Mr. Lamark immediately took out a small knife and a copper basin from the leather case, saying to Perna, "Prepare to bleed the Crown Prince."
Joseph resolutely said, "No! I forbid you to bleed me..."
Lamark looked at his weak expression and said solemnly, "Your Highness, I must do this. The fever has lasted too long and will have serious consequences!"
Joseph struggled to grab the scimitar. Lamark continued, "If you refuse treatment, I will report this to Her Majesty the Queen."
Joseph felt a headache trying to figure out how to persuade this hardliner when he saw Laseny enter with a glass bottle in his hands.
"Your Highness, this is what you requested." Laseny appeared somewhat guilty as he handed over the bottle, mumbling, "Perhaps, the purification isn't quite complete..."
Joseph looked at the grey, viscous substance inside the bottle, opened the lid, and immediately smelled alcohol. *He chuckled bitterly inside. How was this 'not quite' complete?* But he still consoled the doctor, "For your first attempt, this is already very good. Thank you very much."
As Joseph was about to take the Salicin, he suddenly had a thought and looked at Lamark, saying, "Mr. Lamark, if I undergo your bloodletting treatment, how long until the fever subsides?"
Lamark pondered for a moment and said, "Perhaps by tonight or maybe tomorrow morning."
Joseph raised the glass bottle to indicate, "With my medicine, I can reduce the fever in an hour."
Lamark immediately felt his professional dignity was challenged and shook his head, "Your Highness, your pneumonia is uncontrolled. In all medicines I know of, there is absolutely nothing that can reduce fever so quickly."
He was a member of the French Academy of Sciences, a renowned biologist and pharmacologist in Europe, one of the first to propose the theories of "biological evolution" and "survival of the fittest," and one of the top doctors in France. He was confident in making such a statement.
Joseph smiled wearily, "Then let's make a wager. If I reduce the fever within an hour, you shall no longer bleed me in the future."
Lamark was taken aback for a moment, then nodded confidently, "Very well, Your Highness. If your medicine isn't effective, you can no longer refuse any treatment from a doctor in the future."
"Deal!"
Joseph poured out a spoonful of Salicin and swallowed it while tilting his head back. The taste was bitter with a strong alcohol scent, causing him to gag.
Lamark meticulously took out his pocket watch and signaled to Joseph, "Your Highness, it is now 4:21 PM."
Joseph nodded. He wanted to sleep a bit more but felt uncomfortable with three people standing by his bed, including a girl, so he got up and discussed the purification of Salicin with Laseny.
Lamark listened to the mention that the medicine was made from Willow Bark. He couldn't help but shake his head. The British had researched the effects of Willow Bark over a decade ago, and although it was effective in reducing fever, it had to be taken continuously for several days to be effective.
Moreover, this substance was harsh on the stomach. Many people couldn't bear the stomachache before achieving the fever-reducing effect and gave up.
However, he greatly admired the Crown Prince's experimental theoretical knowledge, which far surpassed his own students. If the Crown Prince were to dedicate himself to pharmaceutics or experimental science, he would undoubtedly achieve considerable success.
In reality, Joseph's knowledge in this field was rather basic, having only been slightly influenced by an older chemistry student in his university dormitory. But in the eighteenth century, it appeared to be quite professional.
"So, crystallization could accelerate the cooling process..."
Joseph was speaking when he suddenly stopped, rubbed his forehead, and looked at Lamark with a smile, "Mr. Lamark, I believe my fever has subsided."
Lamark was intently listening to him talk about the experiment and almost forgot about this matter. He hurriedly checked his pocket watch; it was 4:58 PM, only 37 minutes had passed since the Crown Prince took the medicine.
He then looked at Joseph and saw a sparkle in his eyes. He immediately bent slightly in acknowledgment and reached out to feel his forehead. It was indeed no longer warm!
"Perna, the thermometer."
Lamark took the thermometer, inserted it into the Crown Prince's mouth, and after a moment, personally removed it to check, his eyes revealing disbelief.
36.8 degrees Celsius!
The body temperature had returned to normal!
"This, how is this possible?!" he murmured with his head down. He suddenly grabbed Joseph's shoulder excitedly, "Your Highness, did you really drink an extract of Willow Bark just now?"
Joseph laughed and nodded.
"I never expected the purified effect to be so good!" Lamark's eyes sparkled with small stars, "Your Highness, if the efficacy is stable, this is absolutely a groundbreaking medicine! May I attempt to produce this medicine?"
"Of course. Mr. Laseny will discuss the specific process with you."
"I can't express my gratitude to you enough!" Lamark performed a deep bow to Joseph, hastily pulled out a notebook to find Laseny, and turned back to ask, "Your Highness, is this medicine your invention?"
"Well..." Joseph was taken aback and could only casually reply, "Ah, it must have been Jesus's inspiration, allowing me a flash of insight."
Oh, my Lord! Lamark was astonished. Could the Crown Prince truly be the Son of Divine Favor? For such a formula to come to mind with just a flash of intuition!
However, adhering to a scientist's rigor, he felt it essential to verify the efficacy through extensive experiments. With this in mind, he was instantly filled with vigor, pulling Laseny toward the Alchemy laboratory, leaving behind a command, "Perna, keep an eye on His Highness's condition. Report to me immediately if there are any changes."
"Yes, doctor."
...
Two days later.
Thanks to the treatment with Salicin, Joseph's condition had stabilized considerably. Although there was still some coughing, there had been no recurrence of the fever.
He stepped through the golden doors of the eastern wing meeting hall of the Palace of Versailles, and it was not yet nine o'clock, with a few minutes to go before the Cabinet meeting was scheduled to begin.
All the other Cabinet Ministers had already arrived. Seeing the Crown Prince enter the room, they all stood up to greet him.
The Minister of the Interior, Mono, approached Joseph with a broad smile and whispered, "Thank you, Your Highness. The edict to deal with Gizo was issued yesterday, with no mention of inciting rebellion."
Joseph smiled and pulled him into his seat. Yesterday, during lunch, he had mentioned a few words to the Queen, merely shifting all the blame onto Gizo alone. Then, he had the Clerk supplement a formal report, and the matter was considered settled.
Though Joseph suspected there might be more to Gizo's case, it likely had nothing to do with Mono. Once his intelligence agency was established, this would be the first matter to investigate.
Suddenly, Mono stood up, spread his arms, and loudly addressed the others, "The police reform project led by the Crown Prince has achieved remarkable results. As everyone knows, the crime in the Saint Antoine District has been almost completely eradicated! His Highness indeed deserves the title of the Son of Divine Favor! Let us all congratulate His Highness!"