top student at medical school

Chapter 651: Cure the disease! ~
Although Fang Ziye is not a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, one of his famous sayings is still deeply etched in my memory.

The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic, Plain Questions, Treatise on Regulating the Spirit in Accordance with the Four Seasons states: "Therefore, the sage does not treat diseases that have already manifested, but rather diseases that have not yet manifested; he does not treat disorder that has already occurred, but rather disorder that has not yet occurred. This is what it means."

The best doctors treat illness before it occurs.

The idea is good, but it's too difficult to implement.

"Professor Zhou, in other words, based on our research group's basic experiments, we can now confirm that the high incidence of cancer is related to the local environment and water quality!"

"However, according to local water quality tests, the concentrations of known carcinogens don't match the standards, right?" Fang Ziye's voice was grave, and his breathing gradually slowed.

The simplest definition of a cancer village is a high incidence of cancer, and then it is extended to specify which heavy metals or chemicals can induce cancer.

This is a comparison with the concentrations of previously identified carcinogens!
This is governed by national standards, including but not limited to the Food Safety Law and various national food standards.

"If we could pinpoint which heavy metal or chemical substance is exceeding the standard, I wouldn't need to trouble you, Professor Fang. I could just report it directly, right?" Professor Zhou Yan said.

If it can be clearly identified which company's emissions are not up to standard, then it's the easiest thing to do; simply shut it down for rectification.

But now, all these methods have been used to investigate, and what remains is the phenomenon of a high incidence of cancer, which is higher than the general statistical average.

The specific reason is unknown.

The occurrence of cancer is, in certain circumstances, accidental and has no specific, absolutely related cause.

However, if the incidence of cancer increases in a localized area, then there must be a corresponding contributing factor, either water quality or soil quality.

However, it must be acknowledged that current medical research, as well as research on food, ecology, and environmental safety, cannot completely pinpoint all pathogenic factors.

There are many other pathogenic factors that are actually unknown to most people.

Some have even suggested that every illness has a cause, and if all causes can be eliminated, then the general goal of preventing disease can be truly achieved.

Of course, such a description is far too arbitrary!

However, it is not easy to find out which specific triggering factor caused the tumor-related mutation through an objectively existing phenomenon, and it cannot be determined by your own opinion alone.

We need to explore and investigate from various aspects, and try increasing the concentration of each substance one by one based on local test samples...

"Professor Zhou, much of the data you provided this time is unrelated to our orthopedic tumors."

"To be honest, our research group's current storage of tumor cell samples is mostly limited to orthopedic tumors."

"If further cooperation and in-depth research are needed, we will have to consult with Dean Chen, and perhaps even Professor Zhou's team, to discuss this with our sanatorium."

"Research funding, forms of research collaboration, the types of data we need to provide—these are some of the more detailed questions," Fang Ziye asked.

Fang Ziye was naturally interested in Zhou Yan's words.

However, analyzing the samples from Professor Zhou Yan's village survey to determine which unknown substance is the actual carcinogen and requires special attention in the future would require a huge investment of funds, and the exact cause might not even be found.

The breadth of this scientific research is no less than that of medical research, which explores the therapeutic effects of known mature drugs on unknown diseases, and seeks to find a suitable drug that can treat new diseases safely and effectively from among thousands of drugs.

The workload is extremely large.

Fang Ziye did not refuse. Since the sanatorium had adopted the name of the research institute, it had the obligation and the qualifications to do such a thing.

Public health security is one of the most important and fundamental aspects of medical security.

"Professor Fang, I'm so sorry to bother you so late."

"The main thing is that after we get a preliminary result, we may have to report it to the relevant departments so that they can make some policy decisions, such as relocating the village and persuading and resettling the local villagers."

"Of course, whether or not to make such a decision is up to the administrative department. We are only providing a specific data analysis."

"If a problem is discovered, it must be addressed. As for how to address it, we have no right to offer advice as this is not a sick patient."

"So I got a little excited."

