The Black Sails of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 133 Anti-malaria in Dongfan Island

"Wow, these pastries are so sweet!" Su Qingmei came out of the cabin, holding pieces of pastry in her hands. "Brother Bai, would you like to try some?"

Bai Langzai: "No need, you can eat it yourself."

Su Qingmei took another bite, squinting her eyes as she savored it, and said, "What's the name of this pastry? I don't think I've ever seen it before."

Bai Langzai: "This was made by Uncle Chen this morning, and it's called Sachima."

"Kill the horse?" Su Qingmei read it aloud, feeling that the name was a bit strange, but as long as it tasted good, that was fine.

Lin Qian came up with the idea of ​​making Sachima when she went to Liaodong. It's simple to make. The reason Lin Qian was in such a hurry to make it was actually to investigate the sugar-making technology of this era.

After all, the method of making white sugar by rinsing yellow mud with water mentioned in "Tiangong Kaiwu" has never been successfully tested by modern people, so Lin Qian also felt that it was questionable from the principle.

When I finally bought the white sugar and saw it, it was indeed as pure white as snow, just as described in ancient books. I can only say that the ancients were truly skilled.

Upon seeing Su Qingmei, Su Kang's confident expression darkened.

Lin Qian had already guessed what Su Kang was thinking, and immediately said, "The conditions on Dongfan Island are harsh, and it would be inconvenient to bring your daughter with you. Why don't we leave her on Nan'ao Island? I'll have Bai Qing take care of her."

Don't worry, although Dongfan Island and Nan'ao Island sound like they are separated by a vast ocean, they are actually only a day or two's flight apart.

"Your trip to the Eastern Barbarians will verify the efficacy of artemisia, and you'll be back in a month or so. It won't keep you and your daughter separated for long."

Su Kang couldn't trust Lin Qian's group's professions, but their complete lack of misconduct towards the common people was truly something Su Kang had never seen before.

With strict military discipline and constant patrols by the Criminal Justice Department, even Guangzhou city seemed like a den of thieves compared to Nan'ao.

Moreover, Bai Qing and Su Kang knew each other. When they went to Nan'ao Island, Su Qingmei was on Bai Qing's ship and did not suffer any grievances.

After thinking for a moment, Su Kang made up his mind: "In that case, I will entrust my daughter to the captain!"

After saying this, he bowed deeply to the ground.

Lin Qian exchanged a few polite words and then gently helped the person up.

Having settled the matters concerning Su Kang and malaria, Lin Qian then called over Dumb Huang and Xiao Jiu to discuss the next phase of the Saint Anna's refit plan.

According to Lin Qian's design, the new gun deck, being close to the bottom of the hull and having a low center of gravity, could accommodate larger caliber guns.

After the refit, the Saint Anna will have more cannons, larger calibers, and greater power. If it catches another opportunity to bombard Zhenjiang City, the number of Tartars killed will double.

Lin Qian kept instructing on the details of the modification: "...After entering the dock, the Spanish name on the stern can be removed. The large sailing ship is now a Chinese warship, so there is no need to call it by its Spanish name anymore."

The new deck will accommodate larger caliber cannons, which are heavier, so the deck materials need to be of higher quality, and the wood needs to be strong enough.

While taking notes, Xiao Jiu said with a bitter face, "Captain, speaking of timber, I'm afraid there isn't enough timber on the island."

Lin Qian raised her fishing rod and looked at him: "What's going on?"

"Helmsman, the timber used for shipbuilding needs to be air-dried. Generally, large pieces need to be air-dried for three or four years, and small pieces need to be air-dried for more than a year. Since we came to the island, most of the timber used for shipbuilding has been air-dried in Shen'ao Port."

However, the repairs to the various ships and the construction of eagle-shaped vessels over the past six months have already used up a considerable amount of timber. The remaining wood for refitting the large sailing ships will likely only be barely enough.

Lin Qian felt a slight headache. He had overlooked the issue of the wood drying in the shade, since modern ships are all made of carbon fiber, so who would build a ship with wood?

Next, Lin Qian asked how other shipyards at the same time built ships. Surely it couldn't take five or six years for each ship to go from material selection to completion.

After gesturing for a while, Dumb Huang said, "Master said that the shipyard will prepare a large amount of air-dried timber in advance, which can be taken as needed, and then new timber will be felled to replenish the air-dried timber."

