【Column Name】National Treasures: Selected Oral History Achievements of Jinling School of Medicine is the third in the series
Chen Xia's oral history - Chinese medicine and Western medicine have their own advantages, and they should complement each other's advantages
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【Profile】
Chen Xia: Born in September 1955 in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, she graduated from Nanjing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1982. Academic Leader of Gynecology of Nanjing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chief TCM Physician, Professor of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Visiting Professor of the School of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Macau University of Science and Technology, Master's Tutor, Famous Chinese Medicine Doctor of Jiangsu Province, First National Top 100 Outstanding Female Physicians, Instructor of Academic Experience Inheritance of National Old Chinese Medicine Experts, Expert of National Famous TCM Inheritance Studio, Honorary Chairman of the Gynecology Professional Committee of Nanjing Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Nanjing women have made contributions to advanced individuals.
He studied under a group of famous experts of the Jinling School of Medicine
Dedicated to gynecological science
[Dictation content]
After the resumption of the college entrance examination in 1977, I embarked on the path of studying Chinese medicine. I graduated from Nanjing No. 1 Middle School. After graduating from high school, in response to Chairman Mao's call for intellectual youth to go to the countryside to receive re-education, in January 1975, I went to the Xuanwu Lake Brigade of Xuanwu Lake Commune, Zhongshan District, located in the eastern suburbs of Nanjing, to join the team and settle down, becoming an educated youth and vegetable farmer.
I joined the team to work as a farmer for more than three years, first as a squad accountant and then as a team accountant. In 1977, the college entrance examination was resumed, and there was only three months of review time, and the accounting work could not be left, so I could only get up early and read books greedily.
Originally, I wanted to be a journalist and a teacher, but I was admitted to the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Nanjing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine was still called Jiangsu New Medical College at that time, which was in the place of Hanzhong Gate. None of the students in my class had any desire to study medicine. Mr. Zhang Huaqiang, who gave us the first basic theory class of Chinese medicine, gave a very good lecture, which shocked the whole class, from the five elements of yin and yang in nature, mutual growth and mutual restraint to the unity of nature and man, and overall speculation, I began to feel that the theoretical system of Chinese medicine is very profound and philosophical, which stimulated my desire to explore and pursue. Looking back, I am very grateful to Mr. Zhang, who was the initiator who introduced me to Chinese medicine. My generation worked very hard and memorized the classics of Chinese medicine all day long. In the evening, the school had a power outage, so we went to the conveyor room of an auto repair shop next to the school to "borrow light".
In 1978, Chen Xia took a photo in front of the library of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
The students of the 77th class took a group photo in front of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The second from the left is Chen Xia
During my college years, my internship and graduation internship were in Nanjing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, when our hospital was still relatively old, with only two buildings, an outpatient building, an inpatient building, bungalows on both sides, preparation rooms, pharmacies, etc. There are also historical sites such as Mingyuan Tower and Feihongqiao, my teachers were very famous at that time, and the inheritance disciples of the four famous doctors of the Jinling School of Medicine were all there. For example, Fu Zonghan, Xie Changren, Chen Shouchun of Pediatrics, Ding Zemin of Anorectal Department, and a group of teachers of Jinling Medical School, such as Wang Xiang, Xu Weiyi, Zhang Mingde, Director Zhao Xiaolan of Gynecology, etc.
In addition to the teacher-inheritance school, there was also the academic school at that time, that is, the earliest graduates of Nanjing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine before the Cultural Revolution, as well as the first batch of experts in Western medicine and Chinese medicine at that time, such as my teacher, Gao Shuhua, director of the Department of Gynecology at that time, and Director Li Guolie of the Department of Internal Medicine.
During my internship in the TCM Hospital, I was fortunate to follow these experts and teachers to copy prescriptions in outpatient clinics, make ward rounds, and discuss medical records.
I chose to specialize in gynecology because it was also a suggestion from one of my senior brothers. He later became the vice president of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and he said that if you are a girl, you can take the specialty of gynecology. Traditional Chinese medicine is very distinctive in gynecology, regulating menstruation and helping to conceive. Then I decided to choose a gynaecology specialty.
After graduating, I was assigned to the gynecology department of the Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the director of the gynecology department at that time was Gao Shuhua, an expert in the integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine, who was very strict and serious about us. Therefore, she always requires us to combine syndrome differentiation and disease differentiation, and when writing medical records, we require dual diagnosis, both traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis and Western medicine diagnosis. Under her guidance, I have always adhered to the combination of Chinese and Western in clinical practice, complementing each other's advantages.
