This Doctor Is Too Wealthy-Chapter 535 - 466 Correct Pulse Diagnosis_2

"Alright."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the outpatient service, while Li Jianwei glared at Liu Mu beside him. "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and follow."

Liu Mu looked at Li Jianwei blankly, then understanding dawned on him. With a soft "Oh!", he hurried to catch up.

In the consultation room, Gu Ping had already tidied up well in advance, just waiting for Du Heng to arrive and begin the outpatient service.

Du Heng returned to the familiar consultation room, allowed himself a brief moment of reflection, and then instructed Gu Ping to start calling numbers.

"What’s wrong?"

"Stomachache. It’s been on and off for almost a year." The patient was a 55-year-old man who clutched his stomach as he sat down.

"What are the symptoms?"

"If I eat something raw or cold, or when I’m hungry and haven’t eaten, the stomachache is more severe. And when it hurts, my mouth produces a lot of saliva."

"Have you been checked elsewhere?"

"I had it checked at our Gastroenterology Department 2. They said it’s a duodenal bulb ulcer. I’ve been taking Western medicine for over a year, but it keeps recurring and isn’t improving. The pain lessens when I take the medicine, but if I stop, it starts hurting again within three days at most."

The man was clearly in great discomfort, his face etched with pain. "The doctor who examined me suggested I try traditional Chinese medicine for conditioning, saying it should have some effect."

Du Heng asked no more questions and began his own examination.

After examining the tongue coating and taking the pulse, Du Heng was about to announce his findings when he noticed Gu Ping and Liu Mu standing idly by.

He immediately said, "Gu Ping, take the patient’s pulse and see if you can determine the issue."

With Xiao Su absent, Gu Ping had become Du Heng’s de facto secretary, helping input disease records. Hearing Du Heng’s instruction, Gu Ping calmly took the patient’s wrist.

The pulse diagnosis took a little longer, but with over a year of work experience, his skill level was decent. "The patient has a pale tongue with a white coating, and his pulse is deep and slow. This indicates gastric pain caused by deficiency and cold in the stomach. The treatment principle should be to warm the center and disperse cold, and I suggest using Angelica Counterflow Cold Decoction."

Du Heng nodded with a smile. "Not bad. The syndrome differentiation and treatment method are correct. Angelica Counterflow Cold Decoction is also a suitable choice, as it warms the meridians, disperses cold, nourishes blood, and promotes circulation. However, this prescription is a warming formula. The patient’s symptoms worsen with cold, which indicates a disharmony between the exterior and interior. Therefore, while Angelica Counterflow Cold Decoction can be effective, its effects will be much slower."

Gu Ping wasn’t annoyed by Du Heng’s comments in front of the patient. Instead, he thought seriously for a moment and said, "Then let’s use Cassia Twig and Ginseng Decoction. It warms the center, disperses cold, and also harmonizes the exterior and interior."

"That’s correct. Prescribe it."

After speaking to Gu Ping, Du Heng turned to the patient. "Go back and take the medicine as prescribed. The pain should disappear within a week. Remember to come back for a follow-up. At that time, depending on your condition, I’ll prescribe some tissue healing medication to address the root of the problem."

The man had heard the exchange between Du Heng and Gu Ping clearly. He nodded eagerly, then took his medical card and went downstairs to pay and pick up his medicine.

Liu Mu watched with envy. With Du Heng not saying anything, he didn’t dare to speak up casually. Du Heng was already dissatisfied with him; if he accidentally angered Du Heng and was sent away, he would truly be finished.

However, Du Heng wasn’t a petty person. Since he had called Liu Mu over, he certainly intended to let him practice gradually. It was just that Liu Mu would have to wait for a relatively simple case before getting a chance.

Fortunately, after two more patients, a particularly straightforward case appeared.

Du Heng let Liu Mu try, his expectations modest: just get a clear feel of the pulse.

But as soon as Liu Mu’s hand touched the patient’s wrist, Du Heng immediately stopped him.

"’Didn’t your teachers at school teach you how to take a pulse?’ Du Heng asked Liu Mu, his face stern."

Liu Mu, however, stared blankly at his three fingers. There’s nothing wrong, is there? This is how my teacher taught me, and how I’ve practiced. He had no idea why Du Heng was suddenly angry.

Du Heng knew their group had poor practical skills, but he hadn’t expected them to be *this* bad, to the point of even fumbling pulse diagnosis.

