Chapter 341: The Chaos in the Northwest (Part 4)
Many doctors believe that the source of epidemics is nothing more than the six evils, such as wind, cold, summer heat, dampness, dryness, and fire.
It is when the climate does not conform to the season at a certain time. For example, the fragment of the Treatise on Febrile Diseases records that "when spring should be warm, it is cold instead; when summer should be hot, it is cool instead; when autumn should be cool, it is hot instead; and when winter should be cold, it is warm instead," which leads to "epidemic".
However, the fragments of the manuscript that I happened to find did not describe it that way.
The author of the fragment believed that cold, heat, warmth, and coolness were normal occurrences of the four seasons, and that these factors could change due to weather. The resulting illnesses were not on the same level as "plagues," and were not as terrifying or special as "plagues."
There must be another culprit behind the "plague"!
That's leprosy!
When leprosy arrives, it knocks down everyone, regardless of age or gender, leading to the theory that leprosy enters the body through the mouth and nose.
Based on this hypothesis, if the mouth and nose can be prevented from entering the body, the threat of leprosy to people can be reduced! Using hemp to make masks, covering the mouth and nose, and preventing the foul air from the sick from flowing into the body of normal people, the core of its epidemic prevention coincides with the description in the fragment!
In fact, some doctors nowadays cover their mouths and noses with handkerchiefs or other items when they go out to see patients. However, this is not to avoid foul odors or malaria, but simply because some patients' illnesses can make their bodies smell extremely foul, and covering their noses is to reduce the irritation.
Dr. Dong silently wrote down the name of the mask.
I'm going to check out what this mask looks like and how to use it; it might come in handy when I practice medicine in the future.
Lin Feng jogged off to retrieve the hemp cloth.
The entire Fugu City began to operate silently.
Surprisingly, Zhao Feng was the first to arrive.
His men were responsible for dividing the area, and the martial arts warriors with martial spirit were responsible for defending the area from the spread of the epidemic. The martial arts warriors had extremely strong physical qualities, and with martial spirit protecting them, they were dozens of times less likely to be knocked down by the epidemic than ordinary people.
Those who had not been in contact with Yu Zi and the others were transferred to the observation area, and the busy administrative center was soon mostly empty.
Zhao Fenghua donned a full suit of armor, and as he moved, the clanging and rubbing of the armor produced a pleasant yet chilling metallic sound.
Shen Tang hadn't seen him dressed like this in a long time.
"Jun Shen!"
Shen Tang's brows relaxed.
"The great cause has arrived, what's the situation outside?"
Zhao Feng: "The common people have not noticed anything, and things are still relatively peaceful."
Shen Tang breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good then."
It wasn't that Shen Tang was unwilling to tell the truth, but rather that the source of the epidemic hadn't been found, and the common people were mostly ignorant and easily instigated by those with ulterior motives. Shen Tang didn't have enough manpower, and if the epidemic were to spread directly, the common people would storm the city gates out of fear.
They couldn't stop them no matter what.
The already chaotic situation will descend into complete disarray, and if it does, the epidemic will spiral out of control, with even worse consequences.
Shen Tang asked, "Have all the personnel been settled?"
Zhao Feng replied, "Everyone has been settled."
As Shen Tang intended, the area was divided into isolated zones, with each zone having only one exit manned by rotating troops.
only--
"Such a large-scale operation will eventually be noticed by the common people."
Shen Tang: "Then secretly spread the word that I have contracted a serious illness, and that someone intends to poison me and the other officials in the government office! Remember, it's poisoning, not an epidemic. The murderer is vicious and is still lurking in the city, ready to strike again at any time!"
Fear stems from the unknown.
The murderer poisoned the plants; catching the murderer would be enough. But the disease is everywhere, and anyone could be infected without even realizing it.
Commoners must obey the commands of the local government.
They don't need to know why they're doing this; they just need to follow orders. Once the common people are appeased, they can slowly reveal the truth. This epidemic came too strangely and suddenly!
