Chapter 576: Tomb Robbers? Terrible Infection
Sleeping during the day and active at night, isn't this a characteristic only of wild animals?
For example, cats, tigers, wolves, and mice especially like to come out at night to look for food.
“Have you asked about their medical history?”
This was also the first time that Li Quan encountered such a strange and bizarre disease.
He decided to first understand the cause of these people's illness.
For example, some people catch a cold because they get caught in the rain, and some people have vomiting and diarrhea because they eat unclean food.
Every patient has a traceable disease.
This is what Buddhists often say: every cause has its effect.
No disease occurs without reason.
"These three patients were originally antique dealers in Dongqiao, Dongcheng District, Beijing. They opened their own antique shops and occasionally set up stalls in Panjiayuan. About half a month ago, the three of them went to Sichuan Province to travel and enjoy the beauty of the mountains. After returning, the three of them talked crazily and became sleepy during the day, but awake and active at night."
Professor Hawking gave a brief account of the patient's condition.
The family members who were accompanying the patient at the bedside all had worried faces.
One of the women, who was in her 40s or 50s, said with red eyes, "I don't know if my husband and his family were possessed by evil spirits or offended the gods. Because when they went on a trip, they said they wanted to visit an ancient temple in the mountains."
The woman's words made Li Quan's heart move slightly.
If you are a Taoist or Buddhist believer, a layperson, or a devout man or woman, you may visit an ancient temple in the mountains and ask to worship the real Buddha or immortal.
A few antique dealers traveled thousands of miles to a mountainous area like Sichuan Province to look for ancient temples?
Anyone who is not a fool can guess that these three people probably went to Sichuan Province under the guise of tourism to look for ancient tombs and rob tombs.
After all, in recent years, various tomb-raiding novels, TV series and movies have been extremely popular.
Many criminals who want to get rich overnight, under the guise of archaeology and tourism, search for undiscovered ancient tombs and then steal the burial objects in the tombs.
The mountains in Sichuan Province are steep and many dignitaries have been buried here in history.
I heard that the real tomb of Cao Cao, the great emperor of the Wei Kingdom, is in Sichuan Province.
Zhao Kuangyin, the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty, and several generals in the late Qing Dynasty all secretly chose Sichuan Province as their burial site.
However, this kind of thing must be kept highly confidential, and I'm afraid only the closest descendants will know about it.
There is no way outsiders could know.
It is known to many people that there are many ancient tombs of dignitaries in Sichuan Province, and because of inconvenient transportation, many of them have not been discovered or excavated.
This has also become a treasure hunting destination in the eyes of many tomb robbers.
"Are you sure that your husband was traveling to Sichuan Province?" Li Quan asked the family members.
“It’s basically certain!”
The woman seemed somewhat wary.
"Okay, I'll do a physical examination on the patient first." Li Quan nodded and decided to examine the woman's husband first.
The woman's husband also slept in the bed closest to the door.
"Professor Huo, can you provide me with a pair of disposable rubber gloves?"
Li Quan did not touch the patient rashly.
If his guess is correct, these three patients may have been exposed to special fungi in antiques when robbing tombs, or they may have been infected with some unknown virus.
Some viruses and bacteria buried in ancient tombs or deep in glaciers and permafrost are extremely scary.
For safety reasons, Li Quan put on rubber gloves and then a mask before examining the patient.
"Dean Li, aren't you being too cautious? Will examining with gloves affect the accuracy of the diagnosis?" Professor Huo reminded in a tactful tone.
When doctors perform physical examinations on patients, they usually do so with bare hands.
Gloves are only worn when touching some private parts of the patient.
"It's better to be careful! I'm the only child in my family and I'm not even married yet. What if I get infected with a terrible virus or fungus? What if something happens to me? Wouldn't that be unfilial to my ancestors and parents?"
Li Quan replied in a joking tone.
Filial piety is the first of all virtues, and the worst unfilial act is to have no descendants.
Since ancient times, China has attached great importance to continuing the family line.
Influenced by feudal culture, the idea that having a male child is considered to be a successor is deeply rooted.
"Virus or fungus?" Professor Hawking had a thoughtful expression on his face.
Perhaps he had already had this suspicion.
"Have you done any tests for viral or fungal infections?" Li Quan asked as he used his hands to open the patient's eyelids to check.
