Chapter 100 - Divine Doctor in the Slum \[3\]

Chapter 100: Divine Doctor in the Slum [3]
 
Ganghyuk stood up quickly.
He left from where he was sitting although his patient was trying to say something.
Ganghyuk decided to go there because the patient in the other room would need urgent care.
It was the only time a doctor could or should ignore the patient in front of him.

I am sorry, but I need to go.


Eo, sir.

The patient was complaining about his back pain.
He laid on the futon with an unstable feeling.
Ganghyuk was about to lift his leg.
As the inspection gave him some pain, he frowned.
Ganghyuk thought he was complaining by mistake.

Why are you frowning? I will come back soon.


Ye? No, sir. I feel pain, that is why I frown.


Ah, is it painful?


Yes, sir. It seems like needles are stabbing me.


So you feel needles.

The test Ganghyuk executed was an SLR (Straight Leg Raising) Test.
It was usually done for patients with back pain.
If the patient experienced sciatic pain when the straight leg was at an angle between 30 and 70 degrees, then the test was positive, and a herniated disk was a possible cause of the pain.
It meant that it was not an easy case.
‘I just did it as a routine, but he felt pain…’
Ganghyuk was moved by his examination habit.
Others could pass by this patient thinking of it as simple muscle pain, but he executed the SLR test and diagnosed the right disease.
‘Oh yes, I am very good at this.’
As a matter of fact, it should be attributed to his professors or the senior doctors who gave him lessons on physical pains.
However, as usual, Ganghyuk attributed the merit to himself.

Ok. Do not go yet, stay here. I must administer some more tests.


Yes, sir.

While Ganghyuk spent several seconds for the conversation with the patient, he could hear shrieks from another room.

Ak.

It seemed he had extreme pain.
People from other building came and peeped inside.
When they knew it was Dongpa’s patient, they were surprised.

It is strange. He is an excellent doctor.


Yes, his medicine worked well.

Ganghyuk could find a common trait from the people who said so.
All of them had a round face, and their veins are conspicuous.
Ganghyuk went to the room shaking his head.
‘It is easy to be an excellent doctor by abusing steroid.’
In fact, there were such cases in modern medicine too.
After the publication of side effects from large scale studies, the abuse and misuse cases reduced.
If they do not have a base knowledge, they would not stop using it.
If it were not for acute side effect like this case…
Huk!
Ganghyuk opened the door where Donpa was seeing the patients. (It was supposed to be Ganghyuk’s room.)
There was Dongpa at a loss and a patient who had pain.

Stay, stay calm.


Aigo! I cannot stay calm. I cannot help it.

They quarreled.
On the face, there were a few acupuncture, which did not work at all.
The pain of the patient stayed or worsened.

Eum!

Ganghyuk observed the patient first.
The old maxim that all diagnosis began with seeing still held truth.
Moreover, Ganghyuk did not have any special diagnosis tool in Joseon.
‘Eum. He vomited.’
That was the origin of the odor. He vomited at the corner of the room.
According to Makbong, he vomited telling that his eyes were sore.
It was not usual.

Dolseok. Get the book from Yeoju.


Which book, sir?

It had been a long time since they came together. Therefore, Yeoju had made several books.
Most of the books were about operations Ganghyuk had made. The book Ganghyuk was looking for was another one.
It was the book containing the types of herbs and how to prescribe the said herbs he learned from Heo Jun.
Dolseok realized Ganghyuk was looking for that book.
The operations were from his head so why Ganghyuk would look for them?

Ah, yes, sir.


Yes, quickly. You are slow these days.


No, sir.

Dolseok rushed to Yeoju.
In the meantime, Ganghyuk continued his observation.
‘Eum, he covered his eyes and head. With his facial expression, it seems he had more than an eight-point pain.’
Pain score was described as 1 to 10.
It was quite subjective.
This was decided by the doctor referring to the description of the patient.
It was quite accurate too.
Facial expressions and gestures are more honest than the language of the patient.
‘If it was 8, it was not low at all.’
He might have the worst pain in his life.
Women have pain at 10 when they give birth to a baby.
However, men do not have such pain in their whole lives.
‘Heum. Dongpa is a quack.’
Ganghyuk looked at the bowl containing the medicine.
Considering the smell, color, and scattered herbs around it, it was easy to guess.
The patient drank a bowl of steroid.
‘I knew it.’
Ganghyuk came to the two and separated them.
Both of them protested in vain.
Comparing to Ganghyuk’s body, they were cicadas on the oak tree.
Dongpa complained.

Why are you doing this?


Eum.

