經方學

Brain damage from traffic accident

An excerpt from Deciphering the Shang Han Lun, by Chang Bu-Tao (張步桃)

A Mr. Li had a motorcycle accident and was taken to the emergency room and then into surgery. After surgery he was taken to the intensive care unit for observation. His older sister was one of my students, she come to the clinic, told me about his condition and asked me to write a prescription for him.

I used Bupleurum plus Dragon Bone and Oyster Shell Decoction (chái hú jiä lóng gû mû lì täng) with the additions of Salviae miltiorrhizae Radix (dän shën), Nelumbinis Folium (hé yè) and Notoginseng Radix (sän qï) to invigorate the blood and transform stasis. Additionally, Acori tatarinowii Rhizoma (shí chäng pû) and Polygalae Radix (yuân zhì) were added to open the orifices and awaken the brain. After being administered the herbs, the very same day he revived and awoke. Furthermore, could use his fingers to rub his nose; this provided endless surprise to the rehabilitation doctors.

Afterwards, acupuncture was also used and Mr. Li patiently continued to take herbs. As of this writing there are no signs of him having been in a serious accident.

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As students of Chinese medicine we spend countless hours memorizing an endless parade of signs and symptoms that should lead us to selecting an effective formula. Our exams have questions that must be answered correctly, our teachers have expectations for us learning the fundamentals, which will make us safe for public consumption. In an effort to orient ourselves in the Chinese medicine universe we litanize pulses, tongues and indications. It is all a necessary process, and it prepares us for the confusing constellation of patterns and presentations of our patients that come to us for help.

Study prepares us to think with a different kind of pattern language. It gives us a method of inquiry and a set of lenses with which to view the balance of illness and wellness. But, how do we get from the textbook descriptions of Bupleurum with Dragon Bone and Oyster Shell to treating brain damage due to trauma. In a word; experience.

This is one of the reasons why Chinese medicine bookstores in Asia have an abundance of case studies books. Case studies can act as a catalyst that furthers our development as doctors. They help us to navigate between knowing and discovering,  as they force us to open up our thinking.

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