Dark-Haired British Doctor Chapter 147

Episode 147 Let's reduce the amputation [5]

'You know?'

There was.

The record.

That was left behind hundreds of years ago… … .

The story was about a French military doctor who saw a soldier's wounds infested with maggots and decided that he would die, but left him alone, which turned out to be a stroke of genius.

Even now, it would have been even more dangerous for a doctor to touch it in the 16th century… … .

'Anyway, there's a story that says the patient survived because the maggots ate only the rotten flesh.'

It wasn't that the doctor was being negligent.

The story was that it wasn't that no report was made.

I reported it.

It was just ignored.

I was just criticized as if that was impossible.

'Well… … I was thinking that people need rotten flesh to survive. Besides, if you say maggot, it sounds like it would die, right? Flies have been considered ominous insects since ancient times.'

okay.

I can understand why this was sold.

But you have to wonder at least once… … ?

Could it be that rotten flesh is actually killing people?

Wouldn't it be better to remove that?

‘No… … You used to believe the Earth was flat, but now you believe it’s round. How can you not change your mind about something like this?’

It was hard for me to understand.

“Pyeong-ah… … .”

As I was going through the records like that and taking some time for myself, that is, sitting with a look of anguish on my face, Joseph came up to me and asked me.

The guy's gaze was fixed on a certain spot on my desk.

"huh?"

I had a rough idea of what the guy was thinking.

But I looked at him with as natural and calm an expression as possible.

It was a bit of a useless thing.

Because Joseph was still looking at a certain spot on my desk.

“Why are those… … collected… … ?”

To be more precise, the guy was looking at a swarm of maggots.

Not only that, but so did Alfred and Colin, who later joined to assist with the amputation.

“Pheong, are you crazy?”

Liston slammed the door and asked with an expression of surprise.

Blundell had his eyes tightly shut, seemingly praying.

'Is it because of something like the Lord of Flies?'

Was Paris Belzebub there?

But that's a 20th century novel.

I don't think that's why.

Anyway, the atmosphere is a mess… … .

Well, it didn't matter.

Now my talent for joking has reached the sky.

Maybe soon we'll be better at joking than practicing medicine.

“Don’t be surprised and listen. It’s been a while since I’ve mentioned this, but my hometown, Joseon, is actually a country that has experienced frequent wars.”

“When was it not said that this was a country shrouded in mystery?”

“That’s why they keep coming in. To uncover the mystery.”

“Hmm.”

Liston seemed to think that what I was saying was bullshit…

But for now, I kept my mouth shut.

That guy must have noticed something about me, so… … .

This time too, I thought they'd let it slide if I just gave them a plausible story.

“Anyway, that’s because there’s Japan below and Qing above.”

“Okay, I get the gist. So?”

This time it was Blundell who asked.

It was like looking at a maggot and then looking at my face.

If you had seen me like this just a few months ago, wouldn't you have reported me right away?

Talking about black magic and such.

These guys pretend to be so scientific, but they're full of all kinds of superstitions.

But now that I had enough trust in him, I could just brush it off as a mystery of Joseon.

“So naturally, I became good at treating wounds.”

I'm not sure if that actually happened.

Trauma has remained largely uncharted territory for a long time despite its frequency.

Especially in the case of fractures, it is said that until the early to mid 20th century, open fractures were just a death sentence.

I heard it from an orthopedic friend, so I don't know if it's accurate…

“And… … In our Joseon, we make something called Jang.”

and.

A word I never thought of popped out.

“What is the intestines?”

“It’s called soybean paste and red pepper paste. Joseph will know.”

“Ah, that… … What is it called? It smells strange, but it tastes good. Listening to it makes me want to eat it.”

“Is it food?”

"yes."

Liston asked, and Joseph answered.

Yeah, he ate that pretty well too.

It can't be helped.

British food is… … .

“Anyway, there are times when maggots come out of that intestine. It’s because the food is so nutritious. However, there is a wound healing technique that has been passed down using those maggots.”

“Hmm… … It’s a bit strange.”

“The maggots turn into flies… … and the flies help?”

No, maggots help.

There is a significant difference between the two, but he didn't seem to know it.

It was okay.

Because you can just keep joking.

“In Korea, we approach things with a slightly different concept than here in England… … Don’t you think that here, the wounds need to start to stink before they can heal?”

“That’s right. Well… … Some say that’s not the case these days. But looking at that unidentified ointment they’re applying, that seems wrong too.”

The unidentified ointment that Liston speaks of is an ointment made by mixing copper oxide and lead oxide.

I know because I saw it earlier… … .

What would be worse, applying it or letting it rot?

I think it would be okay to say that it was really close.

No.

Makhamakha… … .

“In Joseon, wounds are washed clean with water. Then, a clean cloth is used as a bandage. This is also soaked in traditional liquor before being wrapped.”

“It’s Greek. It’s so old-fashioned… … .”

Was Greece like this?

I didn't know that.

