Chapter 116 Sacrificing One's Life for Righteousness
After another fifteen minutes, many people arrived one after another, numbering as many as thirty or forty.
Among them were seven or eight senior figures in the Chang'an Medical Alliance. One of them was an elderly man in his early seventies with gray hair, wearing a Taoist robe similar in style to Xu Jingzhen's. He was Huang Qiuzhi, a disciple of the famous physician Sun Simiao.
When the old doctor saw the elder arrive, he quickly stepped forward to greet him, "Old Huang, I'm so sorry to have bothered you! Come on, Third Sister, pay your respects."
Seeing the old doctor's attitude, Li San Niang naturally understood that this old man was an important figure, so she bowed her head and paid her respects.
There are people who live past seventy years old, but they are not many, and even fewer who can move freely and have a rosy complexion like this old man.
Li San Niang recalled the rumors circulating in the streets that Physician Sun Simiao was quite accomplished in the field of health preservation, and that even in his old age he was still as spry as a bird.
"Good, good, good, young lady, get up quickly. It's a good thing that we healers have successors, a great thing indeed."
The oldest and most senior person in the entire hall praised Li San Niang, which surprised everyone except the old man himself, including Li San Niang.
It was already something no one could have imagined that an elder of such status would come.
What's even more astonishing is that this old man could directly praise a young woman who was only twenty years old and had not yet officially entered the medical profession.
Among the doctors present, those with a keen mind would surely think that there must be some reason behind this. They originally came to listen because they thought Li San Niang's story was novel and useful, but now that they saw that Old Huang had also come, they would listen even more attentively.
Li San Niang quickly bowed again and said, "Elder Huang, you flatter me! Many of the physicians in the alliance are rising stars. It is fortunate that the alliance has them. It is because of generations of physicians like you that the Tang Dynasty is able to get better and better!"
Old Huang laughed heartily at Li San Niang's flattery, but said nothing more and followed Doctor Gao to the head seat.
Li San Niang looked around and saw that the seats surrounding the center of the hall were all filled with people, numbering around seventy or eighty.
As a result, this was still not enough. The shopkeeper then ordered his servants to place more than ten chairs and stools against several walls, so that every doctor who came to join the association would have a seat.
Li San Niang looked up at the sun outside the window. It was really getting late; lunch would be ready in another hour.
After consulting with Dr. Gao and Medical Supervisor Sun, and inquiring with Elder Huang, Li San Niang finally walked to the center of the hall.
Standing still, Li Sanniang bowed respectfully to everyone around her, and waited until the noise in the hall gradually subsided before speaking: "I, Li Sanniang, am extremely grateful to everyone for coming today!"
As she spoke, Li San Niang bowed again.
"I see that none of these are unfamiliar faces, so it seems that what Third Sister said last time was quite effective, allowing everyone to hear her speak again. It's getting late, so let's get straight to the point."
Li San Niang waved her hand, and Li Da Lang moved a table. Li Er Lang carried the pork forward and set up the small square table in front of Li San Niang, placing the pork on it. Li Da Lang then went back and picked up Li San Niang's medical kit and put it down.
"Last time, I shared the Heimlich maneuver and CPR with you, and talked about how evil spirits can cause diseases and infections. I also talked about the concept of aseptic technique. After that, I talked to you about surgical gowns, masks, caps and cloths that can protect us doctors and prevent cross-infection among patients."
As she spoke, Li San Niang took out the surgical gown and other items that she had placed in her medical kit earlier. This time, Li San Niang heeded the advice of a doctor who said that the white cloth was too white and unlucky, so she told Qiu Niangzi, who worked in the alley, to dye the cloth a light green. It was a very light green, so you could see that it had color, but it wasn't dark. If it was stained with blood or dirt, it would be easy to see.
As Li San Niang put on her surgical gown, she explained its purpose.
Of course, the completely sterile procedures of modern surgery cannot be followed here; there would be no dedicated assistant to put gloves on the surgeon and tie his coat.
The doctor's hands don't need to be held up all the time; they are always placed in the sterile area in front of the chest.
The surgical gown that Li San Niang created was only meant to protect herself to a certain extent, as she claimed, and to prevent cross-infection between patients.
Li San Niang then took out a hat and mask with added straps, and while putting them on, she moved from one end to the other, hoping that the doctors in every direction present could see them clearly.
"This hat is naturally to prevent hair from falling out and to prevent dirt from the hair from falling and affecting the patient's wound. Also, by keeping the hair inside the hat, the doctor can see more clearly and have a suitable field of vision, which also makes it easier for the doctor to move around."
After Li San Niang put on her mask, covering her mouth and nose, the whispers and discussions among the doctors present grew louder.
"Is this Lady Li covering her face with a cloth because she is a woman?"
"It doesn't look like it. I heard that she only wants to treat female patients in the future. Since these are all female patients, why would she need to cover her face?"
"Even if she were a woman, she would only need to show her face; why would she need to cover it up?"
"..."
Li Sanniang waited a moment, until everyone had recovered from their discussion, before speaking loudly: "Last time, I discussed with you all this evil spirit, which I call a bacterium, that causes redness, swelling, fever, and pain. And this mask," Li Sanniang pointed to her mouth and nose covered by the mask and continued, "can prevent this bacterium from invading our throat, airway, and lungs through our mouth and nose, thus protecting us from infection to some extent. Furthermore, surely some of you here have participated in government-organized medical missions to treat local people in areas plagued by epidemics?"
At this moment, a young man in a blue shirt who was sitting in the northwest corner stood up. After receiving a nod from Li San Niang, he cupped his hands to the people around him and said, "I am Guo Ya Rong, who has been practicing medicine at Yuan De Tang for seven years. Two years ago, I went to Anhua County, Qingzhou with my master and dozens of doctors organized by the Imperial Medical Bureau to treat the people suffering from the great epidemic."
Guo Yarong paused for a moment before continuing, "My master is already old and there was no need for him to go, but he believed that as long as he was a doctor, he should be a doctor. So, at the age of seventy-two, he still went."
Upon hearing Guo Yarong's words, one of the doctors sitting in the hall whispered, "Ah, I remember now, could he be referring to the old physician Guo Chen who was commended by the Imperial Medical Bureau last year?"
Guo Yarong overheard this and bowed to the man, saying, "It is indeed my master, Guo Chen. During that great epidemic, my master and I, along with dozens of other doctors, worked day and night for more than ten days to reduce the number of cases. However, my master and two other older doctors, due to their age and being on the front line, did not survive. They were infected with the disease before the epidemic was over, but they passed away after only ten days."
Upon hearing this, Li San Niang, like the doctors present, felt not only saddened but also deeply regretful.
Physicians are skilled craftsmen who rely on experience and practice; naturally, the longer they practice medicine, the more skilled they become.
It's like a seasoned warrior; the soldiers who survive the battlefield are the most formidable.
Therefore, the passing of a doctor who has practiced medicine for decades and has valuable experience is truly a pity and a regrettable event.
Before Li San Niang could fully immerse herself in this sentiment of medical ethics, she heard Guo Ya Rong ask excitedly, "May I ask, Li San Niangzi, if a doctor were to go to a plague-stricken area during a major epidemic, would wearing the clothes, hat, and mask shown by Li San Niangzi really prevent evil spirits from invading and protect himself?"
Li San Niang was willing to agree to this, so she nodded, then realized she was wearing a mask and replied, "It's definitely effective."
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