Chapter 654: Treat the Not-Yet-Diseased!

Fang Ziye was not a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, but a famous saying was still etched deeply in his memory.

"Emperor Endoscopy · Suwen · Four Qi Regulating Spirit Great Treatise": "Therefore the sage does not treat already-diseased but treats not-yet-diseased, does not treat already-disordered but treats not-yet-disordered, this is what is meant."

Superior doctors treat not-yet-diseased.

The concept is good, but the operation is too difficult.

"Professor Zhou, that is to say, currently based on our research group's basic experiments, it can already be confirmed that high cancer incidence is related to the local environment, and moreover related to water quality!"

"However, according to local water quality testing, compared with known carcinogenic substance concentrations, none can be benchmarked against, is that right?" Fang Ziye's voice was heavy, his breathing gradually slowing.

The definition of a cancer village, the simplest is, high cancer incidence, then traced to specifically which heavy metal or chemical substance would induce cancer.

This is benchmarking against concentrations of carcinogens already recognized!

This has national standards. Including but not limited to the Food Safety Law or different food national standard standards.

"If we could benchmark which heavy metal exceeds standards, or which chemical substance exceeds standards, I wouldn't need to trouble Professor Fang, just report directly, right?" Professor Zhou Yan said.

If it can be clearly identified which enterprise's pollutant discharge fails standards, that's best handled, just order it to suspend operations for rectification.

But now, these methods have all been investigated, and then only the phenomenon of high cancer incidence, higher than general statistical averages, remains.

Specific causes cannot be found.

Cancer occurrence, under certain circumstances, is random, without specific absolute inducing factors.

But if cancer incidence increases locally, then there must be corresponding inducing factors, either water quality or soil quality.

However, one must admit that currently whether medical research or food, ecology, environmental safety research, none can completely frame all pathogenic factors.

There are still many pathogenic factors that are actually unknown.

Some even propose that as long as one falls ill, there must be a cause; if all causes can be severed, one can truly achieve the great direction of treating not-yet-diseased.

Of course, such description is naturally too arbitrary!

Just to use an objectively existing phenomenon to find specifically which inducing factor caused 'tumor' related mutations, this is not easy, and cannot be decided by your unilateral say-so.

Need to explore and search from all aspects, based on local test samples, one by one increasing concentrations to probe...

"Professor Zhou, this time the data you gave us, much of it is unrelated to our orthopedics tumors."

"Speaking of which, our research group's tumor cell sample storage is currently also limited to orthopedics tumors."

"If further cooperation and deep research are needed, this matter still needs to be reported to Dean Chen, and even needs Professor Zhou's team to negotiate with our sanatorium."

"Research funding, research cooperation forms, data directions we need to provide, roughly what details there are." Fang Ziye said.

Professor Zhou Yan's words, Fang Ziye was naturally moved.

However, to analyze which unknown substance in the village samples Professor Zhou Yan investigated is the true carcinogen, and what to specially watch for in the future, the investment required would certainly be enormous, and not necessarily find the exact cause.

This breadth of scientific research is not less than in medical research, known mature drugs exploring treatment effects on unknown disease types, from tens of thousands of drugs finding one suitable drug to treat a new disease, safe and effective.

The workload is extremely, extremely large.

Fang Ziye did not refuse; since the sanatorium hung the Research Institute nameplate, it had the obligation and qualification to do such things.

Public health safety is the greatest, and also one of the most basic medical safeties.

"Professor Fang, sorry, disturbing you so late."

"Mainly after we got a tendency result, we may need to report upward, let relevant departments make some policy decisions, such as village relocation, persuasion and resettlement of local villagers, etc."

"Of course, whether to make such decisions still requires administrative departments to decide; we only give a specific data analysis."

"Finding problems must solve problems; as for how to solve, this is also not something we sick patients have authority to suggest."

"So I got a bit excited."

"Furthermore, research funding, cell resources, etc., Professor Fang you need not worry; as long as Dean Chen agrees and recognizes this task, they can all be allocated; our country has its own tumor experimental cell storage, Han City's Medical Research Institute should also have quite a few."