"Furthermore, Professor Fang, you don't need to worry about research funding and cell resources. As long as Dean Chen agrees and approves of this task, they can all be transferred. Our country has its own tumor experimental cell bank, and the medical research institute in Wuhan should also have quite a few."

"However, Professor Fang, I personally and earnestly hope that you can put in more effort. If you can truly identify an unknown new carcinogen related to cancer-causing factors, it will reduce the number of related cancer patients."

"It's more meaningful than treatment."

"Because we can draw specific conclusions based on other geographical environments with similar structures to these villages, we cannot make any definitive predictions at this time."

"Do you understand what I mean?" Professor Zhou Yan didn't spell it out more bluntly to avoid moral blackmail.

Fang Ziye certainly understood.

The unknown is terrifying.

There is currently no way to count how many villages across the country have similar objective environments to this village.

As of 2021, China had a total of 691,510 administrative villages.

It's not 69,000, nor 6,900, but over 690,000.

If we can truly identify factors that are strongly correlated with the onset of cancer and manage them in advance, it will certainly cost less money than treating the disease after it has already occurred.

It is also more meaningful.

"Professor Zhou, I understand what you mean, and I will take it to heart."

"However, Professor Zhou, as you know, this kind of research is extremely difficult and involves a huge amount of work. It could take five, ten, or even twenty years," Fang Ziye said in advance, offering a heads-up.

It's like finding a needle in a haystack; you can't make things difficult for people.

“Of course I know that. There are many research institutes and institutions in China that are conducting similar research. It’s impossible to impose a task on you, Professor Fang.”

"We'll keep in touch! Professor Fang, please get some rest." Professor Zhou Yan's voice was full of apology.

"Professor Zhou, you should also get some rest." Fang Ziye replied and then hung up the phone.

After hanging up the phone, Fang Ziye stared quietly at the ceiling.

Previously, Fang Ziye had only heard people say that Professor Zhou Yan was very capable. Fang Ziye had also collaborated with Professor Zhou Yan on surgeries and knew that Professor Zhou Yan possessed many level 5 skills.

However, Professor Zhou Yan's influence in the national hand surgery field has not reached that extraordinary level; on the contrary, he is somewhat "unknown"!
Fang Ziye then realized that Professor Zhou Yan had gone to a track he had never imagined.

This path is more tedious, more boring, and more tedious than conducting basic research in a laboratory, but it is also more meaningful.

Preventing disease before it occurs is an extremely complex and challenging issue.

It may also be a major topic that will always accompany technological development and never end.

Technological development inevitably brings both advantages and disadvantages.

After thinking for a while, Fang Ziye stopped dwelling on the matter.

In China, every field has a disease control center, all doing similar things, hoping to prevent disease before it occurs. The country invests huge sums of money in disease control centers every year, but research progress is quite slow. It's definitely not just a matter of insufficient capacity on the part of some people.

The main problem is that the workload is enormous and the difficulty is extraordinary, so it's impossible to see results in the short term.

Fang Ziye didn't think he could figure these things out in just a few years, unless...?
Forget it, let's talk about it later. I'm going to sleep first. These things can't be rushed...

The following day, Fang Ziye had Luo Tingzhu drive back to Enshi again, and then went to see Dean Chen Song to discuss the matter.

Luo Tingzhu went to pack her luggage. They didn't have much vacation time, so they decided to go to Shashi tomorrow and then fly to Yashi the day after to take wedding photos. The time was a bit tight.

However, Fang Ziye did not take a few months off; he expects to return to work in August.

According to their plan, they would travel from Asia City to Yunnan Province, and then visit Luo Tingzhu's father in Henan Province. They didn't have much time.

In Chen Song's courtyard, Chen Song was holding a cup of tea and tapping on the table.

After scanning Fang Ziye up and down for several minutes, Chen Song said in a slightly cold tone, "Did Song Libo mention anything to you?"

"So you're planning to bribe me?"

"Huh?" Fang Ziye was taken aback upon hearing this and quickly put down his teacup.

