The gates of Ping'an County are closed.
Three to four hundred refugees gathered around the ruined temple. A porridge shed was set up at the gate of the main city, which provided two meals of porridge a day. The mood of the refugees was relatively stable.
But the disease is spreading, and many of the refugees have always been sick, dragging their bodies with them and coughing non-stop.
In the city, hundreds of people suffered from high fever and cough because of the refugees who had entered the city, and four or five medical clinics were all overcrowded.
Magistrate Shen was sitting in the study, reading documents.
There was a dark green under his eyelids, and there was a ring of stubble around his lips. It looked like he had been up all night.
The document in his hand was a letter sent by the prefect.
The letter states that thousands of refugees in Huzhou have brought severe plague, causing countless people in Huzhou City to get sick, and people die every day. Yesterday, the death toll in the city reached its peak, with eight people dying. From high fever to death, it took about four or five days. time.
There are more sick people among the refugees, but the number of deaths is not that high. About one to two people die every day.
In order to protect Huzhou, the prefect ordered all the refugees to be driven out, the city gates were closed tightly, and the people in the city were separated for treatment and management. As for those refugees, they were no longer able to manage... The letter emphasized that all counties and towns within the jurisdiction should follow this law and control The plague spreads...
The prefect also wrote that all the antipyretic medicinal materials in Huzhou were almost sold out, and proposed that the government should control the medicinal materials and prepare medicines for unified treatment...
Magistrate Shen put down the lengthy document and pinched his brows.
After Zheng'er delivered the letter from Sui Ruren yesterday, he immediately asked the government officials to go to nearby counties, towns and villages to implement mandatory control measures.
At present, the source of the disease in the city is under control, but the situation is still very difficult.
First, the consumption of medicinal materials is serious. Herbal medicines such as ephedra, bupleurum, Qianghuo, and cinnamon twigs for treating fevers are almost sold out. Without medicines, those who are sick can only wait to die.
Second, there are three to four hundred refugees outside the city, and the number is increasing every day. With so many people, it is difficult for the county government to continue to provide two meals of porridge a day. Due to lack of medicinal materials, refugees outside the city are not even eligible to receive treatment.
These people are also living human lives...
"grown ups!"
The city guards walked in quickly.
"This is a letter sent by people from Suiru, saying that human life is at stake and there can be no delay!"
As soon as he heard the word Sui Ruren, Magistrate Shen felt as if he had taken a reassuring pill, and all the irritability in his heart disappeared instantly.
He quickly opened the bundle and took out a thick stack of paper.
The first piece of paper clearly stated in detail what these manuscripts recorded. They were actually prescriptions for treating this plague.
Magistrate Shen's breathing suddenly became rapid and his hands began to shake.
He started reading ten lines at a glance, and most of them were about the verification process and the patient's symptoms... He turned directly to the last page, which was a complete prescription.
If the prescription includes medicines such as ephedra and bupleurum, he may continue to have headaches.
but! This prescription has nothing to do with commonly used antipyretics. Instead, it uses some common heat-clearing drugs, such as Forsythia and honeysuckle.
He thought that the people in Suiru only knew about things in the field, so they were able to discover regenerated rice.
Now I realize that he is too narrow-minded.
"Sui Ruren... you are truly my noble..."
The matter of separate management was proposed by Suiru people.
The Suiru people also sent people to deliver the prescriptions for the disease.
It is a blessing for everyone in Ping'an County to have Sui Ru people.
"Somebody come!"
Magistrate Shen shouted loudly, and Master Yuan walked in with his waist hunched over.
"Calling doctors from all the medical clinics in the city to control all the medicinal materials and prepare the medicines for distribution." He said in an orderly manner. "There are two medicine-making stations inside and outside the city. The people inside and outside the city will be treated equally..."
Master Yuan was astonished: "But sir, there are not enough medicinal materials. I asked the doctor at Rendetang and he said that all the medicinal materials in the city combined are only enough for three to five days. I will give some to the refugees and it will be enough in two days." It’s gone…”
"The prescription has been changed." Magistrate Shen took out the paper with the prescription. "Honeysuckle and forsythia can be found in Ping'an County. I'll use the skullcap first. I'll come up with ideas for the gaps."
Honeysuckle and forsythia are very common and can be found on the mountains in the village, but skullcap is a northern medicine and purchased from the north. It is impossible for medical clinics in the city to have too much in reserve. Scutellaria will be exhausted in five days at most.
Master Yuan hesitated while holding the prescription: "Which doctor wrote this prescription?"
"Of course it's my aunt Sui Ruren." Shen Zheng walked in from the door, "If aunt can hand over this prescription, it means that it has been tested and it is indeed effective."
Master Yuan was even more hesitant: "But, isn't Sui Ruren a peasant woman? How can a peasant woman understand medicine?"
"Just because you don't understand doesn't mean that my aunt doesn't understand either." Shen Zheng snorted and said, "Dad, there are too many people like Master Yuan who question randomly. I suggest that you lie to the outside world that this prescription is high. It’s written by someone, just ask all the doctors to cooperate in brewing the medicine. If not, those doctors will definitely take turns to question one by one, and there won’t be so much time to explain. It’s more important to save people.”
Master Yuan: "..."
Was he just asking random questions? He was clearly raising reasonable questions!
Magistrate Shen very much agreed with Shen Zheng's suggestion.
He had to try this recipe as soon as possible. If it was effective, he would have a copy sent to Huzhou tonight.
If the plague is more severe in Huzhou and cannot be controlled well, Ping'an County will always be in danger.
"Master Yuan is in charge of the inside of the city, and I am in charge of the outside." Shen Zheng said, "Father will be responsible for guarding the county government and issuing orders."
Magistrate Shen frowned: "No, you are not allowed to fool around."
There are refugees outside the city, and if someone is not good enough, they will become a mob. How could he let his only son be among the mob.
"Cheng Zhao is also assisting Aunt Zhao in controlling the plague in Dahe Village. Naturally, I can't be idle in Ping'an County." Shen Zheng's eyes were particularly firm, "Those guards guarding the city gate are also other people's sons. Theirs Don’t parents feel sorry for their children? They can go, why can’t I go? I am the son of the county magistrate. Only by going can I prove to them that Ping An County has not given up on anyone, and those refugees will not riot. "
Magistrate Shen was stunned.
When did his incompetent son understand so many great principles?
He actually couldn't say a single word to refute.
"Dad, I'm going."
Shen Zheng pulled up his mask, put on his hat, and strode out of the county office.
Looking at his back, Magistrate Shen let out a long sigh. His son had grown up and became sensible. Why did he feel melancholy?
He was about to sit down and continue arranging government affairs. Master Yuan, who had just walked out, hurried back: "Sir, it's bad, someone died in the city again!"
Magistrate Shen stood up suddenly: "How many people died?"
"The four people who died all died suddenly after taking Rendetang's antipyretic drugs." Master Yuan was still frightened. "The previous deceased died during the treatment process, but today these four people's fever has clearly subsided. I didn’t know how to get over it... The family of the deceased made a big fuss in Rendetang..."
Magistrate Shen's face was solemn: "In other words, there is indeed something wrong with the original recipe... Before night, now, Master Yuan, you will send someone to Huzhou to report the new recipe to the prefect. Do you want to use this recipe?" It’s all up to the prefect to make his own decision. Also, ask the prefect to urgently transfer some skullcap from the north..."
Master Yuan cupped his hands: "Yes!"
