Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Plague Doctor Dispatch Duty (1)
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1831. A Paris tourist guidebook recorded that "the water of the Seine is safe to drink, but it has purgative properties." For reference, a purgative is a laxative. A drug that causes diarrhea.
This has to be the epitome of positive thinking, right? "I drank Seine River water and caught cholera, so now I've got diarrhea? Perfect, I needed a purgative anyway!"
Modern people call it cholera. From this, we can glean a few things.
First. Cholera was common before the modern era. It had to be. Before Pasteur, people followed the miasma theory and dumped sewage straight into rivers as quickly as possible.
To get the foul air away from people as fast as possible, that is.
By our standards, it's insane.
Second. Even cholera water could just mean "I drank that and had some diarrhea" for a healthy person.
My point is this.
In an area where multiple deaths from bacterial dysentery are occurring, it's highly likely other issues like malnutrition are accompanying it.
We'll discuss the rest with Mr. Headwick and decide. It's not too late even after hearing him out.
"How long can the wyvern rider wait?"
"About an hour."
"Then let's discuss for an hour before we go."
I grabbed a bundle of papers and a pen.
"First, the answer. This illness is a type of bacterial dysentery, spread through water contaminated with feces. Treatment is fluid replacement and antibiotics, but it mostly ends with the former, and antibiotics don't help much."
Mr. Headwick looked puzzled.
"How do you know that?"
"It's obvious. I'll judge again when we get there, but nine times out of ten, I'll be right."
Headwick nodded.
"Please continue."
"Cholera bacteria and its toxin can be handled by boiling the water before drinking..."
"That's a simple solution!"
"Mm. Not simple. That's prevention, not treatment. Does everyone in the city have the money or time to boil water every day?"
I don't know. But historically, it's far more likely they don't have the means.
"Isn't there no evidence it's spread through water? I get your opinion, Professor."
I nodded.
"It's just my opinion that it's waterborne. We can verify it experimentally on-site."
Headwick nodded.
We had more to discuss, but we decided to save it for the site. We'd have to relay it again anyway.
Especially to the local officials.
The wyvern was faster than expected. The wind whipped my hair and robe wildly.
"When do we arrive?!"
"It'll take a while!"
The wind made it hard to hear.
"What's the destination?!"
"Free City of Lapis!"
I gave up on talking. I'd lose my voice before getting any useful info.
In my past life, I'd flown on planes a few times. But in this world, looking down at the land from the sky was a first for me today.
The wind sliced across my face like a blade.
Three wyverns were mobilized for this mission.
Me, Headwick, and Estina Ivyheart each rode one. A wyvern rider led at the front of each.
The scenery was beautiful. But the well-paved cities outside the castle walls looked dirtier and drabber than expected. Our destination was probably no different.
We arrived at the site after a long flight.
The three wyverns landed in the castle's central plaza. Estina was clutching a garden statue, dry-heaving.
"I would've given you motion sickness meds if you'd said something beforehand."
"Ugh... I didn't know I got airsick."
"You're not gonna puke, right?"
"Yeah..."
I'd taken motion sickness meds before coming. Should've given her one. Knew it.
"There's a relief station at the castle gate. We'll discuss response strategies there."
"Any manpower?"
"Well... Some church folk, the city's original healers, and a few rushed in by imperial intervention."
Headwick looked around.
"Unload gear, check the site, see patients. Meet at the relief station in an hour."
I nodded. Estina was still dry-heaving beside me. Must be bad airsickness. Wonder when she'll recover?
Treating cholera patients.
In most cases, bacterial dysentery patients don't need antibiotics. The direct cause of death is dehydration.
Antibiotics might save lives sometimes, but not always.
You can't expect big effects from them like with other infections. They might treat fever or cough, but not dehydration.
Dozens of inpatients at the relief station.
Five assigned to me. I only packed a day's worth from the academy. Might take longer than thought.
Do what I can for now.
"Estina. Healing magic."
"Yes."
Estina raised her staff and began chanting. I checked the patients.
First patient.
Just an ordinary middle-aged man. Probably a commoner, farmer by the dirt on his clothes.
He seemed alive. Not in great shape, though.
"Checking conjunctiva. Yes. Open your mouth a bit. Okay, skin turgor next."
I already knew the disease, so just assess severity. Not as bad as expected.
Standard cholera treatment: doxycycline. I placed some pills by his bed.
"One per meal."
Estina waited beside me.
"See? Dehydration is the key symptom in bacterial dysentery. Dry conjunctiva, cracked tongue, poor skin turgor."
"Ah, got it."
Classic dehydration signs.
As dehydration worsens, electrolyte imbalances mess up nerve cells. Blood pressure drops from low volume.
Best treatment is IV fluids, but that's not the point. Crucial is identifying the cause and stopping spread.
I grabbed a coat rack nearby.
"Why the coat rack?"
"For the IV."
Hung the IV bag on it. Found the vein, inserted the needle in his arm. He looked at me.
"What... is this?"
"A kind of magic."
What else? It's a lifeline. But not applicable to all patients here, so find the source.
They called me here to find countermeasures. Of course, treat patients too. But main goal: identify cause and resolve.
"Where are we going now?"
Fast or slow? No explanations, just rushing off. Good initiative or poor communication?
Heading inside the castle, probably to a countermeasures meeting.
"Conference room inside the castle. You'll discuss solutions before the Baroness of Lapis."
"I see."
There must've been a tipping point. Cholera patients always around in such conditions, but something spiked numbers.
Main water source contamination, maybe.
"Conference room."
We arrived late. Quite a crowd already in the lord's meeting room.
A woman in a feathered hat sat at the head. Zombie-like after three sleepless nights. Probably the Baroness of Lapis or close kin.
A few in doctor garb—black coats and masks—were there too.
Now I get it.
Headwick's from the imperial government. Here to support Lapis's lord amid crisis, brought me along.
"Imperial Palace healer and academy professor, Mr. Asterix, brought in with great difficulty."
No applause. Just a small sigh from Lapis's lord.
"Yes, Professor Asterix. I'm Lafrenia of Lapis. Pleased to meet you."
"Thank you."
I bowed.
"Then, back to it. To halt spread, we need to eliminate the cause..."
They don't know the cause.
"The plague is spreading exponentially. Healing magic can only hold so long. Even with more healers."
"Mm. Lit signal fires everywhere for miasma removal, restricting gatherings, but..."
Preventing crowds is modern thinking. But bacterial dysentery isn't spread person-to-person.
Lapis's lord looked at me.
"What do you think, Professor?"