Start with a photographic memory and build a memory palace

Chapter 89 The Walking Plague

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"Gu magic?"

Wu Wen asked in confusion: "Why does Taoist Sun ask this?"

Sun Simiao replied: "Because your method of treating smallpox is very similar to witchcraft."

"Master Sun, you misunderstood. I don't know anything about witchcraft." Wu Wen stated.

"Where did you learn this cowpox treatment technique?" Sun Simiao asked.

Wu Wen explained: "Ge Hong's "Emergency Prescriptions for the Elbow" mentioned the method of vaccinating against human pox, but that method was extremely dangerous. Later, I accidentally discovered that cowpox was safer than human pox, so the theory of cowpox came into being."

"So that's it!" Sun Simiao nodded to show that he understood.

Wu Wen took the opportunity to ask his own doubts: "Master Sun, what is the witchcraft you are talking about?"

Sun Simiao said slowly: "I once traveled to Shu and met Miao doctors at the foot of Qingcheng Mountain.

Their medical skills are completely different from those in the Central Plains.

They believe that poison, deficiency, injury, accumulation, bacteria and insects are the causes of human illness and all of them cause illness through toxicity.

Therefore, the treatment method is mainly based on detoxification.”

"During this process, a kind of witchcraft emerged in Miao medicine."

"They use the human body as a Gu, and absorb various poisons, making themselves poisonous, and eventually become a Gu person."

As he spoke, Sun Simiao looked at Wu Wen seriously and said, "This process is extremely dangerous. The training of a Gu person is almost certain to fail.

So, in order to succeed, they came up with the host method, just like your smallpox vaccination, the poison is not inhaled directly into the body, but through the host, its toxicity is weakened, and then inhaled into the body. "

After listening, Wu Wen remained silent and fell into deep thought.

Zhu Jiuye beside him asked doubtfully, "What is their purpose in training Gu people?"

Sun Simiao did not answer. Wu Wen turned to look at Master Zhu Jiu and said softly:
"Master Jiu, they believe that people get sick because they are poisoned. If one is immune to all poisons, then one will not get sick. What do you think would happen if a person could not get sick?"

Master Zhu Jiu thought for a moment and replied, "Died without any illness."

As soon as these words were spoken, he reacted instantly and understood the purpose of training Gu people.

In this world, how many people can die without any illness?

Most of them died of illness at an early age. If one can die without any disease, not only can one avoid a lot of pain, but it is also equivalent to prolonging one's life span.

To sum it up in one sentence: everything is for the sake of living!

However, Zhu Jiuye's idea is still one-sided.

In addition to being immune to all diseases, the Gu man has another special characteristic: he is a walking source of plague.

No more discussion of witchcraft.

Sun Simiao said to Wu Wen, "Commander Wu, since you have a method to cure cowpox, please use it and don't let the plague spread."

Hearing this, Wu Wen shook his head slightly: "I don't know the specific method."

"No?" Sun Simiao was a little surprised.

Vaccination against smallpox is not just talk. Although we know the principle, the implementation process is still extremely complicated.

"However, I can try to study it and should be able to find a method." Wu Wen said again.

"Then I'll have to trouble Commander Wu!" Sun Simiao bowed.

Wu Wen immediately reached out and helped him up.

"There is no time to lose. Please start now, Commander Wu!" said Sun Simiao.

"Now?" Wu Wen turned his head and looked at the darkness outside. "It's already night. Why don't we rest first and talk about it tomorrow?"

Sun Simiao shook his head and bowed again, saying, "It is urgent to treat the disease and save lives. Commander Wu, please do not delay!"

"Fine!"

Wu Wen thought for a while, then said: "If you want to explore the specific method of vaccinating against cowpox, you need to prepare some things first, other tools and the like, I should be able to prepare them here.

Taoist Priest Sun, please have someone go to Zhoujia Village to look for a cow with pea pox and bring it here. I want to extract cowpox from it."

Upon hearing this, Sun Simiao immediately asked the county government official who accompanied him to go to Zhoujia Village to look for the sick cow.

Wu Wen also prepared his tools.

In the second half of the night, the officers brought two sick cows.

"Commander Wu, we found the cow."

Wu Wen and Sun Simiao went forward to check at the same time and confirmed that this was a sick cow suffering from pea sore.

Wu Wen took out the prepared tools, a plate and a knife that had been treated with boiling water.

Sun Simiao followed beside him and watched his operations carefully.

The first step is to prepare the vaccine.

The source of smallpox vaccine is cows infected with cowpox, and the scabs must be fresh and uncontaminated.

