Rural Little Miracle Doctor: Starting in the Provincial Capital

Chapter 95 Taking Turns at the Clinic: Practicing Medicine from Scratch

I. New clinic opening and rotating staff

The clinic, run by a commoner, was thoroughly cleaned and renovated, with all the necessary permits, medicines, and equipment in place. Finally, an auspicious day was chosen for the clinic to officially open its doors to patients.

The clinic's entrance is simple, elegant, and unassuming. The front hall is bright and clean, and the interior is well-ventilated and dry. The medicine cabinet is full of all kinds of medicinal materials, waiting for ordinary people from the surrounding streets and alleys to come and seek medical treatment and cure their diseases.

Following the rules for practicing medicine at the clinic that Chen Shanhe had set in advance, his two apprentices, Zhou Deshan and Xu Jingming, took turns sitting in the clinic every day to see patients.

The two officially embarked on their clinical medical training journey, completely abandoning their old-fashioned medical thinking that they had adhered to for many years. Starting from scratch, they focused on learning and steadily accumulating real medical skills bit by bit.

On the opening day, the morning light was warm and bright, and the sky was clear and perfect. The two of them arrived at the clinic early, just as dawn broke.

The two worked diligently and meticulously, tidying up the medicine cabinets, wiping down the consultation tables and chairs, and cleaning up the dust and debris inside and outside the hall, keeping the entire clinic in perfect order.

Zhou Deshan looked solemn and dignified. He gently smoothed the wrinkles on the pulse diagnosis table. The arrogance and sharpness of the famous doctor in the provincial capital had long since faded from his face, leaving only humility and composure, and his heart was full of a desire to learn.

Xu Jingming stood aside, carefully checking the medical tools on the table, such as silver needles and pulse pillows. Then he turned to his old friend who had been with him for many years and spoke in a sincere and soft voice.

"From now on, the two of us will take turns seeing patients. We can no longer rely on our old medical experience to rigidly and arbitrarily prescribe medicine for patients."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Deshan nodded slowly, his gaze calmly sweeping over the bustling streets outside the door, his tone filled with a sincere realization.

"Master has already reminded us that the old ways of thinking that have been solidified for many years are the most difficult to change. From today onwards, we must completely reset what we have learned in the past and start learning from scratch."

The two had long since abandoned the airs and demeanor of renowned doctors in the provincial capital that they had accumulated over half a lifetime, and shed their former haughty arrogance, willingly and contentedly staying in this small, down-to-earth folk clinic.

He does not seek fame or fortune from the outside world, nor does he pursue worldly prestige or titles. He simply focuses on serving the simple, ordinary people around him and earnestly taking each step on his path of learning medicine and understanding the Tao.

As evidenced by the poem

A new clinic opens to welcome ordinary people.

Taking turns sitting in the office to uphold our original aspirations.

Let's abandon the old ways and start from scratch.

Shedding superficiality to become a healer.

II. Common Illnesses Among Ordinary People in Urban Areas

The clinic doors slowly opened, and ordinary people from the surrounding streets and alleys came one after another to seek medical treatment.

The patients who come to the door are mostly ordinary people from the neighborhood, suffering from common minor ailments that are frequently encountered in daily life.

A cold or cough caused by wind and cold entering the body, lower back and leg pain from years of overwork, and spleen and stomach disharmony caused by an unbalanced diet.

There are also chronic minor ailments that accumulate over time, which are the most common and agonizing illnesses for ordinary people.

The patients coming and going had simple and honest expressions. They greeted each other politely as soon as they entered the room and described their recurring symptoms of discomfort.

No one seeks rare and expensive medicinal herbs; they only want to treat the symptoms, at a reasonable cost, and to relieve physical pain safely.

Xu Jingming sat upright at the consultation table, leaning slightly forward, his expression gentle and patient, softly inquiring about the patient's overall feelings.

His expression was calm, and his tone was gentle; the condescending and indifferent demeanor of the old Chinese medicine doctor was gone.

An elderly neighbor bent over, supporting his knees, his brow furrowed, and slowly began to describe his illness.

"Doctor, my lower back and legs are always cold, and they ache unbearably on rainy days, making it difficult to walk."

Xu Jingming listened attentively, his expression focused, silently memorizing each of the patient's symptoms.

By carefully observing the myriad illnesses and conditions among ordinary people, we can truly understand the difficulties and hardships they face in seeking medical treatment.

As evidenced by the poem

Common ailments arise in the marketplace.

They are all suffering people in the mortal world.

He bowed deeply and inquired about the patient's ailment.

Gentleness and patience warm people's hearts.

