Chapter 1126 New Changes (3rd update, please subscribe)

Great things begin from small things. Sometimes an accidental discovery may benefit the world.

As a businessman, at least a businessman on the surface, Xu Shili never thought that he would one day be remembered in history.

He is just a businessman, and the business he runs is very simple, which is arms!

He is an arms dealer.

Six years ago, Xu Shili went to Lanzhou, where he met Shi Dakai, the Wing King of the Heavenly Kingdom. It was also there that he personally participated in Shi Dakai's Western Expedition to Xinjiang - that Western Expedition was planned by the Imperial Military Intelligence Agency and supported by multiple departments.

In order to support Shi Dakai in recovering the Western Regions, the empire provided him with more than five million yuan worth of weapons, and even persuaded Li Hongzhang to agree to allow Ming Dynasty weapons to enter Lanzhou via railways. It was with the support of the Ming Dynasty that Shi Dakai not only recovered the Western Regions and defeated the separatist forces of Yakub Beg, but even pursued and occupied parts of Kokand.

Now the Empire further supports their expansion in Central Asia, and Britain also supports their occupation of the Bukhara Khanate, the Khiva Khanate and the Turkmen region. With the support of the Empire and Britain, Shi Dakai's army has begun the final attack on the Kokand Khanate.

He didn't care about how King Yi's army destroyed religious temples and killed heretics in their eyes during the attack. He just completed a mission - selling arms to Shi Dakai.

However, all this has nothing to do with Xu Shili. His mission has been completed, or in other words, his term of office has ended.

When he was about to leave Dihua and said goodbye to his colleagues who came to take over the work, Sun Kewei looked at his simple suitcase and asked curiously.

"No other luggage?"

Logically speaking, arms dealers like them would definitely accumulate a considerable fortune during the war, even if they have a cooperative relationship with the Military Intelligence Bureau and even if the profits are controlled within a certain range. There are many ways to make a fortune during the war.

"I have sent back everything that can be sent back, except this..."

Patting the box in his hand, Xu Shili smiled.

"The real treasure is in this box!"

"Baby? What baby?"

In response to his colleagues' curious questions, Xu Shili said.

"You'll know in the future!"

…

Haoshili Pharmacy is a newly established pharmacy with a capital of only 1,000 yuan.

Pharmacies of this era were basically those that integrated sales, R&D, and production. Even the Ming Dynasty, which was ahead of the world, had not introduced a modern drug regulatory, test, and research system that was ahead of its time. The reason was simple: its technological level was limited.

Of course, drug development in this era was also very crude. Even the people who developed drugs were not necessarily those who studied pharmaceutical manufacturing. Xu Shili was just an outsider. At most, he had learned chemistry well in high school.

"…Take 100g of Artemisia annua powder, add 20g of calcium hydroxide and 800ml of water, boil for 40 minutes and filter while hot. Add water to the residue and extract twice more in the same way as above. Combine the three extracts and neutralize with concentrated hydrochloric acid to neutralize. Then, reduce the pressure at 60℃ and concentrate to 200ml. Adjust the concentrate to pH 2 with concentrated hydrochloric acid and heat at 70℃ for 10 minutes. Dissolve the residue with 95% ethanol and add 0.2g of activated carbon for decolorization. Filter while hot and add appropriate amount of ethanol to the filtrate to make the ethanol concentration 15%. After the solution is left for 2 days, alkaloid crystals will precipitate. After suction filtration and drying, it can be used for later use."

In the laboratory, Xu Shili nodded repeatedly as he listened to the hired pharmacist explaining the extraction process.

"No wonder the color looked so ugly when I extracted it in Dihua. It turned out that there was a lack of decolorization and filtration process."

The boss's words made Liu Donglin smile.

"Decolorization is not only about decolorization, but it can also absorb a lot of harmful impurities. Pharmaceutical companies may not necessarily use this process when using prescriptions, but it is necessary to extract alkaloids from a single herb. However, sometimes a herb may contain multiple alkaloids, and this decolorization process may also remove its active ingredients. By the way..."

Liu Donglin looked at the boss and asked with interest.

"How did the boss know that this medicine can cure roundworms?"

Ascariasis is a common pediatric disease. Children are active and like to play around. They often put food into their mouths with dirty hands without washing them. This makes it easy for ascariasis to breed in the intestines. However, there has been no good way to treat it. Now Mr. Xu has found a herbal medicine that can treat ascariasis.

"It was completely a coincidence. When I was in Dihua, the locals used this kind of Artemisia argyi to treat this disease, five or six cents at a time. Grind it into powder, add one or two liang of white wine, soak it overnight, remove the residue and take the clear liquid, steam it to remove the alcohol, take it once on an empty stomach in the early morning, and after two or three times, it will be cured."

Xu Shili said with a smile.

"I have tried it there. I gave the extracted alkaloids to local children with worm spots on their faces. Although it tasted terrible, it was very effective. Many roundworms were expelled the next day."

For this reason, when he returned from Dihua, he brought back several kilograms of Artemisia selengensis seeds and rented a piece of land with a climate similar to the local one to plant a large area of ​​Artemisia selengensis.

"It's a good thing you were the one who did it. If it were someone else, they would probably just think of him as a herbal remedy."

His words made Xu Shili laugh.

"Isn't it just a herbal medicine in the local area?"

"That's true. It's just a herb in the local area. Maybe the local doctors have discovered this herb a long time ago, but it's just a herb."

"Well, the difference between modern medicine and traditional medicine is that we extract the active ingredients from the herbs. This way more people can get treatment. Of course, the taste is a little worse."

"It doesn't matter if the taste is not so good. We can add maltose and starch to improve its taste. We can even squeeze out the medicine like cream flowers in a dessert shop. Children will definitely like to eat it because it is sweet and beautiful."

Liu Donglin's suggestion made Xu Shili's eyes light up and he agreed repeatedly.

"Don't mention it, your idea is really good, let's do as you say!"

A few days later, the first batch of anthelmintics were produced. Unlike the ordinary candies, they were shaped like small pagodas squeezed from cream. The candies were yellow and red, and the colors looked cute. Xu Shili himself also tasted a bite and found it quite delicious.

"I think it's almost done. These trials have been very successful, and the responses from participants have generally been very good."

Xu Shili said after the simple experiment.

"I think we could put an ad in the newspaper, what do you think?"

The pharmaceutical industry in this era is so simple and crude. There is no test, and no test is needed. You can directly advertise it. Don't say that Ming Dynasty is unscientific. The whole world is like this these days. As for the first and second phase trials, we have to wait until the medical technology is fully developed. At present... drugs that can cure diseases without poisoning people are already conscientious drugs.

There's nothing we can do about it; it's just the way the times are.

"The test results are good, and it's time to advertise and sell it. But, Mr. Xu, what is the name of this drug?"

Holding the pink medicine and looking at its shape, Xu Shili thought for a while and said.

"I think it looks like a pagoda, why not call it pagoda candy?"

(End of this chapter)