Chapter 194: Was It Really Because He Was Sick? [2]
Chapter 194: Was It Really Because He Was Sick? [2]
“Treatment, is it?”
Baek Kanghyeok took a slight step back and fell into thought. No matter how wild and self-assured he was, he could hardly spout absurd nonsense in front of the king.
Ménière’s...
This somewhat unusual illness, which even carried a bit of flair to its name, was not diagnosed until the late nineteenth century. At first, it had been treated less as a disease and more as a kind of syndrome. There simply was no good way to diagnose it objectively.
Naturally, the cause of Ménière’s had not been revealed at all either. It was only through autopsies that people came to understand even a little. Unable to bear the frustration, one physician persuaded bereaved families and performed autopsies, which became a kind of breakthrough.
In patients who had died after suffering from Ménière’s, the semicircular canals and cochlea were all more swollen than normal. That led to the idea that perhaps the cause of the disease lay in increased pressure inside those two structures. It was a groundbreaking shift in thinking. Before that, people had been wrongly suspecting the brain or other parts of the central nervous system. A disease that caused hearing loss, dizziness, and tinnitus all at once could easily lead one to think that way. That meant one could hardly blame the physicians of the past.
In any case, thanks to that astonishing discovery, experimental treatments aimed at lowering the pressure were soon attempted, and they achieved some degree of success.
Once his thoughts had reached that point, Baek Kanghyeok slowly opened his mouth.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will explain.”
“Speak. I am listening.”
Seonjo stared only at Baek Kanghyeok’s mouth, his eyes shining brightly. For Yi Hangbok, who had often seen Seonjo separately in recent days in his role as Chief Royal Secretary, it was rather surprising. Seonjo was not usually the type to listen to someone else so intently. More often than not, he did not listen at all.
“Japan Ear Disease is a nasty illness. Your Majesty likely knows that better than anyone. Your ears ring at all hours, sounds trouble you, and you become dizzy.”
“That is so. You are right.”
“And the hearing in your left ear is probably growing worse little by little.”
“Yes. That is true. You are uncanny.”
What sick people liked most, by nature, was having someone recognize that they were in pain. That was especially true for someone like Seonjo, who could not openly reveal the state of his illness. Baek Kanghyeok knew that very well through long experience.
He’s completely falling for it.
Watching Seonjo react exactly as intended, Kanghyeok smiled faintly. This was the secret method by which a master built rapport. Once you do this, they would believe and follow whatever you said later.
What was a famous physician, really?
All the information in the world was shared anyway. Even specialized knowledge like medical information—if one attended a single academic conference, there were always plenty of people desperate to teach it to others. In the end, one of the things that separated a famous physician from an ordinary one was this rapport: the power to make a patient do what the doctor said, even when it was the right thing but troublesome.
“Well then, Cheomjeong Baek, what must I do?”
As expected, Seonjo had now begun actively asking what he needed to do.
Good. At least this is a relief.
Kanghyeok rejoiced inwardly. Ménière’s was not only a difficult disease; it was also one of the classic chronic illnesses, like high blood pressure or diabetes. Anyone who had suffered from it or treated it would know how important habits were in such illnesses, and how difficult it was to correct those habits.
“Yes, Your Majesty. First... you must eat bland food.”
“The food? Is it related to what I eat?”
“It is, Your Majesty.”
As he answered, Baek Kanghyeok hurriedly turned over in his mind how to explain modern medicine at a Joseon level. He could hardly tell Seonjo that when NaCl increased in the body, osmotic pressure raised blood pressure, which in turn increased intracranial pressure, which then also raised endolymphatic pressure. Even if he explained it to Heo Jun, the man would not understand a word of it.
No helping it. I’ll have to mix in a little bullshit.
It was one of the things Kanghyeok normally despised most: doctors giving patients sloppy, oversimplified explanations in the name of making things easy. But now that he faced it himself, it did not seem quite so contemptible. If it let him guide the patient along anyway, was that not something remarkable in itself?
