CHAPTER 565: CHAPTER 530: MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

In fact, Perfikot doesn’t hold much hope for the research on the plague.

After all, the medical knowledge system of this era is still in the transition phase from classical humoral theory to modern medical systems, lacking correct cognition and understanding of viruses and bacteria.

Apart from a few microscopes built with Perfikot’s help and some basic pathological knowledge she could recall, the Empire’s doctors have only traditional experience regarding the plague.

This undoubtedly cannot help them understand, recognize, and research the plague outbreak in the settlement.

Although the dispatched medical team obtained case samples in time and observed the existence of viruses and bacteria through microscopes, this was the extent of their findings.

How to prevent viruses and bacteria, how to treat them, and even how to differentiate the true culprit causing the plague from a pile of viruses and bacteria, are questions that leave these doctors bewildered about where to start. It’s a field they’ve never ventured into.

Though Levin Hook founded microbiology in the seventeenth century and observed the existence of bacteria, microbiology research didn’t truly start until the nineteenth century, with Pasteur pioneering microbiological physiology thriving in the latter half of the nineteenth century.

Regarding the development of microbiology in medicine, it also primarily awaited significant progress until the end of the nineteenth century, with the advent of aseptic surgery proposed by Joseph Lister in 1867.

It goes without saying that expecting these doctors to study microorganisms now, figuring out which virus or bacteria is causing the plague, and developing a treatment plan is like giving a chimpanzee a hammer to build a tank.

Theoretically, it’s possible, but statistically, the probability is negligible.

Moreover, not to mention asking the chimpanzee to craft a tank with a hammer, even expecting them to forge a Gundam by hand is a task to be done.

Currently, the blocked settlement only has a medical team and the White Wolf Knights responsible for the blockade, alongside the infected residents.

Meanwhile, reporters and others are stationed at a temporary camp some distance from the settlement and are not allowed to approach the blocked settlement.

Even Eldest Princess Annie, as the Empire’s heir apparent, did not receive special treatment.

For this, the Eldest Princess flew into a rage, but Perfikot’s personally sent communication prevented her from rashly entering the settlement.

Although, as Eldest Princess Annie, she owned her own exclusive Steam Knight armor and could safely enter the settlement, she understood her status wouldn’t allow her to make such reckless moves.

Consequently, Eldest Princess Annie almost inquired about the research progress eight times a day, inadvertently putting pressure on the medical personnel.

Though neither Eldest Princess Annie nor Perfikot had much hope in curing the plague, the main purpose of sending a medical team was to study viruses and bacteria and gather first-hand case information.

But what if a doctor turned out to be a genius or received an inspirational epiphany, truly finding a way to cure the plague?

The possibility isn’t zero, right?

We can only say there’s no hope, but the research must go on.

Despite skepticism, the medical team still achieved some results overall.

For instance, the initial understanding of viruses and bacteria and the recording of relevant information, providing highly valuable first-hand research data in academic research.

In a way, even with just this, the medical team didn’t come in vain, not mentioning their attempts at treating the infected, which provided even more valuable information.

Based on the information they collected, the plague in this outbreak doesn’t seem to spread airborne, as seen in their experiments where the mice didn’t catch the plague through the air.

This is undoubtedly good news, yet simultaneously terrifying.

If it doesn’t spread airborne, how did the entire settlement get infected? Is it caused solely by contaminated food?

Figuring this out is undoubtedly important for the Northern Territory.

This isn’t just about tracing the origins of the plague spreader but also because understanding the virus infecting the settlement is essential for targeted response.

Of course, regarding the former, there’s not much need to analyze the plague itself as the church’s Judge can track it based on their rich experience.

Being able to pinpoint the plague spreader by analyzing the plague is indeed good, but failing to do so is not a disappointing result.

Hence, no one really expected the medical team to achieve success on this front.

Given the technological level, achieving results in this field is not an easy task, even being called a fantasy.

And yet, in this near-fantasy scenario, the monkeys really hammered out a Gundam; they truly succeeded.

"How did you manage it? Even with the high-powered microscopes I provided, researching viruses is still no simple task. Even with live experimental samples, this is too astonishing." Perfikot arrived at the blocked settlement upon receiving the news, expressing her amazement to the medical researchers presenting their results to her.

However, facing Perfikot’s praise, the medical researchers exchanged glances before explaining to her: "Count, although microscopes indeed helped us a lot, and we couldn’t have achieved our results so quickly without them, finding a way to cure the plague primarily relied on local assistance..."

"Hmm? Local assistance? Tell me, what exactly happened." Perfikot showed an intrigued expression, though she’d roughly guessed the reason when the medical researchers spoke, she wanted to hear the specifics from them.

And these medical researchers didn’t keep her guessing, quickly explaining how they managed to achieve research results under such simple conditions.