The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 341 Promoting Healthcare Reform
The princess gave birth to the crown prince smoothly, and everyone in the Han Prince's mansion was overjoyed. However, the medical team that had been supporting the princess's delivery was not disbanded.

These doctors included not only the original physicians of the Shu Prince's Palace, but also renowned doctors from various regions, encompassing almost all the best medical practitioners in Sichuan.

Now that everything is gradually getting back on track, it's time to reform the healthcare system.

Not only does the royal palace need medical care, but a robust medical system is also essential for those vying for supremacy in the Central Plains in the future.

Soon, Jiang Han summoned everyone from the Imperial Medical Academy to a side hall for a meeting.

Without beating around the bush, he offered seats and tea, then went straight to the point:

"Esteemed physicians, the safety of the princess and her child is entirely due to your efforts. I thank you once again."

"Don't dare, don't dare."

Upon hearing this, everyone stood up and declined,

"It is my duty, Your Majesty, you are too kind."

Jiang Han nodded, raised his hand in a gesture of pressing down, and then sighed:
There's a saying that goes, "Practicing medicine to save lives brings blessings to all people."

"I have been thinking lately that good doctors and famous prescriptions should not be limited to the palace, royal mansions, and high-ranking families."

"Now, under my rule in Sichuan, the people are not short of food, and the army is growing stronger day by day."

“Once these people have enough to eat and wear, their demand for medical treatment will inevitably increase sharply.”

"But looking around, there are not many qualified and good doctors."

“Even in the countryside, there are some swindlers who not only cheat people out of their money, but also take their lives.”

He paused, then emphasized, word by word,
"Therefore, I have decided to reorganize the Imperial Medical Academy!"

"Gradually transform its functions into a comprehensive institution that integrates medical research, talent training, and patient treatment."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jiyuan, the head judge, had a sudden thought and tentatively asked:
"Your Majesty is benevolent and compassionate towards the people, which we deeply admire."

"But... I don't know how to reorganize it?"

Jiang Han looked around at everyone and explained:
"Transform the Imperial Medical Academy into the Imperial Medical Institute, and recruit apprentices widely, modeled after the Tianfu Academy."

"The Imperial Medical Academy will recruit doctors from Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces who are interested in practicing medicine or who have a certain foundation in medicine, and provide them with systematic training."

“You are all renowned doctors and experts. I hope that you will take on the role of apprentices.”

Upon hearing this, the side hall fell silent.

The crowd looked at each other, their faces filled with astonishment and confusion.

Following the model of academies, wouldn't that mean setting up government-run schools to train doctors on a large scale?
This method was something they had never heard of before.

But in reality, this is not such a far-fetched idea.

In my country's history, government-run medical education has existed for a long time.

Its prototype can be traced back to the Northern and Southern Dynasties period. The Liu Song court once established a "medical institution", while the Northern Wei Dynasty had a "Imperial Medical Bureau".

By the Sui Dynasty, after the initial establishment of the system, Emperor Yang of Sui set up the "Imperial Medical Bureau" under the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

This was the world's first national medical school, which combined the responsibilities of providing medical care, education, and assessment for the royal court.

By the Tang Dynasty, the Imperial Medical Bureau system had become even more sophisticated, representing the pinnacle of government-run medicine in China.

Furthermore, it pioneered subject-based teaching for the first time, establishing four major departments: medicine, acupuncture, massage, and incantations.

The medical field was further subdivided into physical therapy, sores and swellings, juvenile delinquency, ear, eye, mouth and teeth, and horn therapy, among others.

Students not only had to learn various classic medical techniques, but also had to undergo rigorous monthly, quarterly, and annual examinations.

Before graduation, students also need to participate in clinical internships, and are assigned to the imperial court or local prefectures based on their performance.

During the Song Dynasty, the Imperial Medical Bureau was renamed the Imperial Medical Department, and Emperor Huizong of Song even singled it out and implemented the "Three Departments Promotion Examination Method".

This period can be considered the pinnacle of the development of Chinese medicine.

Unfortunately, this system began to gradually disappear during the Yuan and Ming dynasties.

After the Imperial Medical Bureau was renamed the Imperial Medical Academy, its educational function was greatly weakened, and its focus shifted to medical services.

