Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence-Chapter 104: Calming Pill

The one thing Bai Han could never remember was going to the Moon.

Back then, he and his wife had made a promise: if one of them ever forgot, or got lost...

"Then let’s meet on the moon! Right by the little rabbit’s tummy!"

What if he just told Bai Han directly that he needed to go to the Moon?

Would he wake up?

Maybe,

and maybe not.

After all, his mother had fed him a large dose of inhibitors back then.

’Could a single sentence really achieve the effect of A Wake-up Call?’

’Is that possible?’

Li Xu looked at the day’s intelligence report again.

Apparently, the intelligence system didn’t think so either. That’s why it had provided a prescription: an improved version of the Six God Pill, called the Calming Pill.

When Li Xu was a child, he often took a small, black, round pill called the Six God Pill.

The Six God Pill is made from six medicinal ingredients: Bezoar, Musk, toad, realgar, Camphor, and Pearl. It is known for its ability to clear heat, detoxify the body, reduce swelling, and relieve pain.

Due to its unique formula and exquisite craftsmanship, the Six God Pill was designated by the state as one of the four top-secret formulas, and its production technique was added to the national list of intangible cultural heritage.

Over its 300-year history, great effort was put into protecting the Six God Pill’s formula. The names of the six ingredients were not written down. Instead, one of the ingredients was split into seven coded parts. Only the person with the formula knew that the combined weight of these parts equaled the required amount of that single ingredient.

Thanks to its mystique and ability to treat a wide range of illnesses, the Six God Pill became a huge market success, and its production expanded continuously.

The Six God Pill has therapeutic effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, reducing inflammation, and alleviating pain.

It is primarily used to treat ailments such as severe throat infections, tonsillitis, skin boils and carbuncles, mastitis, and other unexplained toxic swellings, earning it the nickname "the antibiotic of traditional Chinese medicine."

Additionally, it is also highly effective in treating genital warts in men.

The Six God Pill can inhibit the division of warts, promoting their necrosis and detachment, all without causing any corrosive damage to the skin.

In terms of its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, the Six God Pill’s effects are remarkable. It can quickly alleviate local redness, swelling, heat, and pain caused by inflammation.

The natural animal components in the Six God Pill, such as Musk and toad venom, are effective antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agents. They increase cell permeability, reduce inflammatory exudation, help diminish swelling, and have a broad spectrum of action.

The Six God Pill also has antiviral properties that are very effective against influenza. For cases where antibiotics are ineffective, an adult can take 10 pills, three times a day. Their body temperature can return to normal by the next day, with a significant improvement in symptoms.

Its efficacy is even greater when taken with other cold medications.

However, sometime during its 300-year history, the Six God Pill formula was stolen.

At the end of the 19th century, the Six God Pill became all the rage in Southeast Asia. This small pill, a combination of six medicinal ingredients, could not only eliminate inflammation and relieve pain but also fight epidemics with an efficacy that surpassed penicillin, the pride of the West at the time.

But what truly made it a legend was its trial by fire during the War of Resistance Against Japan.

On a battlefield where even salt was scarce, the Lei Family presented the Six God Pill formula to the country. They secretly set up a production line, and the pills were sent to frontline hospitals like hotcakes, giving soldiers with inflamed gunshot wounds and fevers as hot as furnaces a chance to recover.

When the Jap devils heard how miraculous this medicine was, they went practically insane. They repeatedly tried to intimidate and bribe the descendants of the Lei Family into handing over the secret formula, even sending spies to sneak into the pharmacy.

On one occasion, to protect a batch of the medicine, the Lei Family threw wooden crates full of Six God Pills into the water, only to dive back in at night to retrieve them.

This "medicine is more important than life" persistence turned the Six God Pill into a symbol of national spirit!

But the formula that was so fiercely contested on the battlefield, the one that survived the bombs, ended up running into trouble in an era of peace!

In 2015, a medicine from Japan called the "Life-saving Pill" suddenly became a massive hit.

Its marketers claimed it could cure heart disease and coronary artery disease, boasting a recovery rate as high as 96.85%!

