"So, what do you think?"
About another ten days had passed since then.
To be precise, it had been over two weeks since we started the cavity treatments.
It had been ten days since I emphasized smoking cessation for post-circumcision and post-cavity treatment care.
"Hmm...."
At my words, Liston looked over the patient group—the prisoners unluckily chosen for the smoking group.
When they were told they could smoke, they had all been excited and making a fuss.
Now?
Well, now…
"Ughhh...."
"It hurts so much...."
Most of them ended up needing extractions.
Especially those Liston had insisted would grow new teeth, like bones—they all got theirs pulled.
Those who received mercury amalgam treatment were slightly better off…
But even that mercury amalgam treatment wasn't properly done.
I did it.
So, even because of that, some guys had issues.
How do I know that?
"Ugh...."
Though less frequent, some in the non-smoking group also complained of pain.
Naturally, some of them needed extractions too.
It shows that even patients treated with mercury amalgam don't necessarily heal well.
"Clearly... smoking has a detrimental effect."
Liston unconsciously fiddled with his snuffbox and muttered.
He seemed really reluctant to admit it.
Well, honestly...
The harms of tobacco didn't start becoming clear until well after World War II, so expecting them to accept this over a hundred years earlier is a bit much.
"Exactly. At least when it comes to wound healing."
"Alright, I have to admit it. After seeing this much… what can I do?"
As Liston reluctantly nodded, Blundell behind him also nodded with a displeased expression.
"Strange. Tobacco… I heard it's used as medicine in the New World."
I stared at Blundell for a moment.
That's what he said; I don't know what expression I made.
It's just absurd.
Weren't you the ones who claimed Native Americans were savages, that they should be wiped out because they're pagans?
Of course, Blundell probably didn't say that directly…
But it's a reality that they're sweeping across almost the entire American continent.
And now, when it's inconvenient, he brings up the New World.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
He doesn't even seem ashamed.
Well…
It's not unusual.
Brits being Brits is as natural as breathing; getting angry every time would be strange.
The first few times, you could blame them, but by now, it'd be my fault.
It's almost an intelligence issue, really.
"No, well… Anyway. We are scientists, aren't we? We should believe what we see and what experiments prove. At least as scientists, sticking to old knowledge with loyalty and principle isn't a good thing."
But that doesn't mean I can just back down.
Whether I have to politely refute them or whatever, I must correct them.
Otherwise, people will die.
Fortunately, since I'm a doctor who also did YouTube, I haven't been completely without knowledge to pick up.
I processed it well and spoke up, and our Joseon-parrot Liston looked deeply impressed and said:
"Oh. Is that another Joseon proverb?"
"Ah, no… not exactly, I just—"
"Hoho… You really are clever. But… you probably combined some sayings you heard in Joseon, right?"
At the same time, he had a very sharp look.
Since it wasn't entirely wrong, I felt a bit caught, but my expression probably didn't change enough to show it.
I'm not a bullsh*t master for nothing.
"Anyway, no smoking. Teeth don't grow back. Mercury amalgam is best. Eating a lot of sugar causes cavities. Not brushing leads to more cavities. Anyone object to these conclusions?"
"Smoking is a bit surprising… but mercury… well, it's a traditional medicine, so that makes sense. Teeth are also interesting… Hmm."
"Exactly. Why are teeth different from other bones?"
"We'll have to research that. Sugar is surprising too. That expensive thing…"
"Indeed. An aristocratic item… being the main culprit of cavities."
They grumbled among themselves.
Of course, there were things they didn't like hearing.
But…
No one dared to openly oppose.
How could they? Everyone saw the devastation right before their eyes.
Especially the sugar and no-brushing group—it was reminiscent of a battlefield.
"Ughhh...."
"It hurts so much!"
Well, they had almost no cavities before, so it's understandable.
Actually, sugar, while not as expensive as before, is still costly, so using it experimentally like this was difficult. But since both Liston and I had accumulated considerable wealth, though not overflowing, it was possible.
I should have stopped there, but overdoing it was the problem, I guess.
I even gave sugar to those already rotten…
And this happened.
"Wasn't it successful? You weren't planning to treat His Majesty right away, were you?"
"That's true."
Of course, even in war, flowers bloom; even amid this devastation, there was a positive side.
Liston and I nodded as we looked at the newly produced patients.
Since I planned to treat them all for free anyway, I didn't feel that sorry.