Although the Imperial Medical Academy still had a training hall to train medical officers, its scale and system were far inferior to those of the Tang and Song dynasties.

Its students are mostly children of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners or recommended by local authorities, and its educational methods are more inclined towards the official apprenticeship system, resulting in an increasingly narrow scope.

Traditional Chinese medicine is mainly passed down through apprenticeship or family tradition.

While this method can preserve medicine, it also has significant drawbacks:

Firstly, the master-apprentice system takes a long time to pass down, and there is no fixed number of people who will graduate.

Some medical families, however, are prone to falling into the trap of passing on knowledge only to sons and keeping secret recipes from outsiders, leading to the loss of many valuable experiences.

Not to mention the large number of quack doctors in the general public who are unqualified and cause great harm.

Therefore, Jiang Hancai decided to follow the example of the Tang and Song dynasties, establish a medical academy, expand enrollment, and implement strict examinations in order to standardize the inheritance of medicine and benefit the people of the world.

However, when he made his thoughts public, he was met with silence.

The hall was completely silent, and everyone's faces were filled with hesitation.

Opening a medical clinic means that they need to widely publicize their treasured experience, medical skills, and secret recipes.

In the eyes of these renowned doctors, this was a matter that shook the very foundations of the medical profession.

In ancient times, having a skill was the foundation for making a living.

The transmission of medicine, and indeed most other crafts, follows the principle of "not teaching to the wrong person," and is limited to direct instruction and oral transmission between fathers and sons, or between masters and apprentices.

Even between masters and apprentices, there are times when they secretly hold back a skill, fearing that if the apprentice teaches the skill, the master will starve.

There are also some stubborn old folks who would rather die and take their skills to the grave than easily pass them on to outsiders.

Now that Jiang Han is asking them to impart all the medical skills, experience, and prescriptions they have accumulated over the years, how could they possibly agree?
Seeing the silent resistance on everyone's faces, it took Jiang Han a while to understand the crux of the problem.

But he couldn't force anyone. There's a saying that goes, "Never mistreat your cook, doctor, or those around you, or something unexpected might happen."

He took a deep breath and decided to try a different approach.

"It was I who failed to consider this thoroughly."

"You are simply worried that your skills will be passed on to outsiders, fearing that you will lose your livelihood or your status in the future."

"This is only human nature."

"Here's what we'll do: as long as you're willing to teach at the medical school, you'll all be included in the system and granted official positions."

"As for the ranks, I'll mention them briefly, from the third rank down to the sixth rank."

"The salary will be set according to the standard of civil servants of the same rank, without any discount."

Upon hearing this, the doctors present remained silent, merely exchanging glances and tacitly agreeing with the proposed method.

According to the standards of the Ming Dynasty, the head of the Imperial Medical Academy was only a fifth-rank official, while the imperial physicians below him were eighth-rank officials.

Now that the king has promoted them two ranks in one go, their salaries have also increased accordingly. This is already a great favor, so they can't very well refuse.

Judge Zhang Jiyuan also stepped in at the opportune moment and took charge of the matter:

"Since His Majesty has been so kind, we cannot refuse any longer."

"However, since the Imperial Medical Academy is newly established, which departments should it be divided into?"

How should textbooks be selected? Should they be newly compiled?

"Please give your instructions, Your Majesty."

Jiang Han nodded and explained:

"Since we've come this far, I might as well be frank."

"In my opinion, the curriculum of the Imperial Medical Academy should also be revised."

"We can no longer be bound by old methods and formulas; we must look forward and gradually try new methods."

Everyone was taken aback by what they heard, a hint of confusion flashing in their eyes.

A new law? What new law?
Their ancestors had always referred to medical books, gradually improving and learning medical skills based on ancient methods; they had never heard of any new methods.

Jiang Han was also speechless, unsure how to explain himself.

In his view, in this era, both Chinese and Western medicine belong to the category of ancient medicine.

He doesn't intend to simply use the concepts of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine to distinguish between them.

After all, by the late Ming Dynasty, the development paths and focuses of Eastern and Western medicine had already diverged significantly.

In the West, medical books such as "On the Fabric of the Human Body" and "On the Motion of the Heart and Blood" had already appeared, establishing anatomy and physiology based on empirical evidence.