Lin Qian rubbed her temples. The curse of the "century-old navy" had struck again. This kind of accumulated foundation over the years was not something that could be achieved overnight.

Seeing Lin Qian deep in thought, Dumb Huang made a gesture of lighting a fire and fanning the flame, then gestured the shape of a house with his hands.

Xiao Jiu understood and said, "Master, if we need timber urgently, we can use the fire-smoking method to build a room and smoke the wood like we smoke meat. It can be done in a month if we are fast, but it is more labor-intensive and uses more firewood."

Lin Qian: "Let Uncle Huang handle this. The fumigation method is very important. Don't treat it as a temporary thing. You have to study it for a long time and develop a standard and feasible method."

Dumb Huang and Xiao Jiu nodded in agreement.

"Captain, lunch is ready!" Da Bing and Bai Langzai handed the bowls of rice to everyone.

Lin Qian took it and saw that lunch was a large bowl containing a braised fish in soy sauce. The sauce had soaked into the rice, and the aroma of rice, soy sauce, and savory flavors wafted over, making one's mouth water just by smelling it.

The fish had just been caught and the hook removed when Da Bing used the seawater to remove its scales. He then deftly put it into the pot to stew. When the sauce was poured over it, the fish was still jumping around in the pot, which shows how incredibly fresh it was.

The stewed fish, when you bite into it, carries the rustic charm of the fishermen and the salty freshness of the sea, making it exceptionally delicious. You'll almost want to eat your tongue along with it.

After lunch, Lin Qian sailed the boat on this sea for a long time, constantly turning, changing sails, and turning against the wind, making the passengers on board very nervous.

This wasn't done to show off; it was actually to test the performance of the Bermuda sail and ensure its reliability in bad weather and complex wind conditions.

The test continued until evening. Despite Lin Qian's relentless efforts, the sails only suffered minor damage, a quality that far exceeded the acceptable standard.

As the sun set, Lin Qian led the entire crew back to Yandun Bay.

Two hawk-boats with hard sails also docked. The guards on both ships had been following closely behind, their hearts pounding with anxiety, but now they could finally relax.

……

In early August, the Santa Ana entered dry dock for its second refit.

In mid-month, Bai Qing's fleet brought Liaodong refugees to Nan'ao.

Lin Qian carefully selected half of the outstanding craftsmen to stay on Nan'ao Island.

The remaining refugees lingered for half a month before crossing the sea to Dongfan Island after the typhoon season, including Su Kang.

By this time, the sea monsoon had gradually stabilized, and the boat traveled smoothly from Nan'ao Island to Dayuan Island with favorable winds, making the journey very fast.

Just as Lin Qian had said, it only took two days to reach Dayuan Island.

When the fleet arrived, it was dusk, and the sky was ablaze with red. Su Kang stood on the ship's railing, gazing at Dayuan Island, the inner sea, and further afield, the Tamsui River and Chihkan.

All I could see was a wild and rugged landscape, with dense forests everywhere, interspersed with countless mud pools and swamps. I could vaguely see large herds of deer moving through the forest, and on the shore, I could vaguely see bare-chested natives holding bows and arrows, gazing at the fleet.

The salty sea breeze carried the humid smell of mangrove mud, the fragrance of unknown plants wafting from distant forests, and a hint of dried venison and the aroma of cooking firewood.

All I could hear were the sounds of ships docking and dropping mooring lines, the voices of refugees and officials, the shouts of those maintaining order, the sound of the wind, and the distant calls of deer.

Looking at this vast, wild land, even Su Kang couldn't help but feel a conflicting mix of fear, worry, hope, and excitement about the future.

Just as I was feeling sentimental, a surprised and gruff voice came from behind me: "Dr. Su, you're here too? That's great!"

Su Kang turned around and saw that the speaker was a strong, middle-aged sailor with rusty skin and some salt stains. His forehead and face were lined with wrinkles. He was wearing a linen shirt, had a goose feather knife at his waist, and was staring at him with a smile on his face.

Su Kang recognized the man and bowed, saying, "Captain."

Chen Jiao waved his hand heartily: "Hey, I'm not the captain anymore. My new position is Governor of Dongfan Island."

