The Inheritance of Bonesetting
After returning home, Su Ziyang learned that Beichen hadn't come to the store that day; it was Lao Pang who hadn't asked him to come.
Therefore, only Lao Pang and Su Ziyang knew that Su Ziyang had become Lao Pang's official disciple.
Since accepting Su Ziyang as his personal disciple, Lao Pang's smile hadn't faded. Seeing Lao Pang so happy, Su Ziyang racked his brains but still couldn't figure out why Lao Pang had suddenly taken him as a personal disciple. Perhaps his past as a babysitter had made him have a change of heart?
Strangely enough, including Lao Pang, Su Ziyang already has three masters.
When these three masters accepted disciples, they didn't have any complicated apprenticeship ceremonies. Lao Pang had a bit more trouble this time, but to be honest, it was just a matter of sweeping the grave, which was quite different from the various ceremonies shown on TV.
After returning home, Lao Pang actually asked Su Ziyang to take out his notebook, saying he wanted to give Su Ziyang a lesson on some aspects of traditional bone-setting techniques.
Su Ziyang was also very excited when he heard this, and quickly took out his notebook to write it down.
The Lao Pang first explained the order of bone setting and manipulation.
First, wash with a decoction. In ancient times, when people were seriously injured, they would choose to wash the affected area with a medicinal decoction to clean it. This was the first treatment.
Lao Pang also told Su Ziyang a rinsing method.
Raw scallions (chopped), catnip (chopped), angelica root
These three herbs are used in equal parts. For any serious external injury, this formula can be decocted into a soup and used to wash the affected area before applying the medicine.
Second, assess the degree of injury, and the ten incurable diseases of ancient times.
1. If a fall causes Bones fractures that puncture the lungs, the injury is often incurable. Even if the person survives the fall, it is unlikely they will live more than 14 days.
2. Injuries to the left flank that are severe enough to affect internal organs cannot be cured;
3. The intestines were ruptured;
4. Those who have suffered internal injuries below the abdomen, such as a ruptured bladder;
5. Patients with multiple symptoms, such as those who, after an injury, simultaneously experience severe complications including nausea, vomiting, irritability, dizziness, and loss of appetite;
6. Damage to the genitals refers to loss of genital tissue;
7. An injury to the left thigh in an elderly person;
8. Severe massive bleeding;
9. Severe injuries around the ear that damage the brain; severe cervical spine injuries that expose internal organs and bones;
10. The pulse is weak and barely perceptible.
When Lao Pang talked about this, he spoke very frankly. He said that many of the fatal conditions mentioned above in traditional Chinese bone setting can actually be treated with modern surgical techniques. For example, massive bleeding can be treated with blood transfusions, ruptured intestines can be stitched up, and internal organ damage can be repaired or removed. Although there may be some problems with life afterward, at least the person is still alive.
At this point, Su Ziyang stopped writing, looked at the Lao Pang, and asked, "Master, is it because of the advancements in Western medicine that you're seeing fewer patients getting bone setters?"
The Lao Pang shook his head. "I never care whether many or few people come to me. Besides, those repair surgery techniques aren't exclusive to Western medicine; anyone can use them. As long as it can save lives, it's always good. So, we can cooperate with each other. For example, people often come to buy my bone-setting medicine because their wounds aren't healing well after surgery, or their fractured bones are frequently not healing properly! So, it doesn't make us seem particularly useless!"
Hearing this, Su Ziyang laughed but didn't say anything more. But the Lao Pang sighed again, "The skills passed down from generation to generation have reached me, and I have to find a way to pass them on. Some things always need someone to do them. That's why I found you. You'll have to suffer a little and learn well! Anyway, once I've taught you all this, I'm done with everything else! Haha!"
Lao Pang's words sparked a small idea in Su Ziyang, but Su Ziyang didn't say anything, keeping the idea to himself.
After a few pleasantries, Lao Pang got back to the main topic.
After the first two steps are completed, the most important step is the third step: bone setting!
