My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 220 Refuting the Theory of Malaria as a Cause of Miasma

Refuting the Theory of Malaria and Miasma.

Su Ze's article is about malaria.

Gao Gong began to look at it more carefully.

When Zheng He sailed to the Western Ocean, he was plagued by malaria, which was the main reason for the loss of manpower in the fleet.

The imperial court will be embarking on another voyage to the Western Ocean next year, and how to prevent and control the epidemic is also an important task.

It wasn't just the voyages to the Western Ocean; with merchants traveling everywhere, if malaria spread to places like Zhigu and Denglai, it would also pose a serious threat to the capital.

Su Ze began by refuting the current mainstream theory of malaria caused by miasma.

He wrote:
"Patients in the past all said that malaria was caused by 'miasma,' which was generated by the foul and stagnant air of mountains and marshes. However, I, Su, have three questions:"

"Firstly, if we are all in a place plagued by miasma, some will fall ill while others will remain healthy?"

"Secondly, it occurs more frequently in summer and autumn than in winter and spring. Why does the miasma choose its time?"

"Thirdly, those who live in high places still fall ill, while those who live in low places remain unharmed."

Next, Su Ze brought up glass. He used the glass to polish lenses and made a "microscope," which allowed him to see "micro-worms" in the water.

Therefore, Su Ze proposed the hypothesis that "micro-insects" cause the disease.

Suze proposed three hypotheses.

The "water source theory" suggests that sewage contains "micro-worms," ​​and malaria is transmitted through polluted water.

According to the "mosquito theory," after a mosquito bites a human, it transmits the microorganisms from the infected person's body to a healthy person.

The "breathing theory" states that "micro-insects" are hidden in the air and enter the human body through respiration.

Then Su Ze began to talk about methods for treating malaria.

He mentioned that the indigenous people of Nanzhou have a sacred tree called the cinchona tree, known as "Tears of the Moon Goddess," whose bark can be used to make medicine that can cure malaria.

Therefore, Su Ze proposed the hypothesis that bark medicine could kill "micro-insects".

At this point, Su Ze still hadn't figured out the mechanism of malaria. Immediately afterward, Su Ze's article began to describe in detail his method of making microscopes.

Su Ze wrote at the end of the article:
"When Zheng He sailed to the Western Ocean, he suffered greatly from malaria. Now, the Crown Prince is compassionate and willing to reward anyone who can verify the above conjecture with a thousand silver dollars."

At the end of the article, Su Ze also wrote that if anyone needs to use cinchona bark for experiments, they can come to Donggong or the newspaper office, and Su Ze can provide samples free of charge.

Su Ze also provides saplings for those who are willing to plant them, but he also said that this tree, like sugarcane, can only be planted in hot and humid areas.

After reading the article, Gao Gong was somewhat excited.

There has been no breakthrough in practical learning these days.

The reason is simple: it is a practical discipline. If there are no tangible results that others can see, how can it be called a practical discipline?
No matter how much you argue, it all comes down to practical application.

Su Ze's article made Gao Gong realize something.

Practical learning is about solving problems!

If someone can verify the "micro-worms cause malaria" theory and unravel the transmission route of malaria, then malaria can be effectively prevented.

Su Ze proposed the hypothesis that cinchona trees could cure malaria, and the Crown Prince offered a reward of one thousand silver dollars for successful research.

Gao Gong understood the problem with practical learning: in terms of debating classics, practical learning was no match for traditional Confucianism and the philosophy of mind.

Therefore, Su Ze's method is correct. As long as practical learning can solve more problems, it will naturally become the most prominent field of study.

No matter how skilled one is at debating scriptures, one still needs to solve practical problems.

Gao Gong understood the direction of the development of practical learning and also saw Su Ze's solution.

Offer a reward in the newspaper to solve the problem!

Why not post the actual problems you encounter in the newspaper and offer a reward?
Gao Gong pondered for a moment and decided to order his disciples to collect some questions and publish them in the "New Yuefu Gazette." The imperial court could also offer a reward for solving the problems.

Just as Gao Gong was having a breakthrough, Zhang Juzheng also entered the cabinet.

After greeting Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng sat down in his seat.

Zhang Juzheng spent half a month overseeing the compilation of accounting records at the Ministry of Revenue.

After understanding the complexity of compiling accounting records, Zhang Juzheng decisively broke down the work into two parts.

The first edition consisted of accounts for the two capitals and thirteen provinces, with local accounts mainly consisting of annual revenue and expenditure.

The second edition is the general ledger of the capital, including the income, expenditure and inventory of various government departments.

According to Zhang Juzheng's estimate, the first edition of the accounting records should be ready by March of next year, at which time the court will have a detailed account of the annual revenue and expenditure of the two capitals and thirteen provinces.

It is expected that by July next year, the second edition, which includes the account books of the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers in the capital, as well as the inventory of the emperor's private treasury, will be completed, and the entire financial situation of the Ming Dynasty will be thoroughly investigated.

Once the Ming Dynasty's assets are fully accounted for, a comprehensive tax reform can begin.

After sorting things out, Zhang Juzheng returned to his office in the cabinet.