Wu Wen carefully extracted the smallpox seedlings from the smallpox scabs to avoid mixing them with other impurities.

Then comes the processing and inactivation of the vaccine.

Grind the extracted acne seedlings into a fine paste.

As a method of inactivation, Wu Wen chose heating to reduce its toxicity.

The temperature of this process is critical and must be controlled to avoid destroying antigenicity.

Next, the vaccine is diluted.

Wu Wen diluted the inactivated smallpox vaccine with prepared physiological saline to make a vaccine suitable for vaccination.

In this process, you need to pay attention to the dilution ratio.

Each step seems simple.

But every operation requires strict parameters.

Before I knew it, a day and a night had passed.

Wu Wen made a total of eleven vaccines. Although the production methods of each vaccine were the same, the corresponding parameters in the production process were different.

"Master Sun, the next step is to find someone to test these eleven smallpox vaccines to see which one is the best, or whether none of them are good enough."

Drug testing has always been accompanied by high risks. Wu Wen couldn't find volunteers, so he threw the problem to Sun Simiao.

Sun Simiao pondered for a moment, then said softly, "I'll be back soon."

When he left, a county official who accompanied him also left quietly.

Store the vaccine in a ceramic jar in a cool, dry, dark place.

After not sleeping for two days and two nights, Wu Wen fell asleep on the bed.

—

Half a day later.

Sun Simiao is back.

At the same time, he was followed by two imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau.

"Commander Wu!"

In the courtyard, Sun Simiao called out.

Hearing the sound, Wu Wen walked out of the room.

Looking at the group of people who followed Sun Simiao, two of them were imperial doctors, eleven were prisoners, and the rest were officers and soldiers.

Sun Simiao introduced Wu Wen, "These two are Imperial Physician Zhou and Imperial Physician Liu from the Imperial Medical Bureau, and these eleven people are all death row prisoners in Wannian County and Chang'an City who have committed heinous crimes."

"Commander Wu, we heard that you have the skill to cure cowpox, so we came here to ask for your advice." The two doctors said with a smile.

"It can't be cured, it can only be prevented," Wu Wen corrected.

Go forward and check the physical condition of these eleven prisoners.

Although these people are not strong and all suffer from some minor illnesses, there should be no problem using them to test the cowpox vaccine. After all, there is no way to be picky now.

then.

Wu Wen started testing it on them directly.

Take out the silver needle and use it as an inoculation tool.

Heat on fire to sterilize.

Looking at the first prisoner in front of him, his face was full of horror.

Wu Wen smiled and soothed her: "It's okay, it doesn't hurt, it will be fine soon."

Remove his shirt to expose his upper left arm, washing it first to remove any dirt and grease.

Wu Wen used a silver needle to extract the first vaccine.

Lightly scratch the skin of the prisoner's left upper arm. The scratches should be shallow and even.

This is the microinoculation method.

You can observe his vaccination status first.

After waiting for a quarter of an hour and finding that he had no adverse reaction, Wu Wen again dipped the silver needle in more vaccine and pierced it directly into his flesh.

Then continue to observe whether he has any abnormal reactions.

"no response?"

“Was it a success, or was the vaccine production a failure?”

Wu Wen couldn't be sure for a moment, and then moved on to testing the next person.

Same steps.

But the second person developed redness and swelling on his skin when the micro-inoculation was performed.

In another place, Wu Wen tested the first vaccine on him as well.

Redness and swelling also occurred.

"There's something wrong with this person's physique!"

Wu Wen then conducted the test on the third person.

Until all eleven people have been vaccinated.

Through testing and observation, Wu Wen gradually collected various relevant data and then compared and summarized them.

"The next step is to continue to observe and see how they react."

Wu Wen said to Sun Simiao and the two imperial physicians.

"Commander Wu, I have some doubts and would like to ask you for advice." During the entire observation process, the three of them had doubts, and Sun Simiao was the first to ask.

"Please say!"

"..."

Wu Wen answered their questions one by one, and some of his advanced theories made the three of them nod and sigh from time to time.

the following few days.

Wu Wen continued to observe the situation of these eleven people.

Symptoms such as fever, fatigue, and headache appear one after another.

Fortunately, no one died in the end.

Next comes the final step of testing.

The goal is to let these eleven people come into direct contact with the smallpox virus to see who produces antibodies and how their respective physical conditions react, and ultimately determine which vaccine is the best.

Just as Wu Wen was conducting the final test, a group of uninvited guests quietly came to the vicinity of Zhujia Village.

……

(End of this chapter)