Sky Curtain: My Great Qin must have an aircraft carrier!

Thousands of years ago, although humans did not know what bacteria were, they still figured out ways to fight infection.

Ancient Chinese doctors applied moldy tofu to festering wounds.

Ancient Egyptians used moldy bread to treat wounds.

No one knows the exact mechanism, but it has been vaguely observed that mold can fight infection.

Physicians from all dynasties were stunned.

Can mold heal wounds?

"Mold is the root of all diseases!"

Doctors fear the rainy season the most; if wounds get damp and moldy, eight out of ten will die.

Why would you paste moldy things on something? Are you trying to make the patient die even faster?

But they couldn't help but believe what the heavens said.

If this is true, what is the underlying principle?

Is it a case of fighting poison with poison?

Hua Tuo looked at the sky and vaguely felt that he had grasped something.

He invented Mafeisan (麻沸散) early on, which allowed for painless surgery to remove ailments.

However, most patients develop wound inflammation and pus discharge, persistent high fever, and eventually die in agony a few days later.

Hua Tuo believed that his knife skills were not exquisite enough and his stitches were not meticulous enough, which led to the evil spirit entering his body.

He practiced knife skills diligently for more than ten years, but the postoperative mortality rate remained high.

"Infect……"

Hua Tuo's voice was very soft, as if he were talking to himself.

So, what caused all of this was bacteria? But what exactly are bacteria?

"Hmm, is there anyone here with medical knowledge?"

After observing for a long time, Li Shimin suddenly asked a question.

Fang Xuanling's lips twitched as he answered the question for everyone: "Your Majesty, we are all common people, and we are not knowledgeable in medicine."

Changsun Wuji nodded, "Perhaps we can summon the Medicine King Sun Simiao to the palace to jointly study the medical principles revealed by the celestial canopy."

That makes sense, but Li Shimin looked rather helpless.

"The Sui dynasty summoned Sun Simiao several times, but he refused each time. Now that I am summoning him, how can he easily agree?"

"That's not difficult at all; we can find another way."

Du Ruhui stepped forward and took over the conversation with a smile.

"If Your Majesty were willing to fund the printing of tens of thousands of copies of his works and cover all medical expenses, what would you say?"

Fang Xuanling pondered for a moment, then nodded in admiration: "Kemin's plan is brilliant. Sun Simiao's unwillingness to enter the court stems from his desire not to be burdened by fame and fortune."

"To leave a lasting legacy is the ultimate pursuit of scholars and writers."

"With the strong support of the imperial court, which spares him the trouble of making a living, the Medicine King will certainly not be able to refuse."

Then everyone turned their attention to Li Shimin, awaiting his decision.

Li Shimin pondered for a moment and then agreed.

"Since all of you ministers approve of this, let's draft an edict."

"Remember to use polite language. Say that the imperial court admires the Medicine King's medical skills and is willing to use the nation's resources to help him. We earnestly request that the old gentleman come down the mountain."

After making up his mind, Li Shimin felt much more relaxed.

Knowing what the future holds, he decided to take care of his health and fight hard against the surrounding vassal states!

The first person in history to discover the spread of infection was a doctor from Hungary, Semmelweis.

When he was working at the hospital, he discovered that the mortality rates in the two maternity wards were completely different.

The first ward is managed by doctors and medical students, while the second ward is managed by midwives.

However, the mortality rate in the first ward exceeded 10%, sometimes even reaching 30%, while it was less than 4% in the second ward.

Through careful observation, Semmelweis discovered that doctors in the first ward would usually go directly into the obstetrics department to deliver babies after dissecting the corpses.

However, the nurses in the second obstetrics ward never participate in autopsies.

Doctors used to wash their hands with soap, but Semmelweis found that soap couldn't remove the smell of the corpses.

This suggests that something unseen is still attached to the skin.

"Why would they go and deliver a baby after dissecting a corpse? Isn't that the coroner's job? Are they really that busy?"

"Yeah, even if you wash your hands with soap, doesn't it feel disgusting?"

"We're pretty much the same. Many midwives don't even wash their hands before delivering a baby."

Countless doctors are pondering why a doctor's handling of a corpse could lead to the death of a pregnant woman.