"Just, Professor Fang, I personally sincerely hope you can put in more effort; if we can truly identify an unknown new carcinogen related to cancer pathogenesis, this would reduce many related cancer patients."

"More meaningful than treating."

"Because analogous to these few villages, other geographic environments with similar structures cannot currently be specifically inferred."

"Can you understand my meaning?" Professor Zhou Yan also did not speak more directly, to avoid moral kidnapping.

Fang Ziye naturally understood.

The unknown is terrifying.

Villages with various objective environments similar to this village, how many nationwide currently cannot be counted.

As of 2021, Eastern Han had 691,510 administrative villages in total.

Not sixty-nine thousand, not six thousand nine, but six hundred ninety thousand plus.

If we can truly find factors with very strong correlation to cancer incidence, and carry out advance control and handling, it would certainly cost less funds than waiting for people to get sick then treating disease.

Also more meaningful.

"Professor Zhou, I understand your meaning, I will take it to heart."

"However, Professor Zhou you also know, this kind of research difficulty and workload are both extremely huge, possibly five years, ten years, even twenty years of research duration." Fang Ziye also gave advance warning.

Fishing a needle in the ocean, you can't make things difficult for people.

"This I naturally know; currently in our Eastern Han there are also many research institutes and units conducting similar research, impossible to force tasks on Professor Fang you."

"We'll contact often in the future! Professor Fang you rest early too." Professor Zhou Yan's voice was full of apology.

"Professor Zhou you too, you also rest early." Fang Ziye replied, then actively hung up the phone.

After hanging up, Fang Ziye quietly looked at the ceiling.

Before, Fang Ziye only heard people say Professor Zhou Yan was powerful; Fang Ziye also cooperated with Professor Zhou Yan on surgeries, knowing Professor Zhou Yan had quite a few Level 5 skills.

However, Professor Zhou Yan's influence in nationwide hand surgery had not reached that transcendent level; instead somewhat 'unknown and unheard of'!

Fang Ziye only now knew, turns out Professor Zhou Yan went onto a track he never imagined.

And this track, compared to entering the laboratory for basic scientific research, is even more tedious, more boring, more dull, but also more meaningful.

Prevent not-yet-diseased, this is a super huge research topic.

It may also be a grand research project that arises with technological development, accompanies it forever, and never has an endpoint.

Technological development is inevitably a double-edged sword.

After thinking for a while, Fang Ziye simply stopped struggling over this matter.

In Eastern Han, every site has a Disease Control Center, all doing similar things, all hoping to prevent disease before it arises; the state invests enormous sums in the Disease Control Centers every year, yet research progress is quite slow — it certainly isn't as simple as someone lacking capability.

Mainly, the workload here is enormous, and the difficulty is transcendent; therefore, it is impossible to see results in the short term.

Fang Ziye also doesn't believe he can figure these things out in just a few years — unless?

Forget it, let's talk later; sleep first, this kind of thing can't be rushed……

The next day, Fang Ziye had Luo Tingzhu drive back to Enshi again temporarily, then found Dean Chen Song to discuss this matter.

Luo Tingzhu went to pack luggage; their vacation isn't long either, they decided to go to Sha City tomorrow, then fly to Ya City the day after to shoot wedding photos — time is a bit tight.

But Fang Ziye didn't give himself several months of vacation either; he plans to throw himself into work in August.

According to the two's plan, after Ya City they'll tour Yunnan Province, and also have to make a trip to Henan Province to visit Luo Tingzhu's father — time isn't extremely abundant either.

In Chen Song's courtyard, Chen Song held a teacup, tapping the tabletop.

His eyes scanned up and down Fang Ziye; after a full several minutes, Chen Song finally said in a slightly cool tone: "Did Song Libo tell you anything?"

"So you intend to bribe me?"

"Ah?" Fang Ziye froze at those words, hurriedly putting down the teacup in his hand.

