Chapter 920: Smallpox and Penicillin

The impatient Governor of Port-au-Prince heeded the adjutant's advice and sent a message that the pirates would be hanged. Then he waited for news in the Governor's Palace. Torres was very worried that this move would be self-defeating, driving the pirates into a hurry, and sent himself several bloody ears and fingers of the noble crew, making himself even more unable to explain.

But all this was turned around with the arrival of the messenger of the English baron. In front of Torres' wide walnut desk stood a handsome Oriental man. But the man was very silent, with a bit of the coldness of a battle-hardened soldier. Torres bet that none of his strongest swordsmen would be the young man's opponent.

The contents of the letter were very simple and to the point, except that it was announced that His Excellency Shi Fan, Baron of Life of England, would visit the Governor at such time as the Governor felt convenient. The visit was related to the suffering of some Spanish crew members whom Baron Shifan met during his travels in the Caribbean. For the sake of the lives of your countrymen, I hope that Your Excellency the Governor will spare your precious time, Yunyun.

When you have time? Absolutely! Torres clung to the beautiful letter in a somewhat disorganized manner, as if an addict had grasped a bundle of life-saving straw. Even the sound of breathing became heavy.

"Tell your Excellency the Baron that the gates of the Doge's Palace are always open for him if it is convenient for him. My butler will prepare the most delicious English black tea for him. Torres said eagerly.

However, the young messenger in front of him remained coldly silent, his eyes staring directly at the letter in Torres' hand. The adjutant on the side saw that the governor was a little out of shape, straightened his back, and coughed twice.

Torres heard the adjutant's cough, then he understood, straightened his sitting posture, showed a faint aristocratic smile, calmly took a fine quill pen, dipped it in ink, and wrote an enthusiastic reply on a perfumed parchment letterhead handed by the adjutant. Then he poured some dried ink powder, shook it on the letterhead a few times, blotted the ink dry, put it in the envelope, and let the adjutant hand it to the visiting messenger.

The young and handsome messenger, neither humble nor arrogant, took the letterhead, bowed his head slightly, and arched his hand, this strange etiquette made Governor Torres and his lieutenant stunned, and a little overwhelmed to return the salute. It wasn't until the Messenger walked out of the door that he reacted.

"I've heard that this baron is a legendary figure, and I don't know what kind of news his visit can bring us." Torres unfolded his crumpled letterhead and said with some trepidation.

"I think it should be good news. Otherwise, a wooden box full of bloody ears should be brought over......," said the astute lieutenant, bowing down, feeling that his suggestion should have worked......

The outcome of the meeting the next day was very satisfying to both sides, at least from a personal point of view, our Lord Torres was very fond of the humble English baron. This is not because the other party brought the good news that most of the noble crew members are safe. What satisfies Torres even more is that this Baron Shifan is a very knowledgeable person......

The reason is that his lover can have a very beautiful pearl necklace around his neck. Of course, the generous baron gave him small gifts, such as a golden coral pipe that he had long wanted, and the strange silk fabric dressing gown that Madame loved. Perhaps he should repay the humble and generous baron by signing a governor's decree for him that would be tax-exempt.

Zhang Fan also breathed a sigh of relief, it seems that Captain Baka's intelligence is accurate. Akon's gift for the governor really touched the other side. In particular, the governor's wife saw the nightgown made of mermaid shark silk, and she almost pounced. and the string of sea pearl necklaces that Akon secretly stuffed to the governor, which thoughtfully moved the governor a little.

Of course, Captain Baka's insistence on taking out six pieces of scene wealth from his private money also played a big role. After all, Baron Shi Fan is for his own subordinates, and there is no reason for His Excellency the Baron to bear all the expenses alone.

The Doge prepared a sumptuous dinner for his guests, during which Akon finally received the coveted Port-au-Prince duty-free order, which was very expensive, but considering the cargo throughput of six large Karak merchant ships, these ten scenes of wealth were really insignificant. Of course, the Spanish tax collector in Port-au-Prince also had the benefits that Akon had given.

After the dinner, Zhang Fan had an in-depth confidential conversation with the governor, and the two sides soon reached a preliminary agreement. An amnesty was signed by the Governor of Torres to exempt captured pirates from the crime in exchange for all Spanish crews. Then, in the name of the Governor's Palace's investment, ten captured pirate ships were handed over to Baron Shifan. to ensure the safety of all six captains and accompanying scholars, as well as the noble crew. In exchange, pirates were not allowed to plunder under the jurisdiction of the Governor of Port-au-Prince. Baron Shi Fan will give the Governor a part of the return on investment every year, so that the Governor can dredge up and improve the relationship between the two sides......