A global buying frenzy ensued, with a single bottle easily selling for over a thousand yuan!

Industry insiders spotted the problem at a glance. The so-called "Life-saving Pill" was a combination of traditional Chinese medicines like Bezoar and Ginseng—its formula was identical to the Six God Pill.

What was even more laughable was that Japan claimed they had developed it themselves.

How was that possible?!

So how did the people of Japan get their hands on the Six God Pill formula?

According to unofficial histories, Japan had secretly acquired some of the technology during the war. After the war, a pharmaceutical company decided to repackage it, simplify the formula, and launch the "Life-saving Pill."

They used modern business tactics to market this medicine from Dragon Country as if it were an Immortal Pill, making it seem like it could cure anything. They even used slogans like "buy as much as you want, don’t be afraid."

Of course, one also had to admit that Japan had done a better job of protecting and preserving traditional Chinese medicine than their own country.

Their Life-saving Pill was derived from the Six God Pill,

and they had made some improvements.

It did have some effect in treating heart disease.

And now,

the intelligence system had not only provided the complete formula for the Six God Pill, but also an improved version: the Calming Pill.

One of the ingredients had been replaced with rosewood.

Rosewood can calm the mind and nourish one’s qi.

Combined with the anti-inflammatory and detoxifying effects of ingredients like Bezoar and toad, and with adjusted dosages, it could produce a calming effect.

’The Calming Pill, along with A Wake-up Call, will certainly be effective.’

Li Xu got out of bed,

went into the courtyard to wash his face, and then ordered a car on his phone.

"Boss, you’re up so early?"

Song Sisi emerged from the other bedroom, her eyes still heavy with sleep.

"How did you sleep last night?"

"Not well. There was a musty smell."

"That’s because no one has lived here for a long time. Normally, it’s very comfortable."

The chirping of insects and birds,

the rustling of leaves in the wind—it’s all pleasant white noise that’s very relaxing for the mind. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Get ready. The taxi will be here in twenty minutes,"

Li Xu said.

"Huh?"

Song Sisi was taken aback. "We’re leaving already? Aren’t we going to look for more clues?"

Li Xu smiled and said, "I’ve already found it."

"What?"

Song Sisi asked urgently, "What clue? Where does the patient need to go?"

Li Xu shook his head. "I’ll tell you when the time comes."

Before leaving, Li Xu picked up the platypus toy and the colorful paper rabbit, then closed the courtyard gate.

...

After returning to Feng City, Li Xu didn’t rush to the Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Instead, he went back to his clinic first.

He needed to prepare the Calming Pill.

The Calming Pill was derived from the Six God Pill, but its properties were milder, possessing both calming and detoxifying effects.

The formula provided by the intelligence system simplified the tedious production process of the traditional Six God Pill, yet its efficacy was even greater.

Li Xu took out the Rosewood Sculpture.

He took out a small knife and carefully scraped off some Padauk Powder, then ground it into an extremely fine powder with a stone mortar.

Under the sunlight, the Padauk Powder had a faint purplish-red sheen, and its crisp fragrance had a calming effect on the mind.

This was Eight Hundred-Year-Old Purple Sandalwood Core Material.

A Calming Pill made from this,

Li Xu believed, would be even more effective than the one described in the intelligence report.

Next came the preparation of the Bezoar and toad venom.

The Bezoar had to be dissolved in alcohol first, then mixed with Pearl Powder;

the toad venom had to be soaked in milk to remove its toxicity, then dried and ground into a powder.

Realgar was a potent medicine, so its dosage had to be strictly controlled.

Li Xu precisely measured each ingredient according to the ratios provided in the intelligence report, ensuring a balance of medicinal properties.

Finally, he mixed all the powders together, added a trace amount of Cinnabar and Camphor, and then blended it all with honey, rolling the mixture into pills the size of a mung bean.

The entire process took nearly four hours.

Li Xu was a bit tired.

But his spirits were high.

This Calming Pill would be the key to waking Bai Han.

"Let’s go. To the Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, for ’A Wake-up Call’."