Chapter 334 Expedited Express
In the reception room, Snow, who was talking dryly, took a big gulp of wine.
Arthur, who was leaning on the sofa, was still thinking about how to deal with Hardskal.
From Snow's description, Hardskal did violate the "Anatomy Act" improperly, but the means were not fierce.
The reason why the Liverpool authorities have not received reports about Hardskal for a long time should not be that they deliberately concealed this matter from Arthur, nor was it due to any gang crime, but that they really have not received any reports about this doctor who wants to turn over a new leaf.
First, Hardskal exchanged free treatment and medicine for the forgiveness of some patients' families.
Secondly, another part of the patients who were dissected were picked up by him from the streets. These people could not find their families, so naturally no one would go to Hardskal to trouble them.
As for whether Hardskal deliberately murdered patients for scientific research, judging from the current spread of diseases in Liverpool, Arthur felt that the possibility was very small.
According to the report of doctors sent by the Central Health Committee to Russia last year to investigate the cholera epidemic: Among patients with moderate or severe cholera who have dehydration symptoms but do not receive proper treatment, 50% to 75% will die of shock on the first day of onset, and the rest will die of other symptoms caused by shock within a week. According to statistics, in the absence of medical intervention, the comprehensive natural mortality rate of cholera will be as high as 50% to 66%.
In other words, there are a large number of patients infected with cholera and the mortality rate is very high. It is not too difficult to find such a body, and there is no need to kill people.
Rather than worrying about finding a body, Hardskal might as well worry about whether he will be infected with this virulent disease with an alarming mortality rate from dissecting the body.
And this is probably one of the reasons why Rosenberg did not choose to expose Hardskal at the first time.
Although some British doctors have always claimed that cholera is caused by miasma, the doctors who are responsible for treating patients will not be infected by the treatment.
But according to the data Arthur learned from the Liverpool Health Committee, although the infection rate of doctors is not high, there is an alarming collateral infection among the nursing staff who are responsible for taking care of patients, cleaning vomit and bedding sheets.
Hardskal's medical ethics are indeed problematic, but the fact that he insisted on dissecting patients under such circumstances at least shows that this guy's obsession with turning over has overwhelmed his fear of death.
He is eager to take off his pharmacist and surgeon hats in this medical pyramid composed of internists, surgeons and pharmacists, and move towards the authority of the medical community - the internists who are only responsible for disease diagnosis and prescriptions and are in short supply.
However, it is not important what Hardskal thinks now. What is important is that his appearance makes Arthur realize that in Britain today, there must be many guys like him who are eager to turn over and are willing to take radical treatments.
Although there are not many research papers on the importance of salt supplementation in The Lancet and the London Journal of Internal Medicine, there are still a few. Since Hardskal was able to notice this and try to treat the patient with intravenous injection, other doctors must have been able to discover it.
The key issue now is how to make the Central Health Committee and the Court of Justice realize that this is an effective treatment plan.
Knowing what is right is certainly difficult. But what is more difficult than figuring out the answer is to prove to the world with fixed ideas why it is right.
He recalled Hardskal's defense just now, and his frown gradually relaxed.
He suddenly said to Snow, who was holding a glass of wine and feeling uneasy: "Mr. Snow, could you please tear a page of white paper from the notebook for me? I want to write a letter."
"Of course." Snow tore off the paper and handed it over, and asked carefully: "Who are you going to write this letter to?"
Arthur took out a pen and wrote: "Lord Brougham, the Royal Chief Justice."
"Ah..." Snow's face turned pale with fear: "You still don't plan to let Mr. Hardskal go?"
"Regarding Mr. Hardskal, I don't plan to let him go, nor do I plan to hold on to him. Although dissecting a corpse is not a crime, illegally possessing a corpse is. However, according to the provisions of the Anatomy Act, this crime has become the same as illegally occupying other people's property.
