Chapter 152 132: Expelling Parasites

The reason Chunliang adopts this position is to create a gap between the spinous processes of the seventh cervical vertebra and the first thoracic vertebra of the child patient, facilitating needle insertion along the line of the nuchal ligament between the spinous processes.Xu Chunliang quickly pushes the needle subcutaneously using the rapid puncture method, passing through the fat layer and nuchal ligament, stimulating the ligament which triggers the first needle sensation.

After two minutes of manipulation, upon further insertion through the nuchal ligament, there is a distinct sensation of heaviness and tension. Upon deeper insertion, the resistance slightly decreases, indicating entry into the interspinous ligament. Slightly adjusting the needle tip upwards, it reaches the bone surface of the spinous process, triggering the second needle sensation.

This second needle sensation is similarly maintained for two minutes, as the fine needle continues to pierce through the interspinous ligament to reach the yellow ligament, and the tactile feedback becomes lighter. This level is referred to as the third needle sensation.

Two minutes later, upon further needle insertion, a penetrating sensation is felt at the tip of the needle, indicating it has reached the dura mater, named as the fourth needle sensation level.

Xiaosinan begins to feel a change, with an initial light prickling sensation transitioning into a stronger local aching sensation, confined within a fist-sized diameter.

After some time, the local aching becomes more intense, with pressure spreading around the insertion point, until the pricking of the spinous process bone brings about an unbearable local soreness.

Xiaosinan's limbs start to react, and after the fine needle penetrates the dura mater, rhythmic muscle contractions begin in the child's back, chest, waist, abdomen, and lower limbs.

Liu Shanmin holds his breath, tensely watching every move of Chunliang. The Baihui and Dazhui acupoints are critical points on the human body, concerning life and death, where the slightest mishap could result in disaster.

Particularly the puncture at the Dazhui acupoint, where the fourth needle sensation is typically activated using a rounded, blunt needle tip, avoiding lifting, thrusting, and precise movements to prevent piercing the arachnoid artery, which might cause bleeding in the spinal canal, otherwise risking life.

Ordinary Chinese medicine practitioners are very cautious when selecting the Dazhui for needling, usually only daring to insert to the third needle sensation level, not venturing easily into the fourth needle sensation level without sufficient confidence and a skilled technique, let alone dealing with a preschool child which makes the needling even more challenging.

Being a doctor is not easy, as one must heal while also protecting oneself, making risk management particularly important. A doctor who doesn't understand risk avoidance would find their path fraught with obstacles in the real world.

Despite his young age, Chunliang's needle technique is already so adept, that even with over thirty years of medical experience, Liu Shanmin finds himself feeling ashamed. He also acknowledges that regardless of whether one practices Eastern or Western medicine, the higher the level of a doctor, the stronger their ability to bear risks.

After Xu Chunliang completes the first round of acupuncture, Xiaosinan has completely ceased convulsing, her limbs soften, and her breathing begins to stabilize, though she has not yet awakened.

The second round of acupuncture uses fine needles.

Holding the needle with the thumb and index finger of the right hand, he aims directly at the Renzhong acupoint, rubbing the needle between the index fingers three times. Each time the needle stops, the thumb and index finger expand and then contract like a bird unfurling its wings to fly.

This is the most common flying method in acupuncture, where, after rubbing the index finger three times, the fine needle is slightly lifted and rotated leftwards, and the needle is withdrawn a bit during the rotation. This method is also known as the three fly and one retreat.

Liu Shanmin watches Xu Chunliang skillful execution of the flying needle technique, his slightly clouded eyes becoming bright.

Almost every practitioner of Chinese medicine is able to grasp the flying needle technique; although the techniques are the same, the execution of the flying method shows one's true ability. Every movement of Xu Chunliang's fingertips is extremely precise, with his fingers opening and closing smoothly and elegantly without the slightest hindrance.

Even outsiders think that Xu Chunliang's movements are very professional. Mei Ru Xue is already convinced that he indeed understands Chinese medicine and has a high level of skill.

Xu Chunliang then uses the same technique on the Yongquan and Hegu acupoints.

Finally, he employs the pecking method to pierce the Suliao acupoint.

The Suliao acupoint, also known as Mianwang, is located on the Governor Vessel. It's located on the face, in the center of the tip of the nose.

Within the cartilage of the nose-tip, lie the dorsal nasal branches of the anterior ethmoidal nerve as well as the nasal branches of the facial arteries and veins.

Puncturing this acupoint can treat nasal congestion, epistaxis, nasal discharge, nasal polyps, rhinitis, alcohol nose, convulsions, coma, and newborn asphyxia.

The needle performs shallow and frequent lifting and thrusting within the acupoint, similar to a pestle method but lighter, akin to a chicken pecking rice, hence called pecking.

Xiaosinan slowly opens her eyes, with her consciousness coming back.

Seeing his daughter finally awake, He Tiantian weeps tears of joy, while He Shouren expresses his gratitude excitedly, thanking repeatedly.

Mei Ru Xue looks at Xu Chunliang with some guilt. She didn't believe him yesterday when he said he could help treat Xiaosinan, but now having witnessed him rescue Xiaosinan from danger using acupuncture, she is completely convinced.

Liu Shanmin's attitude toward Xu Chunliang has shifted from initial anger to confusion, and now to admiration as he respectfully asked, "May I ask, young friend, what is your relation to Elder Xu of Huichun Hall?"

Xu Chunliang replied with a smile, "He is my grandfather."

Liu Shanmin had already guessed that Xu Chunliang was a successor from Huichun Hall upon seeing him use a needle pouch marked with the Huichun Hall logo. This answer confirmed his suspicion, and he sighed, "No wonder, from a renowned family indeed."

