Chapter 224: Angels in White

Chapter 224: Angels in White

Today, Joseph witnessed firsthand the appalling medical conditions within the Guard Corps—military doctors were using river water to clean bandages, wiping scalpels on their pants before cutting into wounds, and handling one patient's injuries with hands still covered in another's blood. It was then that he realized the urgent need to establish a field hospital.

He looked into the pale green eyes of the female doctor, filled with curiosity, and invited her to sit down. "First, you already know that many diseases, including wound infections, are caused by bacteria."

He spread his hands and gestured to the air. "Bacteria are everywhere around us—on beds, clothes, hands, bandages, and so on. Normally, our skin blocks bacteria, preventing them from entering the body. But once someone is injured, that barrier is gone.

"If a wounded person lies on the ground, their wounds can easily come into contact with dirt or clothing, introducing bacteria into the injury. Even the bandages used to dress the wound can carry bacteria.

"Then, as you've often seen, the wound becomes infected, the patient develops a fever, and, unless they are exceptionally strong, most will die."

Perna, the young doctor, was immediately captivated by this medical revelation. She grabbed a pen and paper from a surprised staff officer and quickly began taking notes. "Bacteria... wounds... Right, Your Highness, how can we prevent this?"

"We need to minimize the wounded's exposure to bacteria," Joseph explained, gesturing to the staff officer to calm down, then continued addressing Perna. "For example, using strong alcohol to clean wounds—alcohol with a concentration of 75% works best. It's highly effective at killing bacteria."

Perna nodded instinctively. "75%... That would require repeated distillation."

"It might be costly, but the amount needed is small, so it's worth it," Joseph continued. "Also, everything involved in the medical process needs to be sterilized, including the doctor's hands, the operating table, the scalpel, and the bandages.

"Doctors must thoroughly wash their hands before surgery, using boiled water that has been cooled. Other tools should be steamed or boiled to kill bacteria.

"By doing this, the number of wound infections will be greatly reduced.

"But to achieve this, you'll need a lot of specialized equipment and a sterile environment free from contamination by unsterilized people.

"So, we need a hospital—a place where everything is regularly disinfected and equipped with the necessary drugs and medical instruments. Doctors would be concentrated here to perform surgeries, and unauthorized personnel would not be allowed in.

"Normally, the field hospital's equipment would be packed on wagons to move with the army. After a battle, tents would be set up in the camp, the hospital gear would be unpacked and sterilized, and then the treatment of the wounded could begin."

Perna's eyes lit up as she imagined herself working in such a hospital, treating one wounded person after another, helping them escape death, and receiving their grateful smiles in return.

"Your Highness, I will build this field hospital as quickly as possible!" she exclaimed, clutching her pen and paper with determination.

"Thank you for your hard work," Joseph acknowledged, explaining a few more details about sterilization before adding, "You'll also need to compile these procedures into a manual to train the other military doctors. As for the funds required, estimate the cost, and I will allocate them to you immediately."

Perna was highly skilled, having trained under Dr. Lamarck, and was well-respected by the other military doctors in the Guard Corps.

Perna nodded and asked, "Your Highness, you also mentioned something about 'nurses' earlier?"

"Yes, it's an important profession," Joseph explained, after a brief moment of thought. "There are many medical tasks that aren't too complicated, like stopping bleeding, dressing wounds, administering medicine, sterilizing tools, and transporting the injured. With some basic training, these tasks can be easily learned.

"If doctors have to handle all these small tasks, it wastes a lot of their time and energy.

"So, we need a profession similar to a 'doctor's assistant,' which I call a nurse."

In his mind, Joseph silently apologized to Florence Nightingale, then continued, "This way, doctors can focus on performing complex surgeries or diagnosing illnesses.

"Of course, even though the training for nurses is relatively simple, someone still needs to teach them."

Perna immediately volunteered, "Leave it all to me, Your Highness. I promise to train nurses who will meet your expectations!"

"Then I'm counting on you," Joseph said as he stood up, placing a hand over his heart in a respectful gesture. "You are our angel in white."

If Perna could successfully establish a sanitation system for the Guard Corps, it would be a contribution worthy of the Gold Fleur-de-Lis medal.

After all, when Florence Nightingale established the modern nursing system over half a century later, she reduced the mortality rate of wounded British soldiers in the Crimean War to less than 10%.

And soldiers who recovered and returned to duty were essentially veterans.

This would significantly boost the army's combat effectiveness.

Perna only heard the words "angel in white," and her cheeks turned red.

Hmm, did His Highness just call me an angel?

A holy angel!

Is he hinting at something…?

She didn't dare think further and left the officers' tent, her face still flushed. It took her several deep breaths to calm down.

She thought for a moment and then gathered the military doctors, instructing them to set up a row of pots to boil all the bandages and sheets from the stretchers.

Next, she found some strong alcohol—there was always a supply secretly kept by some officers. Although the concentration wasn't 75%, it should still have some disinfecting effect. In fact, using alcohol to clean wounds was a method known for centuries, though no one had ever fully understood why it worked.

Soon, the wounded in the Guard Corps became the first people in the world to receive what could be considered sterile medical care—well, more or less sterile, to be generous.

Little did Perna know that the tasks Joseph asked her to perform today would eventually make her a legend in medical history.

…

The next day.

At the first light of dawn, the Guard Corps' reconnaissance cavalry raced to the commander's tent, shouting, "Report! The Algerian Janissaries have arrived 10 kilometers to the west. Initial estimates put their numbers at around 13,000."

Joseph immediately sprang up from the ground, quickly putting on his coat—like all officers, he slept on the ground just like the soldiers. Only the highest-ranking officers had tents, necessary for discussing military strategies and protecting maps and documents.

