Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Academia's Lunch (2)
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End of the conference.
I ended up yakking for over an hour in the auditorium. Explaining the microscope, the research samples, fielding every so-called rebuttal one by one. My mouth's sore again today.
Estina Ivyheart seemed quietly thrilled that the conference had wrapped up smoothly. She was smiling.
"This is my first conference ever!"
"Yeah?"
Truth be told, it was my first one too.
Strictly speaking, not entirely. I'd been to a few in my previous life, and even back at the Imperial Palace, we'd done something conference-like.
Though it always devolved into tea time or a booze-up after a half-hearted glance at the papers.
Tea when the sun was up, drinks once it set. Looking back, I really was living like a total slacker.
"Is it always like that?"
"I've only been to ones hosted by the palace, so I wouldn't know how they usually go."
"What were the palace ones like?"
"You want the straight truth?"
"Yes."
"I don't really know. I always bailed before those idiots cracked open the sorghum liquor."
One of those idiots was Violet, the one I'd just seen. No clue what sudden change of heart brought her to the academy's conference.
Finally gonna do some actual work, I guess. Instead of dicking around all day trying to become a poker pro.
"What's the next experiment?"
The next step was that one. Pasteur's swan-neck flask experiment, proof for the bacterial theory of decay, and Lister's aseptic surgery.
"Nothing big for a bit. Aseptic surgery. And an experiment proving the cause of decay."
"Ah, you've already got it planned out?"
I nodded. Calling it "planned" felt a bit grandiose. It was just plagiarized straight from a textbook, someone else's research.
"Go rest up today."
Tomorrow it'd be back to research and seeing patients anyway. Kinda disappointing there still weren't any new grad student applicants.
Speaking of, why no grad student applicants?
I had a few suspicions, but I decided to take the easy view. The students probably weren't that into academics, and not many had taken my classes yet.
The next day.
Professor Klaus dropped by my lab. I looked up. Probably about the paper we'd co-authored.
"Hello."
"Great job on yesterday's presentation, Professor Asterix. Word around the grapevine is you turned the stage upside down. Enough to throw the whole conference off track."
Yeah, something like that happened.
"Was it that big a deal?"
"I don't know about everyone else, but I see your research as the spark of a paradigm shift. My colleagues do too."
Professor Klaus sat down in front of my desk.
"Glad to hear it."
"What's the plan for the next research?"
"To sum it up, the evidence that the bacteria we found under the microscope cause disease and decay is still pretty thin, right? I'm planning to shore that up. Make it clear what the cause is."
"From patients?"
That didn't seem feasible.
Couldn't think of a way to do it. Might as well start by debunking spontaneous generation or miasma theory.
"Swan-neck flasks. Fill identical ones with boiled culture medium. Leave one open, and for the other, use the swan-neck to indirectly seal the mouth."
"And then?"
"The swan-neck's curve blocks particles with water while letting air through."
Professor Klaus pondered for a moment.
"Ah, the exposed one will rot way faster. The other might not rot at all since particles can't get in easily."
"Exactly."
"You won't have much time from now on. Every medical researcher in the empire will see your paper and try to replicate it."
That's what papers are for. No issue with people copying my work.
Wait, shouldn't they pay me royalties or something? I paid to publish it. What a rip-off.
If my paper sells that well, the money should go to me, not me paying the journal. Maybe publish a book later.
That'd at least get me some royalties.
Anyway.
Estina and I headed to the clinic the next day. Classes were just once a week. Otherwise, it was research or patients.
Today was outpatient hours, so no admissions.
"Hello, Professor."
"Hi."
Today's first patient.
This guy was Benjamin Brisbane. The one whose arm broke last time and ended up in my care. He'd been discharged fine, but I wondered about finger movement.
I wasn't an orthopedic surgeon or anything. Couldn't rule out issues with proper finger function. Were they moving normally?
"Patient, try copying this."
I raised both hands and made a few fists in front of him. Benjamin mimicked me perfectly.
Only one bone was broken.
Fingers seemed symmetrical on both sides. Surgery went well, recovery too. This guy's healing was way faster than expected. Healing magic? Or just good surgery? I went with the latter.
"I asked around, and they all said if it weren't for you, Professor, I'd never use this arm again. Thank you so much."
Who knows. Without surgery, just casting or splinting, compartment syndrome and complications would've killed him in a month.
"Maybe. No arm pain? How's the wound?"
"No pain. Itches sometimes."
"Don't ever scratch it."
Benjamin lifted his arm to show the stitches. Still a few days till removal. No opening or redness.
"Elbow movement okay?"
"Yes."
Benjamin flexed both elbows. Looked fine, but infection could still hit.
"Arm looks good. No straining it, and if the sutured area gets red, itchy, or hot, come straight to the hospital."
"Got it."
"Don't overdo it, but don't immobilize completely either—muscles around the site could stiffen. Move it moderately."
It'd hurt a bit.
Benjamin nodded.
"Thank you again. I never dreamed it'd heal this well. A friend fell the same way, but his arm's all crooked now. Hurts to move."
Benjamin left the exam room. Who was next? Busy day?
Not many outpatients.
Fewer sick people lately? Bad transport? Or just not enough time since I started here?
One cold patient. One early syphilis case. A couple headache fakers looking to slack off. No emergencies.
- My cough won't stop. Tried honey tea, no help, so I came.
Three days of oral antibiotics and cold meds.
- And, uh, there's this red spot.
One penicillin shot. Syphilis is nasty, but surprisingly easy against modern medicine. Basic antibiotics cure it no problem.
- My head hurts.
Didn't look hurt at all.
Gave him some chocolate, called it meds. If it really hurts, he'll come back. No neuro exams here anyway.
Morning came again.
Not many sick folks these days, huh. Not even a fallen rider?
Bang bang bang.
While I was spacing out, someone knocked urgently on the exam room door. Moments later, Estina poked her head in.
"Professor! Someone's here for you."
"Who?"
"Seems important."
Estina grabbed my sleeve and dragged me out. What the hell?
I followed her and...
Two winged reptiles stood on the academy rooftop. One spread its wings at our footsteps.
"What's going on?"
"Wyvern riders."
The wyverns stepped aside, revealing a man in black plague doctor garb between them.
Turned out he was just a guy.
"Priest, Healer Headwick."
"Professor Asterix. Former Chief Imperial Healer."
Headwick cleared his throat.
"Professor Asterix. We need you there as fast as possible. It's serious."
"I'll hear it out first."
"Dysentery plague hitting a city near the capital. The cemetery's already out of coffins. Used them all up."
Coffins running short.
Sounded like cholera just from the description. Dysentery plague screamed it. The question was how to handle it...
"I'll go. Headwick, right? Grab meds and talk in my lab on the way."
The plague doctor who'd come to my lab nodded. I'd figure it out once I got there.