The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 81

It is certain that this schistosomiasis is related to a type of snail found near water. Areas with many snails generally have more schistosomiasis, so it's best to avoid areas where snails live, especially the water there, which should absolutely not be drunk, even after boiling.

"Is that so? Is the 'nail snail' the kind that's long and sharp?" Xi Siming asked, having seen this type of snail before.

"Yes, this type of snail should be very common in the wild and is closely related to schistosomiasis. In fact, not only this type of snail, but all snails have some problems to varying degrees and have parasites, so try to avoid contact with them and never eat them."

Speaking of which, the water in rivers and lakes is freshwater, and the creatures in these freshwater bodies, such as fish and shrimp, cannot be eaten raw; they must be cooked thoroughly before consumption.

"Shells and snails are difficult to cook thoroughly because they have shells, so they often contain many live parasites. Never eat them, as the consequences can be disastrous," Xu Tian warned again.

"I have truly learned a lot. I will keep it in mind and also promote it to people who come to the clinic for treatment."

After your explanation today, it seems this so-called "water worm disease" isn't as terrible as you might think; it just requires preventative measures. However, farmers in the countryside, who have to work in paddy fields, are probably more susceptible to this disease.

"That's true, we can only be extra careful about it."

After discussing this aspect, Xi Siming also brought up some topics related to the internal structure of pigs.

"I used to think that the kidneys were directly connected to the stomach and intestines, so that the water I drank would enter the kidneys through the stomach and intestines and eventually be excreted as urine."

However, after careful observation recently, it was found that this is not the case. The kidneys are located separately, and apart from the bladder, they are only connected by blood vessels. The two blood vessels seem to be one in and one out, so the urine should come from the blood.

These two blood vessels are quite far from the stomach and intestines and are not connected.

A normal person urinates at least several times a day, yet the water content in their blood doesn't decrease, indicating that this water must be replenished, which can only come from the water they drink. So ultimately, the principles are the same; it's just that the detailed process involved is not yet fully understood.

"Siming's discovery is excellent and deserves in-depth research. It's not just water; the nutrients in the food we eat should also be dissolved in the water."

Most visible water is inside blood vessels. If we understand the distribution of blood vessels and the origins and pathways of blood within them, we should be able to discover many new things.

“You’re right. My next step is to figure out the distribution and direction of the bloodline.”

“There’s another point we need to pay attention to,” Xu Tian reminded us, “living things not only need to eat and drink, but also need to breathe. What role does this breathing play is also worth studying.”

Is there a connection between eating, drinking, and breathing? I once heard a senior from Wudang say that there is. But what exactly that connection is, Siming, is something you need to research and discover.

“Exactly, we need to pay attention to breathing too. Once we understand these things, the mystery of life is probably within them.” Xi Siming agreed, “As the ancients said, if you don’t know life, how can you know death?”

If we understand why living things can live, then perhaps we can also understand why we are born, age, get sick, and die by studying diseases and understanding pathology. It's an exciting thought; isn't this a great path indeed?

Xi Siming was thinking too simply, believing that he could easily figure these things out and then discover the mysteries of life and death.

Xu Tian did not refute him, not wanting to dampen his confidence and fighting spirit.

After seeing Xi Siming off, Xu Tian sat in the living room in a daze. Suddenly, he realized it was already May. Last May, he had unknowingly arrived in this time and space. Time flies so fast; almost a whole year has passed in the blink of an eye.