A Hospital in Another World?

"Although it’s a hospital, there are no firecrackers, no ribbon-cutting ceremonies, and no one sends flower baskets; it feels like something is missing."

Garrett stood at the entrance of the hospital, hands behind his back, head tilted back, muttering to himself.

He didn’t really want these things... As a medical practitioner, he hoped for a world without illness, preferring dust to gather on medicines rather than advertising with gongs and drums everywhere. Of course, some hospitals are exceptions.

But at least, the local people should know that there’s a treatment facility here! When they have ailments or injuries, they should know to come here for help!

"Come on, raise our flag!" he called out cheerfully. At Leon Carlos’s command, several necromancer apprentices clumsily directed the skeletons to climb up high and hang...

A white flag with a red cross.

In this world, the flag of the Radiant Lord’s Church was a fist clutching a golden thunderbolt.

No one contested the red cross flag.

Yay. Happy!

"Walk in that direction to the end, the place with the red cross flag, there are people there to treat you..."

Even so, on the first day, no patients came to Garrett’s hospital. The same was true for the second day, and the third day remained patient-free. Garrett was not in a hurry; he calmly continued working with his apprentices on the smallpox vaccine.

"First of all, to prevent smallpox infection, we need to vaccinate first..."

Garrett gestured, and two skeletons, dressed as nurses, led a cow into the courtyard. The row of apprentices immediately stirred.

Garrett ignored them. Smallpox was too virulent, transmitted through air, droplets, used items, and scabs from infected people. Allowing students to study it unprotected was criminal, it was akin to murder!

"Vaccination is very convenient." Garrett smiled warmly:

"Using the pustule fluid from this cow, injected into the upper arm muscle, just a little bit... About ten days later, you might experience mild fever symptoms. After recovery, you’ll never get smallpox again! I’ve tried it myself recently!"

Leon Carlos was very effective, having found a cow with the right symptoms in the countryside. After verifying experiments, Garrett confirmed it was indeed cowpox and couldn’t wait to vaccinate himself.

Wow, this world is too dangerous. Even just for one’s own safety, it’s crucial to get vaccinated quickly!

Silence fell below. After a moment, a slender, strong arm was raised. Garrett followed the direction of the arm and saw a medical apprentice step forward, face serious: ṙÂΝ𝐎𐌱Ěṥ

"But sir, how can you be sure that the pustule fluid on this cow can be used?—Some cows with similar pustules, when used on humans, still result in smallpox!"

"Well said." Garrett nodded with a smile. Edward Jenner, the discoverer of the smallpox vaccine, faced this problem: some cows with pustules provided protection, others did not:

"Because on cows, there’s ’true cowpox’ and ’false cowpox’. Both types can infect humans and the symptoms are similar, but only ’true cowpox’ can provide protection. How to distinguish them, I’ll explain once you all are protected."

Cowpox had to be diagnosed against milker’s nodules, sheep pox, primary cutaneous tuberculosis, among other diseases. The method of differentiation depended on the symptoms and pathological examinations of the infected areas. This was too cumbersome to discuss at a vaccine lecture!

"But it’s so troublesome!" an apprentice wrinkled his nose:

"The failure rate is still very high! Sir, we clearly have a better method!"

"What method?"

"Of course, during a major smallpox epidemic, deliberately infect oneself—"

What?

Garrett was prepared for odd answers, but he still felt a bolt of lightning strike his head. Deliberate infection? That’s too dangerous! Even though the thinking and behavior in this magical world are different from his past life, this was not the way to die!

Before he could express his surprise, he heard the latter part. The medical apprentice stated matter-of-factly:

"Then, use 【Remove Disease】 to cure yourself!"

!!!

Theoretically, this method is effective...

Getting sick and then recovering naturally grants immunity. 【Remove Disease】 is also a way to heal, covering all diseases it can target, ensuring a 100% cure rate.

Compared to cowpox, especially among a plethora of similar pustules, finding the one

that provides immunity, 【Remove Disease】 is obviously more convenient, faster, and more accurate...

But it’s expensive.

Very expensive.

Garrett quickly thought it through and smiled warmly: "So, can anyone tell me how much a bottle of 【Remove Disease】 potion costs?"

Several hands shot up.

【Remove Disease】 potion, like 【Heal Minor Wounds】, 【Heal Moderate Wounds】, and 【Heal Major Wounds】 potions, are standard stock at all major temples.

As long as there’s no major disaster, war, etc., causing a severe supply-demand imbalance, these standard potions are always priced stably and uniformly:

"750 gold coins!"

"I know, it’s 750 gold coins!"

As long as there’s no major calamity, the demand surges, whether it’s the War God’s Temple or the Spring Water’s Temple, or the Magic Council’s exchange counters, the price displayed is always this average. Garrett continued smiling:

"So, how many families can afford several 750 gold coins to protect their entire family?"

