Chapter Index

    Episode 112. The Father of Orthopedics (1)

    ****

    What the heck. The letter really arrived.

    It wasn’t just one or two. Are we getting a flood of calls from people saying they want to invest in the production of the potion, just like I lied to Istina? I hope so.

    Of course, there was also the possibility that it was spam.

    Spam mail was a serious problem in this world, too. It might have been even worse. If you just put the address to the Imperial Academy and put my name in the recipient field, the letter would be sent. Those letters were piling up on my desk.

    If the amount of letters increases even a little, it may reach a point where I can’t read them all. The amount of letters I receive these days is not small.

    Well, I can’t not read it now because I’m waiting for investment-related contact. I have no choice but to read them one by one.

    I opened the first letter.

    – This is Benjamin Brisbane.

    – If you don’t remember, I was a patient who had surgery on my arm a while ago, but thanks to you, my arm is now as good as ever.

    Oh, I remembered.

    Student patient with broken arm.

    It was the first surgery I had after arriving at the academy. Istina said that she had nightmares about Mr. Benjamin’s screams that she heard during the surgery.

    Having worked in the emergency room for years, I wasn’t particularly impressed by screams, but it must have been a shocking sight for Istina at the time.

    It was my first time seeing a surgery.

    – Other healers said that I might not be able to use my arms like I used to. I think it’s all thanks to you that I can become a knight.

    I checked the back of the letter.

    – I heard a rumor that you are working on something new. As a token of our appreciation, we at Brisbane would like to invest in the company you are involved in.

    I’m glad your arm is better. It may be strange to invest as a token of gratitude, but it’s a good thing because it will be put to good use.

    Next letter.

    This time, it was a letter from Elise. She told me to come to the hospital in person, so I don’t know why she sent me a letter. Was it a letter to set a date to come to the hospital? I opened Elise’s letter.

    – This is Little Duchess Elise.

    – Thank you for your consideration at the Imperial Banquet Hall last time. Could I come and see you at the professor’s office sometime soon?

    – And. I heard that the professor is looking for someone to invest in. If it’s something that can help many people, I’d like to participate.

    I folded the letter again.

    I appreciate the investment, but don’t these idiots care to find out what I’m making? They don’t even seem curious.

    I was also worried that he might be thinking of investing in the company as a kind of bribe.

    Rather than trying to achieve something, I wonder if it’s because they’re throwing money at me to see what my name is worth. Well, if you don’t know, leaving it to them is also a way.

    I took the pen in my hand and turned it around.

    After all, investment money is investment money. If fools wanted to spend money without even looking into it, I had no intention of stopping them. In fact, it was the opposite.

    I should ask if they can give me more.

    “Istina! Come here.”

    “What’s going on?”

    Istina put down what she was doing and walked over to my desk. I proudly showed her the bundle of letters.

    “Look. I got this many letters from people wanting to invest in my drug development.”

    “Oh my. There really are a lot of them?”

    I nodded.

    As expected, the results of the banquet were more certain than expected.

    “That’s right. You know I have class in the afternoon, right?”

    “I know. I’ll prepare.”

    That’s what we’re going to cover in class today.

    Thomas Splint. Today’s plan was to explain the principles and use of the Thomas Splint to as many people as possible. This time, several professors had already been invited.

    ****

    And then, time for class.

    I knocked on the blackboard.

    “As the classroom appears to be full, attendance will be omitted. Class will begin now.”

    The lecture room was packed. I could see a few people standing in the back.

    Well, it’s a class that always gets uninvited visitors anyway. Since you even invited people, it’s only natural that there would be a lot of people.

    “Today’s topic is clinical treatment of leg fractures. What do you think is the first thing to do when a patient with suspected leg fracture comes in?”

    Only a blank gaze turned towards me.

    I looked around the classroom.

    “There. Oliver.”

    “To confirm a leg fracture.”

    That’s a great point. When a patient comes in with a suspected leg fracture, the first priority is to determine whether or not it is a real fracture.

    “How can a patient with a suspected leg fracture prove that it is a leg bone fracture?”

