episode_0038

Episode 38. Heart-pounding (4)

****

Oliver sighed.

“This is another theory that will turn the academic world upside down. If everything the professor says is true.”

I think what I said is right.

It would be hard for me to think otherwise.

“Anyway, do you understand what I mean? Arteries and veins are connected by capillaries, and these capillaries can be easily observed under a microscope.”

“It does look like that.”

“If this theory is correct, most of the questions surrounding blood circulation will be answered. Cardiac output, the process of blood production, and even the components of blood.”

This time, Istina tilted her head.

“But if blood isn’t absorbed into the tissues, what do the tissues eat and move?”

“As blood circulates through the body, its composition changes. It leaves the heart with oxygen and nutrients, and returns with carbon dioxide and waste.”

“Where does the waste go?”

“Height.”

It’s because of the lack of understanding of the chemistry that underpins physiology. I don’t know if oxygen has been discovered in this world, but I don’t think Istina would have a clear grasp of the concept.

Have you discovered the periodic table?

If you have an understanding of chemistry, it’s easy to understand that ammonia and urea, which are breakdown products of proteins, contain nitrogen.

This will help you understand why oxygen is consumed when the carbon in glucose is oxidized, and why the byproduct is carbon dioxide.

It seems like it’s too far to go that far.

Let’s see, what is there that I didn’t see last time?

“So, does blood only move in one direction? How does circulation work?”

“Starts from the left ventricle. Blood flows from the left ventricle through the aortic arch to the entire body, and then through the superior and inferior vena cava to the right atrium.”

Amy ran her hand through the veins.

“Yeah, that’s it. The right atrium is connected to the right ventricle, and from there it goes to the pulmonary artery.”

“Why do you go to the toilet?”

“When you take air from your lungs. Did you know that gases can dissolve in water?”

“Oh, yes.”

It’ll be easier to understand if you see it for yourself.

I cut the inferior vena cava and took it out. I cleaned out any clots inside and checked to see if there was any airflow. There are some things I need to understand.

Amy received a piece of inferior vena cava.

◦Look inside %◦. Can you see the valve? ”

“Yes.”

“It’s like a door that allows blood to flow in only one direction. Try pouring water inside once.”

Istina, along with Amy, poured water on the cut piece of inferior vena cava. The dark red clots from various parts of the blood vessel were washed away in the water.

Things didn’t go as planned.

Rather than being blocked by the valve, the water simply leaked out through the blood vessels that branched off from the inferior vena cava. Still, wouldn’t that convey the message that the valve prevented the backflow of blood?

“Anyway, it flows in one direction?”

“That’s right.”

Amy received the inferior vena cava with a trembling expression. In her previous life, when she was dissecting, she was careful not to cut off a single nerve or blood vessel from the cadaver.

Here, the swords are blunt, you can just buy cadavers and throw them away, and because of the state of preservation, nothing looks delicate no matter what you do.

As you dissect, you will start to move a little more boldly.

“So, what the valve structure means is that the blood circulates through the lungs and the entire body like a one-way road, right?”

I nodded. That’s correct. It may be different from the common sense of the academic world today, though.

It is not a single experiment or statement that changes a scientific paradigm.

You must be able to respond to all the rebuttals that will continue on and on.

“It’s really amazing… … .”

“Let’s take a quick look and organize it.”

I have to finish and go before the sun rises.

I covered the cadaver again. Last time I wore a mask and went out, I was mistaken for a ghost, so even though it’s annoying, let’s organize our equipment and go out.

“Dissection End.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Be careful not to touch the corpse with your bare skin. You may be contaminated with bacteria or toxins.”

I took off my gloves and mask.

The smell of the corpse wasn’t as bad as I thought. Maybe it was because of the large amount of alcohol in the basement. The students followed me and put away their protective gear.

Finally, there’s something to wrap up.

“Oliver. Amy. You guys, so you don’t plan on going to graduate school?”

“Not yet.”

“I don’t know.”

Only lukewarm answers came back.

I thought about it some more.

“No, look. This time, if you come in as my graduate student right now, your name could be in the healing textbook?”

Just looking at Istina, her name is listed as the lead author of a cholera paper. If you just enter as a graduate student, wealth and fame will follow.

Aren’t you going to do this?

“Oh, I’ll think about it.”

“Let me think about it some more.”