Su Kang: "Governor Chen, this is a letter that the Chief asked me to deliver." As he spoke, he took something out of his pocket.

Chen Jiao took the gift and put it in his pocket. He then patted Su Kang's arm warmly, pulled him off the boat, and said with a smile, "No need for formalities. Come on, let's go to the barracks to welcome you! We lack everything here, but we have plenty of venison. Let's give Doctor Su a good nourishing meal."

At this time, more than 1,500 Liaodong refugees had all disembarked and lined up on the sandbar, where officials were distributing mosquito nets, shelters, and other items to them.

Chen Jiao casually said, "Dayuan Island has limited resources and can't accommodate so many people. Tomorrow morning, most of these people will be sent to Chikan... Oh, Chikan is on that shore, near the Tamsui River... These strange names were given by the natives."

Su Kang asked doubtfully, "Since there are natives here, wouldn't sending them ashore rashly cause conflict?"

Chen Jiao laughed and said, "No! I've already become familiar with the major indigenous communities in Chikan. Did you see those deer?"

Looking in the direction Su Kangshun and Chen Jiao were looking, they saw that by a simple dock, the carcasses of sika deer and water deer were piled up to a height of more than one person, and more than ten butchers were busy skinning, removing antlers, collecting blood, and taking meat from the deer, working in a great mood.

The butcher had been killing deer here for who knows how long, the ground beneath his feet was stained black and red, countless flies swarmed around him, and the stench of blood was carried by the wind, trying to get into people's noses.

On the distant shore of Chikan, boats continued to bring in deer carcasses.

Chen Jiao said smugly, "These deer were all traded with the natives, and some were even given to us by them. The captain said we should befriend these natives. We traded ironware, tools, cloth, and wine for their deer, a win-win situation. According to the captain, this is called... yes, a win-win!"

As they spoke, the two arrived at the barracks on Dayuan Island. Although it was called a barracks, it was actually built almost like a military residence. The houses were made entirely of wood, surrounded by walls and watchtowers.

Such a fortified city in the style of the Ming Dynasty suddenly appeared in the wild land of Dongfan Island, where people lived by hunting and gathering, and its visual impact was no less than that of seeing an oasis in the desert.

Construction was in full swing in the camp, with carpenters busy building new houses, creating a bustling and vibrant scene.

This scene, compared to the natural and pristine environment of Chihkan, truly creates an extreme sense of contrast.

When Su Kang first learned that Lin Qian was developing Dongfan Island, he was actually extremely disdainful, as everyone in the Ming Dynasty knew that Dongfan Island was a wild and desolate place.

In his view, the pirate leader's so-called pioneering was nothing more than giving plunder a nicer name.

The people of the Ming Dynasty were not fools. Dongfan Island was not far from the coast, but the people of Fujian and Guangdong would rather starve to death in their hometowns than cross the sea to Dongfan, precisely because they feared the difficulty of reclaiming the land.

In Su Kang's view, Lin Qian's expansion into the Eastern Barbarian Lands would ultimately result in her plundering nothing and ending up with nothing.

He was even prepared to see Lin Qian make a fool of herself.

Unexpectedly, the sight of Dongfan was not only different from what he had imagined, but also vibrant and full of vitality, seemingly capable of long-term development.

Su Kang was filled with shock.

If Lin Qian, the pirate leader, really succeeds in bringing Dongfan Island into the territory of China, wouldn't that be a great achievement that benefits the present and future generations?

Even if Lin Qian spent his whole life robbing, burning, killing, and looting, accomplishing this one thing would be enough to make him famous in history.

Thinking about this, Su Kang couldn't help but reflect on whether his previous view of Lin Qian was biased.

Then Su Kang remembered the purpose of his trip and thought to himself that even if Lin Qian was good at land reclamation, her claim that malaria was caused by miasma and mosquitoes was ultimately a big mistake!
While pondering, Chen Jiao invited Su Kang to a hall where they drank tea and chatted for a while, after which a crew member brought out wine and dishes.

Chen Jiao also invited the ship owners and island managers to join him.

These people were all from Nan'ao Island, and they all knew Su Kang. They all toasted him.

Su Kang noticed that the banquet mainly featured venison, which is highly nutritious but also "heaty." Eating too much of it could cause an imbalance of yin and yang in the body, leading to an upward flow of heat. He couldn't help but offer a word of caution.

