Chapter 57

Four days later, at eight o'clock, John got out of bed on time. Today was the day he was to meet Lister, so he couldn't be as lazy as he had been the past few days. After washing up early, he put on his most suitable clothes and eagerly called Hans to set off.

The London Royal College Hospital was not close to the hotel; the carriage took a full hour to arrive.

"Mr. Elber, you don't need to come in," John said with a smile after getting off the carriage. "I'm very interested in Professor Lister, and I'll watch the entire process. You can go sightseeing nearby; there's no need for you to accompany me."

"Well..."

Hearing this, Hans hesitated. To be honest, he was a bit tempted. After all, watching a bloody surgery was a bit too much for him, but he was also worried about leaving the young master alone. He was torn for a moment.

Seeing Hans's expression, John knew he was tempted and quickly added, "Mr. Elber, I'm not a child. Nothing will happen in a place like this. Don't worry... Come to pick me up at noon!"

"Alright, sir."

After a brief hesitation, Hans nodded in agreement.

Once Hans left in the carriage he had hired for the day, John secretly let out a sigh of relief and a smile appeared on his face. Since he was here today, if possible, he naturally hoped to meet his idol and have a chat. Having Hans around would be inconvenient.

With a light heart, John quickly entered the hospital, asked for directions, and found his destination on the second floor.

"Hmm... ten more minutes."

Taking out his pocket watch to check the time, John calmed himself down and then reached out to push the dark red door in front of him.

"Creak!"

The door opened, and a wave of noise instantly hit John's ears.

"Uh... What's going on?!"

Seeing everything in front of him, John was stunned!

Behind the door was a room like a university lecture hall, with seven or eight rows of long benches at the back and an oval-shaped open space at the front, where a high single bed was placed. In front of John, the benches were crowded with all sorts of people, some engaged in heated discussions, others whispering, making the entire hall as lively as a street market!

"Did I come to the wrong room?"

Instinctively, John thought he had made a mistake and quickly turned to check the room number.

"It should be the right place!"

Scratching his head, John verified the number on the paper he held. Still puzzled, he looked around and soon saw a small notice by the door: "10:00 AM, Professor Joseph Lister."

Reading the notice, John's eyes nearly popped out!

It really was the right place!

Without hesitation, John re-entered the room, but he still couldn't believe he had found the right place. He couldn't see how this hall-like room could be a surgery room! The only thing that seemed related to surgery was the bed at the front, but what about all the people watching?

This is what a public demonstration means?

Swallowing hard, John felt as if a thousand horses were galloping through his mind. Even though he knew that surgery in this era would be very primitive in the eyes of a true expert like himself, he still expected it to be in a proper operating room due to Lister's great reputation. He never imagined it would be like this!

"The patients in this era must be truly miserable!"

For the umpteenth time, John silently mourned for the patients of this era. If even a great surgeon like Lister operated like this, one could only imagine the conditions of others...

Lost in his thoughts, the ten minutes passed quickly.

As the clock struck ten, a small door on the left side of the front opened, and seven or eight people rushed in, instantly quieting the room.

Lister has arrived!

Awakened from his thoughts by the sudden silence, John's eyes lit up, and he immediately focused on the people entering. One of them was pale and walked unsteadily, clearly the patient who would be on the bed today. The others were dressed in suits.

"Gentlemen."

A moment later, a well-dressed gentleman stood at the front and loudly said, "Welcome to the surgery demonstration led by Professor Lister..."

By this point, John was no longer interested in the rest of what the man said because he had already identified Lister.

The one standing in the center, at the front!

Around fifty years old, he looked very strong, with long hair that reached his ears, neatly combed, and a typical British beard on his chin, giving him an intellectual and authoritative appearance. What left the deepest impression on John, however, were Lister's eyes—calm, peaceful, and serene, like those of countless elders who had weathered many storms.

"Phew..."

Taking a deep breath, John's heart rate quickened slightly.

Like a fan meeting their idol, John felt excited and moved. After all, for a former surgeon, Lister was a legendary figure in the field of surgery, held in higher regard than celebrities like Edison.

Soon, it was Lister's turn to speak.

In essence, this might have been just an ordinary surgery, but it was also a platform for Lister to promote his antiseptic theory to the public and other physicians. At this time, Lister's antiseptic theory had not yet gained widespread acceptance in the medical community, with many supporters but even more opponents. Therefore, he would perform such public surgeries and give brief speeches to promote his theory from time to time. In an era where the theory was not well-developed and lacked substantial evidence, convincing others was difficult and time-consuming, requiring persistent effort.

"Gentlemen, good morning."

Under the intense gaze of many, Joseph Lister bowed slightly and said calmly, "First, before the surgery begins, allow me to read a passage from the last words of a surgeon: 'Looking back, I can only hope that one day this puerperal fever will be eradicated, and with this hope, I can alleviate my sorrow. But fate has not granted me the chance to witness this happy moment, so let the belief that this day will come serve as my final comfort...'

"Ignaz Semmelweis."

After hearing the passage, John whispered a name.

John had heard this quote in his previous life and had studied Semmelweis's tragic story out of curiosity. This pioneer of antiseptic theory had a miserable life, with his theory unaccepted by the medical community for years and frequently attacked and ridiculed by others. He died in despair. Hearing these familiar words, John quickly understood Lister's meaning.

"These are the last words of a great Hungarian doctor, and they are also the belief I hold now!"

After reading the passage, Lister said loudly, "In France, the respected Mr. Pasteur made a great discovery over a decade ago, that there are very small organisms in our world that can cause our wounds to become infected..."

"You're a liar, spouting nonsense!"

At that moment, a loud shout interrupted Lister from the steps.

There was a slight commotion, and John frowned, casting an unhappy glance at the shouting elderly white man.

However, Lister was unfazed, as if he was used to such interruptions. He simply glanced at the man and continued, "When I first returned to London five years ago, I was attacked by a group of nuns who believed that life and death are controlled by God, and that my promotion of antiseptics was against God's will and heretical! I want to say that if this gentleman shares the same view as those nuns, then we have nothing to talk about. But if you are different from them, why not listen to my explanation and see what evidence I have?"

The elderly white man who had shouted did not respond and fell silent.

Relieved, John sighed inwardly as Lister smiled and continued, "With the support of Mr. Pasteur's theory, I, like the respected Mr. Semmelweis, have designed a method of sterilization for use in surgery, which you will see clearly in a moment..."

...

I'm sorry, today's update is very late. I've had a lot of things to deal with these past two days, and it's been difficult to update on time without any saved drafts. It should be better the day after tomorrow.

Also, there's only one chapter today. I really don't have the energy to write more. I apologize.