As long as Mr. Hardskal is willing If he is willing to pay the fine, then the matter can be resolved from the procedural point of view. But if he cannot pay, I will not report him because he has provided a new way of thinking.
But not reporting also means that I will not protect him. Since he wants to enjoy the benefits of breaking the law, he must bear the consequences of being outside the law. If a patient's family members launch a violent attack on him during this period, the Liverpool authorities will not rush to deal with the attacker.
If Mr. Hardskal really obtains the forgiveness of the family members as you said, I think he will naturally get through this period safely. And after that, although his paper suspected of illegality cannot be published, I will personally make certain financial compensation to him. "
Hearing this, Snow finally let go of his hanging heart.
Although this is not the best result, it is much better than Rosenberg's revocation of medical qualifications and loss of both people and money.
After solving this problem, Snow finally began to consider his personal problems.
The living room was quiet except for the sound of Arthur writing rustlingly.
Snow thought about it for a long time, and suddenly took out a report from his arms and put it on the table.
"Black...Mr. Hastings, I don't mean to disturb you, but can you take a look at this when you are free?"
"What is this?" Arthur raised his head and looked at the document.
Snow stammered: "That... is a bit of my personal research experience. Of course, I know that as a pharmacist apprentice, the word research may be a bit too strong. But I think the conclusions of the report may be able to Cholera prevention and control efforts have made a difference.”
Arthur unfolded the document and glanced at it. Rather than saying that it was a document, it was a map, a map with small red dots. Except that the area marked by the red dots was slightly different from the one in Arthur's hand. Apart from the differences, the other information is almost the same.
Arthur's eyes slowly opened wide. He stared at Snow and asked with a smile: "How did you come up with this method? Have you ever done urban surveying and mapping work?"
"I...I learned it from medical journals."
Snow boldly said: "I once saw in the London Journal of Internal Medicine that Mr. Valentine Seaman of the United States had drawn a map of disease outbreaks to analyze the 1798 yellow fever outbreak in New York City. causes.
Although the article was inconspicuous, the name New York aroused my interest. At that time, I was thinking about what Old York in Britain looked like, but I had not seen what New York in the United States looked like. Pass.
So, I read the article carefully. So when cholera broke out in Liverpool this year, I began to learn Mr. Seaman's analysis method. In my spare time assisting Mr. Hardescar, I visited the local parish priests and asked them to agree to let me check the illnesses of the parishioners. Condition. "
Arthur briefly flipped through the statistical survey report bound with the map. It had to be said that although Snow was just an ordinary pharmacist apprentice, his report was much more professional and detailed than Arthur's survey report.
Although this report may be a bit naive in the eyes of real professionals and medical researchers. But precisely because of the unprofessionalism revealed in this profession, laymen like my mentor Lord Brougham can better understand it.
Arthur put away the map and report, and promised Snow: "Mr. Snow, congratulations, your report will be submitted together with my letter to the chairman of our school board, who is also the national medical and health official." Lord Brougham, the highest overseer in the field, will, I am sure, be delighted that our University of London is about to gain such an outstanding figure as you.”
As soon as Arthur finished speaking, Snow almost spit the gin in his mouth into the fireplace.
He covered his mouth, unable to believe what he heard.
In just the short time he had met Arthur, he had already received the promise of entering the university medical school for further study, and he had also received the attention of the man who held the highest authority in the medical field in Britain.
This kind of good thing can no longer be described as pie in the sky. Snow just felt like gold was raining down from the sky, and all the gold was falling on his head.
Snow covered his forehead and felt that the whole world was spinning around him. He said, "Black...Mr. Hastings, I'm sorry, I'm not usually like this. But today, what you said...ah, no, that's it." The gin is so intoxicating.”
Arthur just stood up with a smile and patted his shoulder: "Young man, where are you now? The intoxicating part is still behind. Yorkers are born to do great things. The sons of York farmhands can be swineherds and Scotland Yard officials." Superintendent of Police. Then it's not too much for the son of a York miner to be a professor of medicine. But you must remember that you are lucky and have a bright future, so don't imitate your teacher, just take it one step at a time."
