I Became a Plague Doctor in a Romance Fantasy Novel

Episode 38. Heart Pounding (4)

Episode 38. Heart Pounding (4)

Oliver sighed.

“This is another theory that will turn the academic world upside down. If everything the professor says is true, that is.”

I think what I say is correct.

It would be hard for me to think otherwise.

“Anyway, do you understand what I’m saying? Arteries and veins are connected by capillaries, and these capillaries can be easily observed with a microscope.”

“It does seem that way.”

“If this theory is correct, most of the questions surrounding blood circulation are resolved, right? Cardiac output, the process of blood formation, even the components of blood.”

This time, Istina tilted her head.

“But, if the blood isn’t absorbed by the tissues, what do the tissues consume to move?”

“The blood changes its components as it circulates through the body. It leaves the heart with oxygen and nutrients, and returns with carbon dioxide and waste products.”

“Where do the waste products go?”

“The kidneys.”

It’s because of a lack of understanding of the chemistry that supports physiology. I don’t know if oxygen has been discovered in this world, but it doesn’t seem like Istina has a clear grasp of the concept.

Have they discovered the periodic table?

If there’s an understanding of chemistry, it would be easy to understand that the breakdown products of proteins, ammonia and urea, contain nitrogen.

And if the carbon in glucose is oxidized, it would be easy to understand why oxygen is consumed and why the byproduct is carbon dioxide.

That seems like a far-off story.

Let’s see, what haven’t we seen last time?

“So, does the blood only move in one direction? How does the circulation work?”

“First, it starts from the left ventricle. The blood goes from the left ventricle through the aortic arch to the whole body, and then to the right atrium through the superior and inferior vena cava.”

Amy traced the blood vessels with her hand.

“Yes, that. The right atrium is connected to the right ventricle, and from here it goes to the pulmonary artery.”

“Why does it go to the lungs?”

“Because it receives air from the lungs. You know that gases can dissolve in water, right?”

“Yes.”

It would be easier to understand if you see it directly.

I cut out the inferior vena cava. I cleaned off some of the clots inside and checked if air could pass through. There are parts you need to understand.

Amy took the piece of the inferior vena cava.

“Look inside. Can you see the valve?”

“Yes.”

“It’s like a door that makes the blood flow in one direction. Try pouring water inside.”

Istina and Amy poured water into the cut piece of the inferior vena cava together. Dark red clots of blood were washed away by the water.

It didn’t go as planned.

Instead of being blocked by the valve, the water just leaked through the branches of the inferior vena cava. Still, the idea that the valve prevents the backflow of blood should have been conveyed.

“Anyway, it flows in one direction, right?”

“Yes.”

Amy received the inferior vena cava with a reluctant expression. In her past life, when she was conducting dissections, she handled the cadaver with extreme care, ensuring not to sever a single nerve or blood vessel.

Here, the scalpel was blunt, and they could just buy cadavers with money. Due to the preservation state, nothing appeared delicate no matter what they did.

So, she moved a bit more boldly during the dissection.

“So, the structure of the valve means that the blood circulates through the lungs and the entire body like a one-way street inside the human body, right?”

I nodded. Correct. It might differ from the current academic consensus, but…

Changing a scientific paradigm is not about a single experiment or statement.

One must be able to counter all the rebuttals that follow.

“It’s really fascinating…”

“Let’s just observe a bit more and then wrap it up.”

We need to finish before sunrise.

I covered the cadaver with the cloth again. Last time, I wore a mask and was mistaken for a ghost, so even though it’s a hassle, let’s pack up the equipment and leave.

“Dissection complete.”

“Good job.”

“Be careful not to touch the corpse with bare skin. It could be contaminated with bacteria or toxins.”

I took off my gloves and mask.

The smell of the corpse wasn’t as bad as I thought. Maybe because of the abundant alcohol in the basement. The students followed my lead and removed their protective gear.

There’s one last thing to sort out.

“Oliver. Amy. So, are you thinking of entering graduate school?”

“Not yet.”

“I’m not sure.”

A lukewarm response came back.

I pondered a bit more.

“No, look. Even now, if you join as my graduate student, your names could be in the healing science textbooks, you know?”

Just look at Istina, her name is listed as the lead author of the cholera paper. Wealth and fame follow if you just join as a graduate student.

