Chapter 56

London, a symbolic name of the 19th century.

This name represents a city, but in a broader sense, it represents a country, the British Empire, whose colonies spanned the globe. In this era, London symbolized the world's foremost power, an invincible fleet unmatched by any, and an indomitable will!

Two days later, John and Hans arrived in London.

They toured Hyde Park, saw Big Ben, and spent three days casually exploring London. While experiencing the world's premier city, they were also deeply impressed by the might of Britain. In comparison, although New York's development was like a rocket, it still fell far short of the rich and storied London!

Three days later, John leisurely made his way to the Royal Society of London.

"Sir, I'm a bit confused."

Hans was puzzled about John's itinerary for the day and couldn't help but ask, "What are you going to do here?"

"Hehe, I just want to see if there's anything that interests me."

John answered the butler's question nonchalantly, but his eyes were fixed on the notices posted on the walls of the hall. The Royal Society of London was somewhat like a modern academy of sciences, often hosting scientific lectures. The notices on the walls were previews of these lectures, and John was using them to find information that interested him.

"Pity..."

After reading from start to finish, John shook his head slightly. After a brief hesitation, he walked over to a staff member nearby.

"Sir, is there anything I can help you with?"

Seeing John approach, the staff member didn't wait for him to speak and asked proactively.

Today, John was wearing a suit he had custom-made before leaving. Although he looked young, his dignified appearance and outstanding demeanor gave him great convenience. In an era that valued status and position, no one would easily slight him.

He politely bowed first and then asked with a smile, "May I ask if Mr. Joseph Lister works here?"

...

On the way back to the hotel in the carriage, Hans asked with a puzzled look, "Sir, may I ask what kind of person Mr. Lister is? I only know he is a surgeon, but... how did you know him? Why do you insist on seeing his surgical demonstration?"

Hans really couldn't understand John's intentions.

Medicine in this era was extremely backward. Whether it was frequent outbreaks of infectious diseases or various illnesses in ordinary people, doctors could do very little. The backward state of surgery made doctors unpopular among the general public. This was an era when many people still referred to surgeons as barber-surgeons. Patients would only choose to have surgery as a last resort because it meant facing very high risks!

So Hans really couldn't understand why John was interested in such a surgeon, let alone insisting on seeing a surgical demonstration that resembled a slaughterhouse!

"Haha, he is a very great surgeon."

John said excitedly, "I read an article in a magazine written by Professor Lister. He proposed a very innovative idea... well, Mr. Elber, you just need to know that I am very interested in his research."

"But, our itinerary..."

Although John said this, the butler's face still showed a hint of difficulty.

The staff member in the Royal Society's hall had clearly stated that Professor Lister did not work in the building and rarely came, but there would be a public surgical demonstration on Saturday. If interested, one could attend. Seeing John's excited expression at the time, Hans had already guessed his thoughts—he would definitely stay to watch the surgery before leaving!

In other words, they would have to stay in London for at least four more days!

To delay a four-day trip just to watch a surgeon operate on a patient, which seemed like a slaughterhouse to Hans, was an incomprehensible thing! Moreover, he didn't understand why the young master of the Huntelaar family suddenly became so interested in medicine. At that moment, he suddenly had a very bad feeling, as if... John had come to London specifically to see Professor Lister!

However, John clearly didn't think much about it, waving his hand casually, "Alright, just staying a few more days in London. Mr. Elber, you can book a ship ticket for a week from now. After watching the surgery, we will immediately head to Hamburg. Is that okay?"

"This... alright."

Sighing inwardly, Hans nodded helplessly. Even if he vaguely guessed John's intentions, he had no way to change them. He could only offer a few simple words of advice and console himself, "Just a week, let him be."

After all, he was just a butler, and following orders was his duty.

After settling the arrangements for the next week, Hans fell silent, while John enthusiastically observed the scenes of London's streets, completely immersed in the excitement of soon meeting Lister...

Joseph Lister, a name known to almost all surgeons in the future.

As a 19th-century surgeon, Lister's greatest achievement was not inventing a new surgical technique or explaining a particular disease. In fact, the only and most brilliant achievement that made history remember him was pioneering the era of preventing infections during surgery!

In the 21st century, even ordinary people know that if they accidentally suffer an external injury, they should disinfect it with alcohol or iodine to prevent infection. However, over a hundred years ago, even the most professional surgeons wouldn't think of this! Surgeons of that era wouldn't wash their hands or disinfect before operating, and operating rooms were often exposed to environments teeming with bacteria. Many surgeons would perform operations in tailcoats, and some would even operate bare-chested in hot weather. If a surgeon wore a blood-stained surgical gown, it was often seen as a sign of rich surgical experience!

It's easy to imagine how tragic the patients of that era were!

In fact, before Lister, a Hungarian physician named Ignaz Semmelweis had also discovered this. Semmelweis found that the mortality rate of mothers in Vienna's hospitals was shockingly high. After research, he discovered that it was related to the dirty environment of the hospital. Therefore, he mandated that physicians wash their hands with bleach before touching mothers, which dramatically reduced the mortality rate.

However, unfortunately, Semmelweis's research was not accepted by people. Physicians still adhered to the "spontaneous generation theory," believing that the decay of organic matter was a natural occurrence, and that patients' infections, like mosquitoes from sewage, were inevitable. Some physicians believed that the "miasma" around the hospital caused the decay of patients' bodies, so most people ridiculed Semmelweis's research. In the end, the aggrieved physician, to prove his theory, deliberately cut his finger while performing an autopsy on a woman who died of puerperal fever and died as a result.

Twenty to thirty years later, Lister's efforts finally changed everything.

Like Semmelweis, Lister was puzzled by patients' infections. After coming into contact with Pasteur's germ theory, he began to study disinfection and, through decades of relentless effort, made more and more surgeons accept the concept of disinfection. This not only elevated the role and status of surgeons but also left Lister's name shining brightly in the annals of medical history!

How could John not specially come to meet such a legendary figure?

Thinking about it, John couldn't help but chuckle softly, "First, I'll meet Lister in London, then I'll go to Berlin to meet Koch, and during the holiday, I can definitely make a trip to Paris to meet Pasteur..."

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