Chen Jiao smiled wryly and said, "Since we're on Dongfan Island, what's there to worry about getting a sore throat?"

Su Kang sensed a hidden meaning in the words and quickly pressed for details.

Chen Jiao said, "Alright, it's Dr. Su's first day on the island. We can talk about these official matters tomorrow. Let's have a drink."

After the banquet ended and it was dark, Su Kang was taken to a guest room to rest.

The room was simply furnished with only a cabinet, a table, two wooden chairs, and a bed.

What surprised Su Kang was that there was a gauze mosquito net on the window. This was something that ordinary people wouldn't buy, even if it wasn't extremely expensive.

Just as the Tang Dynasty poet Pi Rixiu wrote in his poem, "The poor scholar has no crimson gauze, and endures hardship lying in a thatched hut." Recalling that when they arrived on the island, every refugee was given a mosquito net, Su Kang found it even more strange and asked, "The island is harsh, and furniture is not even complete, so why are mosquito nets provided?"

"The captain said that malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes, and mosquito nets are for preventing malaria." After saying this, the waiter walked to the table, where there was an incense burner. He lit it and said, "Inside are dried duckweed and realgar, which also keep mosquitoes away. Doctor Su should remember to keep the doors and windows closed and not let mosquitoes in."

Su Kang was trembling with anger and roared, "Nonsense! Malaria is caused by miasma, what does it have to do with mosquitoes?"
To dispel miasma, one should adapt to the season. Doors and windows should be kept tightly closed in the early morning and evening, and ventilated when the weather is fine! How can you indiscriminately keep all doors and windows tightly closed? Open them! Open all the windows!

Everyone on Nan'ao Island knows about Su Kang's bad temper. He only tolerates it in front of Lin Qian. If it were this lowly waiter, he would never have the chance to swallow his anger.

The waiter said urgently, "No, it's not allowed. At night, we must keep the doors and windows tightly closed, hang mosquito nets, and burn mugwort, realgar, and lotus leaves. These are the rules set by the captain and governor, and we must abide by them on Dayuan Island. There will be patrolling soldiers checking at night."

Su Kang continued to curse for a long time, and the waiter was almost in tears, but he still wouldn't give in.

Su Kang had no choice but to give up and go to sleep.

The servant felt as if he had been granted a pardon, closed the door and left. After he left, Su Kang got up himself, extinguished the realgar in the incense burner, and opened the window.

The moon is bright tonight, the sky is cloudless, and a gentle breeze is blowing. It is the perfect time to open the windows for ventilation and to drive away the miasma. Just close the windows in the early morning.

As for the mosquito net, Su Kang thought about it and decided to keep it up. Even if mosquitoes don't transmit malaria, being bitten is still unbearable.

When Su Kang woke up the next morning, he felt refreshed. He scratched his arm, got dressed, got out of bed, closed the window, washed up quickly, ate breakfast, and went to see Chen Jiao.

"Dr. Su, you're up early!" Chen Jiao greeted him.

"Governor Chen, can we talk about official business now?" Su Kang went straight to the point.

“Dr. Su speaks his mind, that’s good. Look over there.” Chen Jiao pointed to a brazier that had been set up, and something seemed to be burning in it, emitting wisps of blue smoke.

Su Kang smelled it: "Is it mugwort?"

Chen Jiao nodded: "That's right, the captain ordered it to be burned to repel mosquitoes. Dongfan Island is full of swamps, and mosquitoes breed very easily. Despite our best efforts to prevent them, several people have still gotten sick in the few months since we arrived on the island..."

Su Kang interrupted urgently: "Why didn't you say so earlier yesterday and take me to see the patients?"

Chen Jiao said, "This illness comes on quickly and goes away quickly, it keeps recurring, but it won't kill anyone for a while..."

Even so, Chen Jiao still took the lead, guiding Su Kang towards a remote house outside the camp.

Su Kang followed behind him, carrying a medical kit.

Malaria itself does not spread between people, but it is transmitted through mosquitoes. Therefore, as Lin Qian instructed, the infected person was still isolated separately.

