I Can Talk to the Internal Organs-Chapter 153 - 127: Is Purification Really Better?

"How is it?"

In the office, Jing Li and the other two were comparing data.

Fang Qian walked up behind the three and asked about their results.

Seeing this, Jing Li couldn’t help but smile wryly, "Director, it’s no good, we can’t find any effective components in sugar, but it indeed absorbs pus and contracts wounds. The only explanation could be what you mentioned about osmotic pressure and reverse concentration gradient."

Wen Cheng frowned, "But sugar isn’t the only thing that can create a reverse concentration gradient; saline solution can too, so why is its effect so much worse than sugar’s?"

Tong Fei smiled helplessly, "And it’s the same with sugar; white sugar can also contract wounds, but it seems less effective than sugar."

Fang Qian was not surprised.

He had seen the preliminary data a few days before.

Even without extracting the components of sugar, he knew that there couldn’t be any effective components in it.

Yet it can indeed help contract wounds.

Based on the experimental results, the only research theory Fang Qian could offer was the reverse concentration gradient.

And the theory of reverse concentration gradient is very simple: transport from a low concentration to a high concentration. Once dissolved in water, the sugar concentration is higher than the sugar concentration at the patient’s foot, thus explaining why soaking the foot in sugar can draw the sugary pus out.

But Fang Qian always felt this explanation was a bit far-fetched.

Because sugar is not the only thing that can create a reverse concentration gradient.

When using other things like saline solution instead, the effect was simply not as good as sugar. Moreover, patients might faint from the pain of saline, whereas with sugar, they didn’t feel much pain.

In terms of efficacy, sugar’s effect is simply incredible!

However, after analyzing it for more than a week, Fang Qian still could not find a more reasonable scientific explanation.

"It’s past seven. Wen Cheng, go down and meet Dr. Lu. He should be arriving soon," said Fang Qian.

"Okay." Wen Cheng responded and left.

In the office, Jing Li looked a bit uneasy. Seeing no one around, he muttered quietly, "Director, why invite him here?"

Fang Qian laughed, "This treatment method was his idea in the first place. Asking him is surely the most effective way. Besides, we’ve been stuck on this for a long time. Maybe he’ll give us the breakthrough with a few pointers."

Jing Li replied unhappily, "I just feel that you’re giving him too much credit. We’ve worked ourselves to the bone, and in the end, he’ll be the first author. I bet when he comes, he’ll act arrogant, just like those traditional medicine practitioners online criticizing us, saying modern medicine is worthless."

Fang Qian was amused, "I don’t even feel anything, what’s making you so upset? If this paper gets completed, millions of diabetes patients nationwide will have a safety net. Even if they can’t cure diabetic foot, at least this method can alleviate pain. That’s worth much more than any honor. You shouldn’t always think about claiming credit, we’re doctors!"

Jing Li apparently didn’t take this in, responding perfunctorily, "Okay."

Fang Qian shook his head, saying no more.

He knew there were many doctors like Jing Li in the medical system.

Enthusiastic about publishing papers, conducting research, and gaining promotions, yet not fully dedicated to treating patients.

It’s more like I only do my duty as a doctor; as long as I don’t break the rules, patient welfare doesn’t concern me. Any hardships you face, it’s not my problem, sorry, I’m unaffected.

We’re all human; just because I’m wearing a white coat doesn’t mean I have to be an angel. I also have to earn a living. Out of uniform, I’m just an ordinary person, so don’t preach nobility to me.

In today’s society, which emphasizes individualism, Fang Qian didn’t think this mindset was wrong. But if every profession focused purely on individualism, it might not be suitable.

At the very least, in the medical field, there’s still a need for a little altruism.

Of course, people who think this way might stay at the grassroots level forever, while those adept at self-promotion naturally rise easily.

Fang Qian remembered a high school classmate who scored a nine in physics and got into university through connections, now working as a director in the education bureau.

People’s Hospital building.

Lu Jiu followed the signs to the tower with the various departments and saw that the Endocrinology Department was on the 12th floor, so he took the elevator.

Ding!

He arrived on the 12th floor.

Just stepping out of the elevator and about to ask a nurse where Fang Qian’s office was, a doctor about his age stopped and stared at him.

"Are you... Dr. Lu?" Wen Cheng asked.

Lu Jiu realized that this doctor was probably there to meet him, "I am."

Wen Cheng said, "Then come with me, Director Fang is waiting for you."

Lu Jiu nodded, "Alright."

Soon, they arrived at the director’s office.

Wen Cheng knocked on the door and led Lu Jiu inside, "Director."

Fang Qian had watched Lu Jiu’s video and knew what he looked like, so he didn’t feel unfamiliar upon seeing Lu Jiu, "Dr. Lu, I’m sorry to disturb you so late, come, have a seat."

Lu Jiu smiled, "No need to be so formal, Director Fang. I didn’t have much to do anyway."

Jing Li, hearing this, couldn’t help but mutter to himself, nothing to do and yet over a week has gone by with no interest in our research?