"Dean Chen? Why would you say that? I was discussing with you the project that Professor Zhou wants to collaborate on with our sanatorium."

Fang Ziye didn't understand Chen Song's meaning at all.

Is there some misunderstanding between Chen and Song?

"Song Libo really didn't tell you anything?" Chen Song pressed.

“I’ve said it, so I’ve said it. If you don’t want me to tell you, I can just make a phone call and find out the truth.” His tone was slightly serious, as if he were testing Fang Ziye’s character.

Fang Ziye continued to shake his head: "Dean Chen, this has nothing to do with Director Song, right?"

Chen Song stated directly: "Our sanatorium's research area is very large, and currently it only occupies less than a quarter of the space. The other three-quarters are reserved blank spaces."

"Currently, our research area only has eight groups: the Key Laboratory of Difficult and Rare Diseases, Cardiovascular Diseases, Molecular Oncology, Medical Molecular Biology, Key Laboratory of Active Substances and Functions of Natural Drugs, Resource Bank of Animal Models of Human Diseases, Research Center for Drug and Metabolite Analysis, and Clinical Medical Research Center for Hematological Diseases."

"These are all directly related to clinical practice."

"What you're saying has absolutely nothing to do with these eight groups. Are you sure you're not just trying to add some new features to the research area and then claim credit?" Chen Song pressed.

Chen Song only told Song Libo that Fang Ziye was the next dean-designate, and he only talked about it in a joking manner.

But now, Fang Ziye has actually taken the initiative to propose expanding the laboratory's group structure, which makes Chen Song worry about Fang Ziye's character.

Is it because I'm too driven by self-interest?

Seeing that Fang Ziye remained surprised, Chen Song then said, "What you're talking about belongs to the Public Health Prevention and Control Experimental Center!"

"This not only requires adding a new set, but also a large amount of capital investment."

Fang Ziye was quite surprised: "Dean Chen, I really didn't think of that."

Fang Ziye was worried that Chen Song might be concerned about the fact that he had taken the initiative to call Professor Zhou Yan, so he explained, "I met Professor Zhou Yan in Yue City when we were working together on functional rehabilitation surgery."

"I only decided to have Professor Zhou Yan perform some surgeries at our sanatorium after I injured my hand. I didn't know beforehand that Professor Zhou Yan had a deep collaboration with public health!" "Moreover, it was Professor Zhou Yan who proposed the idea of ​​collaborating with our sanatorium on basic research. I personally did not mention it."

Fang Ziye wasn't trying to claim credit.

Fang Ziye didn't think he was superior; rather, he genuinely hadn't considered it that way this time.

Chen Song said, "In any case, if the public health system is really willing to cooperate with our sanatorium this time, it can at least provide us with a 100 million yuan allocation of funds every year."

"Even after deducting the salaries of researchers, there is still a considerable surplus..."

"This is the tiered development approach of our sanatorium."

"Fang Ziye, I'll give you one more chance. What exactly did Song Libo say to you?"

“If I said it, I said it; if I didn’t say it, I didn’t say it.” Chen Song’s tone was very serious.

If the nursing home wants to develop and benchmark itself against the world-class Mayo Clinic, it cannot even reach the edge of the other side with its current group of people.

What if I can't reach it?
Develop, recruit, and keep creating new groups!
People can't be recruited randomly, and there must be financial investment involved.

Fang Ziye continued to shake his head, his tone resolute: "I didn't know about this before."

"If I knew, I would have said so, Dean Chen!" Fang Ziye's eyes were clear, and he was not afraid to meet Chen Song's gaze.

Chen Song nodded upon hearing this, then took a deep breath: "The sanatorium focuses on treatment, while the research institute focuses on scientific research."

"One is the center, and the other is the core."

"Preventive treatment is the greatest ideal of traditional Chinese medicine. It is also what I most want to do, but I have not yet found a good breakthrough point for it."

"Even if Song Libo really told you that I planned to groom you to be the next director of the sanatorium, I still have to tell you this clearly now."