Ganghyuk looked at Dongpa with unpleased eyes.
He felt a little sorry earlier because he was not an urgent patient, and it was the first time for him to see Dongpa.
However, now he had a patient in an emergency.
Ganghyuk had no intention to apologize for his rudeness.

Hey, Dongpa


Yes?


Do you know who I am?


Yes, I know.

It was not the method Ganghyuk liked.
To coerce an enemy with status and wealth.
However, he knew it was the most effective and quick method he could utilize at the moment.
Especially to the one who had the heart of a chicken.

Then be quiet and stay still there if you don’t want to have your head severed.


Yes, yes.

Dongpa went to a corner.
He could not sit properly because of the patient’s vomit.

Eup!

Ganghyuk looked at the patient, ignoring Dongpa.
He frowned, covering his eyes and head with his hands.

Painful?


Yes, yes.

The patient noticed Ganghyuk was a nobleman.
He thought Ganghyuk must be a nobleman from Hanyang.
If not, why would Dongpa cower on the corner and stayed still?

Uncover your eyes. I need to see.


Too painful.


I know, but the pain would not go away by covering your eyes.


Yes, yes.
The patient removed his hands from his eyes as if the eyeballs would come out without his hands.
Only then could Ganghyuk observe his eyes properly.

Your eyes are reddened.

Yeoni asked.

Sir, have you known what the problem is already?


Of course.

Ganghyuk nodded his head with confidence.
Steroid, red eyes, pain in the eyeballs, and headache accompanied by vomiting.
If he could not diagnose with these hits, he would not be a doctor.
‘Acute glaucoma, it might accompany angle closure.’
Glaucoma.
Glaucoma was a disease damaging the eye’s optic nerve. It usually happened when fluid built up in the front part of the eye. That extra fluid increased the pressure in the eye, damaging the optic nerve.
Therefore, the remedy for this disease was to lower the pressure.
However, it was quite difficult to achieve.

Sir, I have the book.

Dolseok came in the room with Yeoju.
He was breathless. He must have run quickly.
The book had ‘Herbal Medicine’ on the cover.
Ganghyuk received the book and searched the page he wanted.
As he had read the book quite often, he could find the page he wanted posthaste.

Diruresis…promoting urination. Ah, here. Oryeongsan.


Shall we make Oryeongsan?


Yes, we need Taeksa, Jeoryeong, Baikchul, Bokryeong, and Yukgye. These five ingredients will make Oryeongsan.


Yes, I remember. I will make it right away.

Yeoju nodded her head pointing the medicine.
Although Dolseok and Yeoni were clever and experienced, they could not read the Chinese characters in the book.
Therefore, looking for the herbs and making medicine according to the prescription was Yeoju’s job.

Egugu

Ganghyuk found the cause and the remedy.
But the pain of the patient continued as he did not do anything so far.

Be patient, they will make the medicine soon.


Yes, yes, Aigo.


They are coming. They are really quick.

Yeoju and Dolseok came with the medicine.
He gave it to the patient.

Drink it. It will make you feel better.


Yes, sir.

The patient drank the medicine.
Ganghyuk nodded his head watching him drinking Oryeongsan.
‘He would soon be better.’
Oryeongsan was quite a strong urination promoting agent.
He made a few experiments and clinical tests to check its efficacy.
Therefore, he was confident it could reduce eye pressure.
However, it would not be enough to remove the symptoms completely.

Eo, it is better.

The patient murmured with a brighter face.
He still frowned though.
He showed satisfaction on his face, but soon, he spoke hesitantly.

Sir, I…I would like to go to the toilet.


Yes, you can go.


Thank you, sir.

When the patient came back after a while, he looked much better.
He bent his body to Ganghyuk.

Thank you, sir. I thought I would die.


Yes, how do you feel now?


Good, sir. You saved me.


But you must still be feeling pain, right?

Ganghyuk asked pointing at his eyes.
They were still red.

Yes, yes, sir.


Yes, you must have pain. Your disease is not trivial.


Then?


As time goes by, the pain will return. If you leave it long, you will lose your eyesight.


Becoming a blind? No, sir. Please help me.

The patient shuddered as if he had been sentenced to death.
It was Joseon when the disabled were severely discriminated.
Even in the 21st, century, it was not easy for a blind person to live a satisfactory life.

There is a way.


Really?


But it is difficult to…


I will do anything, sir.

Ganghyuk looked at the patients bowing to him.
‘Ah, I am not good at eyes, and I do not have a laser, here.

He had never done eye operation.
He had never seen the operation scene either. Even on YouTube.
It was not the area of his interest.
However, how could he leave the patient to be blind?
Ganghyuk asked him without much expectation.

I might need to make a hole in your eye. Can you do that?