Chapter 92

With Bergman's full support, high-pressure steam sterilization, boiling sterilization, and alcohol sterilization were quickly introduced to the surgical ward of Charlotte Hospital.

Steam sterilization was a new concept, but boiling sterilization had already been discovered by others, such as Pasteur, who had proposed similar ideas, though not as precise as John's: it was best to boil for over an hour! Moreover, at the time, most of the items used in surgery were surgical instruments and dressings, so boiling sterilization was not used much.

In about half a month, Charlotte Hospital began to use high-pressure steam sterilization technology comprehensively.

Alcohol sterilization was also warmly welcomed by both doctors and patients. Without the pungent smell of carbolic acid, the surgeons were very happy, and their attitude towards John became much more friendly.

However, for John, these things were not important, even though Bergman had written a paper and put John's name on it. In John's view, these sterilization methods were too rudimentary and focused only on the operating room, which did not meet his expectations at all!

However, John had no way to change this. He was just a student learning under Bergman and had no power to make any changes.

So, during this period, for his future and to prepare for the arrival of old Hunter, he changed his original plan. He spent one day a week in the physiology lab conducting experiments, one day resting, and one day tinkering in the lab. The rest of the time, he spent in the surgical ward and wards, carefully observing the surgeries performed by the surgeons, learning everything about this era, and even began to perform some simple surgeries with Bergman's tacit approval.

In less than a month of his internship, John had already stood at the operating table.

If this were in the future, it would be impossible, but in this era, it was quite normal. Surgeries at the time were relatively simple, and thyroid and appendicitis surgeries, which were considered major, were still in the experimental stage. The more advanced techniques, such as those developed by Billroth in Vienna, had only started three years ago, and the second generation of these techniques had not yet appeared...

Standing at the operating table after just one month was not a big deal.

Moreover, in the eyes of Bergman and the other surgeons, John's talent could be described as superhuman. No matter what kind of surgery, John performed it cleanly and efficiently, with no room for criticism. The only possible disappointment was that his speed was a bit slower than others, but considering that he was just starting, everyone understood. As a result, with everyone's praise, Bergman began to give him more opportunities, and in the past week, he was scheduled to perform two or three surgeries almost every day.

After two weeks, John lost interest in these minor surgeries.

Soon, John focused all his energy on patients admitted with right lower abdominal pain. Although these patients did not necessarily end up in the surgical ward, under the guise of Professor Bergman, John often went to the internal medicine department to observe them and secretly conducted some examinations. A few times, he was caught by his colleagues and had to slink back.

However, it did not take long for John to get what he wanted...

...

On a Sunday in mid-December, snowflakes began to fall across Berlin.

After entering December, the temperature in Berlin plummeted, and people started wearing thick coats and lighting stoves at home. Of course, news of homeless people freezing to death began to appear in the newspapers, making people feel the harshness and cold of winter directly.

"Mr. Elber, my grandfather and the others should be arriving soon, right?"

That morning, while eating breakfast, John suddenly asked after swallowing a bite of bread.

"Yes, sir."

The butler nodded and smiled. "Mr. Hunter sent a telegram from Hamburg yesterday, saying he would soon be on his way to Berlin. He should arrive in the next couple of days... Sir, please rest assured. Your grandfather is in very good health and has fully recovered after resting for three days in Hamburg."

John nodded, feeling a bit relieved.

It had been over a month since old Hunter left New York. On John's strong recommendation, the old man had rested in London for a while, waiting for Joshua to finish his business before coming to Berlin together. After arriving in Hamburg, he rested for three more days. This was partly to allow his friend to take care of him and partly because John was concerned about his health, fearing that continuous travel might be too exhausting and could lead to illness.

Even a simple cold could be problematic, as John had no effective medication to treat it.

Seeing John relax and continue his breakfast, Hans hesitated for a moment and then said, "Sir, everything at home is ready, and Mr. Hunter can move in at any time. But how do you plan to arrange for Mr. Joshua?"