"Dean Chen? Why would you say that? I'm discussing with you the project of Professor Zhou Yan cooperating with our Yangyuan!"

Fang Ziye simply hadn't understood Chen Song's meaning at all.

Does Chen Song have some misunderstanding?

"Song Libo really didn't tell you anything?" Chen Song pressed.

"If it was said it was said; if you don't say, I can make a phone call and learn the truth." Tone slightly stern, as if examining Fang Ziye's character.

Fang Ziye kept shaking his head: "Dean Chen, this has nothing to do with Director Song, right?"

Chen Song stated directly: "Our Yangyuan's research area is very large; currently it occupies less than one quarter, the other three quarters are all reserved blank space in advance."

"At present, our research area has only eight groups: Difficult Severe and Rare Diseases Group, Cardiovascular Disease Group, Molecular Oncology Group, Medical Molecular Biology Group, Key Laboratory of Natural Drug Active Substances and Functions, Human Disease Animal Model Resource Bank, Drug and Metabolite Analysis Research Center, Blood System Disease Clinical Medicine Research Center."

"These are all directly related to clinical practice."

"What you speak of has zero connection with these eight groups; are you sure you aren't doing this to add more configurations to the research area and then claim credit?" Chen Song pressed.

Chen Song had only told Song Libo that Fang Ziye is the next Candidate Dean, and he and Fang Ziye only chatted about it in a joking manner.

But now, Fang Ziye has actually proactively brought up expanding the laboratory's groups — this makes Chen Song unable to help worrying about Fang Ziye's character.

Is his utilitarianism too strong?

Seeing Fang Ziye still astonished, Chen Song then said: "What you speak of belongs to the Public Health Prevention and Control Experimental Center! ~"

"This doesn't just need a new group; it also requires a large amount of funding to pour in."

Fang Ziye was quite surprised: "Dean Chen, I truly never thought that."

Fang Ziye worried that his earlier proactive call to Professor Zhou Yan had caused Chen Song's concern, so he explained further: "I met Professor Zhou Yan while cooperating on Functional Rehabilitation Technique in Yue City."

"It was only after my hand was injured that I decided to have Professor Zhou Yan come to our Yangyuan to temporarily perform some surgeries; I didn't know in advance that Professor Zhou Yan had fairly deep cooperation with Public Health!"

"Moreover, the matter of cooperating with our Yangyuan to carry out basic research was also proposed by Professor Zhou Yan; I personally never mentioned it."

Fang Ziye really isn't doing this for credit.

Fang Ziye doesn't think himself arrogant; it's just that this time he truly never thought that way.

Chen Song said: "Regardless, if the Public Health System is truly willing to cooperate with our Yangyuan this time, it can provide at least one hundred million yuan in allocated funds to our Yangyuan every year."

"Even after deducting researchers' salaries, there would still be much surplus……"

"This is our Yangyuan's stratified development path."

"Fang Ziye, I'll give you one more chance — what exactly did Song Libo tell you?"

"If it was said it was said; if not said it was not said." Chen Song's tone was already very stern.

For the Yangyuan to develop, to benchmark against the world-class Mayo Clinic, relying on this current group of people, they can't even touch the other side's edges.

Can't touch them — what to do?

Develop! Recruit people! Constantly establish new groups!

People can't be recruited randomly, and funding must be invested too.

Fang Ziye kept shaking his head, tone firm: "I didn't know about this kind of thing before."

"If I knew I would have said so directly, Dean Chen!" Fang Ziye's eyes were clear and bright, not fearing Chen Song's gaze at all.

Hearing this, Chen Song nodded, then took a deep breath: "The Yangyuan centers on treatment; the Institute centers on research."

"One is a center, one is a core."

"Treating disease before it arises is the greatest ideal achievement of our Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is also what I most want to do, but all along, I've never found a good breakthrough point for it."

"Even if Song Libo really told you I intend to cultivate you as the Yangyuan's next Dean, I must now make it clear to you."

"If you truly can bring the Disease Prevention and Treatment Group into our Yangyuan, I'll record it as your primary merit." Chen Song's expression was rather subtle.