“If you can really bring the disease prevention team into our sanatorium, I will give you the credit.” Chen Song’s expression was quite subtle.

What a person does depends not only on their abilities but also on their responsibilities.

Before Chen Song, he was just a doctor; he had no authority over public health matters.

This is because the development of 'public health' relies on modern medicine, specifically on the epidemiology and medical statistics of modern medicine.

Although traditional Chinese medicine has developed for thousands of years, it has not made any significant achievements in these two disciplines.

Therefore, even with Chen Song's intervention, there was no way to drag this group into the sanatorium, but its significance truly coincided with that of traditional Chinese medicine.

Moreover, the core ideal of the development of these two disciplines actually comes from the concept of preventing disease in traditional Chinese medicine.

It lies in the prevention and treatment of diseases, with prevention as the core.

The core principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are not limited to its treatments, the use of Chinese herbs and herbal remedies, acupuncture, moxibustion, or decoctions...

This kind of traditional Chinese medicine is just medicine with Chinese herbs and Chinese medicine techniques, not true traditional Chinese medicine.

Chen Song only said these words to his son Chen Guangbai, and never to anyone else.

Why did Chen Guangbai start a medical device company? It was actually because Chen Guangbai had a new understanding of traditional Chinese medicine.

"Professor Fang, what do you think traditional Chinese medicine is?" Chen Song asked.

Fang Ziye could only recite the textbook to Chen Song: "Traditional Chinese medicine refers to a comprehensive science that takes the theory and practical experience of traditional Chinese medicine as its main body, and studies the laws of health and disease transformation in human life activities, as well as their prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and health care."

This is one of the essential terms to be explained in the exam for Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Fang Ziye had taken the exam the year he studied traditional Chinese medicine, so he remembered it quite clearly.

"Right? This is how that group of people define traditional Chinese medicine, isn't it?" Chen Song said with some disdain.

Chen Songdao said: "Traditional Chinese medicine is a discipline that studies human physiology, pathology, pharmacology and their relationship with the natural environment from a dynamic and holistic perspective under the guidance of the Yin-Yang and Five Elements theory, and seeks the most effective methods for preventing and treating diseases."

"Any theory that does not possess the characteristic of a holistic view will not be a complete traditional Chinese medicine. If it possesses a holistic view but does not have a dynamic nature, then this theory has not fully grasped the true essence of traditional Chinese medicine."

"Traditional Chinese medicine is not just traditional Chinese medicine; it is a holistic medical theory centered on the core principles. This is my personal understanding of traditional Chinese medicine."

"It is the core of the whole!" Chen Song emphasized.

"Some traditional Chinese medicine practitioners believe that using wound medicine is the right way to treat injuries, that using Chinese herbal medicine is traditional Chinese medicine, and that using sutures is Western medicine. Combining the two is the integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine."

"There are also those who set an example by adhering to tradition and not pursuing innovation."

"They've completely lost the core essence of our ancestors' teachings!"

“They’ve even abandoned the most basic classics of traditional Chinese medicine.”

Who taught them these things?

"Traditional Chinese medicine is a philosophy, not just a treatment method. The reason I emphasize holistic medicine is to facilitate statistics on which medical treatment is most effective."

"For example, appendicitis. In modern medicine, the best treatment for appendicitis is surgical removal, but in traditional Chinese medicine, appendicitis can be cured with just a few doses of medicine."

"But if it is diffuse peritonitis after appendicitis perforation, it would be cruel to treat it with traditional Chinese medicine."

"Surgery would be relatively better, and would leave relatively less trauma."

"Some practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine have become obsessed with it, even believing that surgery is the same as Western medicine?"

"Since even the legendary physician Hua Tuo was forced to sell his citizenship, some people think they are even more capable than the divine physician Yuan Hua."

Yuanhua was the courtesy name of Hua Tuo.

Fang Ziye felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this.

He had long known that Chen Song had great ambitions, and perhaps not many people knew what the old man Chen Song was thinking, what he had experienced, or what he had seen.