Although there were many rooms in the house, after old Hunter and Henry moved in, only one room was left, which was not enough for Joshua and his entourage. However, it seemed inappropriate to have the young man stay at a hotel, given the close relationship between the two families, and the nearest hotel was quite far away.

John frowned in thought but then suddenly smiled.

Under Hans' surprised gaze, John said with a grin, "Don't worry, he won't be without a place to stay... Mr. Elber, I'll write a letter later and have someone deliver it to Mr. Bristow."

"Yes, sir."

Hans was slightly taken aback but quickly understood and smiled.

Joshua's main purpose for coming to Berlin was to discuss the construction of a bicycle factory with Bristow. If John informed Bristow, there would be no problem finding a place for Joshua to stay, and the people there would naturally take care of everything. In fact, Bristow had invited John several times recently, even to a ball hosted by Baron Cole, but John had politely declined. During this period, John had focused on his work and had even lost interest in seeing Anna, let alone attending meaningless balls.

With his mind at ease, Hans did not disturb John further, and they soon finished breakfast.

Although it was snowing heavily outside, John declined Hans' suggestion to stay by the fireplace in the living room and, as usual, returned to his cold study to write a letter to Mr. Bristow. The content of the letter was simple, merely stating that the long-awaited Mr. Joshua, along with a large amount of machinery, was about to arrive in Berlin and that Joshua hoped to meet with Bristow and Baron Cole as soon as possible. John subtly hinted that Bristow would naturally extend a warm invitation to Joshua and arrange for his accommodation.

It took only a few minutes to write the letter, but when John sealed it and was about to take it downstairs to Hans at noon, he suddenly paused at his desk.

What should he do next?

Without a TV, internet, or friends, John was at a loss for what to do. There were dozens of books in his study for entertainment, but he had already read them to pieces. Apart from reading, there seemed to be nothing else to do at home in this era!

"This is so boring. Maybe I should find some other interests..."

John felt the loneliness of this era once again. After mumbling to himself for a while, he stood up, rubbed his cold hands, and took a letter from the bookshelf.

"Phew..."

Exhaling a puff of white breath, John's gaze fell on the recipient's name on the envelope.

The Lancet.

For any surgeon in the future, The Lancet was not only a tool they used every day but also a symbol of their achievements. This British medical journal, named after a surgical scalpel, had been one of the world's top four medical journals for over a century, a platform that many doctors aspired to. John was no exception.

So, for his first paper in this life, John chose The Lancet without hesitation.

After a moment of deep thought, John took out the dozen or so pages of the paper from the envelope and carefully laid them on the desk. The dim light from outside and the dim kerosene lamp on the table illuminated the clear English title: "Inference of Human Blood Types and Common Causes of Death in Clinical Blood Transfusion." Below the title, in slightly smaller font, was the author's name: Friedrich-Wilhelms University of Berlin Medical School—John Hunter.

Only his name!

Since the day the microscope was delivered, John had gradually found twenty or thirty homeless people and impoverished civilians, conducting over a hundred experiments. After much effort, he finally gathered enough data and wrote this paper, preparing to submit it to The Lancet. He originally planned to wait until after the New Year, but now, out of boredom, he suddenly remembered it and could not resist taking it out.

Staring at the paper, John felt a heavy weight in his hands.

In John's eyes and heart, this paper was not just a great discovery worthy of a Nobel Prize, nor just a significant breakthrough in clinical surgery. It also marked the beginning of his work in the foundational field of physiology, beyond clinical practice.

And...

"Why can't it be the beginning of my entire academic career?"

Suddenly, a strong desire arose in John's heart, so strong that his cold hands began to tremble with excitement!

Bergman had already written a paper on steam and alcohol sterilization, waiting to collect enough data before submitting it for publication, with John's name on it. John had originally planned to submit this paper after the other one was published, but now...

"It's you!"

Making a decisive decision, John sealed the paper in an envelope and took it downstairs to find Hans.

Even if it took a long time for the paper to gain widespread recognition, for John, these dozen pages were extremely significant, symbolizing his formal entry into the world of medicine and his journey down a path destined for brilliance... (To be continued)