1850 American Gold Tycoon

Chapter 48 Doctors Can Be Heroes

Robinson's dedication and sincerity impressed twenty-eight colleagues.

With Robinson's tireless efforts, these doctors expressed their willingness to join hands with Robinson to defeat cholera.

Not every gold digging company and organization has its own doctor. In fact, in Robinson’s view, the number of people who are qualified to be called doctors in the whole of California, including the three Chinese doctors in Liang Yao’s place, will not exceed 40. .

The so-called doctors of many gold panning companies and organizations are faked in order to avoid stock investment, and have never received systematic and formal medical education, let alone practicing medicine.

Such a person is not a doctor, but a complete charlatan.

The gold near San Francisco was exhausted, and there were very few panning companies left in San Francisco.

Most of the gold mining companies and organizations are mining gold in the mining areas near Sacramento, and most of the doctors of those gold mining teams are also in Sacramento.

After probating the doctors, Robinson persuaded the leaders of the gold digging companies, and after a lot of effort, finally organized these doctors.

On the pier by the river in Sacramento, Liang Yao's small steamer and several schooners were already waiting there.

The steamer Sacramento was for the doctors, and the schooner was for the cholera patients, who were to be treated centrally at the fledgling hospital in San Francisco.

Liang Yao paid liquidated damages for these doctors who left the team, and signed an employment contract with these doctors with high salary and favorable conditions.

In addition, he also promised to those leaders of the gold digging team who are willing to let go of the team's doctors that employees of their team will enjoy great discounts when they go to the hospital to see a doctor.

The leaders of most gold mining companies and organizations have no objection to this, and canceling the doctor's contract can also save a lot of money, and the remaining people can get more of the gold that is mined.

Under Liang Yao's propaganda, the residents of Sacramento held up banners and waved small red flags in their hands to honor these heroes.

The Sacramento, a small steamer specially set aside for doctors, was also covered with inspiring slogans, attracting crowds from both sides of the strait.

These doctors had never enjoyed such courtesy before, and it was the first time they received such treatment, and they were filled with emotion.

The Sacramento is the most advanced and luxurious passenger liner owned by World Line.

Among the several passenger ships on the route between Sacramento and San Francisco, the Sacramento is the most special one.

Sacramento doesn't cost you a dime for a ticket, but you do need to eat on board.

For other passenger ships, you need to buy a ticket to board the ship.

The delicacies and wines on the Sacramento are very expensive, but there is a reason why they are expensive, except for the high quality of ingredients and drinks.There are chefs from the United States, China, France, Spain, Italy and even the United Kingdom on board, who can provide passengers with different dishes to meet the different tastes of customers.

Coupled with the luxurious and elegant decoration of the Sacramento, passengers are willing to pay for it.

After all, people who can take the Sacramento have a little money in their pockets. They need better enjoyment and more considerate service to show that they are different from ordinary gold diggers.Gain the sense of accomplishment of successful people to satisfy their vanity.

However, all services provided to these doctors on the Sacramento today are free.

The status of doctors in the Gold Rush Company is not low, so the treatment on weekdays is naturally not bad.But the food they enjoyed in the mining area was only a little better than that of ordinary gold prospectors, and it was far from being comparable to the delicacy provided on the Sacramento.

"Best food I've had since leaving Philly."

A doctor named Morris wiped his mouth with a napkin, and took out two small gold nuggets from his pocket to the waiter next to him.

"This one is a tip for you, and this one is a tip for the chef. His cooking skills are very good. I will come again when I have the opportunity."

The rest of the doctors also agreed with Morris, and the food on the Sacramento was as delicious as the rumors said.

In fact, this is not because the chefs on the ship are so good at cooking, but because they have eaten rough food for a long time, and suddenly enjoy delicious food cooked with fresh ingredients. , of course it will be delicious.

"I have never been treated so courteously. This is the proudest day since I became a doctor." A doctor said.

"I've seen this kind of enthusiasm from the people once. It was two years ago when the whole town came out of their homes to welcome the heroes of the Mexican expedition back home in triumph."

"Generals and soldiers can be heroes of the country and the people, and doctors can also be heroes of the country and the people."

Seeing that the doctors were almost done eating, Liang Yao stood up from his seat to speak.

"Gentlemen, we are now rushing to our own battlefield and will face a cruel battle. Our enemy is cholera, a powerful invisible enemy. This is a war without gunpowder."

"It was also a cruel war. I have seen too many patients and doctors die from cholera over the years."

Morris said with a heavy heart, as if mourning those who died of cholera.

The rest of the doctors also changed their faces, their eyes were full of fear of cholera.

The people of the world feared cholera as much as the people of the Middle Ages feared the Black Death.

Because no one has found a cure for cholera so far, the fatality rate in some places where cholera is severe even exceeds [-]%.

It's not surprising that these doctors turned pale when they talked about cholera, because human beings are out of the instinctive fear of death.

Although the doctors were terrified, none of them flinched.

Liang Yao's understanding of cholera was also very superficial. After all, the sanitation conditions of his later generations' motherland had been greatly improved compared to the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Cholera was still far away in his memory.

Only when he occasionally saw news about cholera outbreaks in backward areas with poor sanitation conditions, such as the news about cholera outbreaks in ethnic groups next door, would he remember that this infectious disease had once swept the world and troubled mankind.

"That's because we haven't found the right way, and we have always believed in the wrong authority and fallacy in the past. I think as long as we work together, find the right way, and break the shackles of old rules, cholera is not invincible. My hometown has defeated cholera .”

Liang Yao encouraged these doctors. If he wanted to defeat cholera, the first thing he had to overcome was the fear of cholera.

Hearing that there was a precedent for defeating cholera, the doctors couldn't help but cheer up and listen carefully, for fear of missing a word.

Liang Yao unfolded the map hanging on the wall: "I think Doctor Robinson has shown you this map, cholera is spread through water.

In this regard, I have published an explanation in the newspaper, and it is also expressly prohibited to drink the river water and raw water of the American River, and it is also prohibited to go down the river to catch the aquatic products in the river for consumption.As long as the source of infection is isolated, the next patients will be greatly reduced, and your pressure will be less. "

Morris took off his hat and paid tribute to Liang Yao: "I saw your people patrolling near the American River yesterday, drove away people who fetched water and defecated in the American River, and provided clean drinking water for the mining area for free. I deeply appreciate this." Admired."

Morris was skeptical of the debate among doctors over miasma and water.

Whether the miasma theory and the water source theory are right or wrong will be proved by facts. The most important thing now is to put aside these meaningless arguments and work together to defeat cholera.

"Yes! My company also received five barrels of drinking water provided by you for free yesterday." Another doctor said, "I wonder what we need to do when we arrive in San Francisco?"

(End of this chapter)