Chapter 10: Intestinal Abscess

"Changsheng, go back and bring my backpack, be quick." Chen Xie turned his head to give the instruction, and Changsheng responded, "Alright!" before taking off running. "Uncle Shuigen, please prepare two pieces of white cloth, as large as the door panel will do." Shuigen did not hesitate at all and turned to leave.

With the water root, Changsheng set out. Mentioning the wild ginseng, Shui Gen patted his chest and said: "I know, there is genuine wild ginseng from Gaoli that comes by water route from Dongjiang Town at the Huichun Hall"

Chen Xie has already helped the couple up and said: "Since you have agreed, I will take on this patient." In the Ming Dynasty, there was no concept of a medical license; many educated individuals, having learned basic medical skills, would dare to prescribe treatments for others. If the patient did not recover, it was considered the patient's misfortune, and it certainly had nothing to do with the doctor.

At that moment, the shopkeeper and Shui Gen also came out and happened to witness this scene. The shopkeeper immediately approached Dr. Liu to inquire about the situation. After understanding the matter, he smiled wryly and shook his head, saying, "Youthful exuberance!" Shui Gen, listening from the side, laughed and said, "Shopkeeper Yu, you don't understand. This young master is indeed a genuine divine doctor. The tuberculosis of the Zhang family's old master has greatly improved, and it was treated by Young Master Chen."

The scene was utterly silent, even the family members of the patients looked at him with an expression of incomprehension. Who is this strange person? Dressed in an odd manner, he clearly does not seem like someone from the Ming Dynasty. Yet, he speaks in fluent official language.

The shopkeeper became anxious and grabbed Shuigen, saying: "Shuigen, what does this mean?"

The patient appeared to be only around fifteen or sixteen years old, writhing in pain on the door plank. As a doctor, Chen Xie could not stand by and do nothing. He looked at a couple, their clothes tattered, who should be the child's parents. Chen Xie stepped forward and clasped his hands, saying: "Esteemed couple, I have at least a seventy percent confidence in my ability to save this child. However, there is one condition: you must first sign a written agreement, ensuring that even if I am unable to save him, you will not hold me accountable."

"Take a break and get yourself some water," Chen Xie said as he picked up the bag. Without further ado, he hurried inside to prepare for the rescue. The bag weighed about thirty to fifty kilograms in his hands, and this change puzzled Chen Xie. This shuttle device was quite impressive; he wondered what kind of technology it was.

Manager Yu was also taken aback, exclaiming: "What? It really can be cured?"

Liu Gaoming glanced at the prescription, somewhat taken aback. Why? Because Chen Xie wrote from left to right, which he was not accustomed to at first. Once he understood it, he couldn't help but ponder that although this style of writing was initially uncomfortable to read, upon closer reflection, it had its advantages. At least when writing, he didn't have to worry about his clothes smudging the ink. Furthermore, the pen that Doctor Chen used was quite interesting; how did he manage that?

Manager Yu acted swiftly, and together with his assistant, quickly prepared a room. When the patient was carried in, Changsheng, who had been running and was drenched in sweat, returned as well, carrying a heavy backpack. He had called a servant to help him, using a pole to lift it. Chen Xie felt a sudden shock in his heart, wondering if something might go wrong.

Shuigeng expressed with a mix of laughter and frustration: "Leave the wild ginseng for Young Master Chen; no one is allowed to sell it. Is it just a small amount of silver? Can the Zhang family really afford to lose this little bit of silver? This Young Master Chen is just too impatient"

In the Huichun Hall, there is a resident doctor, Dr. Liu, who treats the elder Zhang of the Zhang family. As the most renowned doctor in Dengzhou City, Liu Gaoming leisurely rose from his seat, glanced at the patient being carried in, and after taking the pulse, he shook his head with a bitter expression and said: "It is a case of intestinal abscess, there is no hope, prepare for the final arrangements"

Chen Xie looked at the large wild ginseng, thinking that bringing it back to the modern world would mean a substantial amount of red Mao Zedong currency. Just as Chen Xie was about to purchase the wild ginseng, he suddenly slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Oh no, I have no money." Saying this, he put down the box, apologized, and hurriedly left.