Su Kang, having listened to Chen Jiao's nonsensical ramblings about mosquitoes spreading malaria all the way, finally couldn't bear it any longer and said, "The captain says that mosquitoes spread malaria, but that's just one person's opinion and not to be believed. Otherwise, with such good mosquito control on Dayuan Island, there shouldn't be any patients."

"What the captain says has never been wrong," Chen Jiao said firmly.

"Hmph!" Su Kang snorted coldly.

As they spoke, the two arrived at the patient room, where they saw six patients lying inside.

Two people were ill with persistent high fevers, while the other four people took care of the patients as if nothing was wrong.

Malaria, also known as chills and fever, is characterized by alternating chills and fever.

Su Kang examined everyone and confirmed that it was undoubtedly malaria.

Upon opening the medical kit, several kinds of medicines for treating malaria were found inside, including the tender artemisia twigs that Lin Qian had asked him to bring.

Although they are tender branches, they have wilted somewhat after being picked and tossed about at sea for so long.

After a moment's hesitation, Su Kang decided not to risk the patient's life and opted for the conventional treatment of Changshan and Chaihu.

Su Kang personally prepared the medicine on the spot and had it boiled. After one dose of the medicine, the two men, who were suffering from fever due to malaria, were indeed relieved and immediately praised him as a miracle doctor.

This is because Changshan is a potent medicine, and Su Kang added more to make it work faster, which is why it was effective in curing the disease.

Seeing this, Su Kang became even more certain that authentic medical techniques were effective, and that what Lin Qian said was nothing more than the imagination of the pirate leader.

Chen Jiao secretly admired the captain even more. In the message Lin Qian gave him, it was clearly mentioned that Su Kang was sent by him to treat malaria with artemisia.

Chen Jiao had never heard of artemisia annua. Since Su Kang had prepared and brewed the medicine himself, Chen Jiao naturally assumed that Su Kang had added artemisia annua.

Seeing that there was hope for malaria treatment, Chen Jiao felt much more at ease. With the last obstacle to reaching Chikan cleared, he immediately bid farewell to Su Kang and went to the dock to direct the Liaodong refugees to land at Chikan.

In the following days, Su Kang frequently traveled between Dayuan Island and Chikan Island to receive treatment for malaria.

Unlike Dayuan Island, Chikan is surrounded by more marshes and swamps, and the miasma is heavier. Soon after the Liaodong refugees landed, they fell ill with malaria.

Su Kang had to travel back and forth, keeping him extremely busy.

Chen Jiao was busier than Su Kang, spending his days cultivating fields, building houses and docks, maintaining relations with the locals, and being vigilant against the Japanese pirates north of Dongfan Island. He never met with Su Kang again.

Gradually, Su Kang realized something was wrong. Although Changshan and Bupleurum could effectively suppress the symptoms, they could not eradicate malaria.

On Dayuan Island, six patients who had taken Sukang decoction showed no improvement.

What troubled Su Kang the most was that some people had died from malaria, including the first six patients on Dayuan Island.

When Su Kang heard the news, he was grinding medicine. He got up in surprise, felt dizzy, and then fainted.

When he woke up, he found a group of people gathered around his bed, including Chen Jiao.

"Governor Chen..." Su Kang tried to get up, but was shocked to find himself completely powerless, his voice extremely weak, and his body seemed to be burning up. Could it be...?

Chen Jiao said with regret, "Dr. Su, you know the rules of the helmsman, and everyone has to abide by them... So in a little while, someone will carry you away to be isolated. Dr. Su, just tell me what you need now, and I'll have someone send it to you."

Recently, only six people have died of malaria on Dayuan Island, and no one seems to care much about it.

Only Chen Jiao, who had returned from Chikan, understood how terrible the disease was. In just a few days, dozens of refugees in Liaodong had fallen ill, and three of them had died.

The herbal decoction prescribed by Su Kang was mostly only effective shortly after drinking it, and could never cure the root cause. Moreover, drinking this herbal decoction for a long time would induce vomiting, making the person weak and causing them to die even faster.

Although Chen Jiao was unwilling to admit it, the disease seemed to be incurable, and even when he occasionally recovered, it was only by his body enduring it.

At Su Kang's age... there is almost no chance of him healing on his own.

That's why Chen Jiao looked so sad.