"The patient's blood test was normal when he was admitted to the hospital. We have never done any special tests for viruses or fungi." Professor Hawking paused. "Because the patient's EEG and brain waves are abnormal, I think it is more likely to be a disease of the cranial nerves or brainstem area."
As a top expert in the field of brain science, Professor Hawking has his reasons for saying this.
Moreover, Beijing No. 1 Hospital should have organized a consultation with brain experts to diagnose these three patients.
Generally, any town-level health center that reaches the scale of a secondary hospital will hold a departmental morning meeting every day.
Make a discussion and analysis on some patients in the department.
Work together to diagnose and treat patients in the department, reduce the chance of misdiagnosis, and optimize treatment plans.
"The eyes are red and bloodshot..." Li Quan was shocked when he opened the patient's eyelids. He saw that the patient's eyes were red as blood, which looked particularly weird.
The bloodshot veins covered the entire eyeball like tree roots.
It looks very scary.
"Hey, something's wrong. If you just didn't get enough rest, it's normal to have bloodshot eyes. But some of the lines on these bloodshot eyes are wrong. They don't look like the original bloodshot lines on the eyeballs."
Li Quan's diagnosis by observation technique has now reached the master level, which is still very impressive.
It was immediately apparent that the bloodshot eyes were abnormal.
Those blood streaks are actually the result of congestion in the capillaries.
If you look closely, you will find that some of the bloodshot are not like normal capillary distribution, but seem to be artificially added. It is particularly unsightly.
The distribution is not natural at all.
Li Quan felt that it was like an excellent landscape painting on which someone had scribbled a few random strokes.
After discovering that there was something wrong with the bloodshot on the patient's left eye, Li Quan turned over the patient's right eye for a comparison.
The patient's right eye also had messy bloodshot, which was obviously abnormal.
"Do you have a magnifying glass? It would be best if it could be twenty times or more." Li Quan asked.
"Xiao Hu, go to the laboratory and get a magnifying glass immediately. Bring a microscope as well." Professor Huo instructed a young doctor in a white coat.
This young doctor should be the attending physician or an intern.
Li Quan didn't even look closely at the other person's badge.
It can only be roughly judged.
He continued to examine the middle-aged man.
Because the patient is currently asleep, it is not easy to check the patient's tongue.
But Li Quan felt it was necessary.
The tongue is also called the dragon's root or the jade pillar.
There is a method in Taoist practice, which is to press the tongue against the upper palate, and then saliva will be continuously secreted. Swallow the saliva. This content is also a compulsory course in meditation practice.
It’s true, this method of stimulating the secretion of saliva in the mouth does have many benefits.
For example, it can promote digestion, enhance immunity, boost appetite and so on.
The tongue and the tongue coating have always been used by traditional Chinese medicine as an important basis for diagnosis.
For example, if the tongue coating is white, it may be dampness and cold.
I found a way to pry open the patient's mouth, and with the help of the light I was finally able to see the patient's tongue coating clearly.
I saw that the patient's tongue coating was very thick, and it was white and bluish.
This tongue appearance is also extremely abnormal.
This indicates that the patient has been invaded by dampness and his body is cold.
After looking at the eyes and tongue coating, Li Quan then checked the patient's complexion, appearance, etc.
Even the patient's nostrils, ears and other parts were not spared.
He examined it very carefully.
After the examination, he took the patient's hand out from under the quilt and examined it carefully under the light.
You can see that the patient's palms are covered with thick calluses and are very rough.
The patient has long nails.
The dirt under the nails caught Li Quan's attention.
There is yellow dirt inside the nails of the index finger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger of the right hand.
This kind of dark yellow dirt is definitely not seen in the city.
This further confirmed his guess.
The patient may have gone to Sichuan Province to rob tombs.
When digging ancient tombs with tools such as Luoyang shovels, it is inevitable that you will have to dig with your hands. The dirt will get stuck under your fingernails and it will be difficult to clean it out.
"Director Huo, the magnifying glass and microscope are here." The doctor named Xiao Hu was quite quick.
"Thank you for your hard work! Give me the magnifying glass first!"
Li Quan took the magnifying glass and turned up the patient's eyelids to magnify the image.
"Professor Huo, can you help me take a photo? The light is not enough." Li Quan said.
"good!"
Professor Huo casually took out a mini flashlight from his pocket.
