Chapter 791: Preparing to Test the Medicine

The two brothers were stunned for a moment, then giggled foolishly; as long as their father could see reason and stop messing with these ethereal things, it was the best news for the two of them.

Regarding their father's lecture, both of them quickly said, "Alright Father, then we will go and rest first."

Yulong ran even faster: "My work has been delayed for a long time already. I'll go to sleep early; tomorrow I still have to host the Xuanyuan Tribe, which will delay things for a while longer. Father, please don't scold me just because I handed in the proposal a little late."

Baifeng waved his hand: "Go, go. You don't need to be too anxious about that proposal; make it detailed and serious, and strive to get it passed in one go so there will be less work later. The Agriculture Division only just handed their proposal to me today, and I haven't even had time to look at it yet."

The two brothers prepared to slip away, but Changle suddenly remembered this was his own courtyard, so he had to slow his pace, see his father and elder brother out the door, and only then return to his bedroom to lie down.

For a time, his thoughts were in turmoil—Kongtong Mountain, Xuanyuan, and the good things he had found—everything had suddenly begun to develop in the best direction. By the time he opened his eyes again, it was already after the rooster crowed.

Xuanyuan was already very familiar with the routine: washing up, breakfast, and then being invited by the people of the Huaxia Ministry of Rites to go to the Chaotang to discuss matters together.

Baifeng prepared to strike first to gain the advantage, so he first prepared the two plant specimens he had looked at last night, and once Xuanyuan arrived, he invited him to take a seat.

Xuanyuan had not yet opened his mouth to say what his purpose was in coming here when he saw Baifeng push a piece of tree bark toward him. Xuanyuan had to stop what he was about to say and take the bark; it just looked somewhat familiar, as did the smell, but for a moment he couldn't recall what it was.

"Baifeng, what is this?"

Baifeng said in a cheerful tone: "The bark of a Chinaberry Tree; this was found in your Xuanyuan Tribe."

Xuanyuan picked up the bark to examine it carefully, but still couldn't remember; didn't all tree bark look the same? He handed it to Zhishou, but Zhishou just picked it up, took a casual look, and put it back, similarly shaking his head to indicate he didn't recognize it and had no impression of it.

"What is the use of this thing? Changle brought this back this time, right?"

"Do you remember I said that most of our people have worms in their bellies? That kind of worm is called Ascaris. Not only do they eat the food we consume, but they also eat our flesh. They are a great scourge on people, even more detestable than lice." Baifeng asked Xuanyuan to recall.

Xuanyuan nodded: "Right, you did say that. You also said that in the far south, there is a kind of fruit that can kill these worms, but the road there is too dangerous, and we haven't been able to go there yet, so it has been shelved. Why, does this tree bark have something to do with this?"

This time, Baifeng made his point clear: "That's right. I only remembered before that Betel Nut could kill worms, but in fact, the bark of the Chinaberry Tree can also kill Ascaris, and the effect is even better. So, the worms in our bellies have a way to be treated, and we don't have to risk danger to go to such a far place."

Xuanyuan was also too excited to sit still: "Baifeng, is what you said true? Can this tree bark really cure the worm disease?"

Baifeng didn't dare to guarantee it, after all, what is learned from books is different from actual operation, and he hadn't practiced it clinically, so he could only say: "I cannot fully guarantee it because I haven't used it. The only way to verify it is to find people with worms in their bellies to test it. Only when the worms in their bellies are killed and expelled will it show that it is useful, and then we can continue to talk about the rest."

Xuanyuan slapped the table: "That's good then, let's test it now. This problem cannot be delayed; the sooner we figure it out, the less our tribesmen will suffer."

"I have already sent people to find suitable candidates. Shall we set off now and go to the Hospital to take a look?" Baifeng gestured with his hand, and Xuanyuan did not hesitate and stood up immediately.

Now Xuanyuan also understood that he might be delayed for another period of time, and his trip to Kongtong Mountain would be a bit later, but who could have imagined that Huaxia could have such a great discovery? He felt that this time he must wait; this matter was still too important.

Because it was the first time testing the medicine, there was still some danger. Baifeng was not clear about the toxicity and dosage of the Melia Bark, but since it could kill worms, it meant there was still some toxicity.

But he could touch it like this, keep in contact with it, and have no obvious adverse reactions; plus, the book didn't write that the Melia Bark needed special processing, which meant the toxicity wasn't as strong as something like croton. Regarding the specific dosage, there was no need to be too cautious.

The ones found to test the medicine were three Slaves. Their symptoms were clearly Ascaris disease. The dosage was uncertain, so a control group was needed. It was not compliant to have citizens test it directly, but there was no need to worry about Slaves. Although the treatment of Slaves in Huaxia was a bit better, they were still Slaves, and other tribes didn't treat Slaves as people at all.

The three Slaves stood in the ward somewhat nervously, surrounded by a circle of doctors. The Slaves both worshipped and feared the doctors, but now, they didn't know what was going to be done to them. When they were selected, they were only told they were going to do a job, and there would be a food reward after finishing, but they weren't told what the job was.

As soon as Baifeng and the others arrived, the ward suddenly cleared a path. When the three Slaves saw it was Baifeng, they hurriedly knelt on the ground to pay their respects. The doctors in the ward all bowed and cupped their hands to perform the teacher's salute to Baifeng. Because Xuanyuan was also a Tribal Chief, under the lead of the doctor, he also performed a salute—a medium salute in the Huaxia sense—which only expressed respect and naturally would not be the same level of salute as to his own king.

Baifeng didn't pay attention to the Slaves but asked the doctor: "How is it? Is everything ready?"

The doctor hurriedly replied: "Teacher, the medicine has been decocted. Three doses were used, with three grams, nine grams, and fifteen grams respectively."

"Good, bring it over and prepare for them to drink it." Baifeng pointed at the Slaves. In the early morning, Baifeng had already arranged the matter. Even though it was said that there usually wouldn't be anything happening in Huaxia at night, the Hospital would still leave a few people on duty at night to prevent trouble before it happened, so it was arranged this way.

During the morning shift change, the doctor received this order, along with a small piece of tree bark sent with it. He followed the requirements on the paper and immediately supervised the arrangements himself. Now that Baifeng and the others had arrived, everything was just right.

Xuanyuan asked from the side: "What does 'gram' mean?"

"Oh, this is the same as a jin, a unit of weight used in the Pharmacy. One gram is very light, so it can be more precise when using medicine," Baifeng explained.