I Became a Plague Doctor in a Romance Fantasy

131. The Autumn Academic Conference (3)

****

Well, isn’t life just full of unexpected twists?

I failed to deliver the message I wanted, but hey, at least selling medicine was a success! There aren’t many healers in the empire who set health policies, but there’s not a single healer who doesn’t use medicine, so naturally, they’d be curious.

Let’s move on to the second presentation.

The chaotic atmosphere of the symposium was gradually calming down. Honestly speaking, maybe it’s about time to let go of this obsession with penicillin, right? Though we probably still have another 200 years before that happens!

“Moving on… This next topic is much simpler. We’ve developed a new drug derived from willow wood.”

Once again, all eyes were on me.

“Based on ancient texts, willow wood has been known to help with fever and pain relief, but due to its harsh side effects, it wasn’t widely used.”

It was one of those old folk remedies or traditional treatments. For various reasons, the therapeutic effect of raw willow wood wasn’t particularly impressive, but…

“To be honest, it’s not groundbreaking. We simply took the active components from willow wood and experimented with other substances to refine it.”

Effectiveness.

“Yes. The material we’ve created is called aspirin—a drug made from willow extract. It’s currently in animal trials, but so far, it seems safe.”

At this point, Benedict—who had previously been an antagonist but now seemed like a fan—stood up from his seat.

“What’s the process for making this drug?”

“Hmm… well.”

I thought for a moment.

Medieval medicine—while some healers genuinely helped patients, others relied on dangerous surgeries that often did more harm than good.

No wonder Hippocrates made “First, do no harm” his golden rule. If I could offer them one more tool, maybe fewer patients would suffer from absurd treatments. After pondering how best to explain it…

“We combined willow extract with refined acetic acid and added sulfuric acid as a catalyst, then solidified it. Sulfuric acid isn’t part of the final product—it merely speeds up the reaction, so only a tiny amount is needed.”

“What’s the exact mechanism?”

Complicated question.

****

Here’s how aspirin works: it interferes with the pathways responsible for inflammation and pain transmission.

Aspirin molecules irreversibly inhibit one of the enzymes inside cells, blocking the signaling system. The enzyme’s name is long and complicated—I think it’s usually abbreviated as COX.

Ah, yeah. Cyclooxygenase plays a role in numerous cellular signaling processes, especially in the synthesis of prostaglandins, which are lipid compounds. But honestly, you don’t need to know all that.

In short…

Aspirin blocks both inflammation and pain signals, and also prevents blood platelets from clotting. The latter can be helpful in some cases but dangerous in others.

“To put it simply, the substance extracted from willow wood inhibits the inflammatory signaling pathways within the human body. That’s why this drug reduces pain and fever.”

“What were the original side effects?”

“The most common side effect was stomach pain.”

Technically, even aspirin itself can cause stomach discomfort, but compared to raw salicylic acid, it’s definitely better.

There were quite a few people eager to ask questions this time.

Even though they made such a fuss about the last new drug, a daily painkiller and fever reducer would obviously be welcomed.

Professor Croftler raised his hand.

“Is this a curative drug? How reliable is its analgesic effect?”

“It’s not a curative drug. As you know, inflammation and fever are sometimes part of the body’s natural defense mechanisms. Reducing them doesn’t necessarily mean the disease itself is cured.”

“Yes, it’s not a cure-all, correct?”

Back in the day, I thought Professor Croftler disliked me, but looking back now, he just has a weird personality and tends to be pessimistic.

It’s frustrating at times, but that odd temperament might actually be an advantage in research, which explains why there are so many quirky professors out there.

“You make a valid point. As healers, we must remember that while patients come to us because of their symptoms, alleviating those symptoms doesn’t always equate to curing the disease.”

Take corticosteroids, for example.

Steroid-based anti-inflammatory drugs can quickly suppress fever and inflammation, so they’re commonly used for allergies. However, they should never be used on bacterial infections because doing so could lead to catastrophic consequences if the infection spreads.

On the other hand, aspirin isn’t that extreme.

While it shouldn’t be used on patients with bleeding issues, it’s generally safe even in cases of infection since its anti-inflammatory effect isn’t overly potent.

“Still, given aspirin’s mechanism, it does reduce inflammation while simultaneously relieving pain. So its analgesic properties are quite effective.”

The presentation continued. Istina tilted her head beside me, seemingly deep in thought.

Aspirin is an old drug with multiple effects since it inhibits prostaglandin synthesis, which is involved in countless bodily signaling processes.

A little later.

This time, a priest from the temple stood up in the auditorium. What’s he going to say?

“I understand this is a new drug, but what advantages does it have over other painkillers like opium? Or is it just different in price?”

An issue we discussed a few days ago with Violet’s group. What makes this drug different from opium?

The clergy stared intently at me.

“First off, surely those familiar with opium know its dangers. Compared to opium, this drug poses significantly less risk of addiction.”

Upon further reflection, the people who use opium the most in the empire are likely the temple healers.

Of course, they value opium because it relieves patient suffering—but ironically, that’s the catch.

“How about effectiveness?”

“If the patient’s symptoms include inflammation or fever, aspirin might be better. However, in terms of pure pain relief, it’s unlikely to surpass opium.”

I gave a concise answer, and the clergy murmured among themselves before turning their attention back to me.

“How did you know?”

“Willow bark has been used as medicine since ancient times. This time, we simply considered ways to eliminate its side effects.”

“One last question. You said heating or exposing penicillin to acid ruins it, but why is aspirin okay when heated? Is there a reason?”

I thought about it for a moment.

Istina had asked the same thing before, and I couldn’t give a proper answer back then either. Simply put…

“In short, penicillin is a far more complex substance than aspirin. The new drug we’ve created is relatively simple in structure, so heating won’t destroy it.”

The clergy conferred among themselves, scratching their heads, clearly confused. Yeah, my explanation wasn’t really adequate.

To properly prove this scientifically, I’d need to explain how I calculated the molecular weight of penicillin versus aspirin.

Doubtful I can manage that.

“So… why?”

They need something intuitive. Comparing it to something they’d find appealing might work.

Like children… They love toys, right? Ah, got it.

You guys love opium, don’t you?

“There’s a similar case with opium. Opium retains its effects even when boiled or burned, right? This painkiller behaves similarly.”

“Oh! I see.”

Apparently, they understood immediately.

I glanced around the auditorium.

The murmurs and questions continued softly, but nothing as explosive as earlier. Lucky break.

“Yes. The detailed method for creating aspirin will be published in papers and manuals, so feel free to purchase them or try making it yourself for experimentation.”

That’s it.

I can’t stand here answering endless questions forever, so the presentation concluded. With applause echoing behind us, we exited the auditorium and left the symposium hall.

****

It was a very long day. Two presentations must have done me in.

I sat next to Mint, who was lounging with her legs crossed, sipping tea.

“How was the conference?”

“Pretty good.”

“I only caught parts of it.”

“Ah, I see.”

“I went in thinking there was a brawl because everyone was shouting in the auditorium. But it didn’t seem like a fight, did it?”

I nodded.

“Medical conferences are battlefields by nature. They’re arenas where people stake their beliefs—and sometimes their lives—to fight for medical truths.”

“Ugh… No need to remind me that you’re the only one who thinks that way, Teacher.”

Mint looked at me, then pushed me playfully before pulling me into a tight embrace.

I stayed still as the imperial princess peppered kisses all over my face.

“Princess Mint! What’s gotten into you—”

I didn’t get to finish my sentence because Mint silenced me with a kiss.

---