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Chapter 41: Smallpox Farewell Gut [1]

‘When smallpox comes, they have a party to celebrate the survival and console the dead fourteen days after its onset. The party is formed as a play or gut, which is called ‘Smallpox Farewell Gut’.’ Quoted from ‘Biography of Baik Ganghyuk’ by Jeong Yeoju

…

Shamans walked very fast, as if they had already been possessed by a spirit. They were already on the hill, which meant they had arrived at the plaza in the town where the governor had arranged things for the Gut.

‘Goodness!’ Ganghyuk hesitated to stop it all of a sudden.

‘But, I should…’

He was a doctor, and knew people should avoid gathering when an infectious disease like smallpox began to spread. Furthermore, this gathering was not for the treatment, but for a Gut!

It was absolute nonsense!

“Governor!” Ganghyuk shouted to call him while being slightly out of breath. The governor looked back in response, showing gladness on his face.

“Oh, Ganghyuk! Why don’t you take some rest? I heard that you worked all night.”

“No, I am fine, but…”

Ganghyuk looked around and saw colorful textile pieces flying in the wind. He could see swords with keen edges, as well as a straw cutter.

Moo!

The cow shed tears as if it knew its own fate-the gut was about to begin. Fortunately, they had not brought any villagers here yet.

“Do you really need this Gut?”

Hearing the question, the governor laughed with a low voice. Fortunately, he did not show strong reactions, as he had a really favorable impression of Ganghyuk.

“You are certainly a Confucian scholar.”

“Pardon?”

Confucian scholar?

He was a beginner in reading ‘Thousand Characters’, but the governor did not know of his situation. To him, the poem that Gagnhyuk recited in the poetry contest last time was way too impressive.

He was under that impression that Ganghyuk’s knowledge had reached too high a level.

He might have fainted if he knew that that was one of the only three poems that Ganghyuk had memorized in his entire lifetime.

“Yes, I know Gut is unreasonable. But, we need to do it.”

“It is to show that you care for them, right?”

“Yes, you have already understood the duty of an official. Good!”

“Can we postpone showing the love for the people a little?”

“What do you mean?”

His face took on a grim expression. It was not a good sign.

‘What should I do?’ Ganghyuk tried to find a good excuse. There were many ideas floating in his head, the first one being very egoistic.

‘I do not need to annoy him. This small village can disappear…’

Of course, not all of them would die because he had prepared the cowpox vaccine. But, it was certain that more people would die if this was not stopped.

‘No, no.’

The second thought was out of conscience.

‘It will not spoil our relationship, anyway.’

After he came to Joseon, they met nearly every day, even having a drink many times. The governor was very close to his father as well. Most importantly, he was ready to listen to him.

‘I should make a good excuse, anyway.’

It seemed that he could not prohibit the Gut. He did not have to prohibit it, either.

“There are too many people here right now.”

Ganghyuk pointed at the entry of the clinic, from where Heo Jun and his fellows were about to enter at this very moment.

When they had left, they were seven, but they returned in the form of a group of fifteen people. That meant that they brought eight new patients.

The number of new patients was not small at all.

“It is difficult to gather all the villagers.”

“Yes, but we cannot help it.”

“If there were a sick person among the viewers, it could get serious. Smallpox can be spread among viewers.”

“Does smallpox spread in that way?”

In the past, the disease was thought of as a punishment from the heavens. Furthermore, an ugly and fatal disease like smallpox was considered as a major punishment.

For example, one could find the record of preoccupation and discrimination against leprosy anywhere in the world. It was not very important for them to think about the real cause, as they did not know about it at that time.

“Yes, it does.”

“Heo…”

The governor did not ask for the reason and just listened to him.

“But, we need to do it.”

“Yes, I know. But, can you postpone it a little?”

“Postpone?”

“Yes.”

“Hmmm…”

The governor was in agony.

More than twenty soldiers were waiting for his order. Once he gave them the command, they would call all the villagers. Shamans would ride the straw cutter and the cow would be sacrificed. The performance group fellows would then play to let the god entertain himself.

With all that, the people would be consoled and feel comforted, even though it was just a show…

“Eeem…”

It seemed that he could not decide it right away. He thought for a long time and then asked, “How long?”

“Pardon?”

“How long should I postpone it for?”

“Ah!”

Ganghyuk tried to remember things regarding the smallpox.

‘It starts with red dots… blisters, and then scabs. When scabs are formed, the smallpox can be considered to have been managed.’

It took about ten days generally. But, if he wanted to be sure of the safety of people, fourteen days would be good.

‘Some may die during the period.’

But, those who died would be fewer than in any other area. They had Ganghyuk and Heo Jun here after all.

“Fourteen days, sir.”

“Fourteen days? That long…”

“It is necessary, though. I will do my best not to cause any problems during the time.”

“Hm…”

It was a favor that Ganghyuk had asked. Furthermore, he looked very confident as always. Considering his track record, he had not really disappointed the Governor in terms of treatment of a disease till now.

“Okay, then.”

“Really?”

“Yes, but only fourteen days. I cannot give you more time.”

“That will be enough, sir.”

If it did not spread more, it perhaps would indeed end in fourteen days. The patients would have a definite conclusion to their condition in that duration, with only two options available for them in the end-to die or to live

The governor made his determination, “Well, let’s wait then.”

