chapter 20

Could the professor really have said that?

Did he really talk about "air" and all that nonsense?

'He probably did...'

Until yesterday, I had my doubts.

Come on, no way, right?

Huh?

He's a professor.

It's already the 19th century.

A time when the existence of oxygen is known.

'He definitely did. 100%... Those bastards.'

But as I listened to the lecture, I became certain.

I replayed the lecture in my mind—the professor who just left the classroom with a proud look on his face.

'He's still talking about bodily fluids as the cause of disease...

The four humors theory.

Anyone would have heard of it.

Not just doctors, but even ordinary people.

Why?

Because it was proposed by Hippocrates.

In the 5th century BC!

You damn fools.

You still haven't overturned a theory that's over 2000 years old?'

Pain is caused by too much blood, so you have to drain it?

You have to remove old blood...?

Then why do we have a spleen!

What's the point of hematopoiesis!

Our bodies naturally destroy and discard old blood cells...

"Why are you sighing again? We have to go to practice."

"Yeah, let's hurry. We can't keep the seniors waiting."

I'm so angry I could die, and now we have to go to practice...

Haha.

A hollow laugh escaped me.

If it were any other practice, maybe, but it's obstetrics and gynecology again.

What kind of horrifying thing awaits me today!

'No, no. I chose medical school... I have to endure it, no matter how hard it gets.'

I need to learn how people die so I can prevent it later.

Given the state of the times, I decided to face it head-on.

And maybe gather some statistics along the way.

These people are trying to act like scientists, no matter how poorly.

The problem is that it's all just a facade, but I had to make use of it somehow.

Even with that resolve, the ward was still far from easy.

First of all... there were too many people.

They needed to expand the wards.

Having 30-40 people in one room is too much.

They need to build more floors or something...

"Who wants to try an examination?"

Not only that, but neither the professors nor the students washed their hands.

I can't believe there was a time when medical staff thought it was normal not to wash their hands.

And without antibiotics, no less...

I was shocked before, but seeing it again today was a fresh shock.

The only improvement was that I didn't faint.

'Should I really be getting used to this?'

I still had those thoughts, but I managed to hold it together.

'Hmm.'

No, scratch that.

It was still too much to bear.

So I stepped outside and asked the nurses,

"Do you know how many cases of puerperal fever occurred in this ward last month?"

Oh, they're thinking about it.

It's surprising, but not really.

The nurses of this era didn't receive proper training.

Neither did the doctors, right?

The education I'm receiving now is too chaotic to even be called 'education.'

Expecting statistics from someone who hasn't even received that much is too much to ask...

"I know."

Someone stepped forward while I was thinking that.

A child.

Not just someone who looked young, but an actual child.

She looked even younger than me.

"What do you know?"

"Professor Blundell had me organize it."

"Ah... Professor Blundell..."

Before the conversation, her appearance caught my eye.

I was actually incredibly lucky.

I'm a Joseon person living like a noble in this era in England.

Not exactly a noble, but I've never gone hungry.

I've never had to sleep in discomfort.

'Q...'

In contrast, the little girl in front of me looked ragged.

Her nurse's uniform was just a white, or rather, a once-white apron.

Her rough hair, swollen lips, and calloused hands spoke of hardship.

'But... for London, this is probably not bad...?'

I hadn't ventured deep into the back alleys, but...

Some of the people who frequented the anatomy lab had ties to those areas.

Their appearance and conversations were a mess.

"Here, here it is."

While I was lost in thought, the young nurse showed me a scrap of paper.

It had the total number of patients and deaths recorded.

"Is there a diagnosis of the cause...?"

"Huh? Oh... what they died of?"

"Yes. It doesn't seem to be written here."

"No. There were no instructions to record that."

Hmm.

It would be helpful, but not decisive.

They just lumped all the deaths together without specifying the cause.

"?"

No.

Wait.

It might actually be helpful.

The mortality rate was too high.

"Does this mean... one or two out of every ten patients die?"

"Oh, yes. That's what it seems. It hasn't been long since we started recording, but it's probably been like this for a while."

The ward's mortality rate was well over 15%.

If this were an intensive care unit, I could understand.

But this isn't that kind of place.

It's an obstetrics ward.

Not a ward for high-risk patients, but a general ward for ordinary mothers.

