Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 557: Chapter 557: The Problem with the Medicinal Herbs

Li Xu was meticulous in his examination, taking a considerable amount of time.

This, however, made the patient’s family think their child had some serious illness.

Li Xu was floored by their wild assumptions and couldn’t help but roll his eyes. "Of course not. When I said the illness was ’strange,’ I meant it’s strange because it’s so simple. It’s just a common cold and cough. Dr. Hu has already treated most of it; all that’s left are the final touches."

"But if it’s such a simple illness, why isn’t he getting better with the right medicine? That’s what’s strange about it."

The child’s mother finally let out a huge sigh of relief and patted her chest. "Oh my goodness, Doctor Li, the way you talk! Don’t leave us hanging like that. You scared me to death."

The child’s father also complained, "If it’s just a minor illness, why are you all being so dramatic? You’re acting like this is a consultation for some rare and difficult disease."

Li Xu’s expression turned serious. "Sir, you can’t put it that way. There’s no such thing as a ’minor’ illness. If it can’t be cured, it’s a major problem. Dr. Hu’s diagnosis was correct, and his prescription was correct, but the condition didn’t improve—it even got worse. That means something must have gone wrong somewhere in the process."

"If we don’t find out what it is, this child will just keep suffering."

The father was taken aback for a moment, then scratched his head. "Well... maybe it’s a problem with his constitution? Some kids just recover more slowly. Or... maybe the medicine hasn’t kicked in yet?"

Li Xu and Hu Qiming exchanged a look, their expressions still grave.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the right treatment should yield immediate results.

For this kind of exterior syndrome, as long as the prescription is correct, there should be a noticeable reaction after just one or two doses.

There’s simply no such thing as "recovering slowly" or "the medicine hasn’t kicked in yet."

Hu Qiming frowned in thought. "Since the prescription is correct and the diagnosis is correct, then the problem must be either the patient’s lifestyle habits or... a problem with the medicinal herbs themselves."

Li Xu turned to the child’s mother. "Has the child been taking his medicine on time? Did he miss any doses? Or did he eat anything that might counteract the medicine?"

The mother quickly shook her head. "No, no, he’s been very regular, three times a day without missing a single dose. His diet has also been very light; I haven’t given him any heavy or greasy foods."

Li Xu asked again, "Have you taken him outside into the wind recently? Or are there any unusual, irritating smells at home?"

"No. He’s been home from school ever since he got sick. He hasn’t even stepped out the door. We haven’t done any renovations, and we don’t have any pets."

All external factors had been ruled out.

That left only one last possibility.

Li Xu sighed.

He and Hu Qiming exchanged another look. Both were reminded of a classic case mentioned by Professor Gao Guanghui during his lecture in Feng City last year.

That case had also been an extremely simple one. The diagnosis was precise, and the prescription was perfectly suited to the symptoms, but the patient simply wouldn’t get better.

After a full investigation, they finally discovered that a key herb from the pharmacy was a low-quality substitute, rendering it completely ineffective and even causing adverse effects.

"Let’s go. To the pharmacy."

Li Xu got up decisively and led Hu Qiming downstairs.

"Huh? What are you going to the pharmacy for?"

The child’s father called out from behind them.

"To find the reason."

Li Xu said without looking back.

...

The Chinese medicine pharmacy was filled with the characteristic, mingled scents of various herbs.

Li Xu and Hu Qiming walked in quickly.

"Old Hu, read out the prescription."

Li Xu, his face cold, walked directly to the medicine cabinets.

"Ephedra, almond, Knotweed, licorice, Forsythia Suspensa..."

As Hu Qiming read out the names of the herbs, he nimbly pulled open the corresponding drawers, grabbing a small handful of each and placing it on a tray.

The commotion quickly alerted Liu Kan, the director of the pharmacy department, who was in the back checking the accounts.

Liu Kan was a somewhat paunchy middle-aged man in his forties. He used to manage logistics but had just been transferred to this lucrative position this year for his "outstanding performance."

When he saw it was Li Xu, his round face immediately broke into an enthusiastic smile. He trotted over and said, "Well, well, if it isn’t Doctor Li and Dr. Hu! What a rare visit! Welcome, welcome, here to inspect our work? Is there a problem with the pharmacy’s service?"

Li Xu had no time for pleasantries and said bluntly, "We suspect there’s a problem with the medicinal herbs."

"Huh?"

Liu Kan’s smile froze. He gave a dry laugh. "That’s impossible, isn’t it? Dr. Li, you must be joking. These herbs were all sourced through legitimate channels. I personally oversee the receiving and inspection for every single batch. They all have quality inspection reports. How could there possibly be a problem?"

Li Xu frowned.

He wasn’t very familiar with Liu Kan, but he had heard the man’s professional skills were mediocre, though he was excellent at networking.

’The only way to know for sure was to put him to the test.’

"Knotweed."

Hu Qiming grabbed a handful of sliced Knotweed from the tray and handed it to Li Xu.

Li Xu took it and examined it carefully in his palm.

The color was a bit too white, and the texture lines were somewhat blurry.

He brought it closer to his nose and sniffed, his brow furrowing slightly.

Then, he picked up a slice, tossed it directly into his mouth, and chewed it carefully.

"Hm?"

"What is it?"

Liu Kan’s heart skipped a beat, and he asked nervously.

Li Xu spat out the residue and said coldly, "This is Sweet Knotweed."

"Sweet Knotweed?"

Liu Kan looked puzzled, a blank expression in his eyes.

He used to be in charge of logistics, purchasing things like desks and chairs. His ability to appraise Chinese medicinal herbs was amateur at best, so he had no idea what the difference was.

But Hu Qiming’s expression changed drastically.

He also quickly grabbed a slice, tossed it in his mouth, and chewed. His expression instantly became grim. "Slightly sweet. It really is Sweet Knotweed."

Liu Kan was still being stubborn. "So what if it’s Sweet Knotweed? Isn’t it still Knotweed? As long as it’s not poisonous, it should be fine, right?"

Hu Qiming was so angry he wanted to laugh. "Director Liu, you really need to brush up on your professional knowledge. Real Knotweed is bitter and pungent. That’s what gives it the ability to ventilate the lungs, soothe the throat, and expel phlegm. While Knotweed grows all over the country, it’s divided into northern and southern varieties. Northern Knotweed is bitter and pungent, with strong medicinal properties. Southern Knotweed is sweet and is mostly used for making pickles. Furthermore, Sweet Knotweed has a shorter growth cycle, a larger yield, and is cheaper to produce, so many crooked merchants mix it in with Northern Knotweed to pass it off as the real thing."

"This stuff might be slightly useful for a sore throat, but if you want to ventilate the lungs and clear phlegm to treat a cough, you might as well be eating dried radish!"

"Ah..."

Liu Kan’s face changed slightly, and tiny beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.

Before he could recover, Li Xu pulled out a handful of Agastache from another drawer.

"This Agastache is fake, too."

Li Xu’s tone was ice-cold.

Hu Qiming quickly took it and looked, his heart sinking with every glance. "Genuine Agastache has a square-shaped stem, and its cross-section reveals a soft or hollow pith in the center. But this... the stem is round, the cross-section is solid, and the smell is faint, almost musty. This is just some kind of weed or low-quality Su Geng that’s been dyed."

Liu Kan’s face turned pale. He held his breath, a tightness constricting his chest.

"And this." Li Xu picked up a handful of sliced American Ginseng. "This is also a fake, a counterfeit made from regular Ginseng."

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