Zhang Juzheng had just returned to the cabinet when Grand Secretary Li Chunfang handed over all his affairs to him and promptly asked the emperor for leave.

Emperor Longqing had no choice but to grant Li Chunfang leave, and the cabinet returned to its original state of having three Grand Secretaries.

Compared to the leisurely life on Gao Gong's side, Zhang Juzheng's side had many more affairs to attend to.

The Ministry of Revenue needs to study the issue of opening up trade in northern Xinjiang and where to do so.

Wang Shizhen and Wang Chonggu, the governor of Xuanda, both submitted memorials to the court requesting that more horse markets be opened. Zhang Juzheng also understood the benefits of opening more horse markets, but how could the court have so many officials?

Managing a horse market requires not only literate and arithmetic officials, but also officials capable of handling border issues.

Zhang Juzheng understood even more why Su Ze insisted on holding the civil service examination.

The current Ming Dynasty is like an expanding shop; to make more money, it needs to hire more people and open more branches.

Opening up the horse market requires manpower, and several southeastern provinces have also petitioned to open ports, which also requires manpower.

After Su Ze submitted his memorial requesting that all regions pay tribute to the emperor, the court discussed the matter and decided to open ports for trade in Shanghai County of Songjiang Prefecture, Quanzhou of Fujian Province, and Guangzhou of Guangdong Province.

However, after seeing the benefits of opening the port, local governments, including Ningbo, Fuzhou, and Macau, submitted petitions requesting the opening of the port.

Zhang Juzheng suppressed these memorials.

The reason is simple: the imperial court was short-handed. More precisely, the imperial court had no eunuchs.

Even Zhang Juzheng found this reason somewhat ironic.

Opening ports for trade required the establishment of a Maritime Trade Office, which in turn required the imperial court to dispatch eunuchs to oversee the area.

Nowadays, the work of the Maritime Trade Office is heavy, and the requirements for the eunuchs in charge are extremely high.

Emperor Longqing was also a cautious emperor. He understood that the professional competence of the eunuchs in charge of the garrison determined whether or not the maritime tax revenue could be collected. This money went into the imperial treasury, so it was necessary to send reliable people.

Therefore, Emperor Longqing personally interviewed several people before finally selecting the eunuch in charge of the Zhigu Maritime Trade Office.

Now the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs is worried about having to select eunuchs to guard Shanghai, Quanzhou, and Guangzhou.

Today, within the palace, the Academy of Architecture has become, like the Directorate of Ceremonial, a place that eunuchs flock to.

The Ming Dynasty established the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs in the inner court, which was a place specifically for eunuchs to study.

As times progressed, the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs gradually became the decision-making body of the inner court, and the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, who held the seal and pen, was also known as the Inner Minister.

However, the Directorate of Ceremonial also had the function of teaching eunuchs to read, and the Hanlin Academy would select Hanlin scholars to teach at the Directorate of Ceremonial every year.

Now, in addition to the Directorate of Ceremonial, the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture has also become highly sought after.

The most sought-after eunuchs in the inner court today are those who studied at the Directorate of Ceremonial and also attended classes at the Academy of Chinese Architecture.

For example, Zhang Jing, the eunuch who was selected by the emperor and sent to Zhigu, had dual academic qualifications from the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Academy of Architecture. He surpassed a group of eunuchs of higher rank and obtained the good job of the garrison eunuch of the Zhigu Maritime Trade Office.

The instructor at the Academy of Chinese Architecture was Zhou Xiang, the head of the Imperial Observatory. Many eunuchs were expelled from the Academy because of their poor foundation, and very few were able to complete their studies.

These graduating eunuchs had a wide range of career options, such as staying in the Imperial Construction Bureau in the Forbidden City to audit the Ministry of Works' construction costs, or serving as treasurers in the Imperial Treasury.

Even the Eastern Depot is vying for people. Now, the civil litigation office under the Zhenfu Division also needs officials who are proficient in mathematics and criminal law to be in charge. The Eastern Depot also needs the same kind of talent to supervise the Zhenfu Division.

The three heads of the Directorate of Ceremonial were extremely anxious. They suggested to the emperor that the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture relax its graduation standards so that more talents could be trained for urgent use.

However, the instructor, Zhou Xiang, was very stubborn. He insisted on the principles of mathematics: right is right, and wrong is wrong.

Mathematics cannot be learned quickly. If the emperor felt that his teaching was inadequate, he would resign and follow the Junior Historian Huang Ji to revise the calendar.

Even the Longqing Emperor was helpless now. Among the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, only Zhou Xiang could understand the teaching materials left by Huang Ji. If he abandoned his post, the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture would have to close down.

In the end, Zhou Xiang compromised, extending the teaching time of the Academy of Architecture and giving its members a chance to retake the exam. As long as they passed the retake, they would be considered to have graduated.

With the eunuchs in charge of guarding Shanghai, Quanzhou, and Guangzhou finally gathered, it became impossible to continue opening the ports.

Not only is the inner court short of personnel, but the outer court is also short of personnel.