Berthier's aide lifted the tent flap to allow the scout inside. The scout quickly pointed out several locations on the map. "The main force is here. Here and here are smaller groups of about a thousand each, providing cover. The cavalry is positioned to the rear."

Soon, the senior officers gathered in the tent, where Berthier provided a brief analysis of the situation. "It's clear the enemy knows our position."

Although Lefebvre had successfully ambushed the enemy the day before, the Guard Corps' limited numbers meant that thousands of Albanian mercenaries had still managed to escape.

These survivors likely reported the events to the Algerian Janissaries, who then sent out large scouting parties.

Andre nodded. "The Algerians will likely choose high ground to set up their formation, so we'll be facing them head-on."

Military academy officer Le Drian smiled, "Today, we have your Moulin Corps with us, so it should be even easier than yesterday."

But Berthier's expression remained serious. "You mustn't underestimate the enemy, Major. Yesterday, the Albanian mercenaries didn't know we were nearby, so we managed to pull off a surprise attack. Today, however, the enemy will be fully prepared."

"You're absolutely right," Le Drian agreed, turning to the sand table. "We should adjust our deployment accordingly."

Andre added confidently, "If it comes to a head-on fight, so be it. We're not afraid."

As the officers gathered around the sand table, Lefebvre, standing in a corner, cleared his throat and said, "Perhaps we don't have to fight them head-on."

Having just been promoted to major, Lefebvre was now eligible to attend high-level military meetings. However, he was still wearing the red squares of a lieutenant's rank on his shoulders, as he hadn't had time to collect his new insignia.

Everyone turned to him, asking, "What do you suggest?"

"The Algerians are likely setting up their positions to the west, so a surprise attack might not work," Lefebvre said somewhat nervously, as he approached the map and pointed to the northwest. "We could pretend to besiege Annaba or act like we're planning to attack Constantine to the south. The Algerian Janissaries wouldn't ignore such moves."

Constantine is an ancient city, located at the southeastern gate of Algiers, and has no connection to Constantinople.

Joseph's eyes lit up. "A feint to draw out their forces? Great idea!"

He thought to himself, I'm glad I promoted you to major; you're already proving your worth.

However, Berthier frowned slightly. "Your Highness, if we move north or south, we'll leave the road to Tunis open. If the Algerians take Tunis…"

Joseph smiled. "We need to act as if we're saying, 'We're French. What does attacking Tunis have to do with us?'"

Andre considered this and said, "I think it's worth a try. If the enemy moves to defend Annaba, we can turn and strike them hard.

"And if they don't fall for it, we'll just have to face them head-on."

In the end, Berthier agreed to the feint. The officers discussed the details of the plan and then quickly left the tent to lead their troops.

Half an hour later, the Guard Corps was fully assembled and began marching north, grabbing some dried meat and bread to eat on the way.

The Moulin Corps followed closely behind—they had slept in their coats to save time.

The commander of the Algerian Janissaries, Kahler, soon received reports from his scouts and frowned deeply.

According to the Albanian mercenaries who had retreated the day before, the French were formidable and needed to be approached with caution.

Kahler had ordered his entire army to spread out, preparing to use their numerical advantage to engage the French in an open battle, but now the enemy was heading north.

His aide suggested, "General, the French might be planning to loot Annaba."

Kahler remained silent.

He could ignore the French and head straight east to capture Bizerte, but if Annaba was looted, the Dey would hold him responsible.

After much hesitation, he finally gave the order, "Turn the army north. We'll defend Annaba."

By midday on the third day, the Algerian Janissaries spotted the rear of the Moulin Corps.

When Kahler learned that the French force numbered only about 3,000 men, he immediately ordered an attack—this number matched what the Albanian mercenaries had reported, so he was confident that his superior numbers would overwhelm the French.

As expected, after engaging the Moulin Corps' infantry line, the sound of cannons roared from the French side.

Soon, two regiments of the Guard Corps appeared on the southern plain.

Panic swept through the Algerian Janissaries. Kahler personally led the reserve troops and some artillery to turn around and concentrated all his forces on breaking through the northern front, hoping to escape the encirclement.

On the northern slope, Andre personally directed the infantry line, leading the soldiers into battle. The flanks were supported by a battalion of the Guard Corps infantry.

The Algerian Janissaries charged at the French lines as if driven mad—Kahler had given them orders to break through the northern front within half an hour.

Behind a narrow trench, the Moulin Corps soldiers methodically fired, reloaded, and fired again...

Although not as skilled as the Guard Corps, the Moulin Corps had been rigorously trained by Andre over the past year. Among traditional armies, they were considered quite capable—quick to reload and steady in their aim. Over 2,000 Charleville 1763 muskets unleashed a staggering amount of firepower.

The Algerians' first assault faltered 60 paces from the Moulin Corps, unable to withstand the casualties and retreating in defeat. Though they left only about 100 bodies behind, this was already more than their morale could bear.

The Algerian officer leading the frontal assault executed a few retreating soldiers and was about to regroup for another charge when he heard the distant sound of shouting and gunfire from behind.

He quickly raised his binoculars and saw that General Kahler's 3,500 men were already in disarray, fleeing towards him with a white French infantry line on their heels.

His heart sank—barely ten minutes had passed since Kahler organized a defense, and already the French had broken through!

Looking at his own forces, who hadn't even finished regrouping, he swiftly removed his uniform and, with his personal guards, fled into the western mountains.

Andre waited for a while, but when the Algerians failed to launch a second attack and the sound of cannons seemed to be getting closer, he sent out cavalry scouts for confirmation and then ordered his infantry line to advance.

(End of Chapter)

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