“When there is too much salt, the ear’s function... especially the part that maintains balance... weakens. Then, as in Your Majesty’s case, dizziness occurs, and sounds arise in the ear.”
“Then the problem was with the food I’ve been eating? These wretches!”
Seonjo looked as if he might immediately have all the royal kitchen staff executed. Anyone else might have taken it as a joke, but this was Seonjo. Greatly flustered, Baek Kanghyeok waved both hands.
“N-no, Your Majesty. It is not their fault.”
“Did you not just say it was a problem with the food?”
“That... I, no...”
Kanghyeok swallowed dryly. He had nearly blurted out that the problem was Seonjo’s own body. And not to a broad-minded man like Ryu Seong-ryong, but to petty Seonjo, who was jealous even of his own subjects.
That was close.
Kanghyeok quickly organized his thoughts and spoke again so that Seonjo would not find that brief silence suspicious.
“We do not know why Japan Ear Disease occurs. However, once it appears, the symptoms can be eased by adjusting the food.”
“Ah, is that so. Speak properly, then. Some innocent people were nearly harmed.”
The man who had privately decided to kill people and then changed his mind was now blaming Kanghyeok for it. It was a truly absurd flow of thought.
This little... no, still, he’s the king. Anyway, will fixing this really make him better?
It seemed more like his inborn nature. Even among sick people, not many thought this way.
Still... he’ll probably improve some.
Whatever else he lacked, he was still the king. If this man threw things into chaos, the country could collapse in an instant. And that time was not even far off.
“I-I apologize, Your Majesty.”
With patriotism in his heart, Kanghyeok made an apology he had never intended.
Then he continued, “In any case, the food must be changed.”
“You mean the salt must be reduced?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“That is not difficult. Is Gyehan here?”
At Seonjo’s call, Kim Gyehan came running at once and bowed.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Did you call for me?”
“Go to the royal kitchen at once and tell them that beginning with tomorrow’s morning meal, no salt whatsoever is to be put into my food.”
“No salt, Your Majesty?”
“That is so.”
“Ah, understood.”
Had Seonjo ever tried a low-salt diet in his life? Naturally, he could do nothing but brim with confidence. Watching Seonjo boast so boldly, Kanghyeok smiled faintly.
One meal is all it’ll take for him to realize how miserable that is.
Not every school was like that, perhaps, but when Baek Kanghyeok had done his endocrinology rotation, they had been required to eat the patient diets themselves. All of them had been miserable meals, but if he had to choose the worst, it had definitely been the no-salt diet. On the days when they served that for three meals, dinner had to be skipped. He had needed to save himself for a proper late-night meal.
“Your Majesty, if all the salt is removed, it will be hard to eat.”
“Haha. That will do. I am the king of a nation. Would I be defeated by something as trivial as food?”
Seonjo insisted stubbornly, though it was obvious he would be defeated. If it had been an ordinary patient, Kanghyeok would have sharply scolded him. But if he did that here, his head would be cut off, so he had to endure it.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Well then, what else must be done?”
Seonjo still looked at Baek Kanghyeok as though a no-salt diet meant absolutely nothing. If he had not been the king, Kanghyeok would have wanted to slap some sense into him. He actually had to restrain his own hand from twitching toward him.
Quietly sighing to himself, Kanghyeok opened his mouth. “Next is...”
Slowly, he moved his hand and opened his house-call bag. Lately he had been living as though he had forgotten its original purpose, but this bag was, strictly speaking, the chairman’s house-call bag. The chairman was extremely healthy, but still, was he not presumed to be elderly? So it did contain blood pressure medicine and diabetes medicine.
Baek Kanghyeok took out one of the blood pressure medicines and handed it to Seonjo. Conveniently, it was not a drug that worked through vasodilation or anything like that, but one that lowered pressure through diuretic action. It was exactly the sort of drug he needed now.
“You must take this medicine every day.”
“It’s hard. Do I chew it?”