Hearing the governor shout, the shamans who were busy with the preparation looked back. They were all surprised, and one of them who was a very old man, even came up to him.

“But sir, if the smallpox god becomes angry…”

There was no god such as smallpox god! How could he get angry then?

Ganghyuk shook his head.

“Don’t worry. We will do the Gut in fourteen days.”

“But, we already have a schedule…”

“We can do it better later on.”

“But…”

The old shaman looked at the governor with a tearful face. However, the governor was already determined.

“I have made the decision. You listen to Scholar Baik and prepare for it with perfection. You may pray till the Gut.”

“Yes, I see. I will follow it then.” The shaman nodded his head and retreated. He might be afraid of smallpox god, but the governor was an even more fearful existence to him.

After all, the governor was more likely to kill him than the smallpox god under the current circumstances.

The annoyance and anger he felt was hence directed toward Gaghyuk as he stared at the latter with fiery eyes. But, Ganghyuk did not mind at all.

‘Will they curse me?’ He did not mind being cursed though.

Ganghyuk passed the embarrassed shamans and went back to the clinic. Yeoju had gone with him there in vain, thinking that she would have to draw the Gut.

Nevertheless, she did not seem to be too disappointed. She had seen Ganghyuk give his opinion to the governor and successfully convince the latter.

“You seem to be afraid of nothing.”

“What do you mean?”

“You did not follow the governor but told him your thoughts.”

“Ah! I did that because I thought he would accept it.”

He had enough experience in social life, so he acted in accordance with the circumstances in which he found himself.

Yeoju did not know details of his life. Although she was strong and clever girl, she did not have much experience of this kind. Furthermore, there were not many people like Ganghyuk in that era.

Hence, she felt that Ganghyuk was very special.

“Even my father could not postpone the Gut.”

“Really? Professor Jeong could not do that?”

“Hmm…”

It was an unexpected thing to hear for Ganghyuk. With Changgweon being a real Confucian scholar, he thought that the latter would turn the place upside down even in the middle of such a ritual

“Anyway, I have earned some time for us. Now, I should utilize it.” Saying that, Ganghyuk hurried into the clinic.

The yard was crowded because of the patients that Heo Jun brought. It was certain that all of them had contracted smallpox.

‘Heo Jun is surely a good doctor!’

Heo Jun had precisely diagnosed smallpox. As he had brought the patients, now it was Gnaghyuk’s turn to treat them.

“Put the pus in your nose.”

It seemed like an unreasonable command, but all the patients were farmers, so they could not reject the order. After all, there was not only Ganghyuk, but also the governor in the yard, along with all the soldiers encircling them.

“Oops!”

“Uk!”

“Ak!”

They screamed, groaned, and grunted with a variety of negative emotions.

“Next…”

Now, Ganghyuk had to give them medicine according to their symptoms.

At this moment, Heo Jun offered his help. Not only did he make Yanggyeoksan and Seonbanghwalmyeongeum, but also some new medicine that Ganghyuk had not seen before. It seemed dearer than even Seonbanghwalmyeongeum, considering the quality of aroma.

“Is this a new medicine?”

“Yes, it is called Gamibulhwangeumjeonggisan. It can be used for the patients who do not have pus anymore.”

“I see!”

The medicine had quite a long name. Ganghyuk took a memo and Yeoju drew all the ingredient herbs.

There were a variety of expensive and rare herbs used in it, such as elecampane and kneeling angelica. If the governor had not opened his warehouse for help, it could not have been prescribed at all.

Heo Jun looked at Ganghyuk and said, “I found that the patient in the warehouse had gotten worse. I tried to treat him, but…”

It seemed that his status was really bad, considering that Heo Jun did not finish the sentence.

Ganghyuk hurried, “How is he?”

“Blood came out along with his coughs.”

“Blood? Oh my goodness!”

Bleeding was never a good sign, and Hemoptysis was the worst sign. In smallpox, it was even more important as a sign.

Thus, Ganghyuk rushed to the warehouse.

…

“Cough”

He could see the patient constantly coughing, with blood coming out whenever he did. It must be hemoptysis, as there were bubbles seen in it.

“Are you alright?”

“Eu…”

There was no chance that the patient could be fine. He had had a fever, and was coughing his lungs out. On his arm was hanging an empty IV set.

There was nothing more to observe, so he looked at the patient with despairing eyes.

‘Hemorrhagic smallpox! I cannot save him.’

Hemorrhagic smallpox was an infectious disease with hundred percent mortality! Nobody could save him at this stage.

Gagnhyuk remembered the old lesson.

‘Sometimes, we need to choose between life and death… and at times, the best remedy is to reduce the pain… the meaningless pain…’

Ganhyuk considered the situation and gave him a narcotic analgesic, injecting three ampules in him. It was all he had, and it should be enough to reduce the patient’s pain.

It would give comfort to him, and might lead to a painless death by depressing the breathing.

“Endure some more. You will be good.”

“Thank you!”

The patient bowed without knowing what he had been injected with.

“Take a good rest.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ganghyuk left the warehouse, remembering the Hippocratic oath that he had made when he became a doctor.

‘I must concentrate on those I can save, as I have postponed the Gut. Maybe, I will not have time to take a rest.’