Is the hand the medium?

After all, the biggest difference between the two hospital rooms is that their hands have touched different things.

In other words, something from the corpse adhered to the palm!

But when they realized this, all the doctors felt a chill run down their spines.

If water and soap can't remove them, how can we get rid of these things?

Is it alum water? Is it boiled mugwort water? Or lime water?

The doctors racked their brains for a cure, trying to find alternatives, but the more they searched, the more uncertain they became.

They don't even know who the enemy is, so how can they know what weapons to use?

Were all those pregnant women who died killed by them?

In 1847, Semmelweis' friend Kolečka accidentally pricked his finger during an autopsy, which subsequently led to an infection and death.

While reviewing his friend's autopsy report, Semmelweis discovered that the symptoms were exactly the same as those of puerperal fever.

Based on this, he proposed a revolutionary hypothesis: that some invisible particles from the corpse were transmitted from the dead to the living through the hands of doctors.

Since soapy water was ineffective, Semmelweis had the doctor clean the area with bleach.

Semmelweis proved to be right; the mortality rate in the first ward quickly dropped to below 4%.

Unfortunately, Semmelweis did not examine the body under a microscope and refused to acknowledge that the corpse particles were living organisms.

More than a decade later, Pasteur and Koch proved through experiments that the substances causing wound infection and decay were actually bacteria invisible to the naked eye.

In the celestial canopy, a man in a white lab coat places a drop of water on a glass slide and then focuses it under a microscope.

As the magnification continued, the ancients saw a world they had never seen before.

Under the microscope, countless organisms come into view, each with a different shape.

A writhing worm, a spinning sphere, a wriggling monster...

Moreover, these organisms are extremely numerous; you can see thousands upon thousands in just a single drop of water.

This terrifying scene sent chills down the spines of many ancient people, causing them to develop trypophobia.

Liu Bang looked at the wine cup in his hand and suddenly felt a chill.

I was about to throw the glass away, but then I remembered how much it cost, and I held back.

Liu Bang rubbed his arms, feeling uncomfortable all over: "Is this... what you call bacteria?"

"No wonder it's named after something tiny; without tools, it's impossible to see with the naked eye."

Upon hearing this, Xiao He looked at the water glass in front of him and couldn't help but speak out.

"If the water is full of bacteria, then what about the water we drink every day...?"

"Can you please stop talking?!"

Liu Bang, leaning on the dragon throne, almost vomited on the spot.

All the civil and military officials present turned pale and glared at Xiao He with murderous eyes.

I was just feeling uncomfortable at first, but after Xiao He pointed it out, I feel utterly disgusted!

How will we drink water and eat after this?

Do you have to silently repeat to yourself that you are swallowing countless live insects before each bite?

Several civil officials vomited on the spot.

Only Fan Kuai, in the corner, was still squatting on the ground gnawing on a dog leg, his mouth dripping with oil.

"What's there to be afraid of? If it's alive, then it's flesh."

"It's a bit small, but at least it's an extra meal."

Everyone: "..."

For a moment, I didn't know whether to admire his magnanimity or to call him a fool.

While everyone else was gripped by fear and nausea, Hua Tuo's eyes shone brightly, and he trembled with excitement.

"I see! I see!"

Unable to find paper and pen, Hua Tuo simply broke off a twig and quickly drew and recorded on the muddy ground.

The mystery that had troubled him his entire life finally had an answer at this moment!

Why is water pollution always linked to every outbreak of plague?

Why do patients die from festering wounds, high fever, and other complications after undergoing surgery?

It's all because of bacteria!

Furthermore, by reasoning this, Tianmu's claim that boiling water can lead to longevity proves that high temperatures can kill bacteria.

But the joy did not last long, and Hua Tuo soon fell into deeper distress.

"Boiling water can only prevent infection, but what if someone is already infected?"

"You can't just throw a person into a pot and boil them, can you? The bacteria will die, but the person won't survive!"

Hua Tuo muttered to himself, the thing mentioned at the beginning of the story flashing through his mind—mold.

What if there was a type of mold that could specifically kill bacteria in the body?

Isn't that the real miracle drug?