Shang Nan Gu Ren contracted the virus, and then she was the one who suffered misfortune.
Good heavens, what a coincidence!
It's important to know that Shen Tang doesn't accept refugees indiscriminately. Refugees who are discovered are taken to a designated place for care, their clothes are cleaned, their body hair is removed, and their personal belongings are cleaned. Only after all this is done can they be registered.
That's exactly the kind of situation we're trying to prevent.
I never expected to get infected.
The first to fall ill were not commoners or those responsible for settling refugees, but rather the old officials of Yu Zihe's administrative office!
How did you contract the plague?
What was the source of the plague?
Shen Tang had just entered and checked on Yu Zi and the others. They were unconscious, had fevers, were vomiting blood, and had cyanosis. Some of their symptoms were very similar to a type of plague called the "Black Death".
But her intuition told her that it looked similar at first glance, but it wasn't!
She held the hand of the elderly Mr. Wan.
Try to infuse his body with spiritual energy.
They soon discovered that their literary talent had vanished without a trace.
However, there was some effect. Mr. Wan's breathing, which was sometimes rapid and sometimes slow, seemed to have stabilized a lot, and his complexion was not as bad as before. Shen Tang then went to see the others.
After going around in circles, Mr. Wan's condition had deteriorated again.
Of all these people, Yu Zi is actually in the best situation.
Although she vomited blood, she did not have a fever, and her skin looked only slightly paler than normal. Her chest heaved steadily and powerfully.
Who were they in contact with before?
"Or did you eat something?"
"What did you drink?"
If it is an epidemic, there is always a source.
Whether it's from flea bites, drinking water contaminated with pathogens, eating contaminated food, or even just encountering something in the same place... Current epidemics often occur after natural disasters or large-scale wars, when living conditions are harsh, food and water are unsanitary, and snakes, insects, and rodents carrying bacteria and viruses roam freely, providing fertile ground for epidemics to take root and break out.
But Shen Tang could honestly say that under her rule, Fugu paid special attention to the environment. To encourage the common people to maintain hygiene, she even built several "fragrance shops," which were essentially public bathhouses. Men and women were separated, and each bath cost five coins.
You can get one free wash after ten washes.
If you have a "bath strip", you can wash for free.
It's not that Shen Tang wants to manage all these things, but if she doesn't, they really can go one or two months or even longer without bathing. Their hair is crawling with lice, and they're so dirty that they could look like a bag of charcoal. You could easily pinch off a strip of mud with your finger.
Winter is alright; body odor isn't strong.
Summer can be deadly.
You can smell the sour, sweaty odor even from a distance.
Under Shen Tang's aggressive marketing strategy of banging drums and gongs, and offering half-price and half-gift deals, the business of the perfume shop (bathhouse) gradually stabilized. The common people of Fugu were not used to it, but they would still come to bathe every five or six days. Those who had "bath strips" would come even more frequently.
Shen Tang has worked so hard...
It's unbelievable that a plague could break out.
It's true that the harder you work, the more unfortunate you become.
After a barrage of questions from Shen Tang, the others in her entourage could only shake their heads. She had no choice but to have them calm down and carefully recall the events of the past two days, trying to find the root of the problem.
After inquiring, no results were found.
Just as I was worrying, Qi Shan and several others arrived one after another.
His expression was so solemn and gloomy that it seemed to drip water.
Especially after learning that Shen Tang had walked around the patient's room and had physical contact with them, his expression became even more unpleasant.
A wise person does not stand under a dangerous wall.
Our lord should not put himself in danger!
But since things have come to this, there's no point in saying anything more.
Shen Tang was cutting out the basic shape of a paper mask. One layer wasn't enough, so she used three. She filled the spaces between the hemp fibers with soft, delicate fabric. Actually, adding cotton would have been better.
Seal the three layers of edges with four long, thin strips.
The face mask was simple in appearance, but it was better than nothing.
