I Became a Plague Doctor in a Romance Fantasy Novel

Episode 40. Heart Pounding (6)

Episode 40. Heart Pounding (6)

It was written as a lecture, but it was practically an arena. It can’t be helped, the exchange of academic opinions is a good thing.

It was the only way.

Once again, a professor stood up from his seat. Professor Brown. Within the Academy’s Department of Healing, he was known as an orthodox, or even an old-fashioned professor.

He was extremely negative about the germ theory. Maybe he’s been somewhat convinced now, but who knows.

I had never spoken to him directly, only heard rumors. He had a rather stern impression.

But there’s no need to think negatively.

Couldn’t he be seen as an excellent researcher who adheres to scientific methodology?

“Isn’t this outside the realm of falsifiable science? Now, your argument only holds if we assume the existence of invisible blood vessels?”

“Well… Think about it fundamentally. If we assume the existence of invisible blood vessels, doesn’t everything get explained neatly?”

Again, murmuring sounds.

The lecture hall buzzed. Some people were murmuring among themselves, and some were raising their hands as if preparing to rebut.

“Blood from the heart circulates through the arteries, passes through invisible blood vessels, and returns through the veins. If that’s the case, it explains cardiac output, fluid volume issues, blood pressure, everything.”

In the end, it’s a matter of scale.

“So. Where are these invisible blood vessels that can pass 15 liters per minute?”

I gestured to the microscope placed in the front corner of the lecture hall. The capillary tissue had already been found. You could see it right now.

“To put it simply. Tiny blood vessels pass through most tissues. These tiny blood vessels connect arteries and veins.”

“Do you have evidence?”

“It can be observed with a microscope.”

Jeers, whistles, murmuring again. Why are the reactions so intense for an academic presentation? No, I’m telling you, it really exists.

“Come and see. A few days ago, while observing human liver tissue under a microscope, I discovered the tiny blood vessels in question.”

The reaction was explosive. Violet stood up from her seat. That person, here again? At this point, could it be that he’s moving under some kind of directive?

Well, if you’re going to play cards all day, it gets boring, so you might as well go for a walk or go on a business trip.

“Professor. Wouldn’t it have been better if you had said that from the beginning?”

“No, there’s a process. You have to explain the thought process to convey why the evidence is meaningful, don’t you think?”

“A dramatic effect for the presentation.”

Violet smiled, seemingly pleased with her own joke. Enough, let’s not talk.

“I think I’ve explained most of it with this. Does anyone have any more questions?”

Professor Brown again.

“In the end, you’re just claiming that blood circulates, but you haven’t explained where it comes from?”

Where is blood made again?

Plasma proteins are made in the liver, and red blood cells are made in the bone marrow inside the bones.

But I couldn’t think of a way to prove this experimentally yet. At least, not with the equipment currently available.

“Uh, I think new blood is made little by little in the liver and bone marrow. This doesn’t have experimental evidence yet.”

Professor Brown sat down again. Still, he had the expression of having asked a proper question. Well, Professor Brown had been on the defensive throughout this presentation.

“Then, everyone, come out and observe the capillaries I found in the liver and skeletal muscles.”

It was crowded today as well.

Graduate students and professors were lined up in front of the microscope. I was sitting next to them, waiting. This is going to take a while.

“Can everyone see the blood vessels?”

“Uh, is that red thing a blood vessel?”

“Yes. Doesn’t it look like stacked plates? There should be red blood cells inside the capillaries.”

Professor Kropelter’s graduate student, Anne, looked at me as if to say, “What are you talking about?”

“Professor Asterix, what are red blood cells?”

“Small cells floating in the blood.”

Anne touched her temple with her hand.

“No, why do you keep not telling us such important things? Is blood made of cells?”

Blood is made up of cells.

To be specific, red blood cells make up about 40% of the blood volume.

Should I have explained that first? I pondered a bit. I was trying to explain in the original order.

Prove that blood flows, then prove that blood is made up of cells.

Well, I can’t take back my words.