As expected of an old doctor, he carries all the examination tools with him.
Many experienced doctors like to carry a small flashlight in their pockets. Sometimes they use the flashlight to check the patient's nostrils, throat and other parts.
With this photo, Li Quan could see it very clearly.
The bloodshot threads on the patient's eyeballs looked like red earthworms when magnified twenty times.
Just then, one of the blood threads twisted.
Li Quan thought he had seen it wrong.
Look more closely.
He almost cried out in shock. There were many blood threads twisting. Like the red nematodes that can often be seen in the sewers, they kept twisting their bodies.
"Professor Huo, I have found something. Please look at the bloodshot eyes of the patient."
Li Quan gave the magnifying glass to Professor Hawking.
"Let me see!"
Professor Huo took the magnifying glass and after taking a look, he couldn't help but exclaimed, "Oh my God, what are those red earthworm-like worms? It seems that the patient may really be invaded by microorganisms."
This time, he finally understood why he had to wear gloves and masks and take strict protective measures.
It is indeed necessary.
I thought about how I never wore gloves when examining these three patients.
Professor Hawking was somewhat worried.
"Li, Dean Li, what do you think the patient is infected with?"
"It's not clear yet. It's probably not a virus, but most likely a fungus or other unknown microorganisms." Li Quan said seriously.
Originally, he wanted to say that these microorganisms were most likely infected from the ancient tomb.
But considering that the family members are present and there is no evidence, it is better not to say such things.
Otherwise, the beating would be a light punishment.
"Professor Huo, there is something I'm not sure whether I should say or not?" Li Quan hesitated, his eyes flickering.
"Just say it!" Professor Huo was now full of admiration for Li Quan's abilities.
The patient had been admitted to the Beijing First Hospital for more than a week, and they had not been able to find the cause of the disease. As soon as Li Quan came over, he immediately discovered that the bloodshot eyes of the patient were abnormal.
That's what it means to be able to do this.
Sometimes, the level of medical skills is reflected in some details.
It includes a doctor's diagnosis and treatment experience, pathological thinking, basic medical knowledge, experiences, etc.
"I noticed that your complexion and theirs are somewhat abnormal. I suspect that the microorganisms infected by these three patients are highly contagious. I suggest that you get a check-up. If you have close contact with your family members, it is best to have your family members get a check-up as well.
This microorganism may be more terrifying than you think.
I estimate that this is just the initial symptom, which may lead to a disruption of the patient's biological clock. As time goes on, there may be more terrible symptoms. "
Li Quan's tone was serious.
He couldn't help but feel a chill at the thought of shaking hands with Professor Hawking.
But don't get infected.
It is not yet known what the patient was infected with.
The possibility of a virus is very low.
Because viruses are the smallest in size.
The possibility of fungus is very high.
Because after the fungus parasitizes in the human body, the symptoms are often very mild and develop slowly step by step.
It's a bit like boiling a frog in warm water.
Fungi are also the most difficult to deal with.
For example, the most familiar tinea manuum and tinea pedis, once infected, take at least three weeks to cure and are prone to relapse.
The so-called recurrence is most likely a repeated infection.
"Ah... I, I am infected!" Professor Hawking is old and has seen countless storms.
He was shocked when he heard that he might be infected.
"Don't worry, and don't panic. We humans now have a variety of drugs that can kill fungi and viruses. Even if you are unfortunately infected, you can recover quickly."
Li Quan was worried that Professor Hawking was too old and might have problems after being frightened.
If a heart attack, cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarction or the like occurred, Li Quan would become a sinner.
When a person is frightened, blood pressure can easily rise sharply.
Tachycardia.
Palpitations, arrhythmias, etc.
"This matter is of great importance. I must report it to the hospital immediately." Professor Hawking had been through a lot, and after the initial fear, he had calmed down.
He called the hospital's leadership on the spot to report the matter.
Then we reported to the infectious disease management department of the hospital.
The Beijing No. 1 Hospital responded very quickly. In less than ten minutes, a special team began to seal off this ward.
Everyone, including Li Quan, was asked to be quarantined and examined.
The hospital is investigating the medical staff who had contact with the patient.
Fortunately, these three patients were special and they were the only three people living in this ward.
Soon, personnel from the CDC also arrived at the scene.
Each one is fully armed.
The capital is the capital, and the speed of its reaction is shocking.