In 1985, I went to Nanjing Maternal and Child Health Hospital (now Nanjing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital) for one year of study, which was the only obstetrics and gynecology hospital in Nanjing at that time. I rotated between gynecology, obstetrics, and family planning, and it was very stressful for a TCM practitioner who had just graduated for three years. In addition to my busy daily work, the most important exercises for me are emergency treatment and various obstetrics and gynecology surgeries. I still remember an outpatient clinic where I encountered a patient with advanced cervical cancer who was bleeding incessantly, and pressed with bare hands for a long time to stop bleeding until his hands and feet became stiff and numb. He is responsible for the ward, delivery room and emergency duty of the whole hospital. Every night shift, I stayed awake all night, there were as many as 4~5 surgeries of various kinds, and lack of sleep often led to premature beats, but I persevered, and I learned a lot of skills while paying.
In 2004, Chen Xia (third from right) attended the Macao International Symposium on Traditional Chinese Medicine
In 2004, Chen Xia (third from right) visited Macau University of Science and Technology as a visiting scholar
【Historical Scene】
In 1970, Nanjing Medical College and Nanjing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine merged to form Jiangsu New Medical College. The school students are recommended by the workers, peasants and soldiers. At the beginning of 1972, the school adjusted the enrollment plan, established three departments of medical medicine, traditional Chinese medicine and new medicine, extended the academic system of new medicine and new medicine from one year to three years, and insisted on cultivating "worker doctors" and "barefoot doctors" for factories and rural areas. In 1978, Jiangsu New Medical College was abolished. The former Nanjing Medical College of Jiangsu New Medical College was partially rebuilt into (restored) Nanjing Medical College, and is now developed into Nanjing Medical University. The original Nanjing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine was partially rebuilt into (restored) Nanjing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and later developed into Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes the emotional factor
The heart is the main god, and the woman is born with the liver
[Dictation content]
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the heart is the main god, and the function of the heart in Chinese medicine includes the function of our brain, mental and nervous system, that is, some emotional factors of the patient will lead to diseases, and Chinese medicine also believes that "women take the liver as the congenital", because the liver is wood, the main discharge, the liver qi is depressed and turns into fire, and it is easy to be irritable, which will affect some changes in our body, such as menstrual disorders, or insomnia and anxiety. Therefore, Chinese medicine pays special attention to soothing the liver and relieving depression, calming the mind and calming the nerves. It is also the traditional feature of our Jinling school of medicine, for example, it is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine such as green calyx, rose, or tulip and bupleurum, so traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes holistic treatment.
In 2009, Chen Xia participated in the National Annual Meeting of Gynecology of Traditional Chinese Medicine
I have been in gynecology clinic for more than 40 years, and I come into contact with many female patients every day, because of the pressure from all aspects of work and family, my experience is to use drugs to nourish the blood and soften the liver, soothe the liver and regulate qi, plus psychological counseling, often after treatment, patients will feel that their mood and sleep have improved, their mood is stable, and their menstrual cycle is naturally normal.
In 2012, Chen Xia (first from right) presided over the fourth national traditional Chinese medicine ointment festival
Clinically, it is common to meet women who are trying to get pregnant, and when they get married, they plan the time of pregnancy, and if it is not realized, they reflect a little anxiety. Even in the past, menstrual regularity, when I wanted to get pregnant, there was a menstrual disorder, and I wanted to do various examinations after coming to the hospital, I often told them, don't pay too much attention to when to ovulate, when you can get pregnant, you relax a little, go outside for a trip, or do some yoga, do some Baduanjin, more health, relax emotions, and at the same time, we will adjust the circumference and promote pregnancy according to the different stages of the menstrual cycle, from the heart (brain) kidney - uterine axis.
【Historical Scene】
In traditional Chinese medicine, the main deity of the heart is mainly reflected in the mind's dominance of life activities, the control of emotions, the influence on cognition and memory, and the reflection of the functional state of the heart through external manifestations such as facial color and tongue image. At the same time, the heart also dominates the blood flow of the human body, which is closely related to people's health and emotional state. In the interview, Chen Xia explained the performance of the heart lord god in several aspects, namely: the heart lord bloodline is the foundation of life; The human look and complexion are reflected on the face; The mind can recognize and remember external things; The genus of emotion is the unity of the mind; Human affection is rooted in the heart; The heart is expressed in the emotions of joy: the essence of the heart is expressed in the face, and the heart is open to the tongue.