No, but did you mean that it regressed like this?

What on earth have these kids done in history?

“Ahem.”

I tried to push aside the anger and questions that were welling up in me and continued speaking.

“If we had left it like that, it would have been a backward method. But we added maggots to it.”

“Isn’t that not right?”

“No. Maggots… … Maggots only eat rotten flesh.”

“Shouldn’t that not be removed?”

“Professor, don’t you have any doubts? Whether it really helps or not?”

“That’s… … that’s right.”

Fortunately, Liston was a fairly open-minded person.

First of all, it would have been worse if I had cut too much.

I cut a few today and I'm wondering if you wouldn't think this way?

-Oh, why do I have to cut off so many limbs?

What are you thinking?

That's why I had some doubts about the existing theories.

In addition, as my new theories are continuously being verified, it would not be an exaggeration to say that my doubts have been fueled recently.

“Let’s think about it the other way around. What if we actively remove the rotten flesh?”

“Can’t I use a knife?”

“A knife would work, but… … I guess it wouldn’t be easy to just cut off the rotten flesh, right? If there’s a lot of it, you could use a knife, or else you could use maggots.”

“Hmm. What do you think?”

Liston, who had been listening silently, turned to Blundell.

In fact, Blundell was a man who was as open-minded as Liston, if not more so.

The Vatican has banned blood transfusions between humans, but they mixed blood in.

He was a man so far ahead of his time that you couldn't tell if he was crazy or brilliant.

“The challenge of newness is always welcome. But it always brings maggots… … ahh.”

Blundell was, as expected, friendly.

Although the gaze looking at the maggots was filled with extreme disgust… … .

'Can't you guys just clean up the maggots in the hospital ward and look at them like that?'

It was difficult for me to understand.

I thought you didn't know it was dirty, but you know it's dirty, right?

Yet the fact that they are neglecting it clearly shows that they truly believe that hygiene has no effect on patient prognosis.

There is a kind of faith… … .

That would have to be gradually destroyed as a mystery of Joseon later.

“But it is a treatment that can have adverse effects on the patient.”

“That’s true. There’s still no evidence that the treatment that causes flesh-rotting is wrong.”

Despite my thoughts, the two men in London continued their discussion with serious faces.

“That’s why. Treatment that has continued for over a thousand years… … cannot be overturned overnight without evidence.”

“Let’s do this. We did the same thing with hand washing before. Let’s apply it to only some patients for now.”

“Ha, I’m worried.”

"why."

“At that time, washing hands was something that only doctors had to work hard for, but this was about the patients’ flesh… … .”

“That’s true. It’s not easy.”

It was a truly thoughtful conversation.

Behind me, the students, those I consider my disciples, were constantly nodding their heads, perhaps moved and inspired by it.

me?

'Those crazy guys.'

Is it really worth worrying so much about the extremely common-sense idea of cutting off rotten flesh?

I wanted to hit him on the back of the head and tell him to stop this useless thing right away, but Liston was carrying a knife.

No, it would have been the same even without a knife.

If I get hit even once with that pot lid, it's obvious I'll lose.

“Then let’s minimize it. But I’m still interested in Joseon’s medical care.”

“Otherwise, it would be strange. I have never seen a doctor change his mind so quickly in my entire life. Okay, let’s do that.”

Anyway, it was fortunate.

The discussion between the two flowed in the direction of following what I said, no matter what.

But that doesn't mean the problem is over.

“The problem is the other doctors.”

“Patients won’t stay still either. It’s common sense that they have to let their flesh rot.”

There are quite a few points that I am annoyed by, but I am holding on for now.

You two are doing this to help me.

“To go against common sense… … it won’t be possible with just any amount of effort. It will take strength.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll lend you my sword.”

“Ah. The Liston knife… … Certainly. That would work. I saw its power when I washed my hands before.”

“Yeah, and the guys in the treatment room have connections to me. One of them has been hit before, and he trembles at the sight of a knife.”

“Oh, is that the friend from before?”

“That guy is a different guy.”

“Ah… … Okay. Stop beating up people… … .”

It may sound a bit strange if I say so… … .

Anyway, I had Liston's sword in my hand.

Maybe it's because I've been using so many cutting techniques lately, but the cooldown time for changing swords has been reduced, so it wasn't even the previous version of the sword.

The latest Liston knife… … .

So, it was a sword with a sharper tip and a better center of gravity.

"hmm."

“What?”

“No, that’s not true.”

“Mr. Park.”

“Okay, I was wrong.”

Thanks to this, I was able to cut out the rotten flesh of my patients without much trouble and even place maggots on the remaining parts.

Of course, the patients didn't just lie there and watch it.

“Hey, this!”

“What?”

"no!"

"cutting?"

“No, it’s not.”

They too were helpless in the face of Liston's sword.

Even I tell patients like this… … .

uh?

I didn't want to force myself out.

It was just that there was nothing I could do.

This era was too primitive to be described in words.