I guess he really doesn’t want to come.

The dissection lab went well, but neither Amy nor Oliver seemed to have any intention of going to graduate school yet. It was a shame.

I’m really glad I got Istina at the beginning of the semester. Without her, I would have really been lost.

****

Circulation of blood.

This is the topic I was researching this time.

To summarize, we created a blood pressure monitor for clinical use, elucidated the structure of the heart, and discovered valves in veins and experimentally verified what they do.

Finally, we observed capillaries in the liver tissue. All the experimental evidence is in place. Now all we have to do is write a paper and publish it.

I don’t know how long it will take though.

“This is what matters, Istina.”

“What is it?”

“Cardiac output 6 liters per minute.”

This is the most irrefutable evidence.

Every minute, 6 liters of blood leaves the heart, and 6 liters come back in. This can’t be explained unless what goes out is coming back in.

No organ in the human body can consume 6 liters of blood in one minute, and no organ in the human body can produce 6 liters of blood in one minute.

“How did you calculate cardiac output?”

“Put water in the heart of the cadaver and squeeze it.”

“Ah. That’s right.”

The amount of fluid that enters the heart is about 0.1 to 0.2 liters. A dead heart does not relax properly, but if you squeeze it well, about half of that amount will come out. That is the conclusion.

When you do something like exercise, your cardiac output can increase by three to four times your normal rate. During intense exercise, your heart rate can exceed 150.

“That’s right, Istina. I had something to say.”

“What is it?”

“I found out after talking to the undergraduates earlier. I’m glad I met you early. Those guys, they have no intention of going to graduate school, right?”

“I might. I haven’t even graduated yet.”

Well, it would be realistically difficult for graduate students to come in during the semester anyway. Will graduate students come in this year as well during the graduation season?

“Why are you laughing?”

“It’s nothing.”

I guess I’ll have to keep asking around for a while.

****

Amy rolled the pen in her hand. In fact, there were several reasons why other students did not volunteer to be Asterix’s graduate students.

The first one is Istina.

For whatever reason: seeing patients, conducting research, secretly dissecting people.

The sight of the professor and Istina walking around like corpses in the early morning was enough to dissuade anyone seriously considering going to graduate school.

The second is Asterix.

There were all sorts of strange rumors going around about this professor. Some said he was a parachute, some said he was a quack, and some said he was a genius.

They say the most intense fear is the fear of the unknown. There is only one thing that is certain. If you go under that professor, you will have a hard time.

so.

That’s why graduate students don’t want to do it.

But Amy was starting to change her mind. What she saw while practicing dissection was real.

Asterix’s knowledge, his attitude towards patients, and his talk of changing the landscape of medicine. I’d like to try being a graduate student, but…

To be honest, it was true that it was scary.

****

Princess Mint was sitting in my lab today too. She seems to come whenever she has time.

I guess I’ll just have to stay put.

“Mr. Asterix. Look at this.”

“Huh?”

Pot!

A sparkling mana appeared above the princess’s hand. The junk on the desk flew up.

“That’s amazing.”

The princess is a wizard. She doesn’t seem to have any special talent compared to other wizards, but it seems that she is getting results when she studies properly.

“Weren’t you trying to be sarcastic?”

“No. This is really amazing.”

The princess tapped the sofa for me to sit next to her, but I didn’t get up from my seat.

Mint seemed particularly happy today.

Could it be because I learned a new magic?

“What is the teacher doing these days?”

Instead of answering, I looked at the specimens on the table. Two hearts soaked in alcohol. Formalin would be better than alcohol, but I don’t know where to get formalin.

Let’s just use alcohol for the time being.

“Huh. Was that real?”

“Yes. It’s a human heart.”

“Did you cut it off the body yourself?”

“Yes.”

Princess Mint looked at me with a strange look. After all, it doesn’t seem normal to put a human heart on a desk.

I scratched my head.

“Required for research.”

“Well, if that’s what the teacher says, then that must be it.”

The princess quickly turned her attention away.

“Teacher. If you’re not busy, let’s go to the Academy Cafe for a bit. I don’t want to go alone.”

“Uh… ….”

“Are you busy?”

“Okay.”

When I think about it, it’s kind of pitiful. Mint must have been bored because she didn’t have any friends. But, I don’t think going with a professor would be better than going alone…