Third, to reunite, one must first separate; after separation, one must reunite. This involves gathering the broken Bones together and repositioning the fractured Bones.
IV. Applying plasters, splints, or tools for bone setting, and administering oral medications.
After listening to the Lao Pang's detailed explanation, Su Ziyang finally understood that bone setting was not as simple as he had imagined.
Actually, Su Ziyang came here specifically for this third step, but now he realizes there are many intricacies to learn.
After explaining the general order, some hesitation reappeared on Lao Pang's face, but he finally made up his mind.
"I'm now passing on to you the most crucial secret formulas for bone setting. You must memorize them secretly and never tell anyone! If you can make a living, I don't want you to use these things for profit. Do you understand?"
Lao Pang spoke with extreme seriousness and earnestness, Su Ziyang dared not be negligent, nodding heavily.
Seeing that Su Ziyang had agreed, the Lao Pang slowly revealed the secret recipe that he had known by heart since his youth.
The first thing Lao Pang mentioned was a prescription for a plaster called "Black Dragon Powder".
Pangolin scales (6 taels, stir-fried until yellow or burned to ash), clove bark (6 taels), Angelica sinensis (2 taels), ash (half a tael), loquat leaf root (hair removed, half a tael).
Roast the ingredients, grind them into a fine powder, and mix with ginger juice or ground Rehmannia glutinosa juice. After mixing, apply the ointment to a cotton cloth and place it on the affected area.
This is a plaster that must be applied to the fracture site after the bone is set. The day Daqing fell and injured himself, Lao Pang spent half a day in the house preparing this plaster.
Another secret recipe is called "Wind Flow Powder," which is used to treat wounds that have become infected and suppurated due to prolonged neglect.
The recipe is recorded as follows:
Gypsum (10 taels, calcined), Alum (water-refined, 2 taels), Loquat leaves (a little, appropriate amount), Pine resin (1 tael), Litharge (1 tael)
After treating the sore, grind the medicine into powder and gently sprinkle it onto the suppurating wound.
That day, the bone-setting medicine that Lao Pang sold to that young man for 13 yuan had a particularly rustic name. "White Medicine Powder."
Poplar bark (12 taels, soaked in rice water overnight), Platycodon grandiflorus (10 taels, remove stems), Paeonia lactiflora (9 taels, soaked in wine overnight), Ligusticum chuanxiong (half a catty, soaked in water seven times), Angelica dahurica (10 taels), Cinnamomum cassia (half a catty, remove rough bark), Asarum sieboldii (half a catty, remove stems), Glycyrrhiza uralensis (10 taels, roasted), Zanthoxylum bungeanum (5 taels, remove seeds and closed parts), Aconitum carmichaelii (6 taels, roasted), Dipsacus asper (6 taels, soaked in rice water), Achyranthes bidentata (6 taels, remove stems, soaked in wine overnight), Lycopus lucidus leaves (9 taels, remove forked branches), Angelica sinensis (6 taels), Cyperus rotundus (6 taels, stir-fried).
Grind all the above herbs into powder and take two qian (approximately 6 grams) each time.
When Lao Pang mentioned the secret recipe, Su Ziyang finally understood what Lao Pang had been using that big basin of poplar bark for that day!
"There's one last secret recipe, it doesn't really have a name, I call it 'Surgery Medicine.' It's the cuttlefish bone and loofah leaves you ground up the other day. There's no specific amount of these two ingredients, but there's a ratio of 1:9. It's used to stop bleeding. Whenever there's a serious injury with heavy bleeding, just grab a handful of powder and sprinkle it on the wound, and it will stop the bleeding immediately. It works very well!"
Su Ziyang carefully wrote down the names of the medicines on the paper, then put the notebook into a hidden compartment in his suitcase.
"I can teach you the secret recipe, but the technique requires skill. So starting tomorrow, you'll practice bone location and bone-setting techniques using that sheep spine! I'll also buy you a few hens for practice!"
"And let me give you a few more pieces of advice: it's best to keep the secret recipe in your mind, don't write it down! Otherwise, someone might steal it."