Bab 34: Chapter 34: The Secret Weapon
Chapter 34: The Secret Weapon
Lamarck's expression became slightly uncomfortable as he glanced at Dr. Larsen, who quickly stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, I'll take care of things here from now on. You see, Mr. Lamarck will be leaving soon."
"Leaving?" Joseph asked.
Larsen explained, "Actually, Mr. Lamarck has been granted special funding by the French Academy of Medicine to conduct botanical research in South America. You know, there are many mysterious plants there that might lead to new medicinal discoveries. Ah, in fact, he has already resigned from his position as a court physician. As for the salicin extraction process, he's already taught me everything in detail, so there's not much left for him to do at the workshop."
Lamarck quickly cleared his throat and bowed sincerely, "Your Highness, I truly apologize. To be honest, the reason I was able to obtain this funding is largely due to the paper I wrote on the efficacy of salicin. Oh, you were even listed as the first author. But the opportunity to go to South America is incredibly rare, and I hope to..."
Joseph suddenly remembered the letter he had received from the Academy of Medicine a few days ago, praising him for his contributions to salicin. He hadn't paid much attention to it at the time, but now he realized it was because of Lamarck's paper.
In the past, Joseph would have congratulated Lamarck and personally sent him off on his journey to South America. But today, after seeing the professional processing and experimental equipment in the workshop and the many skilled workers, Joseph had other ideas.
One of those ideas was to develop a legendary drug that had been on his mind since arriving in this world—penicillin.
With penicillin, Joseph could not only cure his own pneumonia but also create a powerful military asset. In 18th-century warfare, wound infections often led to death, but penicillin could "resurrect" the wounded. Imagine an army whose injured soldiers continually returned to the battlefield while the enemy's numbers dwindled—how could they not win?
Joseph had long considered making penicillin, but the process and technology were incredibly complex. It required a highly specialized laboratory, experimental and cultivation equipment, and a professional team to operate it, all of which were previously unavailable. But now, with this pharmaceutical workshop, it seemed possible.
However, to achieve this, Lamarck could not be allowed to leave.
Thinking quickly, Joseph shook his head and said, "No, you don't need to apologize. It's my oversight. Your talents shouldn't be confined to this small workshop; the unknown realms of biomedicine are where you can truly shine."
Lamarck was moved by Joseph's words. "Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness. Please believe me, if there's anything I can do to help here, I'll return immediately."
Joseph smiled slightly, as if speaking casually, "It's just a pity. I was hoping you'd help me develop a new drug, but it looks like that will have to wait until you return from South America."
The mention of a "new drug" immediately piqued Lamarck's interest. "Oh? What kind of drug are you referring to, Your Highness?"
Joseph initially considered telling him about penicillin directly but then decided to start with a smaller project, something to warm up with and help build the experimental team. So he put penicillin on hold and said, "I've heard of a drug that can slow down aging, prevent miscarriages, and even... enhance male virility."
Lamarck quickly searched his mental database but couldn't find anything that matched this description. Just as he was about to dismiss it, he remembered the miraculous salicin and put aside his doubts. "This sounds incredible. Are you sure such a thing exists?"
"It does," Joseph nodded. "It's called tocopherol."
Tocopherol is what we now know as Vitamin E, a common substance in modern times, but it hadn't been extracted in the 18th century.
Joseph chose Vitamin E because it was relatively simple to extract and had a high success rate. Additionally, it could be incorporated into cosmetics; nearly all anti-aging and anti-blemish skincare products in the future would include Vitamin E.
This would be the second secret weapon in the "Paris Angel" company's arsenal for extracting money from wealthy noblewomen.
Lamarck, hearing such a professional term, became even more serious. "Your Highness, do you know how to obtain this... tocopherol?"
Joseph confirmed, "I know a method to extract tocopherol from corn kernels. It requires some additional equipment, such as a centrifuge, sedimentation tanks, and we'll also need to build a temperature-controlled room."
"A temperature-controlled room? You mean a lab that maintains a constant temperature? How would that be possible?" Lamarck asked.
In this era, without air conditioning, maintaining a constant temperature was indeed a challenge.
Joseph thought for a moment and said, "We can lay dense pipes under the floor and inside the walls of the room, connected to a large water tank outside. When we need to raise the temperature, we can heat the water in the tank. To cool it down, we can channel water from the Seine River. The waterwheel here could be very useful for this."
Even in summer, river water stays below 20 degrees Celsius, which is sufficient for biological experiments.
Lamarck was clearly intrigued by the idea of a substance that could slow aging, but on the other hand, he was also passionate about his dream of exploring South American plants. He stood there, visibly torn.
Joseph saw his hesitation and threw out an even bigger "bait": "Mr. Lamarck, once we have the temperature-controlled room and other facilities in place, there's another, even more miraculous drug I'd like you to help me develop. This drug can treat pneumonia, wound infections, puerperal fever, and even cure seemingly incurable diseases like the Black Death, syphilis, and sepsis."
Lamarck was stunned!
If such a drug existed, it would fulfill his lifelong dream—ensuring that no one would ever suffer or die from disease again.
He was so excited that his breathing became rapid. "Your Highness, you're not joking, are you?"
Seeing that Lamarck had taken the bait, Joseph smiled. "You'll know once you create it and test it yourself. Oh, and as for your trip to South America, I'll fund it in the future, with more money than the Academy of Medicine is offering, and with greater freedom."
At this point, Lamarck had no more reservations. He nodded vigorously, saying, "Your Highness, I will dedicate myself fully to developing these miracle drugs with you!"
...
After leaving Lamarck with instructions for extracting Vitamin E, Joseph departed from the workshop. By the time his carriage arrived at Paris City Hall, it was already past 3 p.m.
Emon stepped out of the City Hall and waved away a chubby man with large ears, who reluctantly turned back toward the building. Emon then approached the carriage across the street and bowed to Joseph. "Your Highness, I've gathered the information. Of the properties currently listed for sale in Paris, fourteen meet your criteria."
Joseph didn't hesitate. "I want the best one."
"Your Highness, that would be the Nagelt Jewelry Store on the Champs-Élysées," Emon replied.
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