or Cancerous Growth?
(12) 19: Sprouting…
or Cancerous Growth?
(12) ***ANNOUNCEMENT*** New Novel Event for the entire week.
“the Crown Prince has harmed himself,” encountered Hyang just as he rounded a corner.
“Oh?
Father?
Where are you hurrying off to?” “Crown Prince!” The moment Sejong saw him, he rushed forward and frantically inspected Hyang from head to toe.
“Father, what is the matter?” “Hooo…
so you are not injured.” Releasing a sigh of relief, Sejong immediately glared at the chief eunuch who had come running after him.
“What nonsense was that?
The Crown Prince harmed himself?” “I merely reported what I was told…” Not only Sejong, but the ministers behind him also turned furious eyes toward the chief eunuch.
The chief eunuch in turn glared at the eunuch who had originally delivered the report.
“Eunuch Oh!
Explain yourself immediately!” At the accusation, Eunuch Oh pointed desperately toward the eunuch standing beside Hyang.
“Eunuch Kang!
You were the one who told me!
I am innocent!” At those words, everyone present, including Sejong and the ministers, turned toward the eunuch beside Hyang.
At that exact moment, Queen Soheon’s voice echoed through the hall.
“Your Majesty!
What is all this?
The Crown Prince harmed himself?” Now not only the king and queen, but every minister present stared directly at him.
Eunuch Kang’s face turned completely white.
“You fool!
Explain immediately why you uttered such unacceptable words!” At Sejong’s furious roar, Eunuch Kang immediately threw himself flat against the ground.
“Your Majesty!
This servant never once lied!” “You did not lie?” At those words, Sejong turned slowly toward Hyang.
With Sejong, the ministers, and even Queen Soheon all staring at him, Hyang finally spoke awkwardly.
“It seems Eunuch Kang misunderstood the treatment I received.” “Treatment?
Misunderstood?” Sejong’s expression clearly showed total confusion.
Seeing this, Hyang turned his head behind him.
“You there.
Step forward.” “Y-Yes!
Your Highness!” From among the group accompanying Hyang, an elderly man stepped forward and immediately prostrated himself before Sejong.
“This lowly one greets the king who shines like Heaven itself!” “And who are you?” “This servant is called Soedol.
I tend the royal livestock on Neobeol Island.” “Soedol?” “It means ‘one skilled at raising cattle.'” Even after hearing the explanation, Sejong still looked utterly baffled.
Eventually he turned back toward Hyang.
“Crown Prince.
Explain everything from beginning to end.
Leave out nothing.” “Yes, Father.
While reading the medical texts imported from China…” According to Hyang’s explanation, the events unfolded as follows.
While reading Song and Yuan medical texts imported from China, Hyang discovered references to a method called variolation, a technique intended to prevent smallpox.
Not only Chinese medical texts, but even Western medical works described the same procedure.
However, both Chinese and Western texts agreed on one thing.
Variolation was extremely dangerous.
The method involved collecting pus from someone recovering from smallpox, then either inserting it into the body of an uninfected person using needles or grinding scabs into powder and forcing them through the nose.
Naturally, this carried enormous risks.
If material was taken from someone fully recovered, the treatment often proved useless.
If taken too early, the recipient developed full smallpox and hovered at death’s door.
While studying texts discussing the dangers of variolation, Hyang discovered one particularly unusual sentence inside a Western medical text.
“Among cattle herders, there are not a few who never contract smallpox.
Their common trait is that they once cared for cattle infected with cowpox and became infected themselves.
This matter appears worthy of further investigation.” The moment Hyang read that sentence, he immediately traveled to Neobeol Island to confirm it personally.
Upon arrival, he gathered the cattle herders together.
Though their faces were deeply weathered from hardship, all but one possessed clear skin untouched by smallpox scars.
“Among everyone gathered here, raise your hand if you have suffered from smallpox.” Only a single person raised his hand.
“Did you contract it after becoming a cattle herder?” “No, Your Highness.
This happened before I ever entered the royal ranch.” “Who is the oldest among you?” At Hyang’s question, Soedol stepped forward.
“Has smallpox never spread through this island and surrounding region?” “No, Your Highness.
It comes at least once every year.” “Then why…?” Hyang suddenly stopped speaking.
The old man standing before him clearly looked as though he knew something.
“You know something, don’t you?
Some sort of secret method?” “Not exactly a secret method…” According to Soedol’s explanation, his family had raised royal cattle ever since the reign of King Gongmin of Goryeo.
Once Soedol reached a suitable age, he too began tending cattle.
Then one day, a cow he cared for deeply contracted cowpox.
Though cowpox was not usually fatal for cattle, occasionally unlucky cows developed severe infections in their udders and died.
Soedol stayed awake for days nursing the animal.
Eventually he himself contracted cowpox.
Already exhausted, he suffered high fever for several days.
But strangely, his father merely looked at him calmly.
“Well, boy…
looks like the Smallpox Spirit will never visit you again.” Once recovered, Soedol asked his father what he meant.
His father answered simply: “I don’t know why, but once someone catches cowpox, the Smallpox Spirit never comes.” “So.
If you knew this, why did you never tell physicians or officials?
Countless people could have avoided smallpox.” At Hyang’s question, Soedol smiled bitterly.
“How could I keep silent while wearing human skin?
Of course I told physicians.
But all I received were curses before being thrown out.
They mocked me, asking how some disease affecting cattle could possibly stop the Smallpox Spirit.” “So only you escaped smallpox?” “I’m still human, Your Highness…
I could not bear seeing my family become pockmarked monsters.
So…” Though Soedol trailed off, Hyang easily understood the rest.
“You deliberately infected everyone here with cowpox.” “Yes, Your Highness.” At that answer, Hyang clenched his fist tightly.
