Chapter 40: A Preliminary Study of Medicine
Advances in pottery made life more convenient for the Silver Moon Tribe, but the real challenge arrived quietly on a sweltering summer morning. Meiguo hurried to find Lin Chen and Canglan, who were inspecting the new kiln, with a solemn expression on her face.
"Febrile illness," she said briefly. "Three children, five adults, with the same symptoms: high fever, rash, and vomiting."
Lin Chen's heart tightened: "Contagious?"
"Very likely." Berry nodded. "The sick have been isolated, but we need to find the cause and treatment."
The epidemic spread rapidly. Within two days, more than a dozen people developed the same symptoms. The temporary isolation sheds in the medical area were already overcrowded, and the atmosphere in the tribe suddenly became tense.
Elder Shi Yan immediately convened an emergency meeting. Representatives from various tribes learned the news through the signal system and offered suggestions.
Feng Yi shared his experience with the nomadic tribes: "It might be water pollution. Similar situations often occur in mobile camps."
Shi Feng suggested: "The mountain tribes use a certain type of moss to reduce fever. You can try it."
Shuihen reminded: "The experience of the lakeside tribe is that isolation is the most important to prevent the spread."
Lin Chen integrated suggestions from all parties and developed a response plan: check all water sources, strengthen isolation measures, and try various fever-reducing methods.
The inspection quickly revealed the problem: an animal carcass upstream had polluted the stream, and many people had recently been drinking raw water directly.
"Boil all drinking water immediately!" Lin Chen ordered, "Cook all food thoroughly!"
Berry led the medical team in trying various herbs. The moss sent by the mountain tribe did have a cooling effect, but it was only a temporary solution; a root from the nomadic tribe relieved vomiting but didn't reduce fever; and the aquatic plants from the lakeside tribe had no effect at all.
On the third day of the epidemic, the first critically ill patient appeared—an old and frail sub-orc who began to lose consciousness.
In desperation, Lin Chen remembered the basic principles of modern medicine: symptomatic treatment, prevention of complications, and support for the patient's own resistance.
"We need better ways to reduce fever," he told Berry, "and to replenish fluids and nutrients to prevent dehydration in patients."
They improved herbal formulas and combined the experiences of various tribes to create stronger antipyretic medicines; they used thin bamboo tubes to feed liquids to patients who were unable to drink water on their own; and they even used wet cloths to physically reduce the temperature.
Lin Chen also designed strict medical protection: caregivers wash their hands with special herbal water, wear masks (made of multiple layers of cloth), and change protective clothing.
“It’s important to reduce infection among caregivers,” he explained, “otherwise there will be no one to care for the patients.”
Touchingly, the tribes not only provided advice but also sent in-kind assistance: nomadic tribes sent experts specializing in water pollution treatment; mountain tribes sent large quantities of medicinal mosses; and lakeside tribes provided special plants for water purification.
The most unexpected help came from the Blackrock Tribe - they sent a black ore through an intermediary tribe, which could powerfully purify water after being ground into powder.
“Knowledge should be used to redeem, not to harm,” the postscript read. A former adversary offered a helping hand in times of crisis.
On the seventh day of the outbreak, a turning point finally arrived. The new herbal formula began to take effect, and the patients' temperatures gradually dropped. Water purification measures were effective, and new infections decreased. Protective measures were effective, and none of the caregivers were infected.
Half a month later, the epidemic was basically under control. The Silver Moon Tribe paid a price—the two oldest members did not make it—but most of the patients recovered.
At the post-disaster reflection meeting, representatives from each tribe discussed together through the signal system.
"We need a better healthcare system," Berry said first. "Not only for treatment, but also for prevention."
Lin Chen proposed: "Establish a special medical team, systematically study the medical knowledge of each tribe, and record effective treatment methods."
Xiaoyu added: "Making medical equipment: sterilization containers, feeding tools, protective equipment."
Yunshan advises: "Check water and food safety regularly to prevent problems before they occur."
A new project was launched: "Medical Exploration." The medical knowledge of each tribe was systematically collected and organized, and recorded on special medical ceramic tablets using unified symbols.