The important thing is to feel
Copying prescriptions from teachers is an important part of learning Chinese medicine
[Dictation content]
When we use drugs in clinical practice, we first look at the patient's complexion, tongue coating and pulse, and then ask about the patient's symptoms. In addition, from the perspective of gynecology, it is necessary to tonify the kidney and adjust the circumference according to the various stages of the menstrual cycle. For example, in the later stage of menstruation, we mainly focus on nourishing the kidneys and blood to lay the foundation. To promote follicle development and endometrial proliferation, Gui Paeonia Dihuang soup is often used. Then in the premenstrual period, at this time, the patient often has breast tenderness, irritability, and poor sleep. She often uses some medicines to relieve the liver, regulate qi and activate blood, so that her menstruation is smooth, and her qi and blood are peaceful. Including during ovulation, we will use traditional Chinese medicine to invigorate the kidneys and invigorate blood to induce ovulation.
Chen Xia was at the scene of Nanjing Radio and Television Xiaofang's health program
Although we have learned the basic theoretical knowledge of Chinese medicine, including Chinese medicine, prescription, Chinese medicine diagnosis and clinical disciplines, we need to make a comprehensive analysis of the patients during the clinical consultation, and the prescription is different from that of Western medicine. Back then, when we studied Chinese medicine, we didn't even have winter and summer vacations, except for attending classes, we just copied prescriptions from teachers.
At that time, I had talked to Xie Changren, Wang Xiang, Zhao Xiaolan and other Jinling medical school inheritance teachers, as a student, when following the teacher to copy prescriptions, it is very important to understand the compatibility of each prescription. Back then, I used to write down the teacher's prescriptions in a notebook, sort out the medical records at night, and study the meaning of the prescriptions. When the patient comes for a follow-up visit, you should pay attention to whether the patient's symptoms have been relieved. This is a very important point in copying learning.
The inheritance of traditional Chinese medicine has the patient's hope and smell, the classic prescription, and your own clinical experience, so that the prescription you prescribe for the patient will be effective.
In 2017, Chen Xia took a photo next to Feihongqiao in the old campus of Confucius Temple of Nanjing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
There are also many patients like this in the gynaecology department. Because I have been studying Chinese medicine for the treatment of female menopausal syndrome for more than 20 years, we say that before and after menopause, it is from 40 to 60 years old that there will be some menstrual disorders, mood changes, or heat, sweating, insomnia and other conditions. My students and I are also doing research, doing a lot of research topics in this area, and the "Yikun Oral Liquid" and "Gongxue Granules" we developed that year won the scientific and technological progress awards of the provincial, municipal and government governments. Among them, "Yikun Oral Liquid" has also obtained the clinical approval of the national new drug of traditional Chinese medicine, and the results have been transferred.
Chen Xia (left) and master's student Zhan Qun
【Historical Scene】
During her internship, Chen Xia studied with Gu Baoqun. Gu Baoqun, who was born in 1938, was admitted to the medical department of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1959 for a six-year bachelor's degree. After graduating in 1965, he was assigned to the Department of Internal Medicine of Nanjing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and has always advocated the combination of syndrome differentiation and disease differentiation, and the complementarity of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine. Once, Gu Baoqun met a patient, it was an emotional problem, and after a young and strong man came, he suddenly couldn't walk. Gu Baoqun carried out psychological counseling on the one hand, and on the other hand, with acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, the patient was able to get out of bed and walk. This incident shocked Chen Xia a lot. In the interview, Chen Xia said: Until now, I still remember it vividly, and I can even remember the state of this patient at that time, including the communication between Teacher Gu and the patient.
Traditional Chinese medicine can slow down aging
Western medicine can be regarded as a part of Chinese medicine
[Dictation content]
Now that the living conditions are better, women hope that they will not age so early, and many patients still hope that their menstruation will be normal when they are forty-seven or eighteen years old. In fact, from our medical point of view, at the age of forty-seven or eighteen, it is menopause, and menstruation is also a normal physiological phenomenon. But many patients can't accept it themselves, she thinks that I am still young, how can I go through menopause so early, because she thinks that menopause means aging. Western medicine believes that aging is irreversible, and there is no need for treatment when you reach the normal age of menopause. However, traditional Chinese medicine is different, and it can be used to tonify the kidneys and soothe the liver or communicate the heart and kidneys, take into account the spleen and stomach, regulate the menstrual cycle, and delay the decline of ovarian function. It can completely keep the menstruation of women who have entered menopause normal, of course, it should be treated in the early stage of menopause, if the menopause time is more than half a year, the ovaries may completely decline, and Chinese medicine believes that "kidney qi failure, Tian Qi exhaustion", and menopause is natural.
For women to stay healthy, my advice includes a few areas:
First of all, the one that our traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes the most, and it is also the characteristic of Jinling medical school, is that the mood is comfortable and the mood should be happy. To maintain a good mental state, this is very important, now Western medicine also agrees with the concept of traditional Chinese medicine, Western medicine in the menopausal management guidelines also emphasize maintaining a good mental state, increase social activities, which is very good for preventing the occurrence of some geriatric diseases.