Snow nodded excitedly: "Of course, Mr. Hastings, I will take your words to heart. But..."
At this point, Snow hesitated again. He stared at the letter in Arthur's hand and asked, "Did you really not ask the Justice to deal with Mr. Hardscale?"
Arthur just smiled and shook his head: "Of course not, I just made a request to him, hoping that he could allow the temporary transfer of Mr. Augustus de Morgan, who just joined the University of London as a professor of mathematics this year, and his students. Joined the Central Health Commission to be responsible for mathematical induction work.
You have discovered a possibility of the cause of cholera through statistics, and I hope that the Central Health Commission can make good use of the resources at hand and let local committees do a good job in medical statistics. We not only need to know the number of cholera patients, mortality and The recovery rate also requires knowing whether the patient's condition is mild, moderate or severe.
Of course, what I want to know most is what treatment methods doctors use for their patients at different stages, and which treatment method is the most effective. "
After saying this, Arthur opened the door to the reception room and handed the letter to the guard waiting outside.
"Tell Commissioner Edward of the Post Office that this letter must be on the desk in the Chancery Chamber before the sun rises tomorrow."
…
In the dark night, fishing fires shimmered on the sea outside the port of Liverpool.
Rolling white waves hit the fishing boat loaded with fish.
The hull of the ship rose and fell, and the crew members standing on the deck also bumped up and down, looking like butterflies dancing.
The captain, who was suffering from facial hemiplegia, walked out of the cabin holding his hat and pulling half of the corner of his mouth.
He raised the monocular copper tube telescope and scanned the dark ocean around him. While observing, he shouted to the sailors: "Young men! Keep your spirits up! Recently, Liverpool flew into He picked up an owl, and even the slackers in the Royal Navy learned his habit of staying up all day and coming out at night. Now running a boat is not as easy as before, and if you accidentally make a mistake, you will be sent to the station. Bitter Kiln.”
While adjusting the height of the sail, the sailors asked: "Boss, I heard that the Royal Navy's coastal frigate fired a cannon in the outer sea a few days ago and opened a hole in Henderson's ship. Is this happening?"
"Not only that, Russell and the others seemed to be in bad luck. They set out from the Isle of Man a while ago, and when they passed through Cornwall, they happened to run into the Black Clown who was ordered to return from the Ivory Coast. Speaking of the gang from West Africa The guys who came back are really ruthless. They don't even fire a single shot. They just rely on their speed to bite your butt. When the distance is close, they will jump directly onto your boat without giving you a chance to escape. After resisting for a while, even the cargo and the boat were handed over. "
"Boss, are we going to get into trouble this time too?"
The captain put down the telescope and glared at them: "Fuck you! What kind of business are Henderson and Russell doing? What kind of business am I doing? Henderson and Russell don't have enough backers. It's just a few importers and the Customs Department, at least a little relationship with the city hall, and the Royal Navy is directly behind me, and they are doing their own thing peacefully. Captain Jefferson of the Royal Navy told me that this route is today. It’s safe, as long as we can reach the shore before the sun comes up, there will be no problem.”
Just as the captain spoke, suddenly, a few lights suddenly lit up on the foggy sea.
The smugglers were blinded by the dazzling lights.
Immediately afterwards, they heard the signal coming from the sea ahead.
"Colonel Jefferson, the target ship has been found ahead, and the enemy has reached the effective shooting range of three hundred yards!"
Under the light, an arm was swung downwards: "Listen to my order, hit the corner!"
Boom!
Waves of smoke and dust rose from the sea.
After the sound of artillery fire, only a heart-rending roar could be heard faintly.
"Jefferson, you two-faced villain! Are you trying to steal something from others? Are you actually playing dirty tricks with me?!"