Chapter 13: Cutting Off the Source to Relieve Heat and Promote Bowel Movement

“Then what happened?” Zhang Jing asked.

“Then we continued the IV treatment at the hospital. Unexpectedly, this time the fever seemed to come earlier. The child’s temperature was normal at night and in the morning, but around three in the afternoon, he started running a high fever. He was especially thirsty and irritable.”

“Hmm, okay. Has the child not had a bowel movement for several days? Is his appetite poor? Is his urine rather dark?” Zhang Jing nodded slightly as he asked.

The middle-aged woman suddenly froze. “How did you know that?”

“I inferred it from the pulse and tongue diagnosis,” Zhang Jing smiled faintly.

In urgent situations, combining inquiry with personal inference was inevitable. But unlike charlatan healers, his deduction was based on a comprehensive analysis of pulse, tongue, observation, and partial questioning.

“You really know how to treat illnesses?” the woman’s eyes widened in surprise.

Zhang Jing secretly shook his head—after all this, you still don’t trust me at all!

“Of course!” Zhang Jing said solemnly.

“Then quickly tell me, what exactly is wrong with my child? It’s just a common cold, not a lung infection with cough. Why has he been on so many anti-inflammatory injections for days and still not getting better?”

“Sister, your child was indeed initially affected by an external cold, but now it’s not a simple cold anymore.”

“Ah? Then what kind of illness is it? Why won’t the fever go down?” The woman’s expression grew anxious.

“Well… let me put it this way…” Zhang Jing paused, carefully organizing his words.

After all, he couldn’t just say it was Yangming bowel excess syndrome—she wouldn’t understand a word of that!

“Imagine your child as a pot, filled with soup. Now the pot is being heated, so the soup gradually decreases. When the soup is completely boiled dry, and the heat continues, the bottom of the pot will start to glow red and smoke.”

The woman nodded thoughtfully and murmured, “So, when he gets hot, he wants to drink water?”

“Exactly. Giving him fluids is like adding cold water to the soup. For a short time, the soup isn’t boiling hot, but the fire underneath hasn’t been extinguished. After a while, the soup will boil dry again.”

“Hmm, seems so. Then what should we do?” The woman frowned, still somewhat confused.

“The best way is to remove the fire underneath the pot, which in traditional Chinese medicine is called ‘drawing the firewood from under the cauldron.’ In simpler terms, it means promoting bowel movements to clear the heat.”

The idiom was unfamiliar to her, but the phrase “promoting bowel movements” was perfectly clear.

“Make him have diarrhea? That can’t be right, Doctor. My child hasn’t eaten much these days, so it’s normal he hasn’t had a bowel movement.”

The woman clearly disagreed.

“Eating little doesn’t mean no stool; it means there’s retained stool inside. If you don’t believe me, try feeling his belly.”

The woman reached out and pressed the child’s abdomen. As soon as she touched it, the boy cried out loudly.

“What’s wrong, little one?” she asked anxiously.

“Pain… pain…” the boy wailed.

“See? That’s because his intestines are blocked with dry stool, preventing bowel movements,” Zhang Jing explained.

He paused briefly, then continued, “If the stool can’t pass, the fire can’t be removed. The fire keeps burning, and after the water’s gone, the pot bottom glows red—that’s why the child’s temperature rises.”

“Oh… oh… oh.” This time the woman seemed to grasp the idea.

But soon her brow furrowed again. “But the child is so young; does he really have to take traditional medicine? It’s so bitter, I’m worried he won’t drink it. Usually, we have to coax him to take even Western medicine.”

When studying under Li Yu at the National Medical Hall, Zhang Jing had seen many pediatric patients, and many mothers were worried about their children refusing traditional medicine.

So Li Yu often chose herbs with better taste.

Still, traditional medicine was not as palatable as a beverage.

But Li Yu was a nationally renowned physician, and patients trusted his skill completely. So even if the medicine tasted bitter, parents would find a way to make their children take it.

Zhang Jing was different. Though he had some real skill, no one else knew it except himself!

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Jing came up with a compromise.

The Mingde Hall’s pharmacy sold some common Chinese patent medicines, and he knew their inventory well.

Sometimes, when decocted herbal teas were inconvenient, appropriate patent medicines could achieve the same effect.

“Sister, he doesn’t have to drink the brewed herbs. We have patent medicine here that tastes similar to brown sugar water when dissolved in warm water. He should be able to drink that.”

“Well… coaxing might work, but… does brown sugar water reduce fever?” The woman’s suspicion arose again.

“It only tastes like brown sugar water, but it’s actually medicine that promotes bowel movements and clears heat,” Zhang Jing explained with a wry smile.

“Alright then.” The woman reluctantly nodded.

But she asked again, “The medicine won’t be too expensive, right?”

“It’s very cheap, don’t worry. You just sit tight, I’ll get it from the pharmacy. If it doesn’t work, you won’t have to pay a penny.”

Hearing this, the woman finally let go of her last doubt and smiled, urging, “Doctor, hurry, please!”

Zhang Jing breathed a silent sigh of relief and hurried out of the consultation room.

As he approached the pharmacy counter, Gui Cui poked her head out anxiously, “How did it go? Did you finish the consultation?”

“Yes,” Zhang Jing nodded. “Get me a box of rhubarb laxative granules.”

“Ah?” Gui Cui’s mouth dropped in surprise. “Who’s this for?”

“Of course, for the sick child.”

“But…” Gui Cui wanted to ask more.

Zhang Jing cut her off immediately. “I’ll explain later. Just get it quickly. Put the cost on my account.”

Gui Cui didn’t dare delay and swiftly fetched a box of rhubarb laxative granules, handing it to him.

Zhang Jing then went to the water dispenser in the hall and filled a small cup with warm water before returning to the consultation room.

In front of the woman, he opened the box, took out a sachet, tore it open, and poured the granules into the cup, stirring it well.

“Here, feed this to the child. He should have a bowel movement within five minutes, and the fever will come down afterward.”

The woman wanted to say he was exaggerating, but seeing Zhang Jing’s confidence and the fact that she didn’t have to pay in advance made it hard to doubt him.

Besides, the packaging looked legitimate, and even if it didn’t work, it probably wouldn’t have serious side effects.

With that thought, she took a small sip herself.

Thinking, “Hey, the doctor isn’t lying—it’s sweet and really does taste like brown sugar water.”

Then she coaxed the child to drink the medicine.

Since it wasn’t bitter, she didn’t even have to threaten him. After a few breaths, the boy had finished nearly half a cup of the patent medicine.

“Good job, little one!” Zhang Jing gave him a big thumbs-up.

“Little friend, soon you’ll feel like there’s a little mouse running around in your belly. It might hurt a bit, but don’t be scared. Let your mom take you to poop. Doctor promises it won’t hurt after that, okay?”

“Okay, baby’s not scared, baby’s brave,” the child nodded, his innocent voice responding.

Zhang Jing was amused by his cute words and gently patted his little head to encourage him.

About two or three minutes later, the boy suddenly cried out, “Ouch!”

The woman was startled and urgently asked what was wrong.

“The little mouse Doctor talked about is coming!”