“Yes. The main component of blood, that is, the cells that make up a significant portion of the properties and volume of blood, are red blood cells, which can be easily observed under a microscope-“

The noise of uproar again. It seems the gist of the reaction is, why are you telling us this important information only now?

Well, it’s content for several papers, so I have no choice but to divide it into several papers. It’s not something that can be said all at once.

I waited for the murmuring to subside. After a few tens of seconds, I looked back in the direction where Anne was sitting.

“Anyway. Even after death, red blood cells are often trapped in capillaries. Observing capillaries under a microscope is not difficult.”

If someone succeeded in making a microscope, they might succeed in observing red blood cells. Well, you can see them with the microscope in front of the auditorium right now.

The lecture ended in a vague manner.

Those who had observed all the capillaries under the microscope left the lecture room one by one.

“Shall we wrap it up?”

Lecture end.

I waited for everyone to leave the lecture hall. Some had come during the lecture, and some had left in the middle.

Still, there were a lot of people.

It seemed like dozens of people, including professors, graduate students, and undergraduates, had come to listen. Should I consider today’s lecture a success? I guess I’ll have to wait and see the reactions.

Together with Istina, I watched the people leaving the lecture hall. We should leave once everyone is out.

“Do you think anyone was convinced this time?”

“Let’s hope so.”

Wouldn’t there be?

If they thought my thesis was nonsense, this many people wouldn’t have come. If what I said was completely wrong, they wouldn’t bother to refute it.

For my words to be wrong, the old paradigm would have to be maintained, but since they can’t find a proper rebuttal, they gather like this, anxious and restless.

Of course. The real reason other researchers can’t find a proper rebuttal to my words is that what I say is mostly true.

The fact that up to 15 liters of blood can come out of the heart per minute cannot be explained by any hypothesis. No matter how much they try to force it.

“It’s such a conservative industry and academia. Because it deals with life, they really hate any changes to the protocol.”

That’s true.

I didn’t attend the academy here, but it wasn’t much different in my previous life either.

I pondered what would be a good response to Istina.

“Medicine is different from other disciplines.”

“In what way?”

“All other fields of study are process-oriented. How thoroughly you research, how well you experiment, how solid your logic is.”

“Isn’t medicine similar?”

“No. Medicine is not an evidence-based discipline. It deals with something much more important than that.”

“What is that?”

“A patient.”

The point is this: medical discoveries that affect patient prognosis cannot be ignored, no matter how much other doctors might want to.

Clinical results prove everything.

Everything else is secondary.

This is why lithium is used to treat psychosis or some anesthetics are used for general anesthesia without a clear understanding of their mechanisms.

Because results are the most important thing.

It’s not exactly something to boast about. Conversely, it means that medical papers are written relatively carelessly because they prioritize results. Anyway.

“So, ultimately, you just need to explain why considering blood pressure helps the patient. If you can do that, any counterarguments from the opposition will be meaningless.”

“Ah.”

Istina closed her mouth.

Blood pressure is the most important metric when looking at a patient. It can immediately indicate if the patient is nervous, bleeding, or has underlying conditions.

Not to mention hypertension. Bleeding, dehydration, aortic dissection, etc. All these conditions can be suspected based on blood pressure.

“Anyway, that’s what I think.”

And so the lecture room was empty, leaving only the microscope, me, and Istina.

Right, I hadn’t told Istina about that.

“Istina. A letter came from the palace.”

“Why?”

“It seems your paper on epidemic dysentery has caught the attention of some high-ranking members of the royal family.”

“Yes?”

A look of confusion.

“My thesis? Why?”

I don’t know the specifics, but from what the prince said, it went something like this.

“The gist of your thesis is this: the role of power is crucial in managing epidemics.”

“Well, it could be seen that way.”

“Some say it increases the government’s responsibility, others say it increases the government’s authority… There are differences in perspective, but anyway. Everyone seems to think it’s an interesting thesis.”

“Oh, ah.”

My graduate student broke down.

It lasted a long time without breaking down.

Istina held her head. Suddenly, there was more work to do, and the pressure must be considerable. But as a researcher, isn’t it an honorable stage? Time for a drink.