Chen Xie was truly anxious, having forgotten such a significant matter. It was the first time in his life that he had seen wild ginseng, and it was a high-quality specimen weighing over 100 grams; he wished he could immediately put it away. He had forgotten that this was during the Ming Dynasty, where wild ginseng was not a rare item; it was something that could be purchased with money.

Walking down the street with two people, Chen Xie experienced the demeanor of a young master surrounded by followers. The familiar Shui Gen led Chen Xie to the Rejuvenation Hall, where the shopkeeper was very courteous. Upon hearing that they wanted to purchase high-quality wild ginseng, he immediately invited them into the inner hall

Chen Xie took the box and opened it, revealing a wild ginseng root resting on a red cloth lining. The shape indeed resembled that of a small child, and the root hairs were well-preserved. "This wild ginseng weighs three taels and three qian. Our store has had the best master examine it, and he claims it is over a hundred years old." (Note: The measurement units from the Ming Dynasty differ significantly from those used today; one qian is approximately 3.7 grams)

As soon as he stepped out of the door of the Huichuntang, a group of people rushed towards him, struggling to carry a door panel on which lay a person, clutching their stomach and crying out in pain. Driven by his instinct as a doctor, Chen Xie quickly stopped and made way, exclaiming: "Doctor, doctor"

Upon entering the room, two benches and a piece of door plank constituted the operating table. It was quite simple, but these were the conditions we had at present. The anesthetic had already been prepared, and after administering it to the patient, we waited for its effects to take hold. Chen Xie felt somewhat anxious, uncertain about the efficacy of this method as described in the texts. If it did not work, we would have no choice but to restrain the patient for the surgery.

Whether it is Mao Wenlong or Yuan Chonghuan, neither is the focus of Chen Xie’s concern at present

9 grams of sheep's foot, 3 grams of jasmine root, 30 grams of angelica, and 0.9 grams of calamus, decoct in water to prepare one bowl. Chen Xie quickly completed the prescription and handed it to Liu Gaoming, saying: "Prepare the medicine according to the prescription, have someone decoct it immediately for use. By the way, prepare some ropes; it's uncertain whether this prescription will be effective, so it's better to tie the patient up first during the surgery."

"Changsheng, you have worked hard." A casual attempt at comfort was met with Changsheng shaking his head with a smile, saying, "It's nothing, just over a hundred pounds. The two of us can manage it without getting tired. In fact, the young master has great strength; he can carry it all by himself."

The water root nodded with certainty: "If Young Master Chen says it can be cured, then it definitely can be cured"

The couple was left dumbfounded; the honest farmer, even if the city doctor did not cure him, who would dare to seek further payment

"Innkeeper, prepare a clean room." Chen Xie did not care whether the innkeeper was willing or not; he instinctively felt that this was a hospital, and saving lives should not be met with hesitation. Fortunately, Innkeeper Yu was a good person and did not make any excuses, immediately going to make the preparations.

Chen Xie was also confused; in this day and age, where do medical disputes come from? If there are doctors willing to step in and save lives, one should be grateful rather than complain. This couple was just like that, suddenly kneeling before Chen Xie, pleading, "Please, Doctor, save my child’s life."

"Young man, it is commendable to be eager to help others, but this is a case of intestinal abscess. Even if I possessed extraordinary abilities, there would be nothing I could do about it." Liu Gaoming, who was pulled and stumbled, did not take it to heart, but instead offered a kind word of advice.