'And they're saying this so casually...??'

It's a horrifying level.

Even from a brief glance, the hospital felt more like a slaughterhouse.

Seeing the numbers laid out so clearly, it really was a slaughterhouse.

"Does this include patients who died after being discharged?"

"Huh? Oh, no. We don't have the capacity for that. If they could afford a house call, they wouldn't be here in the first place."

"Ah."

I thought it might be better if this was the maximum, but the answer that came back was despair.

What criteria did they use to send people home?

Probably none.

How do I know?

They'd just send people home after amputating a leg, these bastards.

"Hmm... do midwives also come to this ward?"

"Huh? Oh, yes. Of course. The professors and doctors can't see everyone."

Don't say that with a pitying face...

The midwives are probably much better.

I barely held back those words and asked,

"Can I meet them now?"

"Huh? The midwives?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Well, you're the first doctor to ask for that."

I'm not a doctor, just a medical student...

But that distinction doesn't matter much in this era.

They strictly divide authority and hierarchy, but from a patient's perspective, who can tell if you're a doctor or a student?

"It's not too much to ask, is it?"

"Oh, no. Of course not. I'll find them for you."

The nurse's words were shocking.

I don't know much about the history of midwifery, but it must be older than obstetrics.

That means they're seasoned veterans, but... no one has ever gone to learn from them.

'In the 21st century... obstetrics had long since absorbed all that knowledge, so it's understandable... but looking at what you guys are doing...?'

In the 21st century, obstetrics had practically reduced maternal mortality to zero.

Sure, there were still issues, but academically, it felt almost complete.

But now...

I don't even know where to start.

"Ah... what's this about?"

"A medical student wants to meet you."

"Me?"

"Yes."

"Hmm..."

I followed the nurse, trailing behind her.

The nurse, whether she was naturally friendly or not, easily struck up a conversation with the much older midwife.

The midwife, however, seemed a bit awkward.

I couldn't tell if it was because of me or the nurse.

"A medical student...?"

Ah, it was because of me.

She was staring right at me.

'XXII...

I almost felt like I needed to summon something.

"Ah, this is Dr. Pyeong... a noble from Joseon who came to England to study. He's a Christian. Haha."

Huh?

Did I learn that?

Did I gain a passive skill when I was reborn?

"Why did you run off alone?"

"I thought you were going on a date or something."

That wasn't it.

Alfred smirked at the nurse.

You crazy bastard.

I may look young, but I was over 30 in my past life.

Not that I'm against dating or anything.

But I'm not going to date a kid.

She's a kid.

This is a scene of labor exploitation.

"Anyway... he's not a suspicious person. He's a valuable person."

Alfred turned his gaze from the nurse to the midwife.

He pointed at me, and I noticed the thread I'd stitched yesterday on his hand.

Luckily, it was just slightly swollen, with no signs of infection.

'I saved you, you know.'

Is this my reward?

Anyway, he defended me passionately.

It was very effective!

"Ah... if the young master says so."

I might be thinking like an idiot, but in reality, I'm someone with influence here.

In a way, it's an honor to be treated like this by such a person.

"Go ahead, junior."

"Yes, thank you."

"No need for thanks, between us."

After expressing my gratitude, I asked the midwife,

"You do home visits, right? House calls."

"Huh? Oh, yes. I do."

"How many did you do last month?"

"About ten?"

"How many of them died?"

"Luckily, none..."

"It's an important question. Please tell me."

"Not a single one. I've been doing this for a while."

She answered with a proud expression.

It made sense.

The numbers are small, but...

Still, they all survived, right?

"What about the month before last?"

"I don't remember exactly, but no one died."

And it was the same every month.

That meant there was a clear statistical difference.

"Then, for the people here... could you write down the number of house calls you made last month and the number of patients who died?"

"No, what are you trying to do?"

But to be sure, I needed data.

As always, compiling data takes effort.

My effort or someone else's.

Naturally, there was a negative reaction.

If I were really a teenage kid, I'd be flustered, but in my past life, I was a professor.

That means I know how to handle people.

"Senior. Do you have money?"

"Huh?"

"If you have money, spend a little. Consider it a token of appreciation."

"No, why should I..."

"Let's contribute to the advancement of medicine."

Is there anything money can't do?

Somewhere, maybe, but I haven't seen it yet.