Chapter 125: Stethoscope

Upon hearing Mo Dun’s explanation, the young woman finally set aside her wariness and allowed Mo Wu to begin the examination.

"Oh!"

Mo Wu checked the reading on the sphygmomanometer repeatedly, unable to believe his eyes, and took the measurement several times. He then produced a strange device, hanging it around his neck; he placed one end into his ears while instructing the woman to press the other against her chest.

"This is a stethoscope! It can amplify the sounds of human breathing and heartbeat by over a hundred times, greatly assisting a physician in diagnosing an illness." Before the gathered doctors could even ask, Mo Dun took the initiative to explain the debut of the stethoscope in the Tang Dynasty.

"Amplified by over a hundred times!" Sun Simiao was shaken. Compared to the singular function of the blood pressure monitor, the utility of the stethoscope was immense. The foundation of traditional medicine lies in the four diagnostic methods—observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking. The "listening" aspect, which involves hearing the breath, would be exponentially more effective if amplified a hundredfold.

Sun Simiao was instantly overjoyed. With his depth of knowledge, he understood that these two tools were a supreme blessing for the medical profession. In the past, doctors relied entirely on experience; with these tools, the accuracy of their diagnoses would improve significantly. While the blood pressure monitor might seem less specialized than pulse-taking, it possessed a unique advantage: even an ordinary apprentice could operate it. The stethoscope, however, was a miraculous device that moved even a master physician like Sun Simiao.

"What is even more difficult to achieve is that both of these tools allow the physician to diagnose the patient without any physical contact, making them far more convenient for the treatment of women," Mo Dun added, throwing out another bombshell.

"Ah!" The faces of Liu Mingcheng and his son turned grim. Their "pulse-taking by silk thread" technique catered primarily to noblewomen and wealthy ladies—a conservative demographic that paid handsomely. This was precisely how the Liu Medical Clinic had built its fortune. Now, the Mo Hospital had introduced tools that effectively neutralized the greatest advantage of the silk-thread method.

The resident doctors of the various clinics began to ponder. As physicians, they often found treating women to be the most troublesome aspect of their craft. While it is said that a doctor’s heart is like that of a parent, the social constraints between men and women in this era were strict, especially in the capital of Chang’an, where aristocratic families were particularly fastidious. Since not every doctor could master pulse-taking by silk thread, a vast number of female patients had flowed to the Liu Medical Clinic. If their own clinics could possess blood pressure monitors and stethoscopes, their clientele might not just double—it could increase by at least fifty percent.

"I wonder what the cost of these stethoscopes and blood pressure monitors is? Could they be sold to us?" asked Zhang Ling, a doctor from the Zhang Family Clinic, unable to contain himself.

The Liu father and son glared at this traitor with fury. He had been one of the loudest in supporting them, but as soon as he saw the tide turning, he immediately defected. Zhang Ling, however, paid no heed to their glares. Before the rise of the Mo Hospital, the Zhang and Liu clinics were bitter rivals, yet the Lius had held the upper hand due to their silk-thread technique. Now, Zhang Ling saw his opportunity; the arrival of these new tools signaled the end of the road for the old way.

Before the Lius could make trouble for Zhang Ling, Mo Dun’s next words struck them like a thunderbolt. "Selling them? That is not possible for now; we must wait until the Mo Hospital is fully equipped. However, before everyone leaves today, I will gift each of you a set consisting of a blood pressure monitor and a stethoscope."

"Many thanks, Young Master Mo!" Zhang Ling and the other doctors expressed their gratitude one after another. Even Sun Simiao wore a satisfied smile; he specialized in gynecology and pediatrics and knew well the greatest challenges in treating women today.

Only the Liu father and son were left in a state of mortification. Hearing that these items could be mass-produced, it meant that their "pulse-taking by silk thread" would likely no longer be the only choice for noblewomen.

"Do not be so smug yet! It remains to be seen whether these two things are actually useful. Perhaps they are of no help at all in diagnosing illnesses!" Liu Mingcheng snorted coldly.

The crowd paused, but they quickly brushed the concern aside. Given the legendary reputation of the Young Master of the Mo family, such things could not be fake. Besides, were they not being demonstrated right now? Whether they were genuine or not would soon be revealed.

Mo Wu, thrust into the role of a physician for the first time, was incredibly nervous. Afraid of making a mistake, he measured several times. "Young lady, do you often suffer from headaches and dizziness? Do you feel fatigued and weak when you wake in the morning, and have you felt a dull, intermittent pain in your chest?" Mo Wu asked.

"Yes, yes! The dull pain in my chest is something that only started recently," the woman nodded repeatedly.

Mo Wu thought for a moment and said with certainty, "Young lady, you are actually not suffering from a serious illness. These symptoms are caused by low blood pressure—that is, hypotension!"

"Hypotension? You little apprentice, do you even know medicine? How can you diagnose so recklessly!" Liu Mingcheng, feeling a surge of joy, shouted loudly.

The gathered doctors were in an uproar. Every one of them was well-versed in medical texts, and none had ever heard of "hypotension." However, the woman felt no anger. She had heard enough of the long-term, vague treatments prescribed by other doctors. Finally, someone had come along who could accurately describe her symptoms.

"Then tell me, how should this be treated? What medicine should I take?" the woman pressed.

Mo Wu shook his head. "No medicine is needed. If you persist in practicing the 'Five Animals Play' for one hour every day, over time, your symptoms will certainly improve."

"Hypotension... that is clearly a condition of bodily deficiency. If the 'Five Animals Play' could cure a deficiency, it would be the greatest joke under heaven," Liu Licheng sneered, absolutely confident in his own judgment.

"We ask the Divine Physician Sun to be the judge!" Liu Mingcheng and his son sang in perfect harmony.

"Divine Physician Sun!" The woman reached out her hand toward Sun Simiao with anticipation.

Sun Simiao placed his fingers on her wrist, carefully took her pulse, and asked about her usual symptoms and the medications she had taken in the past. After a long while, Sun Simiao nodded and said, "It is indeed a condition of bodily deficiency."

"Hahaha!" The Liu father and son laughed wildly.

Mo Wu felt a wave of despondency and looked at Mo Dun, unsure of what to do. "It’s fine! You must trust your own judgment!" Mo Dun encouraged him.

"Trust yourself? Even the Divine Physician Sun says it is a deficiency, and yet you still refuse to repent! Little apprentice, you should go back and study for a few more years!" Liu Mingcheng said triumphantly.

Sun Simiao then added, "It is indeed a condition of bodily deficiency. For a long time, we have not known the root cause of this deficiency, but now we finally have a conclusion: it is hypotension!"

"Uh...!" The Liu father and son were left standing there, choked like geese held by their necks.

Mo Wu was overcome with pure joy. In his first time acting as a physician, he had received the validation of Sun Simiao; he was so excited he could hardly contain himself. The other doctors were equally astonished, looking between Mo Wu and Sun Simiao in disbelief. They held no doubt regarding Sun Simiao’s standing or his medical expertise. What shocked them was Mo Wu and the miraculous blood pressure monitor and stethoscope in his hands.

The scenes that followed left everyone completely stunned. As several more patients came forward, Mo Wu and Liu Licheng took turns, and the results were eye-opening. A mere medical apprentice, relying on a simple blood pressure monitor and stethoscope, held his ground against the master of silk-thread pulse-taking. Everyone realized a profound truth: the miraculous performance of these tools, combined with the fact that they spared the physician from physical contact with the patient, meant that female patients no longer had to worry. From this day forward, the days of "pulse-taking by silk thread" would surely become a thing of the past.