And you won’t do it?

“Uh, I’ll think about it.”

“I’ll consider it a bit more.”

They must really not want to come.

The dissection practice went well, but it seems neither Amy nor Oliver are thinking of coming to graduate school yet. It was unfortunate.

It was really lucky to have gotten Istina at the beginning of the semester. What would I have done without her?

The circulation of blood.

That was the subject of our research this time.

Let’s summarize. We created a blood pressure monitor for clinical use, elucidated the structure of the heart, discovered valves in veins, and experimentally confirmed their function.

Lastly, we observed capillaries in liver tissue. All experimental evidence was gathered. Now, we just need to write and present the paper.

I don’t know how long it will take.

“This is the important part, Istina.”

“What is it?”

“Cardiac output of 6 liters per minute.”

The most irrefutable evidence.

Every minute, 6 liters of blood leave the heart, and 6 liters return. If what goes out doesn’t come back in the same way, it doesn’t make sense.

No organ in the human body can consume 6 liters of blood in a minute, and no organ can produce 6 liters of blood in a minute.

“How did we calculate the cardiac output again?”

“By putting water into a cadaver heart and squeezing it out.”

“Oh, right.”

The amount of liquid that goes into the heart is about 0.1 to 0.2 liters. A dead heart doesn’t relax properly, but if you squeeze it well, about half of it comes out. That’s the conclusion we reached.

When you do something like exercise, the cardiac output can increase to three or four times the usual amount. The heart rate during intense exercise can exceed 150.

“By the way, Istina, I had something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“I realized after talking to those undergraduates earlier. I’m glad I met you early. Those guys have no intention of coming to graduate school at all, do they?”

“They might come. They haven’t even graduated yet.”

Well, realistically, it’s difficult for graduate students to come in the middle of the semester anyway. When graduation season comes this year, graduate students will come in, right?

“Why are you laughing?”

“It’s nothing.”

I’ll keep asking around for a while.

Amy twirled a pen on her hand. In fact, there were several reasons why other students didn’t want to be Asterix’s graduate students.

The first reason was Istina.

Seeing patients, doing research, secretly dissecting. For whatever reason.

The sight of the professor and Istina wandering around like corpses at dawn was enough to dissuade anyone seriously considering graduate school.

The second is Asterix.

There were all sorts of strange rumors about this professor. Some said he was a parachute, some said he was a quack, and some said he was a genius.

Isn’t the most intense fear the fear of the unknown? The only thing certain is this: if you go under that professor, you’ll have a hard time.

So.

That’s why graduate students don’t want to do it.

But Amy was changing her mind. What she saw during the dissection practice was real.

Asterix’s knowledge, his attitude towards patients, and his talk of changing the landscape of medicine. She wanted to try being a graduate student, but, well.

Honestly, she was scared too.

Princess Mint was sitting in my lab again today. She seemed to come whenever she had time.

I decided to just let her be.

“Professor Asterix. Look at this.”

“Hmm?”

Pop!

Mana sparkled above the princess’s hand. The junk on the desk floated up.

“That’s amazing.”

The princess was a mage. She didn’t seem particularly talented compared to other mages, but she was getting results because she studied properly.

“Were you trying to say something sarcastic?”

“No. This is really amazing.”

The princess patted the sofa next to her, signaling me to sit, but I didn’t get up from my seat.

Mint seemed to be in an especially good mood today.

Could it be because she learned a new spell?

“What have you been up to lately, teacher?”

Instead of answering, I stared at the specimen on the desk. Two hearts submerged in alcohol. Formalin would be better, but I don’t know where to get formalin.

Let’s just use alcohol for now.

“Huh. Are those real?”

“Yes. They are human hearts.”

“Did you cut them out of a corpse yourself?”

“Yes.”

Princess Mint looked at me with a strange expression. Well, it wouldn’t seem normal to have human hearts on a desk.

I scratched my head.

“They’re needed for research.”

“Hmm, if you say so, teacher.”

The princess quickly lost interest.

“Teacher. If you’re not busy, let’s go to the academy café for a bit. I don’t want to go alone.”

“Uh…”

“Are you busy?”

“Alright.”

Come to think of it, it’s a bit sad. Mint must be bored because she has no friends. But, going with a professor doesn’t seem much better than going alone…