Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 160 Smallpox
March 1630, 8, early morning.

At an Indian tribal camp several miles away from Fort Guangfeng (now Saanich, Vancouver Island), Dong Xinping, wrapped tightly in a blanket, cautiously approached the thatched huts that were isolated by several armed militiamen.

"Stay here and don't go any further." He turned and instructed the militiamen, "Also, when you're off duty later, rinse your entire body with hot water and soak your clothes in high-temperature water."

"Yes, Commissioner Dong." Several militiamen bowed respectfully in response.

This is the most powerful doctor on Qiming Island. His words are like the emperor's golden words. In terms of health, hygiene and medical treatment, everyone must obey him unconditionally.

"Teacher, can we go in with you?" Liu Azhu said in a muffled voice through a thick cotton mask.

"You haven't fought before... uh, it's better not to go in. Stay here," Dong Xinping said gently. "Most of the natives inside are suffering from highly lethal infectious diseases. Every time someone goes in, there's more danger. Wait here. Shuigen and I will go in."

As he said that, he led Cai Shuigen into a thatched hut.

The room was a little dark, and when you first entered, you couldn't see what was going on inside.

After a brief consideration, Cai Shuigen directly pulled down the door curtain woven from grass and wood, letting in some light.

The two Indians huddled dejectedly on the haystack, without making any sound. It was unclear whether they were asleep or had been dead for a long time. The whole room seemed a bit dead and emitted a corrosive smell.

"They're dead." Dong Xinping squatted down, reached out and felt the Indian's carotid artery, shook his head and said, "Come, drag this guy to the door and see what's going on."

"Hey!" Cai Shuigen responded, then took a few steps forward, walked to the corpse, grabbed his shoulders with both hands, and dragged him to the door.

"...There's a red rash on the face, probably blisters." Dong Xinping whispered as he turned the body over. "Some of the pustules have dried up and cracked, turning into hard shells or scabs. ...Oh, there are pustules on the arms, chest, and back, densely packed together, and the skin is red. Hiss..."

"It really is... smallpox!" Dong Xinping took a breath, stood up, and looked extremely solemn.

After hearing this, Cai Shuigen's hands that were touching the corpse suddenly trembled. He widened his eyes and looked at the teacher in horror.

"Oh, I thought that after we had done all the epidemic prevention work, we wouldn't bring this virus to Qiming Island." Dong Xinping smiled bitterly and waved his hand, motioning Cai Shuigen to follow him out. "But I never expected that smallpox, an infectious disease that frequently breaks out on the mainland, would still be introduced."

"Teacher, do we have any way to treat it?"

In the Ming Dynasty, almost everyone knew about the epidemic of smallpox. Once it broke out, within ten days or half a month, entire villages and towns would die, and there would be almost no possibility of treatment.

Unless, you have a very strong life and rely on the blessings of God and ancestors to force yourself through.

Therefore, smallpox, this seemingly extremely elegant word, was simply incurable at that time. It was highly contagious, and once infected, it was absolutely fatal.

"With our current medical level, there's no way to treat this kind of malignant infectious disease." Dong Xinping walked to the door, shook his head, and said, "However, we do have some means of prevention and treatment. Okay, follow me back to Shixing Fort. We'll have a lot to do next!"

When leaving the Indian tribal camp, Dong Xinping ordered the militia captain to immediately block the entire camp and not let any Indians leave, let alone enter the nearby settlements without permission.

When necessary, drastic measures may be taken even without warning.

Soon after, he ordered the burning of Indians who died of smallpox, including the thatched huts they lived in and their used items, and then dug pits to bury them.
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After five years of continuous breeding and intermittent smuggling purchases, the number of livestock on Qiming Island has slowly increased.

As of the end of June this year, the number of horses has reached 38, cattle 115, sheep 387, and pigs more than 420. They can not only provide the necessary animal power for more than ten settlements on Qiming Island, but also provide a large amount of manure for several farmlands.

There are even more poultry such as chickens, ducks and geese, with a rough estimate of more than 5,000, which can meet the basic egg-laying needs of some residents.

Francisco Favian Lorenzana, a former Spanish sailor, has been responsible for managing and caring for the livestock on the island since he was captured on Qiming Island five years ago because he has some experience in livestock breeding.