The second is a healthy diet. We say to be low in sugar, fat, salt, and eat more high-quality protein. Because eating high-quality protein can increase the strength of our muscles, with the strength of muscles, it will protect our bones, joints, many patients with menopause for more than a year have obvious knee soreness, can not go up and down the stairs, in fact, our quadriceps muscles begin to degenerate.
The third is to exercise, to get fit, to exercise in moderation. Doing some aerobic exercise, or resistance exercise, can maintain our muscle strength and help our heart and lungs.
The fourth aspect is regular physical examination. For some diseases, such as some metabolic problems, such as diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, including some tumor diseases, malignant tumors, etc., can be detected early through physical examination, early prevention and early treatment.
"Director Chen Xia's Jiangsu Famous Traditional Chinese Medicine Studio" was completed. Chen Xia (third from left) and her team took a group photo in front of the studio
At the Jinling Famous Medical Center, Chen Xia (middle) and her students see patients
Medicine is an empirical science, and Chinese medicine is even more an empirical science. Modern medicine is developing very fast, there are a variety of advanced testing methods, I think, on the basis of inheriting the fine tradition of traditional Chinese medicine, we should also master some Western medicine testing methods, such as the assessment of ovarian function of our women, B ultrasound examination, and a series of other examinations, which can be added as a part of our Chinese medicine. In the past, our traditional Chinese medicine did not have these examinations, but only looked at the tongue coating, but now, some Western medicine examinations and some test data have been added, which is actually the integration and innovation of micro data and the holistic view of Chinese medicine.
Traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine have their own strengths and complement each other's strengths. Some Chinese medicine is very rejecting Western medicine, I have never rejected it, my more than 40 years of clinical understanding of Chinese medicine varies from person to person, and the overall thinking is indeed very deep, and I need to continue to explore. At the same time, I also believed that gynecological clinical practice could not be separated from Western medicine, and both hands must be hard, so for a long time at the beginning, I devoted my energy to the theoretical study and surgical operation of Western medicine. Only by mastering the advanced diagnosis and treatment technology of modern medicine can Chinese medicine do better. Some of the test data of Western medicine have increased the connotation of our Chinese medicine, and they are some micro data of Chinese medicine. For example, if a patient has amenorrhea for 2~3 months or intermittent dripping bleeding, I will ask her to do a B-ultrasound. Ultrasound can see the size of her uterus, the thickness of the endometrium and whether there are polycystic changes in the ovaries, combined with some of her symptoms, if the endometrium is very thick, it is a blood stasis blocking uterus. If the uterus and ovaries shrink and the endometrium is thin, it is a deficiency of sperm and blood. Therefore, I think that some of the examination methods of Western medicine are one of the bases for our syndrome differentiation and treatment for us in Chinese medicine, and also provide patients with more accurate treatment.
I always believe that a good TCM gynecology "clinician" must master modern medical skills, and use the combination of microscopic disease differentiation of Western medicine and macroscopic syndrome differentiation of Chinese medicine in order to achieve more accurate syndrome differentiation and treatment, and demonstrate the efficacy. For a long time, I have demanded this from myself, using Chinese medicine to distinguish and treat syndromes clinically, and at the same time using Western medicine to diagnose diseases, both of which are indispensable to my medical habits. In 1997, when I became the head of the department, I ended the history of zero gynecology surgery in the Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and established an independent gynecology ward. From the municipal key specialty to the provincial key specialty, it officially passed the acceptance in 2010 and became a national key specialty of traditional Chinese medicine. So far, our department has very good efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine in the dominant diseases such as menopausal syndrome, functional uterine bleeding, recurrent miscarriage, chronic pelvic pain, etc., and the patients who really need surgery should take traditional Chinese medicine before and after surgery in a timely manner, pre-treatment, prevent recurrence, seize the opportunity of traditional Chinese medicine, give full play to the respective advantages of traditional Chinese and Western medicine, and significantly improve the clinical efficacy.
In May 2024, Chen Xia (right) and Huang Yan, vice president of Nanjing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, at the Jinling Traditional Chinese Medicine Cultural Exchange Center
【Historical Scene】
In the interview, Chen Xia said: From graduating in 1982 to now, I have been practicing medicine for more than 40 years. I've always felt like I'm lucky to be in this profession. In the past, I never thought about studying medicine, but looking back, I feel that this path is especially suitable for me. I am very happy and I like this profession very much, because this profession is different from other majors, the older you get, the more experienced you are, and the better the treatment results.
[Collection time] the afternoon of May 9, 2024
【Location】The fourth floor of the scientific research complex of Nanjing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
【Collection and arrangement】Nanjing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing Jinling Medical School Research Institute