Font Size:
Wei Lan assigned Shun Xing to the front hall to handle patient triage. Although he initially knew nothing about the medical hall’s operations, Wei Lan believed he would quickly adapt.
Wei Lan patiently taught Shun Xing basic knowledge, starting with the simplest numbers, helping him learn Chinese numerals from one to ten. She then taught him to distinguish between “internal” and “external” To facilitate management, she prepared twenty numbered tags, ranging from “Internal 1” to “Internal 10” and “External 1” to “External 10,” since the front hall could only accommodate that many patients.
She explained to Shun Xing that patients with obvious external injuries should be classified as surgical cases. Similarly, those with sudden and severe illnesses should also be placed in the external category for immediate treatment. Meanwhile, patients with chronic conditions, such as persistent cough or long-term stomach pain, were typically classified as internal cases.
She also reminded him that the clinic did not accept critically ill patients. Instead, she and Ming Yi took turns making house calls once a week to treat them.
Shun Xing listened carefully and soon memorized the instructions. Before long, a patient entered the clinic, looking exhausted and coughing persistently but showing no visible injuries or urgent symptoms. Shun Xing quickly determined that it was an internal case and handed the patient an “Internal 1” tag, directing him to the internal medicine waiting area.
Seeing this, Wei Lan gave him a thumbs-up.
In addition to triage, Shun Xing was responsible for dispensing medicine and handling payments. The numerous and complex names of medicinal herbs overwhelmed him at first.
Seeing his struggle, Wei Lan smiled and said, “Think of it as a matching game. Ming Yi writes the weight of each herb clearly on his prescriptions. You just need to match the characters with those on the medicine cabinet. Once you get used to it, you’ll naturally remember them.”
Shun Xing nodded in understanding.
Wei Lan then wrote down several common herbal names with a brush and said, “Let’s test you.”
Shun Xing took the paper, studied it carefully, and quickly found the corresponding herbs in the cabinet. He excitedly declared, “Sister, I’ll learn these words in no time!”
Seeing him improve, Wei Lan felt at ease and returned to her consultation room. Since each patient had to pay 20 wen upfront for a numbered tag, the clinic wasn’t too busy at first. Most of the visitors were Ming Yi’s regular patients, giving Wei Lan some free time.
She spent her spare moments reading the Compendium of Materia Medica, occasionally sharing interesting herbal knowledge with Shun Xing, making him laugh. Pointing at an herb in the book, she said, “Look, this herb is called He Shou Wu. Legend has it that a man named He Shou Wu ate it, and his white hair turned black, so it was named after him.”
Just then, the sound of urgent cartwheels echoed from outside, followed by a frantic shout: “Doctor, help! Help!”
A man rushed into the clinic, pushing a wooden cart and almost tripping over himself.
Shun Xing quickly stepped forward to support him, reassuringly asking, “Don’t panic. What happened?”
The man, gasping for breath, replied anxiously, “My father’s stomach is severely bloated and in terrible pain!”
Shun Xing was momentarily unsure what to do. He considered moving the patient inside, but the man cried out in pain with every movement.
Wei Lan cautioned, “Don’t move him yet. Let’s assess the situation first.”
Shun Xing observed the patient carefully, noting his abdomen was distended but not excessively so, mainly in the lower area. Unsure how to proceed, he looked at Wei Lan for guidance.
She smiled slightly, recognizing that Shun Xing had already done well—after all, he was once completely illiterate, let alone knowledgeable in medicine.
Wei Lan approached the patient and asked, “Are your bowel movements and urination normal?”
The patient finally responded, “I haven’t urinated in two days.”
With this information, Wei Lan formed a preliminary diagnosis. She gently lifted the patient’s clothing and pressed on his lower abdomen. When she reached the bladder area, the patient winced in pain, and the lower abdomen was noticeably tense and swollen—classic signs of urinary retention.
Tapping on the abdomen, she heard a dull sound rather than a normal hollow tone, confirming her suspicion.