‘They already completed clinical trials successfully!
Even if this fails, I have to gamble on it!
No, stopping now would make me the biggest coward alive!’ “Then I should receive this secret method as well.” “Your Highness!” “Your Highness!” The eunuchs and guards accompanying him panicked instantly, but Hyang ignored them completely.
“We must return to the palace soon, so hurry.
Do you have any infected cattle?” “We always keep at least one infected animal each year for the younger children who still need exposure…” “Perfect!” “And so…
I returned after receiving cowpox inoculation.” Once he finished speaking, Hyang carefully examined Sejong’s face.
Sejong had gone pale white.
Queen Soheon looked moments away from fainting entirely.
Any parent would lose composure after hearing their perfectly healthy son had willingly injected himself with some unknown disease.
“You little bastard!” Sejong roared and raised his hand high.
Hyang instantly dropped to his knees.
“Father!
How many people die from smallpox every year?
If this can save those lives, then what exactly is the problem?” “That still does not mean you should have tested it on yourself first!
You are the Crown Prince!” “Are human lives divided by status?
Besides, those healthy men standing there already proved it works, so what is there to fear?” At Hyang’s answer, Sejong pressed a hand against his forehead and sighed deeply.
“Hooo…
you damned child.
Can you truly not stay quiet for even a single day?
Haaa…” After another long sigh, Sejong turned toward Soedol.
“Then tell me.
What happens after receiving this cowpox treatment?” “For about five days, fever rises strongly, so His Highness must not move around too much.
Several boils will form around the shoulder where the inoculation was given, but they absolutely must not be burst.
Wait until scabs form naturally.
After roughly ten days, His Highness should recover fully.” “I see.
Commander of the Royal Guards!” “Yes, Your Majesty!” “Throw this man in prison.
But do not torture him.
Feed him properly three times a day.” “Yes, Your Majesty!” After issuing the order, Sejong glared directly at Soedol.
“If anything whatsoever happens to the Crown Prince, I will personally take your head.
However, if your words prove true, I shall reward you greatly.” At Sejong’s words, Soedol bowed deeply before being escorted away toward the prison.
Watching Soedol disappear into the distance, Sejong turned toward Hyang, who still knelt silently.
He pointed at him furiously, clearly wanting to say something.
But after forcing the words back down, Sejong finally turned away.
“You will apparently suffer for several days, so return and rest.
Eunuchs, care for the Crown Prince with utmost attention.” “We obey Your Majesty’s command.” The eunuchs escorted Hyang back toward the Eastern Palace.
Afterward, Sejong addressed the ministers.
“You ministers return first to the royal hall.
I will remain briefly to check the queen’s condition.” “We obey Your Majesty’s command.” Once the ministers disappeared into the distance, Sejong looked toward Queen Soheon.
“Are you alright?” “I am fine.
But what about Your Majesty?” “Hooo…” Sejong answered only with a long sigh while staring toward the Eastern Palace.
“That child…
I truly cannot tell whether he will become Joseon’s greatest blessing or its greatest disaster.
At times he resembles the wisest sage under Heaven.
At others…
he behaves like a mad little beast who deserves a hundred days rolled inside straw mats.” Meanwhile, seated inside his room, Hyang smirked while reading a Latin medical text.
“So Jenner wasn’t actually the first after all…” The book, titled Reflections on Disease, had been written by some unknown Italian monk.
“While caring for cattle infected with cowpox, certain herders developed symptoms resembling the disease affecting the cattle themselves.
However, from observation, such herders did not suffer harm even when smallpox later spread among the population.
Though this matter is intriguing, it may simply be coincidence.
Furthermore, according to Church doctrine…” The monk who authored the text concluded with a negative statement citing Catholic doctrine.
In other words, he reached exactly the same conclusion as Joseon’s physicians.
“How could a disease affecting mere animals possibly prevent a human disease?” Seeing Eastern and Western doctors independently reach the same conclusion through the reference books he gathered, Hyang muttered quietly.
“Teacher Samcheonpo once said something like this, didn’t he?
Newton wasn’t the only one who saw apples fall.
The reason only Newton entered history was because he alone took one more step beyond everyone else…” Repeating those words inwardly, Hyang chuckled softly.
Just as Soedol predicted, fever began rising that very night.
“Eunuchs and royal physicians are to observe the Crown Prince constantly and record every change without exception!” Following Sejong’s command, eunuchs and physicians remained glued to Hyang’s side observing every movement.
Every morning and evening, the physicians reported Hyang’s condition directly to Sejong and the ministers.
“According to the physicians, the Crown Prince’s symptoms perfectly match Soedol’s explanation.
If so, does this not prove the method truly works?
What do you all think?” At Sejong’s question, the ministers fell into thought.
After some time, Left State Councillor Yi Won finally answered.
“The Crown Prince’s symptoms align almost exactly with Soedol’s explanation.
Therefore, I believe the secret method described by Soedol genuinely possesses efficacy.” “Indeed.
Then if this truly prevents smallpox…
should we not implement it nationwide?” At Sejong’s suggestion, Right State Councillor Jeong Tak voiced opposition.
“I believe applying it immediately across the entire country would be dangerous.
It may still simply be coincidence.” “Coincidence?
Soedol’s family has demonstrated the results over several decades.” “The number of cases remains too small.” “Hm…” After considering the matter briefly, Sejong finally reached a decision.
“If the Crown Prince recovers fully, then administer cowpox inoculations first to palace servants and the people of Hanyang.
That alone should provide enough cases to determine whether it is truly effective.” “We obey Your Majesty’s command.” The ministers answered in unison.
From their perspective, there was no real reason to oppose the idea.