Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Discovery of Bacteria (5)
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We'd secured sufficient evidence.
We had cultivated bacteria and stained them under the microscope. All that remained was to show the results to others.
Professor Klaus peered into the microscope.
"Did you make the microscope yourself?"
"Yes."
"And those purple granules are the bacteria?"
I nodded.
"So. What Professor Asterix is saying is that these tiny particles are small living creatures that cause disease. There's no chance they're just dust?"
I pointed to the culture dish.
"These are what we grew by feeding them. They might not look like much because they're so simple. But they're the most basic form of life."
Estina and Professor Klaus kept exclaiming in admiration. I got that it was fascinating, but it was about time we talked actual research.
"So, we've proven they're living creatures. And you're saying they're the cause of disease?"
"Yes."
"But you have no evidence for that claim yet?"
There was no experimental proof.
Microorganisms causing disease didn't seem like they'd grow in a soybean paste nutrient solution. Maybe if we used animal blood, we'd get some results?
"We'll prepare that."
"The theme of this paper will be the discovery of microorganisms using the microscope. It's groundbreaking, but without immediate clinical applications, its impact might be limited."
Professor Klaus pondered a bit more.
"More than that, announcing the experiment in class might cause problems. Now that it's public knowledge, someone could beat us to the punch with similar research."
I'd thought of that.
Even if it was just undergrads, once any research details were revealed, it was best to block any risk of theft from the start.
But...
These were papers and experiments plagiarized from history's great predecessors anyway. I hadn't worried much. If they worked, great; if not, oh well.
"Knowledge belongs to everyone. I have no intention of monopolizing it. If someone else advances and publishes faster than us, that would be a good thing."
It was impossible anyway. Those who'd heard my lecture yesterday were mostly undergrads. They weren't at the level of stealing research.
If we could find talent capable of swiping and preempting even one or two plagiarized papers from my original world, it wouldn't be a bad deal.
Anyway, back to the research.
"Estina is right. It's a research result that completely overturns academic common sense and opens entirely new horizons."
Bacteria cultivation and the microscope. Gram staining actually had two steps, but I couldn't think of a good way to get them. Table that for now.
"It doesn't need to be a long paper. Let's keep it simple. Summarize the discovery of the microscope and the significance of the microparticles."
"Sounds good."
"Professor Asterix. You're claiming these microparticles don't just exist, but cause most diseases?"
"Infectious diseases—in other words, plagues. We believe these microparticles cause decay and plagues. And alcohol can destroy them."
At least the ones on surfaces.
"But you have no evidence for that yet?"
"Well. If a suitable patient comes in, we could confirm bacteria in them. I just haven't had one yet."
The microscope came from Hooke's paper, and bacteria staining from Gram's. Those were our experiments so far.
To definitively prove they caused disease, culturing bacteria from a patient's wound or infected tissue would be ideal.
Pasteur proved bacteria caused disease and decay, and Lister emphasized hygiene to reduce bacterial infections.
We still had a long way to go.
"Let's draft the paper. No need to drag it out—finish by next Monday."
Professor Klaus and I both glanced at Estina upon mentioning Monday. She blinked blankly, then flinched.
"Wh-what is it?"
"Estina. I'll give you the main draft soon, so format and print it by Monday. Draw the experiment illustrations too."
She looked flustered.
"I can't draw pictures."
"Just try. If not, whatever."
Grad students couldn't do it? Then no one could. There was no reason not to dump everything on them. Estina nodded with a gloomy expression.
Work hard a little, Estina. Things might lighten up when a new grad student arrives.
And so, the following Monday, we published two papers in the Academy's Healer Faculty journal, in front of the faculty.
"Observation of the Microscopic World" and "On the Cultivation and Observation of Biological Microparticles." Those two.
The Academy Healer Faculty's spring academic conference was modest, if you could call it that. It felt small for the center of imperial scholarship.
Probably because it spanned several days.
Total attendees—from professors to apprentices—barely hit a hundred. Only a few dozen were seated for the presentations.
Professor Klaus, neither corresponding nor co-author, skipped it, saying they didn't need to attend the journal presentation. Probably busy elsewhere.
"Estina. Let's present together."
"Ah, yes."
"Put some effort into it. Even if we're right, without convincing the academy, it won't get clinical application."
Not every study made it; some got buried due to bad timing. Paradigm shifts took time and effort anyway.
"Let's go, Estina."
People often overlook something.
Medieval doctors didn't wash their hands, or performed surgery with tools stained in previous patients' blood for style.
Of course, it sounds ignorant.
But that reflected an awareness that surgery wasn't casual, and consciences kept them from operating on heads or torsos much.
Anyway. The point is this.
Correcting someone's common sense is never simple. Changing academic paradigms is no easy feat either.
"Will people accept our research?"
"No, don't get cold feet when you haven't even researched half a semester. If they don't buy it this time, keep going until they do."
Estina nodded.
We stepped up to the podium slowly. Dozens of gazes fixed on us. No idea if they'd read the papers.
Start with the presentation.
"Hello, everyone. I am Asterix, Chief Imperial Healer and professor in the Imperial Academy Healer Faculty. This is my graduate student, Estina. Thank you for having us."
Estina bowed deeply.
"You may have seen the paper summaries. I firmly believe today's presentation will rewrite the history of imperial medicine. Because there's so much we can't see."
The audience showed little reaction yet.
Makes sense—no PowerPoint. More likely dozing off than listening closely. Time to explain.
"The world is full of things we can't see simply because they're too small. Our first paper is about the microscope."
"You all know that using a magnifying glass—or loupe—makes objects appear several times larger. So, what if we stack multiple lenses? Wouldn't it multiply?"
They looked like I was spouting nonsense.
I pondered a moment.
"Uh... Lenses have a focal point, right? Adjust that properly, and you can enlarge to tens or hundreds of times the original size."
Still ambiguous expressions.
"We observed the microscopic world using that method. Lattice-like microstructures in plants, water bears, insects, and more."
But that wasn't the real highlight.
"We isolated fine particles from a patient's wound. Microparticles that replicate like living things and cause disease."
Bacteria, obviously.
Colonies grown in a culture medium mixed with animal blood. The bacteria themselves were plain yellow staphylococci, but isolating them from the wound was key.
"Our opinion and achievement is that these microparticles exist in many places and cause diseases or food spoilage."
Finally, people started paying real attention. Listening half-heartedly was their loss anyway.
"Any questions?"
This time, the reaction exploded.
Hands shot up, stares fixed on me. Some eager to refute, some baffled, some intrigued.
"If microparticles are everywhere, especially on hands, are you opposing the academic consensus that handwashing before surgery is unnecessary?"
"What evidence says these microparticles are alive? Is the research reproducible?"
"Is the microscope made with magic? Is microscope-based research reproducible? Can you disclose the details?"
I glanced at Estina amid the barrage. See what I told you, Estina.