Meanwhile, the East also saw the emergence of pharmacopoeias such as the "Compendium of Materia Medica" and the "Complete Works of Jingyue," which compiled traditional Chinese medicine theories.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages. The West established positivism and experimental methods, but its clinical application has been less than satisfactory.

While the East maintains an advantage in clinical experience and pharmacology, it lacks direct exploration of human anatomy due to ethical constraints.

Therefore, Jiang Hancai proposed the concept of "new methods," hoping to combine modern scientific methods to guide the gradual development of ancient medicine.

In his vision, medicine should be a culmination of theories including empirical evidence, anatomy, physiology, pathology, and microbiology.

Instead of emphasizing simple philosophical concepts like "Yin-Yang and the Five Elements".

Seeing the confused looks on everyone's faces, Jiang Han tried asking:

"For example, when I was delivering the princess's baby, I emphasized more than once that all the scissors, towels, and other items used in the delivery must be repeatedly boiled in boiling water."

"Everyone must change into clean robes and wrap their hair with gauze and cover their mouth and nose."

Do you know why these measures are being taken?

As soon as he finished speaking, someone immediately stood up:
"of course."

"This is to ward off evil spirits and prevent harmful air from entering the body and causing illness."

Jiang Han nodded approvingly and continued to ask:

"Alright, let me ask you again, what are these so-called impure energies and pestilential energies?"

The man was taken aback and stammered, unable to answer.

Seeing this, Judge Zhang Jiyuan stepped forward and explained:

"Your Majesty, let me do it,"

"Having practiced medicine for over thirty years, I have observed the changes in the qi of heaven and earth and examined the symptoms of patients. I have gained some understanding of mixed qi and pestilential qi."

"The so-called mixed qi is the chaotic and turbid mixture of the qi of heaven and earth, which causes wind, cold, dampness and other qi to intermingle, as the 'Five Qi Shift' mentioned in the Suwen."

“The plague is a fierce evil of heaven and earth. It is easy to spread and cause epidemics. Its danger is far greater than that of other evils.”

"The 'Nestorian Treatise on the Origins of Diseases' explains it even more clearly: 'Epidemic diseases are a kind of pestilential energy in the world that causes people to become infected. Everyone is susceptible to infection, regardless of age. Anyone who comes into contact with it will fall ill. Because it is so contagious, it is called an epidemic disease.'"

"These two are mixed and numerous, each with its own bias, formless and imageless, inaudible, odorless, and invisible."

Jiang Han was completely overwhelmed after listening to Zhang Jiyuan's long-winded explanation.

He quickly reached out to interrupt:
"Stop, stop, stop! It's not that complicated!"

"In my opinion, the so-called 'miscellaneous gases' and 'pessimistic gases' are nothing more than microorganisms and pathogens."

"The reason for using boiling water to steam is simply to sterilize and disinfect."

"Moreover, these things are not invisible."

Before Jiang Han could finish speaking, Zhang Jiyuan below turned red in the face, furious.

When it comes to leading troops into battle and governing the country, you are indeed an expert.

But when it comes to practicing medicine, treating illnesses, and saving lives, Zhang Jiyuan is the real expert. How could he tolerate such nonsense?! Microorganisms and pathogens? He's never even heard of them!

Seeing his unconvinced look, Jiang Han sighed deeply:
"After all, words are not enough. How about this, you wait for me for a few more days."

"I'll go to the Ministry of Works and have someone make a microscope."

Microscopes are actually not that difficult to make, nor are they a cutting-edge science.

In the second half of the seventeenth century, Leeuwenhoek improved the microscope and observed the existence of microorganisms for the first time.

Jiang Han didn't even need to do it himself; he only needed to go to the Ministry of Works and let the craftsmen do it by hand.

He doesn't plan to use a compound microscope; a single lens will suffice.

The core component of a microscope is the lens system, but grinding it is almost impossible to achieve this.

Hand-polished lenses typically have a magnification of less than ten times, and the images are very blurry, failing to meet the precision requirements for observing microorganisms.

Jiang Han found artisans from Liulifang and had them melt the glass and drip it into small glass balls.

When the glass softens, the craftsman needs to quickly draw it into a thin wire and then burn the end of the wire with a flame.

In a flame, the filament will naturally shrink into a completely transparent, round, and flawless glass bead.