But now that Li Jianwei had pushed Liu Mu onto him, he could only patiently teach. "You all know that pulse diagnosis uses three fingers: index, middle, and ring. But it’s not as simple as just placing these three fingers on the wrist."

As Du Heng spoke, he began to demonstrate for Liu Mu. "The three fingers should be aligned and then placed gently on the patient’s wrist. The index finger is shorter, so it should protrude slightly forward. The middle finger is longer, so it should be retracted slightly. Then, all three fingers press down together."

He finished and looked at Liu Mu’s awkwardly positioned fingers. "Look at your fingers. Your middle finger is sticking out so much, while your index and ring fingers are pulled back. Are you trying to take a pulse with just one finger? Moreover, the three fingers must be aligned. But look at yours—your ring finger is almost on the forearm! Tell me, what pulse do you think you can feel on a muscle with your ring finger there?"

Gu Ping watched the newcomer with curiosity. He didn’t know the young man’s relationship with Du Heng, but since Du Heng had brought him, he wouldn’t pry. He was just wondering why Du Heng would bring along someone so green.

Liu Mu’s face turned red. It was utterly embarrassing.

Yet, he didn’t dare not listen, his ears pricked up, carefully following Du Heng’s instructions.

Only when Du Heng saw Liu Mu’s fingers were positioned correctly did he continue. "Once the three fingers are aligned and press down, and at least two fingers sense the pulse, you then press down with each finger individually to assess it. The sequence is: first, the index finger presses down, then releases. The middle finger, being longer, should press down with less force. The ring finger, which is positioned closer to the arm, requires you to apply more force when pressing down."

Then he looked up at Liu Mu. "Tell me, what are you supposed to feel when you press down?" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"The strength and frequency of the pulse."

"Correct. You must accurately discern the relative strength—strong, moderate, or weak—of the pulse. Only when you’ve determined this, and combined it with the pulse rate, can you identify the patient’s specific pulse pattern. Finally, by combining the pulse pattern with the symptoms in a comprehensive analysis, we can determine the cause of the illness."

Seeing Liu Mu nod, Du Heng had him try again.

When Liu Mu finished the three-finger palpation sequence, Du Heng’s eyelids twitched. The kid had released his fingers too quickly. "Alright, tell me the relative strengths you felt with each finger, and then tell me what type of pulse it is."

Liu Mu’s face flushed red again. While taking the pulse, his mind had been so preoccupied with Du Heng’s instructions about adjusting pressure—reducing force here, increasing force there—that he hadn’t paid attention to or remembered the actual strengths of the pulse.

Du Heng sighed and, no longer addressing Liu Mu, turned to the patient. "You’re experiencing stomach distension and pain, sourness, and a sensation of heartburn. This is caused by qi deficiency and blood stasis. I’ll prescribe Bupleurum Liver-Coursing Powder and Bupleurum and Peony Six Gentlemen Decoction. These will boost qi, activate blood circulation, harmonize the stomach, and relieve pain. You should see an improvement after about two doses. Come back for a follow-up in seven days."

After the patient left, Du Heng finally spoke to Liu Mu. "The day before yesterday, I asked you why you were studying traditional Chinese medicine, and you said it was out of curiosity. Today, I have another question for you: What do you intend to do after learning traditional Chinese medicine? Is your goal simply to memorize all the classics, or do you want to treat illnesses and save lives?"

Liu Mu stammered, tongue-tied for a long moment before finally saying, "To treat illnesses and save lives."

"Good. Since your aim is to treat illnesses and save lives, then you must master the practical application of what you’ve learned from your books. Don’t let that knowledge remain mere text confined to the pages or just words in your head."

Liu Mu nodded hastily. I’ve made up my mind! he thought. As soon as I get back today, I’m going to grab my dorm mates and really practice these fundamentals. Today was just too humiliating!

For the subsequent patients, Du Heng didn’t let Liu Mu attempt diagnosis again. He only allowed Gu Ping to try when suitable cases arose.

「Later that afternoon」

After work, Du Heng drove to pick up Wu Shengnan. Just as he was wondering What should we eat tonight?, Wu Shengnan suddenly spoke up: "Let’s go to my grandfather’s. We’ll eat there tonight."

Du Heng’s heart skipped a beat. I agreed to date Wu Shengnan, and now I have to meet Sir Wu Zhong! A wave of nervousness washed over him. He hesitated before saying, "Maybe not today? Can we pick another time?"

"No, they’ve already prepared dinner for us. Besides, my grandfather specifically wants to see you about something tonight."

Du Heng pursed his lips. "Alright then."