Surprisingly, each tribe has its own unique medical wisdom: the nomadic tribe is good at dealing with health problems in mobile life; the mountain tribe is proficient in herbal medicine and trauma treatment; the lakeside tribe understands aquatic medical knowledge; even the Black Rock Tribe has contributed the application of minerals in medicine.
Lin Chen cautiously introduced some modern medical concepts and packaged them as "the wisdom of distant tribes": germ theory explains the spread of disease, hygienic habits prevent infection, and nutritional support promotes recovery.
"Can invisible creatures cause disease?" Meiguo was initially skeptical, but her experience during the pandemic gradually led her to accept it. "Just like invisible winds can blow down trees."
The systematization of medical knowledge brought immediate applications. The Silver Moon Tribe established a more comprehensive water management system, regularly disinfected public areas, and improved their eating habits.
The most innovative thing was the establishment of "medical gardens" - gardens specifically for growing medicinal plants of each tribe, cultivated in different areas according to their characteristics, and with detailed records.
“This way, we can quickly find the right herbs when we need them,” said Yunshan, who is in charge of garden management, “instead of searching all over the mountains at short notice.”
Medical advances quickly benefited all tribes. When trauma occurred in the mountain tribes, the Silver Moon Tribe sent disinfectants and suturing techniques; when food poisoning occurred in the nomadic tribes, they sent detoxification formulas and nursing methods; when drowning occurred in the lakeside tribes, they sent resuscitation techniques and preventive measures.
During a joint medical practice, doctors from various tribes discovered an unexpected synergistic effect: the combination of a certain moss from the mountain tribe and a certain rhizome from the nomadic tribe doubled the therapeutic effect; the combination of the purification plants from the lakeside tribe and the disinfection technology from the Silver Moon tribe resulted in excellent water quality.
"Effective when used alone, even better when used together," Berry wrote in the medical records. "Like the tribe itself, independent yet interconnected."
In late autumn, the Silver Moon Tribe held its first "Medical Exchange Conference." Healers from various tribes gathered in the Knowledge Garden to share experiences, discuss cases, and compare techniques.
The most moving moment of the conference was when a patient who had been saved gave a live thank-you speech. He was from the Lakeside Tribe and was saved by the Silvermoon Tribe's new technology after drowning.
“Knowledge is not just symbols and formulas,” he choked up, “it’s life and hope.”
The conference decided to establish a "joint medical network": each tribe would train specialized medical personnel, use a unified record system, exchange experiences regularly, and support each other in emergencies.
Lin Chen and Xiaoyu developed more detailed medical symbols for this purpose, which can record information such as symptoms, prescriptions, and efficacy.
"These records can help future healers learn," Xiaoyu explained, "just like the healers before us helped us."
On a starry night, Lin Chen and Cang Lan inspected the newly built medical area. Herbs grew quietly in the moonlight, medical ceramic plates were neatly arranged, and sterilizers gleamed.
"From fear of the epidemic to proactive prevention," Canglan said with emotion, "what a huge progress."
Lin Chen nodded: "Medical care is not only about treating diseases, but also about maintaining health. It is not only a personal matter, but also a collective responsibility."
In the distance, in the medical garden, Berry is guiding young people to identify herbs; the newly built water purification system is running quietly; the signal lights of each tribe are flashing steadily, reporting safety and health.
In this world without modern hospitals but full of medical wisdom, humans are exploring the path to health in the most essential way: not through high-tech equipment, but through careful observation; not by fighting alone, but by sharing wisdom; not by passively responding to diseases, but by actively maintaining health.
Under the starry sky, the Silver Moon Tribe lives in peace, and advances in medical care bring greater security to their lives. And that soul from another world finally sees the true essence of medicine: not cold technology, but warm care; not isolated data, but shared wisdom; not conquering death, but respecting life.
The exploration of medicine has just begun, but the direction is clear: prevention is better than cure, sharing is better than monopoly, and cooperation is better than isolation. Along this path, the Silver Moon Tribe and its companions are moving forward hand in hand, applying the most ancient wisdom to explore the most eternal of questions: how to live healthily and exist with dignity.
As the first autumn star rises, the herbs of the medical garden sway gently in the night breeze, whispering the secrets of life, and between the tribes, healthy bonds are formed, stronger than any rope, more precious than any alliance.
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