“Ah, no. You must swallow it with water.”
“Hmm. What kind of medicine is it?”
For a moment, he missed Dolseok. That fellow had always just taken whatever he was given without question.
No... asking questions isn’t a bad thing.
Steadying himself, Kanghyeok explained the medicine.
“It is what is called a diuretic. If you take it, the amount of urine you pass will increase.”
“Huh. How curious. And what does that have to do with Japan Ear Disease?”
“It removes the unnecessary fluid that has built up in the ear. Then the symptoms improve greatly.”
“I see. Then I must take it.”
Seonjo hurriedly reached for the wine cup already set there and tried to pour himself a drink and toss the medicine back with alcohol.
Alcohol and medicine. It was an innovative and astonishing method of suicide.
Baek Kanghyeok hastily wedged himself between Seonjo and the cup.
“W-wait a moment. Your Majesty, you must take it with water.”
“Wine will not do?”
“Yes. That is so. And... before you take it, there is something I must confirm.”
“What is it?”
“It is... a test to see how much water there is in Your Majesty’s body. If there is already too little, this medicine will not be very effective.”
“Is that so? Very well.”
Seonjo obediently held out his forearm as Baek Kanghyeok requested. Considering his usual personality, it was unbelievable. It was all because Kanghyeok had pinpointed his symptoms so precisely.
“Your blood pressure is... hmm. It is normal.”
Unexpectedly, Seonjo’s blood pressure was 120 over 80. Perfectly normal. Ordinarily that would have been a good thing, but from the standpoint of needing to prescribe a diuretic, it could not be welcomed without reservation.
So Kanghyeok was making a troubled face when Seonjo spoke first.
“Normal, you say. Then is that good?”
“Yes. However, if you take this medicine and then stand up suddenly, your vision may darken.”
“Darken...”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Therefore, when you rise, it would be best to stand up a little slowly.”
“I understand. Is that all?”
At Seonjo’s words, Kanghyeok could not nod right away. Everything he had said so far was merely the basics. If that did not control it, then he would have to move on to the next step.
There is surgery too, but...
He very much wanted to avoid that if possible. Gwanghae-gun, though a prince, had been easygoing, and the affected part had only been the wrist. But if it came to Seonjo, he would have to shave his head. And if anything went wrong, death would naturally follow, and his greatest worry would be exactly how he was going to die.
So, crushing his pride as a doctor, he forced himself to nod.
“Yes, Your Majesty. For now, please do only this.”
“Very well. I shall do so.”
At Seonjo’s satisfied expression, Yi Hangbok and Ryu Seong-ryong asked, “Your Majesty, how was Cheomjeong Baek’s treatment?”
“It was very good. Very good indeed. Just knowing the name of the illness makes me feel relieved.”
“Yes, as expected of a famous physician.”
“Good. I only hope the treatment works as well. The night grows late, so you may withdraw now.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Thus the three of them were able to leave Seonjo’s room. Baek Kanghyeok kept up as brisk a pace as possible, and only when he had left the palace did he finally let out a sigh of relief.
With an approving expression, Ryu Seong-ryong patted him on the shoulder. “You did well. His Majesty was very satisfied.”
“He will be more satisfied if the treatment works well.”
“Where would your skill go? He will definitely get better. Certainly.”
“In any case, I hope I do not have to see His Majesty’s face again for a while.”
“Haha. Would that happen? He is busy with affairs of state, so it will be hard enough for him to make time.”
Ryu Seong-ryong laughed loudly and tried to reassure him.
“Yes, you made the diagnosis very cleanly. Even I felt relieved just watching.”
Yi Hangbok also joined in encouraging Baek Kanghyeok. With both great men making such a racket together, Kanghyeok’s unease eased considerably.
But whether they were great men or not, before the king they were of no use at all.
Baek Kanghyeok realized that the very next morning.
Because Seonjo, having forgotten every one of Baek Kanghyeok’s instructions, began flying into a rage.
“Ei! How is a person supposed to eat this!”