    “If the leg is bent, it is a fracture.”

    Of course, you can damage a bone without bending your leg, but if your leg is bent, it’s a fracture. If you think about it, it’s quite obvious.

    If your bones are intact, your legs can’t bend.

    “Then, how can I restore and cure my bent legs?”

    This time, no one answered.

    I cleared my throat for a moment.

    “Well, there is no other way. Think about it simply. In this case, you have no choice but to pull the leg to straighten it out.”

    The classroom’s response was cold. They looked at me as if I had said something wrong. The student sitting in the front raised his hand.

    “Are you pulling a broken leg?”

    “Yes.”

    “Won’t the patient faint?”

    “It hurts less if you faint.”

    He didn’t seem to believe it very well.

    Well, there’s nothing I can do.

    “A few days ago, I had a patient admitted to the hospital. The patient had broken his thigh bone at a construction site. Since his leg was completely bent, I put a splint on it and stretched it.”

    I snapped my fingers, and Istina came out next to the podium holding a Thomas splint made of iron. This is it. A device used to straighten legs.

    “This is a special splint. By pulling the leg with this device, the length of both legs can be adjusted to the same level, and the bone can be healed.”

    If you have this, you don’t have to live with a limp for the rest of your life even if your leg is broken. In the era before Thomas’s brace, a leg fracture was a terrible disease that killed more than half of the patients.

    That won’t be the case anymore.

    “Professor. But, what if something goes wrong while pulling on a broken leg?”

    “Good question. What are some diseases that can occur if force is applied to a broken leg? Amy, you answer.”

    “A broken bone can damage a nerve or blood vessel by puncturing it. This can cause bleeding, loss of sensation, or movement disorders.”

    You’re smart. It’s not your own thoughts, but you just copied what I said a few days ago, but memorizing is also a skill.

    “It’s a skill to do a good job of preventing such things from happening. This is the method I recommend. If you restore it to its original state, there will be no problems at all. Do you understand what I mean?”

    The classroom was a bit noisy.

    It’s exactly as it sounds.

    There are no X-rays here, and it wouldn’t be easy for anyone other than me to operate on your leg. The only way is to pull it the same way as the other leg and realign the bones.

    I drew a femur on the board.

    “The muscles of the legs are incredibly powerful. They are attached diagonally to the bones, allowing the legs to rotate inward and outward. Anyone who has ever dissected a leg will understand.”

    This is something I explained to graduate students before.

    “The problem is that because the muscles are so strong, the leg muscles can break the broken bone or prevent it from reattaching. That’s why the process of straightening and fixing the leg is necessary. It’s pulling the muscles.”

    I looked around the classroom again.

    “For your information. This is why people with broken arms or legs have limbs that bend. When the muscles pull on the bone and can’t find a way to keep it in place, it bends and shrinks in the direction the muscles are pulling. There’s no other way.”

    Professor Klaus stood up from his seat.

    “Professor Asterix, I understand the theory, but I still have some questions. Are there any cases of patients being cured by this method?”

    “Of course there is.”

    I couldn’t bring the patient to the lecture room, but I put Mr. Bernard’s medical record on the podium. The patient’s medical record, which contained all the surgery, treatment, and management.

    “I will show it to the professors separately later. It is all written in the chart.”

    “Was it effective?”

    I nodded.

    Now that you can walk, you should be able to take the cast off in a few weeks. I expect you to regain the same function you had before the accident.

    “You are currently in the ward. You will be discharged soon-”

    As soon as I heard that, the professor and one or two graduate students sitting in the back left the classroom. It seemed like they were going to interview a hospitalized patient.

    “Oh my.”

    I let out a small sigh.

    The patient must be tired.

    Most people in academia are shameless. If saving lives wasn’t their job, wouldn’t they have been bandits or conmen? Those people.

    I’m glad I’m putting all that effort into saving the patient. I scratched my head.

    “Yes, well. Just remember the conclusion. This simple device can straighten and fix your leg. If you straighten and fix your leg, the bone can be restored to its original state.”

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