Crusade against the Pope

Chapter 431 Malaria
Malaria is an ancient disease that has existed alongside human civilization.

Records of malaria causing periodic fever can be found in China as early as 2700 BC, and in 460 BC, the Greek physician Hippocrates...

The Plasmodium falciparum has existed for tens of thousands of years. Malaria is classified into vivax malaria, tertian malaria, subvivax malaria, and daily malaria according to the fever cycle.

Even the city of Rome was ravaged by malaria, to the point that it was called "Roman fever."

As a pathogen that spreads through mosquitoes and thrives in human society.

It has existed alongside human history and has remained unresolved for a long time.

The Plasmodium falciparum has existed for tens of thousands of years, but its population only began to increase 10,000 years ago. This coincides with the beginning of human settlement, the agricultural revolution, and a large population growth.

Its activity range extends throughout tropical and subtropical regions, and even in the 21st century, hundreds of thousands of people still die from it every year.

Palestine, in fact, happens to meet the relevant conditions.

As for the Kingdom of Jerusalem, countless knights died of malaria, and the chronicles mention that "soldiers suffered from intermittent high fever, physical weakness, and profuse sweating."

Is there any way to treat it?
Garys had some ideas, but ultimately, the results were not very good, and the production was scarce and the price was expensive.

The most feasible option that Gerlis considered was sulfonamides.

However, sulfonamides are synthetic compounds developed in the early 20th century, and it would be too dangerous and difficult to synthesize them using traditional methods.

Theoretically feasible method is to obtain coal tar by dry distillation of wood, extract benzene compounds, nitrate benzene with nitric acid and sulfuric acid to obtain nitrobenzene, and then reduce it with iron filings and hydrochloric acid to obtain aniline.

As for how to actually prepare sulfonamides, chlorine gas may even need to be prepared first.

This entire process presents a significant challenge to the current chemical engineering capabilities of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

But besides sulfonamides, what other effective treatments are there for malaria?

Garys could only think of two things: quinine or artemisinin.

The problem is that quinine grows in the Andean forests of Peru and Bolivia, and can only be found by crossing the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean to reach South America.

As for artemisinin, contrary to what many people think, it is basically only abundant in Artemisia annua in North China and Northwest China.

As for the wormwood plants native to the Middle East, they are not rich in similar components.

In other words, it meant either crossing the Atlantic Ocean or traversing Eurasia.

Otherwise, it would be difficult to find a natural cure for malaria.

Therefore, Gailis can only reduce the incidence rate by intensifying various mosquito control efforts.

However, no matter how you try to kill mosquitoes, you can never get rid of them completely.

Even now, many people die from malaria every year in Jerusalem.

After reviewing Allen's medical records, Garys actually understood what had happened.

"who are you?"

When Allen asked that question, Garys didn't answer directly, but instead asked a question in return.

"What, you still don't recognize me?"

With these words from Garys, Allen was truly certain of Garys' identity.

"prophet?"

"Ah."

The truth was now clear: the person before them was Gareth, so it made perfect sense that he should be Gareth.

"Prophet, where is the medicine?" "You want to get it?"

"Yes."

A sense of hatred welled up in Alan's heart for the disease. Even though his sister had passed away, the thought that such a terrible disease could still be cured made him feel relieved.

Gary shook his head.

“I’ve told you the place, but do you know how to get there? Along the way, do you know the local language and can you communicate with the locals? Even if you get there, what then? Will you be able to recognize what they look like?”

But then, Gareth added:
“You are still young, so you have plenty of time to learn those things, and I can teach you.”

Just moments before, Gary was still rejecting the idea, but then his next sentence took an unexpected turn, much to Allen's delight.

Whether many religious stories are true or false is no longer important. When Allen realized that what he had in his hands might just be the superstition of ordinary people, he lost interest in them.

But Garys is real, whether it was the miracle that made the cross disappear or the fact that he healed patients all over Jerusalem.

It's fair to say that Allen was convinced that all the positive changes in his life were inseparable from Gary's influence.

If this isn't a miracle, then what is?

Therefore, even though he didn't recognize Garys before, the moment he did, he was filled with trust and admiration for him.

If Garys says there is a cure, then such a cure must exist.

If he could obtain the medicine to treat his illness with the help of Garys, it would fill some of the void in his heart.

……

As times progress, the philosophical views of religions will also continue to change.

But no matter how things change, some things remain the same.

Even the so-called liberation theology is ultimately a branch of Catholicism.

This means that it must not only acknowledge mainstream Catholic theology, but also promote and develop it.

While it certainly has a liberating aspect, it is also difficult to escape its theological aspect, and it is impossible to deny the cornerstone of its own theoretical system.

At most, we should avoid discussing anything that contradicts science.

Ultimately, religion is a solace for the spiritual world of human suffering.

Of course, many of the contents of liberation theology may seem unprogressive in the 21st century, but they are particularly inspiring in the 12th century.

Early in his ministry, Jesus declared, “The kingdom of heaven is near; repent.”

Garys then declared that Jesus' healing of the sick, casting out unclean spirits, and cleansing of lepers were not isolated miracles, but rather signs of the intervention of the Kingdom of Heaven's power in the world.

This foreshadows the eventual realization of a complete recovery and cure.

Healing diseases is not merely a display of spirituality or miracles, but a declaration that God stands on the side of the poor and oppressed.

Garys also practiced this in his own way.

Every time he treated a patient, it was a protest against social injustice and religious exclusion; an affirmation of the patient's dignity and complete humanity; a testimony to the unfolding of the Kingdom of Heaven among the poor; and a call to action for religion's mission to "participate in liberation."

But reality is reality, and people do not simply live in a world constructed from imagination.

Bread, which is made from fermented starch and baked, cannot be transformed into protein simply because of a priest's few words of scripture.

Therefore, in addition to preaching, Galis also needed to genuinely impart knowledge that could transform the properties of matter, thereby curing diseases.

(End of this chapter)