The artisans at Liulifang tried for several days, almost without sleep, before they finally met the requirements.

The glass ball is ready; it still needs to be polished.

This step is the only difficult part, requiring very precise manual operation.

First, fix the finished glass ball in place, then polish it with abrasive powder, ensuring that the protrusions of the glass ball are perfectly symmetrical.

Then, the convex surface is gradually polished with fine abrasive while the focal length is measured.

The artisans then switch to soft leather, dip it in fine pearl powder, and gently polish the surface of the ball clockwise.

Every ten seconds or so, you need to check with a piece of paper with hair stuck to it until the hair lines on the paper are clearest, then you can say that you have achieved the perfect focus.

Once the lens was solved, the remaining parts, the mirror body and the stage, were straightforward.

A brass bracket is used to fix the single lens in a small hole at one end of the bracket; the other end of the bracket is fitted with a stage.

In addition, Jiang Han had the craftsmen add several screws to the sides of the bracket and the platform.

By simply turning the screw, the lens or stage can be moved slightly, allowing for stable alignment with the sample during observation.

After several days of intensive debugging, the single-vision microscope was finally completed.

After the success, Jiang Han immediately summoned the doctors from the Imperial Medical Academy.

Under the expectant gazes of everyone, Jiang Han gently unveiled the silk cloth, revealing his latest achievement.

"Please look, everyone. This is a microscope."

"Only by using it can you see microorganisms that are difficult to see with the naked eye."

After saying that, he gave instructions to Zhang Jiyuan.

"Judge Zhang, go to the pond in the courtyard and fetch some water."

Zhang Jiyuan didn't understand, but he still followed the instructions and scooped some water from the pond into the teacup.

Jiang Han took the teacup but didn't rush to do anything. He wanted to broaden the horizons of these country bumpkins today.

He first took a white porcelain plate, poured a little water from the bowl into it, and then took out a small, square natural crystal from the platform.

Jiang Han stretched his hand behind him and said in a deep voice:
"Come."

Upon hearing this, the eunuch behind him immediately stepped forward and handed him a glass rod.

Jiang Han took the glass rod, gently touched it in the porcelain plate, and a drop of water clung to it.

Then, he steadily dripped a water droplet onto the center of the crystal and began to explain:

"This is called a carrier plate, which needs to be extremely thin and transparent so that it does not block the light from passing through."

As he explained, he took a smaller piece of crystal and gently placed it over the water droplet, like putting a lid on it.

"This is called a coverslip, and it's mainly used to prevent the sample from slipping."

After doing all this, Jiang Han carefully lifted the two crystal pieces, placed them on the platform, and gently secured them with clips.

He bent down, pressed his right eye against the lens barrel, and slowly rotated the three brass screws on the table.

Forward... to the left... then adjust by half a point...

The entire side hall was completely silent; everyone held their breath, awaiting the final result.

"It's done!"

Jiang Han's exclamation startled everyone, causing them to tremble involuntarily, as if they had been frightened.

He excitedly raised his head and waved to Zhang Jiyuan, who was closest to him:
"Come here, Judge Zhang, take a closer look."

Zhang Jiyuan approached with some skepticism, and under Jiang Han's guidance, he pasted his right eye on the plaster.

The moment he opened his eyes, he was completely stunned.

The originally clear and transparent water droplets have now transformed into a dense ocean.

The first thing that catches the eye is a touch of emerald green in the corner, like green algae, with a faint shimmer at the edges.

As he turned his eyes, three or five transparent, bell-shaped insects suddenly appeared in his field of vision, their fine hairs clearly visible.

Even more terrifying were those long, twisted worms.

Their bodies were covered in wavy, whip-like hairs, and they wriggled wildly among the clumps of shadow.
Upon seeing this, Zhang Jiyuan couldn't help but exclaim in surprise:
"This...this is all real?"

"Could it be that I have an eye disease?!"

It's no wonder he was so shocked; he had personally scooped the water from the pond in the yard, using only the cleanest and clearest part.

But to his utter surprise, there were so many tiny insects in the seemingly empty water.
Seeing this, the other imperial physicians were very curious and also stepped forward to watch.

In an instant, exclamations of surprise rose and fell:
"Wow! There really is something alive inside!"

"It's not a cataract; it really exists!"

"This...this could be the cause of the disease?"

