The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 79

Generally speaking, southern customs do place more emphasis on witchcraft, and this remains true in later generations. Legends of witchcraft, corpse driving, and black magic all originated in the south.

Upon closer examination, shamans and Taoism are inextricably linked. Throughout history, shamans, sorcerers, and Taoist priests have gradually evolved and differentiated, reaching higher levels of sophistication.

A dedicated Taoist temple, that's interesting. It seems the Taoist tradition is much more prevalent in Jiangling than in Dingxiang. If I ever run into serious trouble in Dingxiang and can't make a living there anymore, Jiangling wouldn't be a bad option.

"It seems that Siming has gained a lot from his trip to Jiangling."

"Exactly. While you're still young and strong, you should go out and travel around to broaden your horizons. When I was in Jiangling, I also met several doctors. We often sat down to discuss medicine, exchanged ideas, and learned from each other's strengths. I also gained a lot in the field of medicine."

Speaking of which, since hearing your words, Brother Xu Tian, ​​I have gained considerable insight and understanding from observing the internal structure and function of pigs over the past few months. Therefore, my views have become more substantial when debating with other physicians, and I am fortunate to have earned some praise.

"If you start from reality, you will naturally reap the rewards. You need to continue to persevere, and I believe you will make even greater discoveries," Xu Tian encouraged.

Indeed, Xi Siming has been observing pigs for half a year. As long as one has the right mindset, even without guidance, one will inevitably make some discoveries.

Moreover, he often came to talk with Xu Tian, ​​and under Xu Tian's guidance, he naturally avoided many detours and discovered a lot of knowledge and principles.

To be honest, in terms of understanding pig anatomy, Xi Siming has now surpassed Xu Tian in many aspects and is more familiar with it than him.

"Yes, we will not let our guard down. After communicating with doctors in Jiangling, we found that the diseases that are prevalent around Jiangling are somewhat different from those in Dingxiang City."

"What's the difference?" Xu Tian was also a little interested.

"There are at least a few diseases that are relatively less common in Dingxiang City. One of them is malaria. Although malaria is found in many places and is quite common, it seems to be more prevalent in Jiangling."

The south has been plagued by miasma since ancient times, and I think this is probably related to this. If the miasma invades the human body and cannot be resisted, it will become malaria, killing more than half of the people, and it may also be transmitted to others.

Secondly, there is a common disease called "water worm disease," which is prevalent in spring and summer. Once it is discovered, it is incurable, causing the body to swell and swell, leading to a painful death. Xi Siming recounted this.

"What is Water Gu Disease?" Xu Tian was familiar with the well-known malaria, but he had never heard of Water Gu Disease before.

"I don't know the details very well, but I do know that this disease is related to water. It is rarely seen in winter, but if you are frequently exposed to water in the wild when it is hot, you are very likely to get this disease."

Xu Tian pondered for a moment, carefully recalling information from later generations, and remembered something. He said, "After hearing you talk about these two diseases, I have some thoughts."

I know a little about malaria. The cause of the disease is not entirely due to pathogens in the air; most of it is transmitted to the human body through mosquito bites.

Mosquitoes breed in water, and the south, with its abundant water and hot, humid climate, has an even greater abundance of mosquitoes, making people more susceptible to bites and infection.

"Malaria comes from mosquitoes? If this is true, it would be an important discovery." Xi Siming pondered this question after hearing it.

"What Brother Xu Tian said earlier makes sense; there are indeed more mosquitoes in places with a lot of water. However, mosquitoes are impossible to prevent or kill completely; it's unavoidable."