Wei Lan knew that untreated urinary retention could lead to bladder rupture, causing urine to leak into the abdominal cavity, leading to peritonitis, or even death. She had to find a way to relieve the bladder immediately. However, without rubber catheters, what could be done?
Standing beside the patient, Wei Lan frowned in deep thought but couldn’t come up with a perfect solution. She turned to Shun Xing and said, “Go ask Ming Yi if he can find a material that can be inserted into the urethra to drain the urine without harming the patient.”
Shun Xing was stunned and stammered, “The… the urethra?”
Wei Lan was puzzled and pointed at the lower region, asking, “Isn’t this called the urethra?”
Shun Xing’s brain froze as he struggled to connect bladder bloating with that part of the body. His face darkened, and he awkwardly grabbed Wei Lan’s hand, mumbling, “Sister, don’t point randomly.”
Wei Lan pulled her hand back and playfully pushed him. “Just go call Ming Yi! I’ll watch over the patient!”
Reluctantly, Shun Xing ran off and soon returned with Ming Yi.
Ming Yi examined the patient and confirmed Wei Lan’s diagnosis. She anxiously asked, “Do you have a solution?”
Ming Yi instructed Shun Xing, “Go buy a feather quill tube and a cleaned pig bladder.”
Shun Xing hesitated, clearly reluctant to follow Ming Yi’s orders.
Wei Lan frowned and firmly said, “Do as he says, Shun Xing.”
Only then did Shun Xing obediently rush out.
The patient’s son asked anxiously, “Doctor, are you really using a pig bladder to treat my father?”
Wei Lan, equally curious, looked at Ming Yi for an explanation.
Ming Yi smiled and patiently explained, “Your father’s pain is due to urinary retention. We will insert a quill tube into his bladder, then use the pig bladder to create pressure and help urine flow out.”
Considering Wei Lan’s presence, he tactfully avoided explicitly mentioning the male anatomy.
Wei Lan nodded in understanding. “His bladder is already so full that inserting the tube should be enough—no need to blow air in.”
Ming Yi agreed but added, “You’re right, but we should keep the pig bladder as a backup in case the urine doesn’t flow.”
Shun Xing returned with the supplies. Ming Yi smoothed one end of the quill tube to minimize discomfort, then thoroughly cleaned and disinfected both the quill and pig bladder with alcohol—something he had learned from Wei Lan.
As everything was prepared, Ming Yi held the quill tube, ready to proceed. However, he suddenly hesitated.
The patient, his son, Shun Xing, and Ming Yi all turned to Wei Lan simultaneously, silently signaling that she should leave.
Yet, Wei Lan remained oblivious, blinking innocently. “Why are you all looking at me? Hurry up and do it!”
Ming Yi sighed, “Lan, step out. This isn’t suitable for you to watch.”
Unwilling to leave, Wei Lan was fascinated by this ancient catheterization method.
Ming Yi exchanged a glance with Shun Xing, who instantly understood. Since he was taller, he stepped in front of Wei Lan, blocking her view like a human wall.
Wei Lan, frustrated, tried to push past him. “I just want to see how the tube goes in!”
Amid their playful struggle, Ming Yi seized the moment and expertly inserted the quill tube. Urine gushed out instantly, providing immediate relief to the patient.
The grateful man exclaimed, “Doctor, you’re a miracle worker!”
Wei Lan stopped struggling and asked eagerly, “Did it work?”
Ming Yi chuckled. “It worked!”
After sending the patient home, Wei Lan excitedly asked Ming Yi about the technique.
He explained, “This method was recorded by Yuan Dynasty physician Luo Tianyi in The Treasure of Hygiene and is more advanced than the earlier green onion tube technique from Tang Dynasty physician Sun Simiao’s Essential Prescriptions for Emergencies.”
Wei Lan was amazed. “So they even used green onion tubes for catheterization?”
She marveled at how ancient doctors found solutions using simple materials, proving their incredible ingenuity.