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墨書 Inktalez
Xing Ruyi moved a stool and sat beside the couch, first observing Li Yan's appearance. She noticed that he looked emaciated, with his eyes almost completely sunken into their sockets. His face, which should have been square, now showed no discernible contours, only a wrinkled skin draped over his bones.
Li Yan's gaze was mostly lifeless. Only when answering questions did a flicker of light occasionally shine through, revealing a hint of vitality.
The practice of medicine involves four steps: observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking. Observation refers to assessing the complexion; listening means hearing the breath; questioning involves inquiring about symptoms; and pulse-taking is about feeling the pulse. Xing Ruyi was not a proper physician; her so-called healing relied partly on the Traditional Chinese Medicine knowledge she learned from her elders during her childhood, and partly on the random things she read before her time travel. With the aid of Ghost Technique, she managed to create today's "Xing Family Legend."
In truth, Xing Ruyi knew well that her medical skills were only at an apprentice level in any pharmacy during the Golden Tang Dynasty. The difference was that she possessed Ghost Technique, but such a secret could not be casually shared with others. Therefore, in front of Li Yan, she always had to maintain an air of a serious healer.
After completing the observation and listening stages, Xing Ruyi planned to enter the questioning phase. However, since he was a General, she wasn't sure how to start. Lowering her head, she cleared her throat as a pretense. While looking down, she noticed Li Yan's hand resting on the edge of the couch.
Li Yan's right index finger showed obvious signs of swelling, with a bluish-black color, and it had only half a nail.
As a martial artist born in Border Defense and raised in Military Camp, it was normal for him to have some scars after years of battle. However, that half nail stirred a strange feeling within Xing Ruyi.
"Fox Demon has a question for the General; if it offends you in any way, please do not take it to heart."
"Ruyi can ask whatever you wish," Li Yan replied as he opened his eyes again, appearing somewhat fatigued. "I consider myself close with Chang; since he regards you as a sister, I won't make things difficult for you here. Moreover, it was I who requested your diagnosis; I understand the relationship between patient and doctor. After all, prolonged illness leads to good doctors, and I have been ill long enough."
"Fox Demon would like to ask how your index finger lost its nail," Xing Ruyi added quickly. "This question may not necessarily relate to your condition; it's purely out of curiosity on my part. If you prefer not to answer, that's perfectly fine. Fox Demon understands and will not press."
"Not pressing is fine; it's just half a nail—nothing too serious. But I am curious why you want to know this," Li Yan said.
"It's instinct!" Xing Ruyi's gaze fell back on that half nail. "Human nails are among the harder parts of the body but are also susceptible to injury due to their unique position. As for me—when I'm being mischievous—I often end up hurting my fingernails or toenails. But usually within ten days or so, new nails will gradually grow back and replace the damaged ones until they return to normal.
Your nail doesn't seem like a fresh injury; if it were an old one, there should be some signs of recovery. After all, in Divine Capital Luoyang, everything about you is taken care of by the Imperial Physician in the palace. So..." Xing Ruyi raised her eyes and smiled lightly at Li Yan. "Fox Demon speculates that this must also be an old injury that even the Imperial Physician cannot remedy."
"No wonder Chang likes you; your observational skills are indeed exceptional," Li Yan remarked as he managed a faint smile. "To be honest with you, this injury is indeed old and is related to my illness."
"Oh?"
"Since Ruyi is renowned as the Goddess Doctor in Divine Capital, you should be familiar with the term Tetanus."
"Tetanus?" Xing Ruyi thought for a moment and said, "I know a little about it. Tetanus is a specific infection associated with wounds. In simple terms, various types of significant wounds can become contaminated, especially open fractures, wounds with iron rust, deep puncture wounds, blind tube injuries, and gunshot wounds are more susceptible to contamination by the Tetanus bacillus."
At this point, Xing Ruyi suddenly paused because she realized she had unconsciously used many terms that did not belong to this era. She then changed her tone and explained, "What I mean is that if one encounters these types of wounds, they are more likely to contract Tetanus. In rural areas, due to poverty and reluctance to spend money on medicine, many people choose to apply mud, incense ash, or wood ash to their wounds after injury, which often leads to more severe consequences and a higher likelihood of developing this condition."
"What Ruyi just mentioned is similar to what those Imperial Physicians in the palace would say. You should know that fractures, wounds with iron rust, deep puncture wounds, gunshot wounds, and so on are unavoidable on the battlefield. Therefore, we soldiers not only have to survive under the enemy's blades but also ensure we do not contract Tetanus. Because even if there is a Military Doctor in the camp, it may not help."