What a person does depends not only on their capability, but also on their responsibility.

Before, Chen Song was just a doctor; he couldn't manage 'Public Health' matters.

The reason is that 'Public Health' development relies on Modern Medicine, relies on Modern Medicine's Epidemiology and Medical Statistics.

Although Traditional Chinese Medicine's tradition developed for thousands of years, in these two disciplines it basically has no major achievements.

Therefore even if Chen Song stepped forward, he couldn't drag this group into the Yangyuan, but its significance truly coincides with Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Moreover, the core ideal of these two disciplines' development actually comes from Traditional Chinese Medicine's 'treating disease before it arises'.

It lies in disease prevention and treatment, with prevention as the core.

Traditional Chinese Medicine's philosophy does not lie in Traditional Chinese Medicine's treatment — using Chinese medicine, using Chinese medicine's methods, using acupuncture and moxibustion, using decoctions……

This kind of Chinese medicine is merely Chinese herbal medicine, Chinese medical technique medicine, not true Chinese medicine.

These words, Chen Song had only ever said to his own son Chen Guangbai, and had never spoken them to anyone else.

The reason Chen Guangbai went to start a medical device company? Actually it was also because Chen Guangbai himself had gained a new understanding of Chinese medicine.

"Professor Fang, what do you think Chinese medicine is?" Chen Song asked.

Fang Ziye could only recite the textbook to Chen Song: "Chinese medicine refers to a comprehensive science that takes Chinese medical theory and practical experience as its main body, studying the laws of transformation between health and disease in human life activities, and their prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and health care."

This is one of the mandatory terminology definitions in Chinese medicine.

The year Fang Ziye studied Chinese medicine, it was tested, so Fang Ziye remembers it relatively clearly.

"Right? This is the definition those people gave for Chinese medicine, isn't it?" Chen Song looked somewhat disdainful.

Chen Song said: "Chinese medicine belongs to the discipline that, under the guidance of yin-yang and five elements theory, studies human physiology, pathology and pharmacology and their relationship with the natural environment from a dynamic holistic perspective, seeking the most effective methods for preventing and treating disease."

"Any theory, if it does not possess the characteristic of a holistic concept, it will not be Chinese medicine in the complete sense; if it possesses a holistic concept but still does not possess a dynamic nature, then this theory has still not fully grasped the true essence of Chinese medicine."

"Chinese medicine is not Chinese herbal medicine, it is core holistic theory medicine. This is my personal understanding of Chinese medicine."

"It is core holistic!" Chen Song emphasized.

"Some Chinese medicine practitioners think using Jinchuang medicine for trauma is the orthodox way, using Chinese herbs makes it Chinese medicine, using sutures makes it Western medicine, and combining both makes it integration of Chinese and Western medicine."

"There are also those who benchmark something, insist on inheritance, and don't do innovation."

"They've simply thrown away all the core of the ancestors!"

"Even the most basic medical classics of Chinese medicine have been discarded."

"Who taught them these things?"

"Chinese medicine is a philosophy, not merely a treatment method. The reason I emphasize it is core holistic medicine is to facilitate statistics on which medical treatment is most effective."

"For example appendicitis. In modern medicine the gold standard treatment for appendicitis is surgical removal, but in our Chinese medicine, a few doses of medicine can cure it."

"But if it's diffuse peritonitis after appendiceal perforation, treating it with Chinese medicine would be somewhat cruel."

"Surgery would be relatively better, with relatively smaller residual trauma."

"Some current Chinese medicine practitioners have gone mad, even thinking surgery is Western medicine?"

"Then the Sage Hua Tuo would have to sell his nationality, and some people think they're even more amazing than Divine Doctor Yuanhua."

Yuanhua is Hua Tuo's courtesy name.

Fang Ziye heard this and felt a chill in his heart.

He had long known Chen Song's ambition was very great, and perhaps not many people knew what Chen Song the old master truly thought in his heart, what he had experienced, what he had witnessed.