He was also the only Spaniard who left the sailor profession and returned completely to the land he loved.

Although he had to deal with these dirty and smelly livestock every day, he never got tired of it and liked this peaceful and tranquil life very much.

There is no need to fight against the raging waves, nor to stay in the small and dim cabin all day eating smelly dry bread, and there is no need to worry about facing a terrible shipwreck at any time and returning to heaven.

More importantly, he could be with his family every day and enjoy the joy of family. Three years ago, under the arrangement of the Chinese, he married an Indian girl, and soon after, she gave birth to a lovely daughter.

Last year, he welcomed his second child, also a boy.

In May of this year, his wife became pregnant with their third child, which made him feel extremely happy and fulfilled.

Here people have enough food to eat and warm clothes to wear. There are no endless taxes and corvée labor, no ruthless exploitation by noble lords, and no tithes from the church.

Apart from the sparse population and limited supplies, it is simply a beautiful paradise.

However, a terrible news came from the island in recent days.

An Indian tribe near Guangfeng Fort has been hit by a smallpox virus outbreak. It is said that nearly a hundred people from several tribes have been infected, and even a dozen new immigrants have been affected.

To this end, the decision-making committee immediately mobilized more than 120 armed militiamen, regardless of the busy autumn harvest, to completely blockade several Indian tribes where smallpox had broken out and the infected immigrant settlements.

It is said that many people have died from smallpox.

This made all the residents feel a sense of inexplicable panic and fear.

You know, a large-scale smallpox outbreak occurs in Europe almost every few decades, causing the tragic deaths of thousands of people.

It can be said that everyone has a high probability of encountering smallpox.

There is a long-standing saying in Europe: No one can escape two things, the first is love, and the second is smallpox!

Once infected with the smallpox virus, the mortality rate is close to 50% (in fact, the mortality rate of the smallpox virus is about 30%).

The once powerful Roman Empire fought wars in the east and west, conquering countless territories and tribes. Roman soldiers brought back victory and slaves, but also brought back smallpox and measles.

A plague quickly broke out in the empire, with an average of more than 2,000 people contracting the disease and dying every day. Even the emperor of the Roman Empire was not spared. Emperor Verus the Great and Emperor Antony the Great both died of smallpox.

The plague lasted for nearly 20 years, killing millions of people from the smallpox virus. The powerful Roman soldiers also lost their combat effectiveness, and eventually the powerful empire declined.

This plague is also known as the Antonine Plague!
In the Spanish American colonies not far to the south, the Spaniards brought the brutal swords and guns, and also brought the European smallpox virus to the New World, causing more than tens of millions of Indians to die from the virus and the population to drop sharply to less than eight million.

And now, the smallpox virus has also broken out on Qiming Island. Will this paradise on earth become a hell on earth?

"Lao Luo, Lao Luo..." Just as Lorenzana was walking a foal in a circle in the fence, several calls came from behind.

Following the sound, I saw Sun Youping, a colleague from the Animal Husbandry Department, walking over with a group of people.

"Hi, Sun, what's going on?" Lorenzana was startled when he saw that it was a group of medical and epidemic prevention personnel, and asked nervously.

Could it be that someone on our farm has also been infected with the smallpox virus?

"Are those two cows kept separately doing well?" Commissioner Dong, who was in charge of medical affairs, asked anxiously as soon as he saw him.

"Yes, sir, the two cows are doing fine," Lorenzana replied quickly. "And to ensure their health, I've even had the herders add a generous amount of crushed corn to their wheat bran feed. These past few days, we've been treating them like VIPs, meticulously caring for them."

"Haha..." Dong Xinping laughed, shook his head and said, "These two cows just need to be kept in a separate pen. There's no need for such special care. If their mammary ulcers heal under your careful care, then you're being well-intentioned but end up with bad results."

"Ah?..." Lorenzana was startled when he heard this. "Do we need to let those two cows get sick? But if we do that, the milk they produce won't be edible!"

"These two sick cows will be very useful!" Dong Xinping said as he followed Lorenzana to the cowshed. "With these cows, the residents of Qiming Island won't have to worry about smallpox anymore!"

(End of this chapter)