Of course, he just grumbled internally; only a fool would directly counter that in such a situation.

While the two were talking, Tong Fei quickly handed a stool to Lu Jiu.

Wen Cheng went to the water dispenser to get some water.

"Dr. Lu, let me get straight to the point. Our research this time is going very smoothly. Among thirty patients with diabetic foot, all showed significant wound healing after being treated with sugar soaks. One patient even had no issues after using it despite having a toe amputated."

"So I’m very curious why sugar is so effective at wound healing. In recent days, we’ve done sugar comparison tests, concentration tests, and even component analysis of the sugar. The only concept that seems to explain this effect is the reverse concentration gradient. Oh, Dr. Lu, you might not be aware, but a reverse concentration gradient is a diffusion principle. There is both a forward and a reverse concentration gradient. When sugar dissolves in water, it increases the sugar concentration, which is higher than the sugar concentration in the patient’s foot. This creates a hypertonic environment, pulling out the pus and blood."

"We also researched how various sugars react on diabetic foot wounds. Many can reduce tissue swelling, promote granulation tissue growth, and accelerate wound healing. However, sugar has the most outstanding effect. It’s like the ’sterilizing’ effect of saline, yet why is sugar so particularly remarkable?"

"Dr. Lu, I’ve thought about it for a long time and can’t seem to figure it out, so I came to consult you. Can you help me clear up my doubts?"

Fang Qian’s attitude was humble, devoid of the arrogance typical of a director at a top-tier hospital.

Even though Lu Jiu was over twenty years younger, in such a setting, Fang Qian did not assume the role of a senior, but rather sought knowledge like a scholar consulting a teacher.

Lu Jiu was not one to be impolite. Seeing a senior ask in such a manner, he was also humble, "Director Fang, in fact, your explanation is correct; hypertonic can indeed explain it. As for why sugar’s effect is so good, it’s probably because its purity is not as high as that of other sugars like granulated sugar."

Purity?

How does that explain it?

Fang Qian asked, "How does purity affect efficacy?"

Lu Jiu smiled, "Because all herbal medicines in Chinese medicine not only contain visible components but also invisible things like Qi. This might sound mysterious to you, but the four natures and five flavors in Chinese medicine—Director Fang, you might have heard of them. The four natures refer to cold, hot, warm, and cool; the five flavors are sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, salty. Many Chinese herbs also have rising, lowering, floating, and sinking properties, which means they have descending and sinking Qi, rising and floating Qi. When we use medicine, we also utilize these Qi properties to treat diseases."

"Once herbal medicine is purified and its material is decomposed, this Qi disappears. No, I should say that upon purification and decomposition, and then synthesis, only one type of Qi remains, which is cold. Cold nature medicines are effective for heat syndromes, but if cold nature medicines encounter cold syndromes, not only do they not work, they can worsen the patient’s condition. Therefore, the higher the purity, the lower the effect on the human body."

"Of course, this is just one perspective, not an absolute truth. Director Fang, please consider it yourself."

Lu Jiu always had a disinclination for purified substances because in Chinese medicine, the balance of Yin and Yang is important. Everything has Yin and Yang. A plant has its Yin substance, which is its visible form, and its Yang, which unfolds unseen as Qi.

As the grass grows, its form enlarges and its unfolding Qi rises upward.

If you purify the grass and extract its substance, the unfolding Qi disappears, leaving only solitary Yin.

Even if it contains abundant vitamins, consuming too much of this will increase the body’s Yin part. Over time, the balance of Yin and Yang is bound to be disrupted.

And this applies just to food; what about medicine?

Fang Qian lowered his head, deep in thought. He didn’t really understand.

What Lu Jiu said about the four natures, five flavors, Qi properties, how purification eliminates Qi—Fang Qian couldn’t fully grasp it. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Yet, in the one or two minutes after Lu Jiu finished speaking, Fang Qian understood Lu Jiu’s point.

Different systems can only speak about their own ideas.

Whether using Western medicine to understand Chinese medicine or vice versa, each could only reach a partial conclusion.

However, this doesn’t seem to affect the project they were researching!

Suddenly, Fang Qian had an idea, "Dr. Lu, how about this? We use an integrated approach of Western and Chinese medicine for this research. We provide empirical data to substantiate the efficacy, and you can use Chinese medicine theories to explain it. Of course, use simple language. That way, with Western medical data and Chinese theoretical backing, won’t our study be more comprehensive?"

Lu Jiu couldn’t help but smile, "I’m not really knowledgeable in this area, Director Fang, you can decide."

Fang Qian clapped his thigh, "It’s settled then! Dr. Lu, you explain the effects and mechanisms of sugar on diabetic foot wound healing in under a thousand words, the sooner the better. We’ll handle the data."

Lu Jiu nodded but quickly asked, "Is it just for diabetic foot?"

Fang Qian asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"

Lu Jiu said, "Actually, sugar is very effective in healing many wounds, like skin ulcers, knife wounds, burns, etc., and when managed in time, it won’t even leave scars."

Ah!?

Fang Qian’s eyes sparkled with delight!