Doctor Goes Back to Joseon Chapter 41: Smallpox Farewell Gut [1]

Chapter 41: Smallpox Farewell Gut [1]

‘When smallpox cos, they have a party to celebrate the survival and console the dead fourteen days after its onset. The party is ford as a play or gut, which is called ‘Smallpox Farewell Gut’.’ Quoted from ‘Biography of Baik Ganghyuk’ by Jeong Yeoju

…

Shamans walked very fast, as if they had already been possessed by a spirit. They were already on the hill, which ant they had arrived at the plaza in the town where the governor had arranged things for the Gut.

‘Goodness!’ Ganghyuk hesitated to stop it all of a sudden.

‘But, I should…’

He was a doctor, and knew people should avoid gathering when an infectious disease like smallpox began to spread. Furthermore, this gathering was not for the treatnt, but for a Gut!

It was absolute nonsense!

“Governor!” Ganghyuk shouted to call him while being slightly out of breath. The governor looked back in response, showing gladness on his face.

“Oh, Ganghyuk! Why don’t you take so rest? I heard that you worked all night.”

“No, I am fine, but…”

Ganghyuk looked around and saw colorful textile pieces flying in the wind. He could see swords with keen edges, as well as a straw cutter.

Moo!

The cow shed tears as if it knew its own fate-the gut was about to begin. Fortunately, they had not brought any villagers here yet.

“Do you really need this Gut?”

Hearing the question, the governor laughed with a low voice. Fortunately, he did not show strong reactions, as he had a really favorable impression of Ganghyuk.

“You are certainly a Confucian scholar.”

“Pardon?”

Confucian scholar?

He was a beginner in reading ‘Thousand Characters’, but the governor did not know of his situation. To him, the poem that Gagnhyuk recited in the poetry contest last ti was way too impressive.

He was under that impression that Ganghyuk’s knowledge had reached too high a level.

He might have fainted if he knew that that was one of the only three poems that Ganghyuk had morized in his entire lifeti.

“Yes, I know Gut is unreasonable. But, we need to do it.”

“It is to show that you care for them, right?”

“Yes, you have already understood the duty of an official. Good!”

“Can we postpone showing the love for the people a little?”

“What do you an?”

His face took on a grim expression. It was not a good sign.

‘What should I do?’ Ganghyuk tried to find a good excuse. There were many ideas floating in his head, the first one being very egoistic.

‘I do not need to annoy him. This small village can disappear…’

Of course, not all of them would die because he had prepared the cowpox vaccine. But, it was certain that more people would die if this was not stopped.

‘No, no.’

The second thought was out of conscience.

‘It will not spoil our relationship, anyway.’

After he ca to Joseon, they t nearly every day, even having a drink many tis. The governor was very close to his father as well. Most importantly, he was ready to listen to him.

‘I should make a good excuse, anyway.’

It seed that he could not prohibit the Gut. He did not have to prohibit it, either.

“There are too many people here right now.”

Ganghyuk pointed at the entry of the clinic, from where Heo Jun and his fellows were about to enter at this very mont.

When they had left, they were seven, but they returned in the form of a group of fifteen people. That ant that they brought eight new patients.

The number of new patients was not small at all.

“It is difficult to gather all the villagers.”

“Yes, but we cannot help it.”

“If there were a sick person among the viewers, it could get serious. Smallpox can be spread among viewers.”

“Does smallpox spread in that way?”

In the past, the disease was thought of as a punishnt from the heavens. Furthermore, an ugly and fatal disease like smallpox was considered as a major punishnt.

For example, one could find the record of preoccupation and discrimination against leprosy anywhere in the world. It was not very important for them to think about the real cause, as they did not know about it at that ti.

“Yes, it does.”

“Heo…”

The governor did not ask for the reason and just listened to him.

“But, we need to do it.”

“Yes, I know. But, can you postpone it a little?”

“Postpone?”

“Yes.”

“Hmmm…”

The governor was in agony.

More than twenty soldiers were waiting for his order. Once he gave them the command, they would call all the villagers. Shamans would ride the straw cutter and the cow would be sacrificed. The performance group fellows would then play to let the god entertain himself.

With all that, the people would be consoled and feel comforted, even though it was just a show…

“Eeem…”

It seed that he could not decide it right away. He thought for a long ti and then asked, “How long?”

“Pardon?”

“How long should I postpone it for?”

“Ah!”

Ganghyuk tried to rember things regarding the smallpox.

‘It starts with red dots… blisters, and then scabs. When scabs are ford, the smallpox can be considered to have been managed.’

It took about ten days generally. But, if he wanted to be sure of the safety of people, fourteen days would be good.

‘So may die during the period.’

But, those who died would be fewer than in any other area. They had Ganghyuk and Heo Jun here after all.

“Fourteen days, sir.”

“Fourteen days? That long…”

“It is necessary, though. I will do my best not to cause any problems during the ti.”

“Hm…”

It was a favor that Ganghyuk had asked. Furthermore, he looked very confident as always. Considering his track record, he had not really disappointed the Governor in terms of treatnt of a disease till now.

“Okay, then.”

“Really?”

“Yes, but only fourteen days. I cannot give you more ti.”

“That will be enough, sir.”

If it did not spread more, it perhaps would indeed end in fourteen days. The patients would have a definite conclusion to their condition in that duration, with only two options available for them in the end-to die or to live

The governor made his determination, “Well, let’s wait then.”