Frankly, I only provided the sugar, right?
They're the ones who gorged on it.
Besides, I also provided toothbrushes.
Since they were made with animal hair, the quality was much worse compared to those used in 21st-century Korea…
'Still, toothbrushes are better than toothpaste.'
In the 21st century, toothpaste…
It's a daily necessity, but for the same reason, in developed countries like Korea, it was mass-produced so much that there was never a shortage.
It was just there, like air or water.
Of course, when traveling or suddenly going out, there were times when not having toothpaste was inconvenient.
But… it's nothing like here.
'Damn…'
The most common toothpaste at this time is salt.
Well… everyone knows salt is quite effective for disinfection, but if that alone worked, would toothpaste have developed further?
No, maybe it would have been better if it hadn't developed.
They also used crushed bone powder or charred bread crumbs to scrub their teeth.
Probably because the color is similar or something.
If you ask, they might explain some other reason, but do I really need to know?
'Anyway, I provided toothpaste too.'
The toothpaste I provided wasn't some weird thing…
It was toothpaste made from soap powder.
It might sound strange…
But aside from the slightly unpleasant feel, it's probably superior to the alternatives.
The soap itself is a bit different from what I knew, so the scent is bad too…
But still, it's better than salt, bone powder, or charred bread crumbs.
"Well, we've done all we can, right?"
"Huh? Not really. I don't know about you, but you knew this would happen, didn't you?"
I thought I'd done my best and said so, but Liston took a step back.
That bastard.
Now he acts like a saint.
Not that he isn't; maybe because he keeps reading Joseon books. Even now, stroking his beard, he looks every bit the gentleman.
"A great man must guide the lesser ones."
"No…"
I don't think he needs to play the great man…
Anyway, it's not all bad news.
"Ah, I heard someone returning from America brought quite good news?"
"Ah… Probably just another common swindler."
"Still, we should meet them."
"I suppose we should. You're unexpectedly naive at times, so I'll go with you."
"Ah… Yes. That would be good."
"Right."
Liston is perceptive, but that's not the only reason I'm taking him.
Having someone who looks like him is meaningful just as decoration.
Just seeing him makes people less likely to lie.
Even if they overcome that fear and speak, they'll be trembling too much to do it properly.
With such thoughts, we went to meet someone who had just returned from America.
He wasn't a complete stranger; he was one of Alfred Senior's sailors.
You'd think that makes him trustworthy, but surprisingly, that's not always the case with 19th-century Brits.
Really…
It's a den of thieves.
"Ah, hello."
I'd only heard we had arrived, so I didn't know the exact details.
Liston was the same, so we were a bit surprised when we entered the room.
An Indian…
To be precise, a Native American was with him.
Judging by his clothing and such, he seemed quite assimilated with Europeans, but his red skin and black hair looked much closer to me than to the British.
'He's not here to talk about slave trade, is he?'
When you think of slave trade, Black people come to mind, but surprisingly, I heard Columbus captured Native Americans to make up for not finding gold.
Now, sourcing from much closer Africa and selling them everywhere has become 'common sense,' and even that is illegal…
But it's not unheard of.
Even if it's illegal, I've heard there are cases where they're secretly used here and there.
"Ah, this is…"
"Just call me Mill."
As if to render my worries pointless, the Native American man offered a handshake in fluent English.
It felt awkward since he used this greeting instead of his traditional one, but instead of panicking, I shook his hand.
"You really look different from these people."
He seemed curious about me too, scrutinizing my face before finally offering me a seat.
I looked aside; Liston was already seated.
Well, it is our hospital, so that's natural.
"Phew."
Without even asking for permission, Mill picked up a pipe and started smoking.
Actually…
London is one thing, but I heard smoking is much more natural in America.
They grow and sell sugarcane, corn, but isn't tobacco the heart of the colonial economy?
I heard these guys even have chewing tobacco because they smoke so much.
They say it was created because if you want to enjoy tobacco while working, you need a method that keeps both hands free—hence chewing.
"Haha. This might take a while, so let's enjoy a smoke while we listen."
The sailor who brought Mill also took out a tobacco and lit it.
He seemed well-off; it was a leaf-rolled cigarette.
Then Liston, who had been glancing at me, made a 'whatever' face and took out his precious hidden leaf-rolled cigarette to light it.
And so, an uncomfortable conversation began among three smokers and one non-smoker.