Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

Today's patient is the famous Mr. Chen in the city - the only son of Mr. Chen.

I heard that this young man has recently fallen ill with a strange disease and has severe headaches, and the medicine hasn't helped.

Lord Chen was extremely worried and consulted almost all the famous doctors in the city, but there was still no progress.

So, Lord Chen finally thought of me, this "extraordinary woman", and specially sent someone to invite me into his mansion.

"Isn't it poisoning again this time?" Zhu Yuan muttered as he walked. "Mr. Chen is a playboy who indulges in eating, drinking and having fun. If he is poisoned by some strange thing, it will be difficult to deal with."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Don't keep saying 'poisoned.' How can there be so much poison in this world? Someone like you who constantly thinks about others being poisoned has probably been poisoned by the storybook."

Zhu Yuan touched his nose and followed with a smile: "So, what's wrong with Master Chen this time? He has a splitting headache every day and nausea all the time. He can't even eat."

I was also a little curious. Headache, nausea, and loss of appetite—these symptoms are typical of migraines in modern medicine.

But this was ancient times, and the rich young masters didn't have many electronic screens to overuse, so how could they get migraines?

With some doubts, Zhu Yuan and I entered the Chen Mansion.

Mr. Chen's bedroom was unusually quiet, with a faint medicinal fragrance in the air.

A handsome young man was lying on the bed, his brows furrowed, his face pale, and he looked as if he had lost all hope in life.

There were several doctors standing nearby, all with frowns on their faces, obviously at a loss of what to do.

"Miss Yang, you're here!" Lord Chen came up to me as soon as he saw me, his expression anxious. "My son's illness has dragged on for several days, and I'm really worried. You are a skilled doctor, please help."

I nodded, comforted Lord Chen, walked to the bed, and began to take Mr. Chen's pulse.

The pulse was a little disordered, but there was no big problem. Obviously, this disease was not the "difficult and complicated disease" that the imperial doctors imagined.

I looked at Master Chen's face and asked, "Master Chen, have you been staying up late or drinking too much these days?"

Master Chen sighed, "That's not the case. Ever since the headache started, he hasn't even touched alcohol. He's been lying in bed all day, and he can't even sleep well."

I nodded, and my guess became more certain.

He whispered to Master Chen, "Can I ask Master Chen some questions?"

Master Chen nodded quickly: "Of course, of course."

I gently patted Mr. Chen on the bed: "Mr. Chen, can you hear me?"

Young Master Chen opened his eyes slightly and said in a weak voice, "Miss Yang, my head hurts so badly, I really can't stand it anymore."

"When did your headache start? Is there any special trigger?" I continued to ask.

Young Master Chen frowned and thought for a moment, "It started about last month. At first, it was just occasional pain, but then it became more and more frequent. Lately, it's been almost daily, and the pain can last for hours at a time."

I nodded. "How do you usually sleep? Do you often stay up late?"

Young Master Chen shook his head: "I don't stay up late, but I haven't been sleeping well recently. I often wake up in the middle of the night, and my headaches are even worse."

"How do you usually eat? Do you have any special eating habits?"

Young Master Chen shook his head again, his tone somewhat helpless: "I have always had a light diet and don't eat greasy food very often."

Hearing this, I suddenly felt that something was wrong.

Since there is no problem with lifestyle and diet, the cause of the headache is somewhat intriguing.

So, I turned to ask Master Chen, "Master Chen, do you have any special hobbies? Like reading, playing chess, or something like that?"

Master Chen hesitated for a moment, a trace of embarrassment on his face. "Well... my son doesn't usually have any special hobbies, but he's recently become obsessed with... uh, obsessed with... chess."

"Play chess?" I raised my eyebrows and suddenly had the answer in my mind.

"Mr. Chen, have you been playing chess every day recently, sometimes even sitting there for hours at a time?" I asked tentatively.

Young Master Chen nodded slightly. "Indeed, I've been obsessed with Go lately. I play Go with my friends every day, often losing track of time."

It suddenly dawned on me: Isn’t this a typical migraine caused by “overusing the brain”?

In modern society, many people experience similar symptoms due to spending long periods of time in front of computers or mobile phones, or reading or thinking for a long time.

Although there were no electronic devices in ancient times, playing chess, a high-intensity mental activity, could still give people a splitting headache.

I couldn't help but smile: "Mr. Chen's headache is probably due to overusing his brain."

"Overuse of the brain?" Lord Chen clearly didn't understand. "Miss Yang, what does this mean?"

I explained, "Prolonged mental activity, such as playing chess or thinking, puts the brain in a state of high tension. Without proper rest, blood circulation in the brain becomes disrupted, leading to headaches. Mr. Chen's headaches are actually caused by brain fatigue and poor blood circulation from prolonged chess playing."

Master Chen looked anxious: "What should we do? Miss Yang, you must save my son!"

I smiled and consoled him, "Don't worry, Master Chen. I'll do my best. First, Master Chen needs to stop playing chess for so long and give his brain a good rest. Second, I'll prescribe some medication to help improve blood circulation in his brain and relieve the pain."

Master Chen nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay, I'll follow Miss Yang's instructions in everything."

I took out a pen and paper, quickly wrote down a prescription, and handed it to Master Chen: "Here is the prescription. Please have someone prepare the medicine according to this. After boiling it, have Master Chen take it twice a day."

Mr. Chen took the prescription and expressed his gratitude: "Thank you, Miss Yang! I will arrange it right away."

Then I said to Mr. Chen, "Mr. Chen, in addition to taking your medicine on time, you also need to rest more and take appropriate walks to help your body relax."

Young Master Chen forced a smile and said, "Thank you for your advice, Miss Yang. I will do as you say."

After treating Master Chen's condition, Zhu Yuan and I prepared to leave the Chen residence. Before leaving, Master Chen sent me a generous gift as a token of his gratitude. I couldn't refuse, so I accepted it.

On the way home, Zhu Yuan asked me curiously, "Miss Yang, why did Master Chen get a headache from playing chess? That's so strange!"

I smiled and explained, "Actually, this isn't surprising. Prolonged mental activity can lead to brain fatigue and poor blood circulation, which can cause headaches. Mr. Chen has recently become obsessed with Go, playing so much every day that he forgets to eat and sleep. His brain is constantly in a state of high tension, which naturally leads to headaches."

Zhu Yuan suddenly realized, "I see! I have to be more careful in the future and not get so caught up in gossip that I lose track of time."

I smiled and patted his shoulder: "You should pay more attention to your health!"

A few days later, I visited Chen's house again.

This time, Mr. Chen was in much better spirits and his headache symptoms were greatly alleviated.

"Miss Yang, thank you so much!" Young Master Chen said gratefully, "I take my medicine on time every day and get enough rest. My headache feels much better now."

I smiled and nodded. "That's good. However, Master Chen, I still want to remind you to play chess in moderation in the future and not get too obsessed with it."

Young Master Chen nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, I will definitely remember Miss Yang's teachings."

After treating Mr. Chen's condition, I returned home and began to organize the medical records during this period.

Thinking back on these cases, I can't help but sigh at the unique role of modern medicine in ancient medical conditions.

Whether it's angina, a cold, or a migraine, I can use modern medical knowledge to provide effective treatment options for these ancient patients.

This makes me feel both proud and challenged.