it. Even though I’ve been studying under Director Lin for over a year, I’m still just an assistant, helping out and writing up case files. Occasionally, they let me handle minor cases like colds and fevers, but most of the time, I’m just copying prescriptions. I’m still a long way from seeing patients on my own."

That’s just the reality of a large hospital.

The development period for a young doctor is extremely long. Without grinding it out for five to eight years, it’s difficult to truly handle things on your own.

Li Xu nodded. He understood this.

But he also knew that Traditional Chinese Medicine was a practical science.

You can’t develop real skill just by reading books and copying prescriptions. You have to get your hands dirty, feel the beat of the pulse for yourself, and sense the changes in the flow of qi.

"Come."

Li Xu stood up and offered him the main consultation seat. "You sit here."

"Huh?" Hu Qiming was taken aback. "Li Xu, what are you...?"

"You’ll handle the next diagnosis," Li Xu said, pointing to the chair. "I’ll be right here to back you up. Be bold. It doesn’t matter if you make a mistake; I’m here."

Hearing this, Hu Qiming was so excited he almost jumped out of his skin.

’This is an incredible opportunity!’

Having an expert like Li Xu providing hands-on guidance was better than copying prescriptions under Director Lin for a whole year.

"Li Xu... this... thank you so much."

Hu Qiming was incoherent with excitement.

"Alright, enough with the nonsense. We’re classmates. Thanking me just makes it weird."

Li Xu clapped him on the shoulder. "Settle in, and don’t bring shame on our field of Chinese medicine."

Hu Qiming nodded and sat down in the seat he had long coveted.

"Next!"

...

Hu Qiming diagnosed and treated two patients with colds and fevers. His handling of them was competent and by the book.

Li Xu gave a slight nod from the side, which made Hu Qiming’s confidence soar. He couldn’t help but sit up a little straighter.

Soon, a new patient arrived who made him frown.

It was a middle-aged couple. Their clothes were neat, but they carried an air of downtrodden exhaustion.

The husband was the patient. He looked to be in his forties or fifties, his complexion was ashen, and he kept clutching his abdomen. His brow was tightly furrowed, as if burdened by some insoluble sorrow.

Hu Qiming held a thick stack of the patient’s previous medical records, reading them over and over. His frown deepened.

"Are you sure... that taking this Chinese medicine before had no effect at all?"

Hu Qiming asked, pointing at a prescription in the file, unwilling to accept it.

The prescription was for a modified Chaihu Shugan San combined with Xiang Sha Liu Junzi Tang. This was a classic formula for treating liver qi stagnation, spleen deficiency, and qi and blood stasis. Logically speaking, it should have been the right approach.

The middle-aged man remained silent, merely nodding as he clutched his stomach.

His wife sighed and picked up the conversation. "That’s right, it was useless. He took it for half a month, but the pain is still there. In fact, his appetite seems to have gotten even worse."

Hu Qiming was even more confused.

’The diagnosis wasn’t wrong, and the formula is a classic one. So why was it ineffective?’ he wondered.

He scratched his head, and just as he was about to ask for more details, he looked up and saw that Li Xu had gone to the restroom.

When Li Xu returned after washing his hands, Hu Qiming looked as if he’d seen his savior. "Li Xu, this patient... is a bit tricky. I can’t quite get a handle on it."

Li Xu didn’t rush to take over. Instead, he pulled up a chair and sat beside him, saying gently, "Don’t rush. First, tell me your assessment. We’re just discussing it, so no pressure."

Hu Qiming organized his thoughts and reported:

"The patient’s chief complaint is pain in his chest, ribs, and stomach. According to him, it started with occasional pain in his chest and rib area in the evenings. Later, it progressed to include stomach pain. The frequency of the pain then increased, and now he is in constant pain, tormented around the clock."

As Li Xu listened, his brow furrowed slightly, as if he had caught a key piece of information.

Hu Qiming continued, "I performed a simple diagnosis. During the inquiry, I learned that the patient became extremely depressed after his business failed and he went bankrupt. In TCM, this falls under ’internal injury from the seven emotions.’"

"Anger damages the liver, and overthinking damages the spleen. The patient’s long-term depression has agitated his liver qi, leading to qi stagnation, which is why he experiences pain in his chest and ribs. This is a sign of constrained liver qi."

"Subsequently, the liver qi moves aberrantly—wood overacting on earth. The liver-wood is over-restraining the spleen-earth, and the earth is damaged by the wood, leading to stomach pain, poor appetite, and indigestion. This is called ’liver-stomach disharmony.’"

"The patient has been seen at other hospitals before and has taken a lot of both Western and Chinese medicine. Western medicine diagnosed him with gastritis and neurosis and prescribed painkillers and stomach medication. Chinese medicine also treated him by soothing the liver, relieving depression, strengthening the spleen, and harmonizing the stomach. I looked at that prescription, and it seemed quite standard—Chaihu, white peony, zhi ke, Atractylodes... all are drugs that fit the diagnosis. But the patient reported that the effects were poor, or even non-existent."

"I also examined his tongue and pulse. His tongue coating is thin, white, and slightly greasy, and his pulse is wiry. This also confirms liver qi stagnation. So I’m a bit puzzled. Is the dosage insufficient? Or is there a channel-guiding herb missing from the formula?"