"Dean Chen, I don't actually know much about traditional Chinese medicine," Fang Ziye said.

“I know, but you can have a basic understanding of it. However, traditional Chinese medicine is profound and requires reading many classic texts. At your current age, it is indeed a bit late to start learning it again.”

"However, you can look at some textbooks and just remember that there is a discipline called Traditional Chinese Medicine."

"Once you have a better understanding of traditional Chinese medicine, you will discover its charm. The more you learn, the more you realize how difficult it is to learn, and the more you discover how wonderful and infinitely fascinating it is."

"The medicine cures the disease instantly!" Chen Song laughed, his emotional fluctuations now much less intense.

Fang Ziye knew that among the current members of the TCM group, only Professor Lan Minong was a student of Chen Song; the others were all experts hired by Chen Song and were not his direct disciples.

Perhaps Chen Song really wants to find a student now and then impart all the knowledge he has gained in his life.

Perhaps Chen Guangbai is the successor to Dean Chen Song, but Chen Guangbai has developed his own understanding of traditional Chinese medicine, which is why he has temporarily withdrawn from clinical practice...

"Professor Fang, please leave the liaison with Professor Zhou Yan and his team to me and Song Libo!"

"For you modern people, taking wedding photos is a major life event, so you should prepare carefully and never let the young girl's affection go to waste."

"I'm telling you, you two are a perfect match in my eyes. If you dare to bully her, I'll be the first to object! I'll definitely get back at you then," Chen Song said.

"Huh?" Fang Ziye was taken aback upon hearing this.

Why did Chen and Song suddenly bring this up?
"What do you mean, 'huh'?" Chen Song's eyes sharpened.

……

When Fang Ziye came out of Chen Song's courtyard, he also learned another secret: Luo Tingzhu was actually very good at socializing.

Or rather, she is not only good at socializing with her peers, but also a killer of 'daughters' and 'granddaughters'. I don't know how Luo Tingzhu does it. Now that Luo Tingzhu is in the sanatorium, many professors and seniors have a very good impression and attitude towards her.

But clearly, Luo Tingzhu is with Fang Ziye every day. How does Luo Tingzhu find the time to interact with these professors?

This was something Fang Ziye had always found to be a mystery.

Back when Luo Tingzhu was at Zhongnan Hospital, she had a wide circle of friends, including many senior and junior colleagues, which Fang Ziye could understand.

Is Luo Tingzhu pretty? There are so many LSPs in society these days, many senior brothers would definitely be happy to help.

But a sanatorium?

Professor, Dean Chen Song, Luo Tingzhu?
Don't dwell on things you can't understand in the short term; Luo Tingzhu has her own unique charm.

Otherwise, I wouldn't have been tempted by her looks in the first place.

Otherwise, his junior brother Jie Han wouldn't have been so 'rebellious' as to say to him, "A fair maiden is the object of a gentleman's affections."

Luo Tingzhu was packing her things at home when she heard Fang Ziye return. She quickly turned around and said, "Senior brother, I've packed all your things. Do you want to take a shower?"

Fang Ziye's stitches have been removed, and he can take a shower by himself with a small waterproof membrane; he no longer needs her help.

"Why take a bath now?"

"Oh, I understand..." Fang Ziye smiled and leaned forward.

Two hours later.

Fang Ziye and Luo Tingzhu nestled together on the bed, Luo Tingzhu's face flushed.

Fang Ziye stared at Luo Tingzhu. Luo Tingzhu, who had been dozing for more than forty minutes, opened her eyes with a thud. Seeing Fang Ziye staring straight at her, she gave him a playful punch, but her expression was one of extreme satisfaction...

When people are well-fed and warm, they crave money; when they are hungry, they awaken their inner desires. This is vividly demonstrated in this moment...

"Go take a shower, or you'll miss dinner," Fang Ziye said gently.

"That's all your fault, Senior Brother." Luo Tingzhu's red lips were almost dripping with moisture.

A feast for the eyes is the best medicine.

Treat the disease before it’s too late.

(End of this chapter)