Su Kang understood that his days were numbered, and his expression darkened. He didn't care about his own life; what troubled him was that he had ultimately failed to find a cure for malaria, and he felt as if he had died before achieving his goal.

"Prepare more Changshan and Bupleurum for me." Su Kang stubbornly believed that he was using the wrong proportions of the medicine.

Chen Jiao was taken aback: "Don't we need to prepare artemisia annua?"

In his letter, Lin Qian clearly stated that artemisia annua was a highly effective medicine for treating malaria, and he had always believed that Su Kang used artemisia annua to treat his illness.

Therefore, Chen Jiao did not inquire much about the persistent malaria.

Firstly, it was his trust in the captain.

Secondly, even if the helmsman was wrong, he didn't want to publicize the helmsman's mistake.

Su Kang said weakly, "According to the Compendium of Materia Medica, Artemisia annua should also be effective, but for thousands of years, the main treatments for malaria have been Changshan and Bupleurum chinense..."

Chen Jiao's eyes widened immediately, and his voice became hoarse as he asked in a deep voice, "Are you saying that you haven't used artemisia to treat your illnesses since you came to the island?"

Su Kang: "Of course, I've tried it, decocting it together with Changshan and Chaihu decoctions, but the effect wasn't great..."

"What about the juicing method and the wine soaking method that the captain mentioned?"

"We haven't tried it yet, but since things have come to this, we can only give it a shot," Su Kang said, coughing.

"Damn it! You quack doctor, I'll kill you!" Chen Jiao roared in fury, drew his goose-feather knife with a whoosh, and was about to strike.

Everyone on Nan'ao Island treated the captain's words as sacred decrees, and Chen Jiao really didn't expect Su Kang to be so stubborn.

He has been extremely busy lately with matters concerning malaria, indigenous peoples, land reclamation, and city construction, and his heart has been filled with pent-up emotions for a long time.

Having spent a long time in the military and become accustomed to strict discipline, he deeply resented Su Kang's disobedient and undisciplined style.

In comparison, the nine people who died due to delayed treatment were not a big deal in Chen Jiao's eyes.

People around tried to stop them.

"Governor, please calm down. The island is already short of doctors; we cannot kill them!"

"Even if Doctor Su can't cure malaria, he's still a master at treating external injuries. What will happen to our wounded brothers if we kill him?"

"Governor, he already has malaria anyway, so why bother killing him when he's going to die sooner or later?"

Despite everyone's desperate attempts to stop him, Chen Jiao angrily shouted, "Take him to Chikan and go up the mountain to gather artemisia!"

The local doctors said they recognized Artemisia annua and could collect it themselves; it would be too inconvenient to bring a patient up the mountain.

Chen Jiao then stopped and loudly ordered: "From this day forward, all doctors shall prepare medicines according to the helmsman's method of juicing and soaking in wine! Anyone who disobeys in the slightest will be executed!"

After saying that, Chen Jiao strode away.

Under the governor's firm orders, fresh artemisia was delivered from Chikan in less than half a day.

In the isolation room for the patients, Su Kang directed the other doctors to chop up Artemisia annua and prepare medicines using either the juice extraction method or the wine soaking method.

In his letter, Lin Qianxin had tried his best to explain the two methods of making medicine clearly, but he was not a medical professional after all, and he had watched the documentary for too long and could not remember it clearly. There were always omissions and ambiguities.

Most of the doctors on the island were only at the apprentice level, and without Su Kang's guidance, they would not dare to make medicine easily.

Several hours later, two large basins of artemisia juice were prepared. Looking at the green soup with its grassy aroma, the doctors looked at each other with suspicion.

Su Kang asked someone to bring a bowl, scooped out a bowl of the juice from the medicine extracted by juicing, drank it down, and then scooped out another bowl of the artemisia wine.

The doctors around him all advised him to wait until the first bowl of medicine took effect before drinking it.

Su Kang had already intended to test the drug on himself, so he would never agree. After all, there were dozens of people suffering from malaria, and if he delayed any longer, one more person might die.

During his time in Dongfan Island, nine people have died from malaria.

Su Kang was extremely anxious.

If the artemisia juice is ineffective, then so be it.

If it works...

Even if it meant being labeled a quack doctor, Su Kang was determined to promote this artemisinin medicine and then personally apologize to the patients' families!

(End of this chapter)