"Is it because the Military Doctor's skills are lacking?"
"That's one aspect. On the other hand, most of the time, we are just like those Villagers you mentioned; we have to rely on applying mud and incense ash to treat our own injuries."
In this border defense area, where battles occur frequently, submitting reports does not elicit much response from Emperor Mo or the officials in the capital. They have never been on the battlefield and do not understand its brutality or the hardships faced by those below them. To them, whether a hundred or a thousand casualties occur is merely a number; it is not the sight of corpses everywhere and blood flowing like rivers that we see before our eyes. Thus, they cut military supplies at every level; not only medicinal herbs but even food is barely enough to fill their stomachs."
Li Yan's words did not resonate much with Xing Ruyi. Her understanding of the battlefield came entirely from films and dramas of later generations. Just like Li Yan, someone who has never been on the battlefield and has not experienced the smoke of war finds it hard to truly grasp its cruelty. She felt her throat was somewhat dry and her chest stirred with indignation and a desire to comfort Li Yan; however, when her gaze met Li Yan's deeply sunken eyes, she could express none of those emotions.
She simply lowered her head and coughed lightly.
"Ruyi need not feel anything; you are a healer, and saving lives is your responsibility. I am a soldier; protecting my homeland is my duty." Li Yan said as he gently closed his eyes. "Li Yan would like to ask you another question as a healer. If one contracts Tetanus, what different symptoms might appear?"
"To be honest, as a Fox Demon in this life, I have never seen true Tetanus; my knowledge is limited to theoretical knowledge from books and I do not know how accurate it is."
"This is just casual conversation; Ruyi need not take it seriously. Just share what you know. Although you have never seen this disease, Li Yan has seen many cases; therefore, I will judge based on what you say."
"If one contracts Tetanus and the condition is mild, symptoms such as general fatigue, dizziness, headaches, difficulty chewing, localized muscle stiffness, and pulling pain may appear before onset. In terms of types, Tetanus can be divided into two categories: one is localized Tetanus, specifically manifested as stiffness and spasms at the site of injury or in the facial muscles."
As Xing Ruyi spoke, she pointed to her face while also making some explanatory gestures.
This serious Female Healer was something Li Yan had never encountered before. He opened his eyes wide with curiosity and even a hint of joy. Suddenly he seemed to understand why Chang Tai was so fond of this young lady before him.
She was indeed somewhat different.
Xing Ruyi busily recalled her knowledge related to Tetanus. At that moment, she felt somewhat guilty for cramming at the last minute and did not dare to meet Li Yan's gaze again.
The General who emerged from the battlefield possesses keen observation skills and an ability to understand people's hearts, but she has yet to learn how to perfectly conceal her own insecurities. Avoidance is the best choice.
"This second type is called facial Tetanus. It results from head trauma, leading to paralysis of the facial, ocular, and sublingual nerves. To put it simply, it causes facial muscles to stiffen, making it impossible to express emotions such as crying, laughing, or anger. Blinking becomes very difficult, the root of the tongue stiffens, making speech unclear or even impossible. In contrast, the non-paralytic type presents with clenched jaws and spasms of the facial and pharyngeal muscles."
"Is there a possibility of a third type?" Li Yan focused intently on Xing Ruyi's eyes.
"General means—" Xing Ruyi suddenly realized: "Could it be that General's condition is caused by this Tetanus?"
"I don't know!" Li Yan smirked slightly: "Military Doctor has said so and treated it that way, but I still don't know if what I have is actually Tetanus. Just like my earlier conversation with you, I understand Tetanus very well. Although my understanding differs from yours, I have seen too many people suffering from this condition and know all too well what happens to them afterward. Yet, I am both somewhat similar and somewhat different. So, I endure this in hopes of finding an answer for myself."
After speaking, Li Yan gazed deeply at Xing Ruyi.
"Ruyi, can you provide Li Yan with this answer?"
Xing Ruyi felt her throat dry up, not because of Li Yan's gaze but due to the question just posed. A General, a highly decorated General, someone who once rode into battle and took enemy heads amidst thousands of troops, was now looking at her with those eyes that had once instilled fear in enemies: "Ruyi, can you provide Li Yan with this answer?"
This answer did not concern state affairs, military matters, or even Li Yan herself; it was merely a patient asking the healer: "What illness do I have?"
Suddenly feeling a bit nauseous, Xing Ruyi looked back at Li Yan and nodded: "Alright! Fox Demon promises General that I will definitely provide you with this answer!"
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