III. Discarding the old and embracing the new: a dialectical approach

Before sitting down at the consultation table, the two completely abandoned their previous approach to medicine, which involved rigidly adhering to ancient prescriptions and applying outdated methods.

Bearing in mind the new diagnostic principles taught by Chen Shanhe, we meticulously examine each patient through observation, listening, questioning, and palpation, and carefully diagnose their pulse.

Gently place your fingertips on the patient's wrist pulse, calmly feel the pulse's rise and fall, carefully observe the complexion and tongue coating, and distinguish between deficiency and excess, cold and heat.

Patiently and meticulously inquire about the cause of the illness, daily routines and diet, and gradually clarify the root cause of the symptoms, so as to avoid making one-sided and arbitrary diagnoses.

Zhou Deshan gently moved his fingertips up and down, calmly feeling the pulse, and asked questions in a low voice while taking the pulse.

"How long have you had this symptom? How is your appetite usually? Are you able to sleep soundly at night?"

He no longer relies solely on experience to quickly diagnose illnesses, nor does he arbitrarily prescribe medicine based on old prescriptions from ancient books.

Instead, they patiently and meticulously investigate all the details of the symptoms before carefully considering mild and appropriate medications.

The two reminded and urged each other to always keep in mind their master's teachings on flexibility and dialectical reasoning.

Based on the patient's physical condition and the severity of their illness, we carefully prepare mild and safe medicinal materials, and meticulously prescribe and dispense the medicine.

We must abandon outdated and rigid medical practices, and carefully take every step of diagnosis and treatment, without being careless or negligent in the slightest.

We must change our fixed mindset in a down-to-earth manner, carefully understand new medical principles, and hone our medical skills little by little.

As evidenced by the poem

Abandoning old methods of distinguishing Yin and Yang,

A thorough examination reveals the true nature of the illness or injury.

Instead of rigidly adhering to ancient prescriptions,

Learn from traditional Chinese medicine with flexibility and dialectical thinking.

IV. Accumulate new knowledge cautiously and meticulously.

The two took turns seeing patients at the clinic every day, treating every neighbor who came for treatment with utmost seriousness, respect, and humility, without the slightest perfunctoriness or disrespect.

They patiently and meticulously observe, listen, inquire, and palpate, diligently and thoughtfully examining patients and carefully considering prescriptions, accumulating new clinical experience bit by bit, and gradually developing medical insights that are relevant to real patients.

When faced with complex pulse patterns, obscure pathogenesis, and difficult symptoms that they themselves were unsure of, hesitant in their diagnosis, and unable to grasp the underlying causes, neither of them dared to be arrogant or prescribe medication rashly.

He immediately took out paper and pen and carefully recorded the patient's age, physique, symptoms, pulse fluctuations, cause and duration of the illness, leaving no detail out and organizing the record in a clear and complete manner.

They carefully collected and stored the recorded medical records, patiently waiting for Chen Shanhe to come to the clinic when he had time, so that they could take them out one by one and ask him to carefully check and verify them.

After Chen Shanhe identified the true cause of the illness and determined the treatment plan, the two of them followed the instructions and administered the treatment according to regulations. They absolutely dared not prescribe medicine haphazardly based on their old medical experience.

The two kept their master's teachings in mind at all times, fearing that they might make the slightest mistake in their diagnosis, delaying the treatment of ordinary people's illnesses and discouraging the neighbors from seeking medical help.

Xu Jingming slowly put away the paper and pen, his expression solemn and serious. He turned to Zhou Deshan beside him and spoke sincerely.

"The path of learning and practicing medicine allows no room for arrogance or pride. We must never be presumptuous or prescribe medicine haphazardly when we are unsure about a disease."

"Honestly recording the details and patiently waiting for the master to come and make a decision is not only being responsible to the patients who come to seek medical treatment, but also not betraying my original intention of studying diligently."

Zhou Deshan agreed wholeheartedly, nodding emphatically, his eyes filled with seriousness and determination.

The two of them stayed quietly in the clinic every day, patiently seeing patients and humbly learning, putting aside their old ideas and accumulating new clinical knowledge bit by bit from scratch.

Having completely shed the impetuousness, arrogance, and rigid obsession that had developed from half a lifetime of practicing medicine, he calmed down, practiced diligently, and grew steadily. He wholeheartedly followed Chen Shanhe and devoted himself to learning the true path of traditional Chinese medicine, which is to heal the sick, save lives, and understand the essence of medicine.

As evidenced by the poem

A cautious and meticulous path in medicine.

Prescribing medicine without relying on old theories.

Humbly and diligently accumulate new knowledge.

Steadfastly upholding a benevolent heart, life will endure.