Chapter 165: Chapter 38

Cowpox injections was not only a preventive method but also a treatment method.

It was the only available treatment method in Joseon during those days.

‘I heard Jenner discovered this method thanks to the shepherds.’

Smallpox was a dreadful disease regardless of whether it came up in the east or the west. Accordingly, numerous medical scientists turned their attention to this. Jenner discovered an innovative treatment method by sheer chance. He learned that the shepherds milking cows didn’t get smallpox, strangely enough. In fact, they have been doing this for a long time, but it was Jenner who noticed that surprising fact.

Jenner used that reckless method of giving an injection of the cow’s pus to smallpox patients. At that time, that was the only available treatment.

Kanghyok gathered every drop of the cows’ pus into syringes.

‘Let me give an injection on a first come, first serve basis.’

He cautiously opened the warehouse door and went in.

“Cough, cough.”

He heard coughing sounds here and there, as the warehouse only housed the most serious patients.

‘It stinks!’

Waving his hand, Kanghyok approached the first patient.

It looked like his high fever hadn’t gone down even though he took anti-inflammatory drugs. His face was swollen red.

‘His condition is worse than before.’

Obviously, he was getting sicker now.

“Hey, how do you feel now?”

“It really hurts!” the patient barely said, gasping for breath.

His dry lips were chapped, from which red blood was coming out. That meant he was incredibly dehydrated now.

Shaking his head, Kanghyok gave him yanggyoksan Joon Huh gave him.

“Drink this and hold it in your mouth before spitting it out.”

“Yes…”

It seemed not to cause him any pain.

The patient rinsed his mouth well.

“Drink this.”

Kanghyok gave him sonbanghwalmyongum, some herbal medicine. As it contained rare medicinal herbs such as rhubarb and frankincense, it smelled very good.

“Yes, sir.”

“Now, let me give you a water injection.”

“Water injection?”

“Yea, it’s good for you. So, stay still.”

Then Kanghyok searched for something in the bag. He took out a medical fluid set of 500 mL, the only one left in the bag. It was insufficient for hydrating his whole body, but it was the only option now.

As the needle was intended for the sap, it was rather large.

“Oh, the needle is quite large.”

“Well, it’s effective, though.”

Kanghyok put the needle on the back of his hand to catch his breath.

‘The last time I did this was when I was an intern at the hospital.’

He suddenly felt he was doing a lot of things that he had never done back in modern Korea.

Fortunately, the patient’s blood vessel was pretty good.

Along with the sound of the needle piercing the back of his hand was blood appearing in it. That meant his shot was injected right into it.

“Uuuuh….” the patient moaned simultaneously.

Those who had a needle shot into the back of their hands knew how painful it was.

Making a nonchalant look on purpose, Kanghyok connected the needle to the sap.

“Now, I gave you one injection. You need another one. Turn your head.”

“Yes, sir…”

This time, Kanghyok was going to give him a real injection.

He gave his forearm an injection of the cow’s pus.

“What is this?”

“Well…”

Obviously, the parent must have felt different from the earlier shot he had.

“It’s a medicinal injection.”

“Aha~”

Though Kanghyok answered casually, the patient nodded obligingly.

“The next patient is…” He looked around the warehouse, where there was a large number of serious patients.

He decided to treat urgent patients first.

“Rinse your mouth with this first, drink this, eat this and get the shot.”

Kanghyok used yanggyoksan, sonbanghwalmyongum, anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics and the cow’s pus in that order.

In no time all the patients in the warehouse were treated by Kanghyok, and then they fell asleep.

‘Oh my… I’m getting exhausted.’

Kanghyok did some surgeries at night when he was a medical professor. However, it was the first time that he treated the patients singlehandedly.

‘What the heck am I doing now? I’m not a medical intern!’ Grumbling a bit, he came out of the warehouse.

Joon Huh was sitting on the main floor as if he was deep in meditation. Yoni and Yoju were asleep, leaning against each other. Only Dolsok was wide awake.

“Master, you’re back!”

“You didn’t go to sleep yet?”

“Well, some guys insisted they go out.”

Come to think of it, Dolsok was currently pressing hard on the door with his thick forearm.

There was some noise of protesting from inside.

“What? Why?”

“Well, some want to go to the restroom while others want to go home, etc.”

“Hmm…”

Kanghyok looked at the room.

Though it was not big, there were about ten inside.

Flinging the door open, he said, “If you move around, you will put the whole village in danger, including your family members.”

All of them, packed inside, looked at him.

Though they were very frustrated and angry, none of them could vent their dissatisfaction.

The room was still quiet.

Kanghyok continued, “Let me treat you here inside. Come forward one by one.”

When he mentioned ‘treatment,’ they came forward by ones and twos.

“Your mouth is okay, but I see pus coming out. Have this.”

“You’ve got many blisters in your mouth. How can you eat when it hurts? Rinse your mouth with this and have this.”

Their condition was better than those inside the warehouse.

Fortunately, the herbal medicine that Joon Huh brewed was sufficient.

“Now, go to sleep, everyone!”

“Yes, sir…”

Then Kanghyok came out quickly. “Whew!”

Though it was summer, the early morning air was really fresh.

While he was taking a deep breath, Dolsok trotted toward him. He was yawning while rushing to Kanghyok.

“Why are you waiting for me? Just hit the sack.”

“Please go to sleep, master. Let me keep an eye on this room.” Dolsok pointed at the room he just came out from.

At that moment, they heard some squeaking noise.

Someone opened the door slightly and came out quickly.

“Good heavens! That guy is coming out. Stop him!”

At Kanghyok’s order, Yoni swiftly darted toward him and kicked him down.

That guy fell flat on his face, stopped by Yoni’s swift actions.

Dolsok and Kanghyok quickly closed the door again.

“Aaaaaa…”

The guy who fell down was moaning painfully.

When Kanghyok examined him closely, he was the protector of the first patient. He was also afflicted with smallpox now.

“Why are you bringing trouble to yourself? I clearly told you to stay inside.” Clicking his tongue, Kanghyok approached him.

“I asked him to let me out for poop several times, but he didn’t allow me,” complained that man.

But he could never be let out because that meant he would discharge a mass of smallpox virus.

“No way!”

“Why not, sir?”

“You bastard!” said Dolsok, kicking him in the waist.

Immediately, that man collapsed. But a horrid smell from his body filled the room as he pooped in his pants.

‘Dang it.’

Yoni and Dolsok didn’t yet build immunity in their body.

‘Do I need to clean it?’

He had no other choice but to clean it up.

In a very resentful voice, Kanghyok murmured, “Makbong, damn bastard… Come back running to me now. Run, run!”