Xu Chunliang addressed the others, "My treatment is not yet finished, please kindly step out for a moment. Doctor Liu can stay and treat with me, is that alright with you, Doctor Liu?"

Liu Shanmin nodded repeatedly, "No problem, it's my honor."

If he had asked everyone to leave at the beginning, it would have been impossible to convince Xiaosinan's family.

They had just witnessed firsthand how Xu Chunliang revived Xiaosinan; actions speak louder than words, and Xu Chunliang's previous performance had already earned their trust.

When the others left, the woman responsible for guarding the door outside came in. Jin Yonghao, who had been waiting inside for a long time, finally couldn't help but urge, wanting to ask when Doctor Liu could come over to continue his treatment.

Liu Shanmin snapped: "Don't you see I'm busy? Hemorrhoids won't kill him, let him wait."

Xu Chunliang held back a laugh; Jin Yonghao really didn't come at a good time today. Why doesn't this guy believe in Changxing?

It seems everyone's body is quite honest, especially within the medical community. When illness falls upon oneself, if surgery can be avoided, it will be.

After everyone left, Xu Chunliang told Liu Shanmin that the next task was to treat Xiaosinan's aphasia, to help eliminate the root cause of her illness.

Taking advantage of Xiaosinan's unawareness, he massaged her Sleeping Acupoint, causing Xiaosinan to fall asleep again.

Aphasia is considered in modern medicine to be a communication disorder caused by lesions in the cerebral cortex language function area.

Modern Chinese medicine typically uses two methods to treat aphasia.

One method is the tongue acupuncture technique, which is the most traditional therapy.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the tongue is closely related to the body's meridians, especially the heart, liver, kidneys, and spleen, and serves as an important speech organ. Acupuncture on the tongue body and tongue root can accelerate local blood circulation, enhance tongue movement functions, clear the throat, and achieve therapeutic purposes.

The other method involves scalp acupuncture, as aphasia is caused by damage to the cerebral hemisphere. Thus, it's generally believed it may be related to improving local blood circulation, increasing cerebral blood flow, restoring blood supply to brain tissues, and enhancing brain electrical activity to activate brain language functions.

Both methods have their pros and cons, and there are many successful treatment examples, but neither is suitable for Xiaosinan's condition.

From the first glance, Xu Chunliang judged Xiaosinan to be infected with the spring silk worm. To cure it, expelling the worm is a must; the method for expulsion is quite simple.

He instructed Liu Shanmin to close the doors and windows tightly. Both wore masks, and they lit two specially made incense coils, which Xu Chunliang produced using medicinal materials at Huichun Hall to expel various poisonous insects.

Once Xiaosinan inhaled the incense, the components of the medicine gradually penetrated her body, a process that was relatively slow.

While awaiting the effect of the medicine, Xu Chunliang began a new acupuncture session, this time choosing to puncture the Sishencong points.

The Sishencong points were originally named Shencong points, located at 2.5 inches anterior, posterior, left, and right of the Baihui acupoint, comprising four points, hence the name Sishencong.

Liu Shanmin noticed that Xu Chunliang's choice of acupoints differed from his understanding. To him, Sishencong points should be set at one inch around the Baihui acupoint.

Xu Chunliang explained to him that the Shencong points were first seen in 'Yinhai Jingwei', and he adopted the earliest positioning.

Today's Chinese medicine defines the Sishencong location according to the 'Taiping Shenghui Fang', which Liu Shanmin is familiar with.

Both positions serve different purposes; Xu Chunliang's aim was to expel the worm, thus the selected range was broader.

Liu Shanmin noticed he still used fine needles, choosing the handle flicking technique in acupuncture, inserting four fine needles into the acupoints, and then flicking the needle handles to vibrate the needles, producing a continuous buzzing sound.

The vibrations passed through the needles to Xiaosinan's head, affecting her entire body, and the vibration reached the entire head.

Initially, Liu Shanmin saw nothing special about Xu Chunliang's needle technique—just repeatedly flicking the needle handles to vibrate them, but it lasted quite long, approximately half an hour, and the room became increasingly smoky.

At this moment, a tiny white dot appeared in the corner of Xiaosinan's eye. Liu Shanmin thought it was eye discharge, but upon close inspection, the tiny white dot was writhing, sending chills down his spine.

Xu Chunliang instructed him to take over and continue vibrating the needles using the flicking technique.

Xu Chunliang then picked up tweezers he prepared in advance, clamped onto the tail end of the white dot, and slowly extracted it. This thread-like thin worm was indeed the spring silk worm.

In modern medicine, it is named Sparganum mansoni. It is this parasite that robs nutrients from the brain, affects local blood supply, and subsequently impacts brain electrical function, leading to impaired language function.

Previously, He Tiantian took her daughter to major hospitals in the province for diagnosis, but none identified the root cause. Experts suspected a brain parasite possibility, but various tests yielded no concrete evidence.

Modern medicine is an immensely rigorous discipline. If additional tests cannot provide solid evidence, even authoritative experts can't draw random conclusions.

Today, Chinese medicine has become fractured due to the loss of too many professional texts, especially in using poison to control worms.

In the past, texts like 'Du Jing' and 'Qian Chong Jing' were viewed as heretical, and so-called righteous individuals saw them as fierce threats, exterminating the heretics and burning their classic texts.

But one shouldn't just see things from one side, as the saying goes, "All medicines are toxic to some extent; everything in nature has its interplay."

Indeed, there's another saying: "Using medicine is akin to using poison." Even the best remedies require controlled doses; once they exceed human tolerance levels, remedies turn into poison.

And so-called poisons and poisonous worms, if controlled well, can save lives; otherwise, there wouldn't be the saying "fight poison with poison."