Chapter 25 of 100

Chapter 25

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As the end of 1842 approached, articles signed by "Dr. Jason" began to appear in several left-wing newspapers in Britain, as well as in France and Germany (the German Confederation).

The title of the article was "Doctors—Spreaders of Disease." It was first published in some small newspapers with limited circulation. The article first refuted the "theory of natural disease occurrence," which was considered a golden rule in British medical circles at the time. It argued that diseases, including puerperal fever and post-surgical wound infections, were not "naturally occurring" but were caused by the spread of certain bacteria. Moreover, many of the deadly bacteria that caused countless patient deaths were actually spread by British doctors! The rapid spread of these pathogenic bacteria was due to the neglect of personal hygiene, surgical instrument cleanliness, and hospital sanitation by most British doctors. The most typical example was the spread and prevalence of puerperal fever.

The article bluntly stated: "It is the contaminated hands and instruments of British doctors that have brought disaster to mothers!" It also said: "It is not terrible to have been wrong in the past; what is terrible is refusing to acknowledge science and reality. While some hospitals and doctors have already recognized this error and have significantly reduced the incidence of puerperal fever through effective disinfection methods, the authorities in the British medical community remain stubborn and refuse to acknowledge this fact, unwilling to take any measures to change the current situation where British doctors and hospitals are spreading bacteria... ."

Some newspapers also published a brief introduction to Dr. Jason.

Jason Zhu, a medical expert from the East, not only had a deep understanding of Western medicine but was also proficient in the mysterious Chinese medicine. Based on his research in Chinese medicine, he discovered and proposed the "blood type theory," solving the long-standing "blood transfusion problem" that had plagued the European medical community, making it possible for the widespread conduct of surgical operations. Furthermore, on the basis of blood transfusion treatment and surgical disinfection, he successfully performed multiple "cesarean sections" at the Omen Hospital in London, saving the lives of several women suffering from difficult labor. Outraged by the Royal Medical Society's refusal to acknowledge the "bacterial disease theory" and its refusal to establish strict medical disinfection regulations, he submitted articles to major newspapers in Britain and France, hoping to use public opinion to force the medical community to recognize science and reality, thereby saving the lives of countless patients!

The statements were clear and forceful, but this hornet's nest was indeed stirred up, almost overturning a whole boat of people!

Moreover, the evidence presented alongside these accusations was insufficient. There were only the statistical data from Omen Hospital and a few successful cesarean sections. There was no concrete evidence for the "bacterial disease theory"—no demonstration of the pathogenic bacteria under a microscope, nor solid experimental proof that killing pathogenic bacteria could prevent the occurrence of diseases.

Thus, when Dr. Jason's articles were published, they immediately caused a huge stir.

Especially in Britain, where Dr. Jason was based, the Royal Medical Society responded immediately, announcing the revocation of Jason Zhu's medical license.

At the same time, prominent articles refuting the claims were published in prominent positions in major "mainstream newspapers," all written by the most authoritative doctors in Britain. They cited traditional medical theories to refute Jason Zhu, labeling him as an uneducated fraud and his theories as "pseudoscience." Some even made a big deal out of Jason Zhu's skin color and ethnicity, claiming he was an unintelligent yellow-skinned person who was not qualified to engage in medical research, and that his theories were not worth refuting.

Some doctors even publicly declared in newspapers: "Doctors are gentlemen, and the hands of a gentleman are always clean, so there is no need for doctors to wash their hands after surgery or autopsy, let alone wear gloves."

Even more malicious individuals mocked Jason Zhu's two nicknames, "Jack the Ripper" and "Bloodthirsty Vet Jason," speculating that he came from an Eastern veterinary family and discovered the existence of different blood types while treating animals. They suggested that he might have conducted several potentially fatal human experiments to apply this theory to humans, and recommended that the London police investigate whether any British citizens had died in these inhumane blood transfusion experiments...

Such arguments naturally quickly caught the attention of the British bourgeoisie and middle class, making hospital hygiene a topic of conversation during their leisure time. Jason Zhu became a celebrity as he had hoped, but his reputation was not good. Most of the bourgeoisie and middle class believed the Royal Medical Society rather than the so-called Eastern medical expert.

Moreover, these people would not go to dirty hospitals for treatment; they had skilled and considerate doctors who would visit their homes. If they paid attention, they would notice that these visiting doctors were now very concerned about personal hygiene, washing their hands repeatedly with bleach before surgery and disinfecting their tools with iodine and alcohol...

However, the majority of the British working class, who made up the majority of the population, held the opposite view—because the working class in Britain at this time did not read mainstream newspapers!

It may sound unbelievable, but the prices of mainstream British newspapers in the 1840s were exorbitantly high! For example, the prices of mainstream newspapers like The Times, The Manchester Guardian, and The Leeds Mercury were between 7 and 10 pence, equivalent to several days' wages for a casual laborer! Who would work hard for three or four days to earn money to buy a newspaper?

The reason for such high newspaper prices was mainly due to the "stamp duty" system introduced in 1712. Because newspapers had to pay stamp duty, advertising tax, and other taxes, their prices were extremely high. The British government claimed that this was to effectively control public opinion—this was so-called freedom of speech and freedom of the press?

However, the result of this "stamp duty" system, which had been in place for over a hundred years, was far from its original intention. The British at this time were not as law-abiding as they would later become, so many illegal newspapers that did not pay stamp duty emerged! For example, The Northern Star, where Will Heming worked, was actually an illegal newspaper! Similar newspapers included The Observer and The London Courier, among dozens or even hundreds of others. These newspapers had a less flattering nickname: "radical newspapers," meaning they had very radical views and were against the mainstream society.

However, these newspapers that evaded "stamp duty" and other taxes had a very wide readership. For example, the largest mainstream newspaper in Britain, The Times, had a daily circulation of only about 30,000 copies, mainly targeting the elite of British society. In contrast, The Northern Star, where Will Heming worked, had a peak circulation of over 100,000 copies! Moreover, the lower and middle classes of British society at the time enjoyed reading these newspapers collectively in public places such as cafes, bars, and restaurants in working-class areas. This mass reading method further expanded the readership of these already widely circulated radical newspapers.

After the topics of "universal suffrage" and "democratic systems" were temporarily suppressed by the British government, radical newspapers like The Northern Star began to target the dark side of British society. Jason Zhu's debate with the Royal Medical Society at this time provided the best ammunition for the writers of radical newspapers like Engels.

As a result, articles condemning the Royal Medical Society and the bourgeois-controlled charity hospitals for their disregard for human life and the murder of the proletariat flooded the pages. The articles became increasingly intense, with some even claiming that "murders against the proletariat are taking place in charity hospitals! Puerperal fever is a tool used by the nobility and bourgeoisie to eliminate the 'excess' proletariat population..."

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