Hearing the governor shout, the shamans who were busy with the preparation looked back. They were all surprised, and one of them who was a very old man, even ca up to him.

“But sir, if the smallpox god becos angry…”

There was no god such as smallpox god! How could he get angry then?

Ganghyuk shook his head.

“Don’t worry. We will do the Gut in fourteen days.”

“But, we already have a schedule…”

“We can do it better later on.”

“But…”

The old shaman looked at the governor with a tearful face. However, the governor was already determined.

“I have made the decision. You listen to Scholar Baik and prepare for it with perfection. You may pray till the Gut.”

“Yes, I see. I will follow it then.” The shaman nodded his head and retreated. He might be afraid of smallpox god, but the governor was an even more fearful existence to him.

After all, the governor was more likely to kill him than the smallpox god under the current circumstances.

The annoyance and anger he felt was hence directed toward Gaghyuk as he stared at the latter with fiery eyes. But, Ganghyuk did not mind at all.

‘Will they curse ?’ He did not mind being cursed though.

Ganghyuk passed the embarrassed shamans and went back to the clinic. Yeoju had gone with him there in vain, thinking that she would have to draw the Gut.

Nevertheless, she did not seem to be too disappointed. She had seen Ganghyuk give his opinion to the governor and successfully convince the latter.

“You seem to be afraid of nothing.”

“What do you an?”

“You did not follow the governor but told him your thoughts.”

“Ah! I did that because I thought he would accept it.”

He had enough experience in social life, so he acted in accordance with the circumstances in which he found himself.

Yeoju did not know details of his life. Although she was strong and clever girl, she did not have much experience of this kind. Furthermore, there were not many people like Ganghyuk in that era.

Hence, she felt that Ganghyuk was very special.

“Even my father could not postpone the Gut.”

“Really? Professor Jeong could not do that?”

“Hmm…”

It was an unexpected thing to hear for Ganghyuk. With Changgweon being a real Confucian scholar, he thought that the latter would turn the place upside down even in the middle of such a ritual

“Anyway, I have earned so ti for us. Now, I should utilize it.” Saying that, Ganghyuk hurried into the clinic.

The yard was crowded because of the patients that Heo Jun brought. It was certain that all of them had contracted smallpox.

‘Heo Jun is surely a good doctor!’

Heo Jun had precisely diagnosed smallpox. As he had brought the patients, now it was Gnaghyuk’s turn to treat them.

“Put the pus in your nose.”

It seed like an unreasonable command, but all the patients were farrs, so they could not reject the order. After all, there was not only Ganghyuk, but also the governor in the yard, along with all the soldiers encircling them.

“Oops!”

“Uk!”

“Ak!”

They scread, groaned, and grunted with a variety of negative emotions.

“Next…”

Now, Ganghyuk had to give them dicine according to their symptoms.

At this mont, Heo Jun offered his help. Not only did he make Yanggyeoksan and Seonbanghwalmyeongeum, but also so new dicine that Ganghyuk had not seen before. It seed dearer than even Seonbanghwalmyeongeum, considering the quality of aroma.

“Is this a new dicine?”

“Yes, it is called Gamibulhwangeumjeonggisan. It can be used for the patients who do not have pus anymore.”

“I see!”

The dicine had quite a long na. Ganghyuk took a mo and Yeoju drew all the ingredient herbs.

There were a variety of expensive and rare herbs used in it, such as elecampane and kneeling angelica. If the governor had not opened his warehouse for help, it could not have been prescribed at all.

Heo Jun looked at Ganghyuk and said, “I found that the patient in the warehouse had gotten worse. I tried to treat him, but…”

It seed that his status was really bad, considering that Heo Jun did not finish the sentence.

Ganghyuk hurried, “How is he?”

“Blood ca out along with his coughs.”

“Blood? Oh my goodness!”

Bleeding was never a good sign, and Hemoptysis was the worst sign. In smallpox, it was even more important as a sign.

Thus, Ganghyuk rushed to the warehouse.

…

“Cough”

He could see the patient constantly coughing, with blood coming out whenever he did. It must be hemoptysis, as there were bubbles seen in it.

“Are you alright?”

“Eu…”

There was no chance that the patient could be fine. He had had a fever, and was coughing his lungs out. On his arm was hanging an empty IV set.

There was nothing more to observe, so he looked at the patient with despairing eyes.

‘Hemorrhagic smallpox! I cannot save him.’

Hemorrhagic smallpox was an infectious disease with hundred percent mortality! Nobody could save him at this stage.

Gagnhyuk rembered the old lesson.

‘Sotis, we need to choose between life and death… and at tis, the best redy is to reduce the pain… the aningless pain…’

Ganhyuk considered the situation and gave him a narcotic analgesic, injecting three ampules in him. It was all he had, and it should be enough to reduce the patient’s pain.

It would give comfort to him, and might lead to a painless death by depressing the breathing.

“Endure so more. You will be good.”

“Thank you!”

The patient bowed without knowing what he had been injected with.

“Take a good rest.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ganghyuk left the warehouse, rembering the Hippocratic oath that he had made when he beca a doctor.

‘I must concentrate on those I can save, as I have postponed the Gut. Maybe, I will not have ti to take a rest.’