The literal meaning of this vaguely worded agreement is really not binding on either side. But if you are a veteran of officialdom, I am afraid that you will understand at a glance the information about the dirty business revealed in it.

Less than two days later, a group of ragged missing Spanish sailors returned to Port-au-Prince in a wrecked three-masted schooner. According to the crew, six Karak galleons were destroyed by the fickle Caribbean storm, and they barely escaped with their lives. But no one would ask if the storm that Weishenme was able to destroy even the sturdy Karrak galleons had not wiped out these fragile seafarers. The heinous pirates who had been captured were shipped to Spain on orders of the Governor.

However, according to the later news that the wrecked ship full of pirates was wrecked and sank on the way. The inhabitants of the colony and the local natives naturally applauded, and the Spanish royal family was also very pleased with the result. The Governor of Port-au-Prince was rewarded with a fertile fief on the island of Haiti.

No one paid attention to why ten armed three-masted galleons disappeared from the maintenance dock in Port-au-Prince, and even the records of the dock were reduced to ashes in a bizarre fire. Perhaps the fire sent down by the gods burned down those filthy and sinful pirate ships. This was just more of a tavern for the colonists and the local natives. And the burning of these wrecked ships is even less worth mentioning for the Spanish royal family on the other side of the Atlantic. And the next sudden plague in Port-au-Prince also made everyone unconcerned about these bad things.

Only one person angrily pounded the table in his cabin, and in the sea breeze he scolded the Governor of Port-au-Prince for brazenly compromising with the filthy pirates, wasting the fruits of his hard work to exterminate the pirates, and causing the Empire to lose six valuable galleons full of wealth!

Zhang Fan settled the agreement with the Governor of Port-au-Prince and immediately went straight to the bay of Saint-Nicolas to deal with the strange plague. Naturally, the rest was left to Akon. When he arrived at the bay of St. Nicholas, he knew it was the terrible smallpox virus when he saw the plague-infected crew, covered in disgusting pustules with pus! This virus was a disaster for the Caribbean in the 16th century! If it is not well controlled, I am afraid that a quarter of the human race on this Haitian island will die because of it!

What made Zhang Fan feel tricky was that this infectious disease could not be effectively solved by his own Buddha power, and he had to treat it directly. Fortunately, Zhang Fan, as a modern doctor, knows how to use primitive methods to deal with this infectious disease that has long been extinct in modern times. He knew in his heart that this might be a very important scenario task.

Zhang Fan gathered smallpox patients who had already developed pox, squeezed out the yellow-white smallpox venom in chickenpox, diluted it with distilled water, and applied it to the cross wound drawn by the healthy crew. But such preventive treatment has been fiercely resisted by healthy crews! If Captain Stoke hadn't offered to be the first to be vaccinated, those crew members would have been killed and would not have touched those disgusting poison slurries!

After an uncomfortable period of immunization, the vaccinated crew soon became so alive that they would not be infected even if they came into contact with the most rotting smallpox patients. This made everyone more confident in Zhang Fan's medical skills! But Zhang Fan himself complained, because even Shijie, the reality of advanced science and technology, can only prevent this virulent infectious disease, but cannot cure it. Once infected, even if the miracle doctor is reincarnated, there is nothing he can do! And there are no anti-infectives in this era!

Fortunately, as a doctor, Zhang Fan knew the medical history of penicillin production and development, so he tried to grow penicillin with bread crumbs and fruit juice. Finally, from the clumps of blue-green mold, a solution that can inhibit bacteria is isolated, and penicillin is indeed formed as a scene prop. This gave Zhang Fan hope, although he knew that penicillin could not cure smallpox, but at least it could inhibit the bacterial infection caused by it, so that more people could survive.

The results are remarkable, probably because the human body has not yet developed drug resistance in this era, and this most effective antibiotic can alleviate the suffering of smallpox patients, and more importantly, give these patients the confidence to reduce the mortality rate of 25% to 5%. It can be said that most of the people infected with smallpox were saved!

This greatly enhanced Zhang Fan's prestige, and in the future, Baron Shi Fan became a legend of a Caribbean miracle doctor! You know, there is only one way to deal with this infectious disease in this era, and that is to burn smallpox patients and caregivers to death! It's cruel, but it works! There is no other way.