The apprentices fell silent at once. A family—father, mother, two or three children—four potions would cost 3000 gold coins, five potions, 3750 gold coins. Not many families could casually spare over three thousand gold coins without affecting their financial situation.

At least, the mage apprentices looked at each other and realized that at least half of their families couldn’t afford this amount...

Right, smallpox is just one kind of epidemic. Besides smallpox, there are chickenpox, diphtheria, scarlet fever, whooping cough... all could be treated with 【Remove Disease】, even if a family owned several estates and shops, they could be bankrupted by it.

If they can’t afford it, someone must cast the spell onsite. But there’s no free knowledge, and certainly no free magic.

Instructors might be willing to cast spells for apprentices, but each spell would be counted as a favor, or converted into longer service periods at the Mage Tower or temples.

Calculating it this way, if there’s a cheaper solution, perhaps, maybe, it might be quite good...

Silence reigned below. Garrett, confident, continued to inquire:

"Besides, how many times can a fifth-level priest cast 【Remove Disease】 in one day? During an epidemic, how many people can he protect?"

The apprentices exchanged glances, completely at a loss for words.

Smallpox, or any kind of epidemic, when widespread, affects thousands. If the spellcaster’s 【Remove Disease】 could completely resolve it, there wouldn’t be an epidemic issue.

Wanting to get infected during an outbreak of smallpox, then cure oneself with 【Remove Disease】?

Either you have money, or you have power... Potions expire and become ineffective. During a major epidemic, getting help from a spellcaster is much harder than usual...

"So, this is where our work’s value lies." Garrett looked up and smiled, his eyes gleaming. He paced a few steps closer to the cow, patting its head:

"We can significantly reduce the cost of combating smallpox, bringing it down to a level manageable by first-level spellcasters, apprentices, or even ordinary people. The cost of gaining resistance can drop from 750 gold coins to 50 gold coins, maybe even less—"

Garrett remembered that when discussing infectious diseases, his teacher had once gossiped that in 1797 in the United States, private smallpox vaccination clinics charged between 10 and 15 pounds per case. That meant the cost could indeed be reduced to under 10 gold coins.

In fact, in England, the birthplace of the smallpox vaccine, it had once been promoted nationwide as a mandatory free vaccination. That meant its vaccination costs could be reduced to a level the public finances could afford...

"We are healers. Our goal is to take care of the public’s health as much as possible. As much as possible, to make this world a little less sick and painful."

Garrett’s expression gradually became more serious. He looked up toward the roof above, under a sky covered with leaden clouds, where the bright red cross fluttered, like a flame that would never be extinguished.

He opened a hospital, took in apprentices, not just for labor, but more so, looking for companions willing to walk together under the guidance of the red cross—

His gaze shifted, Miss Anita Winvey, the young priestess of the God of Nature, smiled and nodded at him. Leon Carlos straightened his back, his expression barely containing his excitement. Among the new apprentices, the temple priests, the young medical ones, most had their faces flushed red.@@novelbin@@

Garrett nodded at them:

"Those who want to participate in this project, come here, we’ll vaccinate one by one. Those who don’t want to participate, no pressure, there are other research projects for you. Volunteer to sign up, participate voluntarily, don’t worry about having nothing to

do, I have plenty of projects here—"

Before he could finish, five necromancer apprentices had already neatly lined up. Behind them, Anita Winvey pushed a recent priest apprentice, her tone slightly angry:

"Hurry up!—You actually let the necromancers beat you!"

Really, losing face for the God of Nature, who doesn’t know that priests of the God of Nature can fight and run!

Everyone has a herd mentality. Necromancer apprentices took the lead, medical-oriented apprentices followed, those from transformation, control, and protection schools, holding introduction letters for work, also pushed and shoved into the line.

—The owner of this mage tower, the director of this medical facility, wouldn’t harm them. Even if he did, he wouldn’t harm so many at once. Getting a smallpox protection for free, isn’t that sweet?

Leon Carlos extracted fluid from the cowpox pustules, and Anita Winvey divided it into small vials. Garrett rolled up his sleeves and personally vaccinated each apprentice. While working, he muttered:

"Vaccination is usually done in the upper arm... The deltoid here has thick muscle, less likely to have problems..."

"Disinfect first, the angle of the needle should be perpendicular to the skin..."

"One needle per person, can’t be shared, to prevent cross-infection..."

Whether they understood or not, he filled their ears first. After all, this knowledge was beneficial to memorize; if it were to be promoted on a large scale later, they would rely on them for the hard work!

After the vaccinations were completed, the apprentices collectively exited. Garrett breathed a sigh of relief, just about to tidy up when he saw Miss Silver Dragon leaning by the door, smiling:

"Garrett, vaccinate me too?"

...Madam, please don’t joke! Let’s not even talk about whether dragons can get smallpox, my syringe can’t pierce your scales!

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