Seeing the shocked looks on everyone's faces, Jiang Han finally nodded:
"Seeing is believing, now you should believe it, right?"

"These tiny, hard-to-detect creatures are not only found in the water, but are also found all around us."

"The so-called 'miscellaneous gases' and 'pessimistic gases' are these microorganisms, which are also the root cause of disease!"

"The reason I emphasize boiling water is to kill these microorganisms."

Having said that, he picked up the teacup on the table and handed it to the eunuch:

"Go and fetch the kettle."

"Boil this bowl of water and let them see the effect."

Soon, the eunuch brought over a brazier and a kettle, and boiled the water in the teacup.

Jiang Han used the same trick again, taking the boiling water and placing it back under the microscope.

"Take a look, see how it is now."

Upon hearing this, everyone stepped forward and took turns examining the object closely.

"Wow, that's amazing!"

"Not only was the tiny, transparent worm completely still, but the long worm that had been writhing wildly earlier was also broken into several pieces!"

Exclamations of surprise rippled through the crowd once more, confirming that the king's words were indeed true.

The extraordinary sight they witnessed completely overturned the imperial physicians' understanding.

Zhang Jiyuan was the first to regain his senses. He let out a long sigh and bowed deeply to Jiang Han:
"The Buddha observed 84,000 insects in a bowl of water, and today I have finally witnessed it; it is indeed true and not false!"

"We are like frogs at the bottom of a well, ignorant of the vastness of the world. We beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."

"Your Majesty is a scholar of both heaven and man. Today, you are kind enough to give us your guidance. We are truly grateful."

Jiang Han waved his hand, quite pleased with himself:

"Alas, I am merely standing on the shoulders of giants."

"With a microscope, you can glimpse a corner of the microscopic world."

"If you continue to study diligently, you might even establish your own school of thought, write books, and become a renowned medical master whose name will be remembered throughout history!"

Upon hearing this, everyone present bowed down in reverence.
"We, your humble servants, are willing to serve you with utmost loyalty and do everything in our power to assist you!"

Jiang Han nodded in satisfaction and said loudly:

"it is good!"

"In that case, I'll leave the medical center to you."

"I will soon make a formal announcement in the court to all civil and military officials about this matter."

Then, he changed the subject.
“We can proceed with student recruitment and school management gradually, but there is still one matter that requires your attention right now.”

"This matter is urgent and concerns the life and death of our Han army in the future."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions turned serious, and they listened intently.

Jiang Han stood with his hands behind his back, his tone extremely serious:

"You should all know that our army has already occupied two provinces, and Yunnan will be taken soon."

"After that, they either went north or east to compete with various forces for control of the Central Plains."

"However, according to reliable sources, the plague has appeared in northern Shaanxi, Hubei and Hunan, the capital region, and even Liaodong."

"Among them, smallpox is the most serious."

The smallpox that Jiang Han mentioned was the most rapidly spreading and widespread disaster during the late Ming Dynasty.

The regions of northern Shaanxi, Hubei and Hunan, the capital region, Mongolia, and Liaodong suffered greatly from the invasion, whether by rebel armies, government troops, or the northern and eastern barbarians.

In this timeline, because Jiang Han acted quickly, Sichuan suffered relatively little damage and was not repeatedly ravaged by various rebel armies and government troops, so the situation was relatively good.

Only a few scattered villages along the border of Kuizhou Prefecture were affected by the disaster.

Local officials and the garrison reacted quickly, immediately isolating the village, which prevented the smallpox from spreading.

These cases served as a wake-up call for Jiang Han, which is why he decided to reorganize the Imperial Medical Academy and recruit more doctors.

Upon hearing Jiang Han's words, Zhang Jiyuan immediately stood up and responded:

"Your Majesty, I see."

"It is said that smallpox has been rampant for a long time, and people in all regions have suffered greatly from it."

"Moreover, this epidemic spreads extremely quickly and has a very high mortality rate."

"If the epidemic spreads in the army, even a million strong army will collapse without a fight!"

"exactly!"

Jiang Han said in a deep voice,

"As far as I know, once you get smallpox, it's almost a death sentence."

"The only way to avoid disaster is through vaccination."

"You are all renowned doctors and experts; surely you should know how to inoculate smallpox?"

(End of this chapter)