With the completion of this round of the Shuntian Prefecture civil service examination, Zhang Juzheng also prepared to promote the reform of the civil service examination in Southern Zhili, and to recruit new officials in Southern Zhili to collect commercial taxes.

First, collect the commercial taxes from the two capitals, North and South. This area has the most scholars and the most developed commerce.

Once the issues of the two capitals (north and south) are resolved, then we can target the other wealthy provinces.

Zhang Juzheng put down his memorial and suddenly realized that the cabinet in the third year of the Longqing reign was much busier than the previous year, and even he was finding it hard to keep up.

When did it start?

Zhang Juzheng recalled the moment when Su Ze first submitted his memorial to the throne.

Fortunately, Wang Shizhen will be returning from the grasslands next month, and Grand Secretary Li Chunfang has already submitted a memorial requesting the addition of cabinet ministers.

After finishing dealing with the memorials in his hands, Zhang Juzheng picked up the newspaper on the table and opened the "Yuefu Xinbao".

After his eldest son went to Dengzhou and Laizhou, Zhang Juzheng's favorite section became the landscape and geography section, and his favorite content became articles introducing the customs and cultures of overseas countries.

A few days ago, my eldest son wrote a letter saying that he had enrolled in the Maritime Affairs Training Institute of the Maritime Trade Office in Dengzhou and Laizhou. In the letter, Zhang Jingxiu wrote a lot about his conversations with seamen in Laizhou Port, including many stories about the customs and culture of overseas places.

Zhang Juzheng read these articles so that he could communicate with his eldest son.

This issue of Landscape Geography features an article personally written by Su Ze, about Venice, a maritime city-state in Europe.

A city built on the sea?
Zhang Juzheng was still very curious. In addition to local customs and culture, Su Ze also introduced Venice's specialty glass.

Su Ze recounted how the Venetians made huge profits through secrecy technology, and even said that a single piece of life-size transparent glass could fetch an astronomical price in Europe.

However, to Zhang Juzheng's surprise, Su Ze then openly published the glassmaking process in the newspaper!
Su Ze published a detailed account of the entire process, from glass raw materials, coarse screening, fluxing, glass additives, to the manufacturing process.

Different glass chemicals can produce glass of different colors, but to make solid-color glass, a mineral called "cobalt blue" is needed.

The glassmaking methods that are treasured in Europe were published by Su Ze in this way?
Zhang Juzheng smiled and said that Su Ze was like that. Whenever he threw something out, he would lead people to keep going. You never knew what else he had in his pocket.

Zhang Juzheng believed that there was something even more profitable behind the glass, and Su Ze was hiding behind it.

However, Zhang Juzheng wronged Su Ze this time.

Su Ze did not publish all the formulas for glass mirrors because the preparation of tin amalgam was too dangerous. Craftsmen of that era did not have sufficient awareness of chemical protection and could only produce them under the guidance of a small number of highly skilled craftsmen.

Su Ze published the glass formula in order to promote the progress of the glass manufacturing industry.

The Venetians monopolized the technology and kept the formula for solid-color glass mirrors hidden for over a hundred years, which delayed the development of optics by more than a century.

Su Ze believed that with the diligence and intelligence of the Ming Dynasty's craftsmen and the Ming Dynasty's productivity, the price of glass would soon come down, and the production of glass would also increase rapidly, soon becoming an export product of the Ming Dynasty.

Translucent glass can be used in optical instruments and in construction. Perhaps next year, greenhouses will be built in Beijing so that we can eat fresh vegetables in winter.

Mirrors, on the other hand, could be sold as a luxury item in the shops of the Eastern Palace, and later in the port, where they could be sold to Westerners.
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On November 25th, it snowed in the capital, and the people of the capital lit up their charcoal stoves in their homes.

When Su Ze was renovating the main hall, he asked the Ministry of Works to build a heated wall so that he could keep warm without having to endure the smell of the charcoal stove and the discomfort of coal ash.

However, early this morning, Su Ze left the warm indoors and stood in front of the capital city gate to watch the excitement.

Today is the day that Tan Lun, the Governor-General of Jiliao, returns to Beijing to report on his duties.

Xu Wei followed behind Su Ze. Su Ze was quite curious about this civil official who had joined forces with Qi Jiguang to fight against Japanese pirates in the southeast.

Moreover, after resolving the northern border issue, Su Ze began to focus on the Liaodong issue.

A number of officials and commoners gathered in front of the capital's gates to watch the spectacle.
Following the ceremonial procession was a stern-looking middle-aged official, riding slowly on horseback. His hair was already gray, but he stood straight with his head held high and looked down on everyone. He wore the robes of a high-ranking civil official, yet he exuded an aura of ruthlessness.

Behind the civil official was a military officer of similar age, dressed in magnificent armor, but with a somewhat uneasy expression, seemingly filled with awe for the palaces of the capital.

At the rear of the group, Su Ze saw some strangely dressed samurai.

Some of them wore rat tails with wild boar tusk pendants in their ears; others had long hair adorned with eagle feathers and silver rings around their necks; still others had shaved foreheads and bone rings on their noses.

(End of this chapter)