Chen Xie realized that this is indeed the Ming Dynasty. Let alone appendicitis, in this era, even a common cold could be fatal. Chen Xie does not discriminate against traditional Chinese medicine; its continuous inheritance over thousands of years cannot simply be dismissed as unscientific. However, it must be acknowledged that traditional Chinese medicine is empirical medicine, and it takes a long time to cultivate a qualified practitioner. Moreover, there is another issue: traditional Chinese medicine is fundamentally powerless against many diseases. To illustrate, when Emperor Taizong of Song was injured during the Northern Expedition, he had access to any doctor he wanted, yet he could not heal this injury. Ultimately, he died due to complications from the injury, which highlights the considerable limitations of traditional Chinese medicine, a fact that cannot be denied.

"Why aren't you going yet?" Chen Xie became immediately angry upon seeing him dawdle. He didn't care that the other person was in his fifties and had a bit of gray in his beard. To be fair, Liu Gaoming had no complaints at all; he thought that scolding his master a few times while trying to learn some medical knowledge was nothing significant.

What? Liu Gaoming's face instantly turned ashen. He had diagnosed Old Master Zhang's illness and had concluded that he would not survive the winter. Who would have thought that someone had cured him, and that person was standing right in front of him. Just a moment ago, he had questioned whether this person could treat intestinal abscesses, and now he felt utterly embarrassed. However, as a doctor, Liu Gaoming was genuinely curious about Chen Xie's treatment methods, finding them irresistibly intriguing

In that moment, both Manager Yu and Liu Gaoming's eyes lit up. Even Liu Gaoming, who was in his fifties, showed a sense of respect towards Chen Xie. Having been a doctor for a lifetime, it was not merely to make a living; otherwise, how could he have become the best doctor in Dengzhou City? The pursuit of knowledge is endless, and so too is the path of medicine.

Returning to the table where the doctor was taking pulses, Chen Xie took out a carbon pen and swiftly wrote down a list. The surgery required anesthetics, which certainly did not exist in the Ming Dynasty. Even in modern times, anesthetics are strictly regulated substances in hospitals, not something one can simply obtain at will. Of course, it is not impossible that some channels could procure anesthetics, but Chen Xie definitely did not have any. However, he had read "Hua Tuo's Divine Formulas" and remembered the formula for the anesthetic powder within it. Regardless of its effectiveness, it was worth a try.

Chen Xie pressed down on the patient's abdomen with one hand. Amidst the astonished gazes of those present, he performed a simple palpation examination and calmly stated: "Acute appendicitis, immediate surgical preparation is necessary; otherwise, if perforation occurs, there will be no chance of recovery"

The name Dongjiang Town was familiar to Chen Xie, as he had seen it in the records. He was aware of General Mao Wenlong, the overall commander, and also knew that a certain Yuan Chonghuan, known as the Grim Reaper, was about to make a comeback. The reason Yuan Chonghuan sought to eliminate Mao Wenlong was quite simple: it was because Yuan, the Inspector, could not command Mao Wenlong. In an era where civil officials completely suppressed military officials, Mao Wenlong's approach naturally led to his demise. Later, some people used the assassination of Mao Wenlong to make a case, claiming that Yuan Chonghuan was a traitor, but that was nonsense, a forced interpretation. In an era where civil officials completely suppressed military officials, Mao Wenlong's approach naturally led to his demise. Later, some people used the assassination of Mao Wenlong to make a case, claiming that Yuan Chonghuan was a traitor, but that was nonsense, a forced interpretation.

After glancing at the patient, Chen Xie took out a small box from his bag, which contained a set of simple surgical tools. When he was in college, he primarily focused on surgery, with internal medicine as an elective. However, the school was quite ordinary, and Chen Xie never had the opportunity for practical operations; he had dissected human specimens, but this was his first time performing surgery on a living person

The shopkeeper is a man in his thirties, with a fair complexion and a beard, constantly smiling. He holds out a box with both hands to Chen Xie and says, "Since it is Young Master Chen who has arrived, I naturally must present the treasure of our shop."

Chen Xie, who was watching from the side, became displeased upon hearing this. "Isn't this treating human life as worthless?" he exclaimed angrily. "As a doctor, do you have no medical ethics? Are you already preparing for the aftermath? Step aside!" Saying this, he reached out and pulled Liu Gaoming aside.