I Became a Plague Doctor in a Romance Fantasy Novel

Episode 16. Academic Lunch (1)

Episode 16. Academic Lunch (1)

The presentation itself ended quickly. There was no PPT, and even if it was long, people wouldn’t listen. Professors are human too.

“Do you have any questions?”

The reaction was explosive.

People raised their hands and looked at me. Some had a look that said they wanted to refute me, some looked incredulous, and some looked curious.

Anyway, they were all looking at us. I glanced at Istina for a moment amidst the barrage of questions. See, Istina, what did I tell you?

“Yes. We report that particles, that is, bacteria, are present everywhere imaginable, so you should always wash your hands not only before surgery but also before seeing a patient.”

I turned my head towards another questioner.

“The evidence that stained particles are living entities is as follows: they respond to stimuli such as temperature, consume nutrients and grow, and their numbers increase over time.”

It was a simple answer.

“How did you see that?”

“It’s on the second page of the paper. Observations of microbial colonies using culture media. Colonies are visible entities.”

Next person.

“A microscope is not a magical tool. It uses lens refraction, and I don’t know if magic is used in the manufacturing process.”

It’s like a new world has opened up. For a while, the academic world will be busy observing various microorganisms and recording their characteristics.

“How do we know this is true? There could be manipulation or falsehood, right?”

“There may be parts we missed. It’s a relatively simple study to replicate, so please try to replicate it when you have time.”

The auditorium buzzed with an unprecedented vitality.

“Diseases are caused by bad air, and the stench of decay or wounds resulting from diseases is the evidence. I acknowledge the discovery of particles, but it’s hard to accept that they are the cause of decay or disease.”

Right. It’s a reasonable doubt to have.

The evidence is still weak in that area.

With this level of evidence, we cannot completely prove that the bacteria we discovered are the cause of the disease rather than just being present at the scene.

In this world, the mechanisms by which bacteria reproduce or spread, or cause disease, are not properly understood.

Let’s move on smoothly.

“I don’t think it’s a completely mutually exclusive hypothesis. Considering the size of the particles, it’s quite possible that under certain conditions, particles can move through the air. Bad air might not be entirely wrong.”

To put it simply, the problem is what exactly is in that bad air.

“Any more questions?”

A healer sitting in the front row raised a hand. Royal Healer Violet. It seems the poker game at the royal infirmary was quiet today.

“Yes.”

“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Professor Asterix, you are aware that today’s claims contradict the majority opinion in academia, right?”

“Of course, I am aware.”

“The practice of not needing to wash hands before surgery, the common knowledge that disease vectors are not particles or insects but amorphous contaminated air. Even the basic unit of the human body being the globule.”

Why are you here at the conference instead of playing poker in the infirmary?

“It’s hard to accept that there’s no need to wash hands before surgery. It’s good to wash them.”

“Yes.”

“The idea that disease vectors are smells is also only half correct. Smells are something that can be confirmed sensorially. The plague doesn’t only spread when there’s a smell, does it?”

Violet nodded.

“The basic units of the human body are also observable under a microscope. You can see this directly without any room for rebuttal or debate.”

“Then. Show us.”

Dozens of eyes simultaneously turned to Violet, then back to me. So this is why you asked me the question, Violet.

I can show it. I didn’t bring the microscope here because it’s cumbersome.

I looked at Istina.

“Istina. Can you bring the microscope?”

“Uh, I can. It will take some time.”

Since we are inside the academy auditorium, it shouldn’t be impossible to go to the lab and bring the microscope. It might take a few minutes though.

“Then… go ahead.”

“Understood.”

Istina ran out of the auditorium. The people gathered in the auditorium looked at me.

“Uh, Miss Istina will be back in a few minutes with the microscope and samples.”

The auditorium quickly fell silent. Was it anticipation, taking a break, or had their curiosity waned for a moment?

“Uh, we have some time to kill. Did everyone have a good lunch?”

There was little response to my joke.

Violet was the only one looking at me.

Istina returned with the microscope about ten minutes later. She had wrapped it in something like a blanket, probably worried about dropping it.

The microscope was placed on the desk on the stage. I adjusted the focus. Hmm, this should be good enough to see.

“Alright. Everyone, line up.”

Istina brought three samples.

One was a colony of stained Staphylococcus aureus prepared earlier, another was a sample of human oral epithelial cells, and the last was a water bear caught from the pond. I pulled a chair in front of the microscope.

“Can you see it?”

“Uh, I can actually see it?”

“Adjust the focus.”

Violet frowned.

“Oh.”

“As I mentioned earlier, the existence of cells and particles is an experimentally proven fact, beyond any doubt. Can’t you see?”

The line was getting longer. Everyone seemed genuinely curious if they could really see cells and bacteria. Violet nodded.

“It’s real.”

“Yes.”

Again, the people lined up in front of the microscope started murmuring. I scanned the people gathered in the room.

“You can really see something.”

“How is the sample preparation process?”

“Can we try the same experiment on our side?”

Would they stop if I told them not to? The academic world isn’t like that. It’s a jungle of survival of the fittest.

“Isn’t that what science is? I’ll help as much as I can, so if you have any questions, please write to me. Try everything you can.”

Istina nodded beside me. The murmuring people continued. The line to see the microscope kept getting longer.

A long time passed like that.

The conference organizer looked visibly flustered. It was understandable. The organizer was also in line to see the microscope.

In the end, curiosity wins.

“Uh, sorry. Due to Professor Asterix’s presentation, we are running quite behind schedule. But since we still have two days left for the conference, we’ll postpone a few sessions. Sorry.”

The process of looking through the microscope and answering questions took an hour longer than scheduled. It was understandable.

“I have nothing to say. I was also looking through the microscope. Sorry, but I hope the next presenters can proceed quickly.”

The people gathered in the auditorium murmured.

Some presenters jeered at the host.

There is a famous anecdote about the discovery of the structure of DNA. Doctors Watson, Crick, and Wilkins received the Nobel Prize for discovering the structure of DNA. After Dr. Franklin’s death.

Why bring up Dr. Franklin?

Dr. Franklin’s research, the famous X-ray crystallography photo known as ‘Photo 51’, was shown to competing researchers before it was published. Without Dr. Franklin’s knowledge. Those competing researchers are the three who received the Nobel Prize mentioned earlier.

Watson, Crick, and Wilkins were inspired by the photo to uncover the structure of DNA. Dr. Franklin died of ovarian cancer.

The fellow researchers who co-authored papers with Dr. Franklin did not receive the Nobel Prize either.

Anyway,

The point is, these people wouldn’t bat an eye at stealing someone else’s research, even that of a deceased person. I don’t intend to be picky about research I’ve seen in textbooks either.

Above all,

Medical papers need to be published as soon as possible to save more lives. If there’s a researcher who can work faster than me, that’s fortunate.

“I’ve talked too much.”

“You must be tired.”

“You too. Did you bring the microscope?”

“I did.”

That’s a relief.

“Still, it’s a relief that the conference ended successfully. I was worried that your research might be buried or heavily criticized.”

“I only wrote the truth. It’s their loss if they don’t accept it.”

“Ah, yes.”

It’s better than having the research overturned at the conference. There were many people interested in the research. Quite a few wanted to make microscopes.

Professor Klaus was flipping through the academic journal. The paper authored by that Professor Asterix was indeed published.

I wonder if the presentation went well.

He hoped it did. Regardless of the level of evidence, it was completely new content. At the very least, a lot of people would have gathered, eager to refute it.