Dr. Dong suggested soaking and boiling the mugwort leaves in water, which could then be reused repeatedly. He then explained the general method of preparation.
We will produce as many masks as we can.
Besides face masks, Shen Tang also had outer garments similar to protective suits and simple gloves made. The doctors wore these before entering the wards to avoid direct contact with patients' skin. After all, Fu Gu only had a few precious children.
They're doomed; they're completely in the dark.
As for drinking water, it must be boiled before drinking.
Hygiene is also a top priority when it comes to food that is put into our mouths.
"My lord, what's the situation inside?" Qi Shan and the others rushed back as quickly as possible after receiving the news. They hadn't even caught their breath yet; they knew all too well how deadly the plague could be. When they arrived and saw that the situation wasn't as chaotic as they had imagined, and that everything was in good order, they were naturally very relieved.
My lord is really reliable in crucial moments.
Shen Tang put down her mask, her brow furrowed with worry, and said, "The illness hasn't worsened, but it hasn't improved either. Doctor Dong and the others are discussing how to prescribe medicine. All the medicinal herbs that can be mobilized from the city have been sent to the clinic, but I don't know if it will be enough to control the situation..."
The chances are slim.
At this moment, Xu Jie stepped forward.
He said, "As for medicinal herbs, there are more than a dozen cartloads here."
When an epidemic broke out in Shangnan, Xu Jie worried that Tianhai would also be affected, so he made preparations in advance. He used his business network to mobilize more than a dozen truckloads of medicinal herbs. These herbs were originally intended to be transported back to Tianhai, but they are now stuck in Fugu, where an epidemic has also broken out...
Shen Tang's brows relaxed a little.
"Thank you for the annotation."
At this point, the medicinal herbs are no longer just medicinal herbs.
This is a lifesaver.
Even if Shen Tang were to cheat, he wouldn't cheat Wen Zhu out of this money.
Write it down first, and settle the bill with him later.
Xu Jie said with shame, "Please don't be so polite, Mr. Shen. This is my token of appreciation and an apology for my previous misunderstanding of you."
He judged a gentleman by the standards of a petty person.
From Lin Feng's notification and confirmation of the epidemic to Shen Tang's various swift and decisive measures, everything proved that although she was young, her character and qualities were first-rate. Even though he had Wu Xian as his favorite character, he couldn't help but admire Shen Tang, this woman he admired.
He was incredibly wealthy, and he didn't seem to care about the cost of transporting over a dozen truckloads of medicinal herbs.
Emmm...
In a sense, this is also a way of supporting someone who's been overlooked.
The problem of obtaining medicinal materials has been temporarily solved, but the shortage of doctors remains.
This problem is not easy to solve.
In this poor and remote place of Heyin, there is no future for doctors. Those who remain are either ambitious and attached to their homeland like Dr. Dong, or half-baked doctors with mediocre skills, or even charlatans who dare to practice medicine and treat patients after knowing a few folk remedies.
Even if Shen Tang gave the order, he couldn't mobilize them.
There are other things to take care of besides this.
Shen Tang instructed Gu Chi to keep an eye on any disloyal individuals and arrest them if anything went wrong. Gu Chi, sensing the underlying meaning, asked, "Does the lord suspect this epidemic is man-made rather than a natural disaster?"
Shen Tang said, "Yes."
Gu Chi solemnly accepted the task.
He then instructed Chu Yao to lead men out to check if any commoners in the villages outside Fugu City had fallen ill. If so, they were to be taken to the epidemic area for centralized care and treatment, and the villagers from the same village were to be taken to the observation area for isolation.
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I promised to update 10,000 words, but I'm such a failure. I'm so terrible. I'll write another 2,000 words at midnight.
These chapters about the epidemic are difficult to write.
The Treatise on Febrile Diseases and the Treatise on Epidemic Diseases are headache-inducing to read; I certainly couldn't finish them, so I just skimmed through the opening chapters _(:з」∠)_ If there are any errors, please point them out, and I'll correct them immediately.
(End of this chapter)
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