"Dean Chen, I actually don't understand Chinese medicine very well." Fang Ziye said.

"I know, but you can have slight exposure. However Chinese medicine is vast and profound, requiring reading quite many classic texts. For you to re-enter at your current age would indeed be slightly a bit too late."

"But you can read some textbooks a little. You just need to be able to think of the existence of the discipline of Chinese materia medica."

"When later you have a certain understanding of Chinese medicine, you will also discover its charm. The more you learn the more you feel you can't learn it all, the more you learn the more you feel it's infinitely magnificent."

"Medicine cures the disease! ~" Chen Song laughed, and at this moment his emotional fluctuations were actually not that strong anymore.

Fang Ziye knew that currently in the TCM group, only Professor Lan Minnong was Chen Song's student; the others were all experts hired by Chen Song, not direct disciples.

Perhaps Chen Song really wants to find a student now, and then impart all his lifelong learning without reservation.

Perhaps Chen Guangbai is Dean Chen Song's inheritance successor, only Chen Guangbai has his own cognition in his understanding of Chinese medicine, so he has temporarily withdrawn from clinical practice...

"Professor Fang, the matter of coordinating with Professor Zhou Yan and them, leave it to me and Song Libo! ~"

"You modern people going to take wedding photos, it's a major life event, still need to prepare well, absolutely must not let down the young lady's wholehearted devotion."

"I've said it, you two are the talented man and beautiful woman I approve of. If you dare bully her, I'll be the first to not agree! ~ When the time comes I'll definitely fix you." Chen Song said.

"Ah?" Fang Ziye was stunned hearing this.

How did Chen Song suddenly get to this topic?

"What 'ah'?" Chen Song's gaze sharpened.

When coming out of Chen Song's courtyard, Fang Ziye also learned another inside story: that Luo Tingzhu is actually very good at socializing.

Or rather, she's not only good at socializing with peers, but is a "daughter" and "granddaughter" killer. Don't know how Luo Tingzhu does it, but now in the sanatorium, many professors and old seniors have extremely good impressions and attitudes toward her.

But clearly, Luo Tingzhu is with him Fang Ziye every day. Just what time does Luo Tingzhu have to go interact with these professors?

This point, Fang Ziye has always felt is a mystery.

Before, at Zhongnan Hospital, Luo Tingzhu's social circle was wide, she had a pile of senior brothers and sisters, Fang Ziye could understand.

Luo Tingzhu is good-looking, and with so many LSPs in current society, many senior brothers would definitely be happy to help.

But the sanatorium?

Professors, Dean Chen Song, Luo Tingzhu?

Things that can't be figured out in the short term, don't go thinking about them. Luo Tingzhu has her own kind of charm.

Otherwise, I wouldn't have been attracted by her looks back then either.

Otherwise, my fellow trainee Jie Han wouldn't have been so "outrageous" as to say to me "A fair lady, a gentleman's good match."

Luo Tingzhu was packing things at home. Hearing Fang Ziye return, she hurriedly turned back and said: "Senior Brother, I've already organized all your things. Do you want to go take a shower?"

Fang Ziye's sutures have now been removed. Just sticking on a small waterproof membrane allows him to shower himself, no longer needing her help.

"Shower what now?"

"Oh, I get it..." Fang Ziye smiled and leaned over.

Two hours later.

Fang Ziye and Luo Tingzhu snuggled in bed, Luo Tingzhu's cheeks flushed red.

Fang Ziye stared at Luo Tingzhu. Luo Tingzhu, who had already napped for over forty minutes, popped her eyes open. Seeing Fang Ziye's eyes fixed straight on her, she gave him a beating with her little fists, yet her expression was exceptionally satisfied...

Well-fed and warm, lust arises; chicken hungry, awakens the Dao heart. At this moment, displayed to the fullest...

"Go take a shower, or you'll miss dinner." Fang Ziye said gently.

"That's still all Senior Brother's fault." Luo Tingzhu's red lips were tempting.

A beauty good enough to eat is the best medicine.

Treating the Undiseased.

(Chapter End)