A Man of Science and Engineering in Troubled Times Wandering in the Late Qing Dynasty

Chapter 498
In Dongchang Alley, two young men wearing Japanese student clothes and a woman wearing a kimono were rubbing their hands in the cold wind.

"Beijing's winter is really cold." Qian Xuantong stretched out his hands and breathed a sigh of relief.

"So I still miss Tokyo where I can soak in hot springs," Zhou Zuoren said carefully. "There is nothing more pleasant than taking a bath in a warm pool in the cold winter and then drinking a cup of hot sake."

Qian Xuantong said: "Brother Zhou really knows how to enjoy."

Zhou Zuoren smiled slightly: "I have never known this kind of experience in the past, but in Japan, which is full of heritage from the Han and Tang Dynasties, I felt for the first time the mysterious attraction of the blending of the East and the West."

Zhou Zuoren was different from his brother Lu Xun.

Lu Xun felt that his life in Tokyo was full of humiliation. The article mentioned more than once the insults made by Japanese teachers and students to Chinese students. The most famous one was the scene in "Mr. Fujino" in which he watched a documentary about the Russo-Japanese War and beheaded Chinese people.

On the contrary, Zhou Zuoren praised Japanese culture extremely from beginning to end.

Using some inappropriate modern words is a successful cultural invasion.

If Zhou Zuoren went to see rural Japan, I wonder if his attitude would change.

The foreign powers not only oppressed the colonial residents, but also spared no effort to squeeze the domestic labor force.

As for the local officials in the colonies, the foreign powers will not bully them. To put it bluntly, they are targeting ordinary people.

Zhou Zuoren then said to Qian Xuantong: "You wear this Japanese costume, doesn't it mean that you have never forgotten the Japanese culture?"

Qian Xuantong shook his head and said, "I wear them because I'm afraid I'll be questioned by the police if I cut my hair. They serve as a talisman."

Zhou Zuoren said: "If it can be used as a talisman, doesn't it already explain the problem?"

"Brother Zhou wants to argue with me again, but I can't argue with you," Qian Xuantong waved his hand and said, "And today we are coming to visit Academician Li Yu, and by the way, we are sending the master's personal letter. Let's argue in front of his gate. If we argue back and forth, the academicians might treat us like two kids debating."

Zhou Zuoren laughed loudly: "Your metaphor is very Zhang Shi's style."

Lu Xun, Zhou Zuoren, Qian Xuantong and the madman Huang Kan all studied under Zhang Taiyan when they were in Japan.

The two walked to the door and found that the doornail and brass ring were missing.

Qian Xuantong said in confusion: "It's strange that such a deep compound has a bare front door."

They didn't know that someone had wanted to sue Li Yu for these arrogant details. Afterwards, Li Yu simply changed to the most ordinary house gate layout with nothing.

Zhou Zuoren said: "I don't think you need a big drumstick to knock on such a big door."

Qian Xuantong noticed a button on the door: "I heard that Academician Li Yu is a scientific giant. He may be different from others. Click this to try."

After Qian Xuantong pressed it, a burst of electronic bells sounded in the yard.

Zhou Zuoren said curiously: "It's a bit interesting."

After a while, the door opened and Uncle Wang came out and asked, "Who are you?"

Qian Xuantong said: "This must be the residence of Emperor Master Li Yu. I'm Qian Xuantong, this is Zhou Zuoren. We have just returned from Japan. According to the instructions of Master Zhang Taiyan, we have come to pay homage to Emperor Master and give some gifts." small gift."

Uncle Wang glanced at the Japanese woman wearing strange clothes behind him.

Zhou Zuoren explained: "This is my wife."

Li Yu happened to be exercising in the courtyard. After seeing it, he came over and said, "You two, please come in."

Qian Xuantong said: "The academician is indeed as Master Zhang said. Although he is knowledgeable, he is extremely elegant and easy-going."

Li Yu smiled and said, "Thank you, Mr. Taiyan, for the compliment."

Of course they didn't understand, because Li Yu had already read about them in history books and knew that these people would not be ordinary people in the future.

Zhou Zuoren asked: "What is that strange doornail at the door of the academician?"

Li Yu said: "Electronic doorbells are not uncommon in concessions."

Zhou Zuoren said: "So it turns out that the doorbell can also use electricity. I have always been confused about what electricity is and how it can do anything."

This issue was too complicated to explain clearly. Unless they were given an hour or two of popular science courses, they could only scratch the surface. So I simply said: "Electricity is a kind of energy that can drive all kinds of machinery."

Zhou Zuoren said: "Foreigners are really good at inventing things."

Li Yu said: "In fact, all science has existed in nature for a long time. It was not invented by foreigners. It's just that we were a little late when we heard about it."

Qian Xuantong is a strong supporter of the abolition of Chinese characters in the future, saying: "Isn't Western culture inherently strong?"

A flash occurred in Li Yu's mind. He suddenly understood why there were so many movements to abolish Chinese characters and abolish traditional Chinese medicine in the early years of the Republic of China. On the one hand, of course, it was the extreme admiration for the West at this time; on the other hand, he just did not study it carefully. Why is the West so powerful? I don’t understand the principle behind it at all.

It seems that in the future we will not only introduce celebrity biographies, but more importantly, we will personally compile a history of science and technology to let the Chinese people know how science and technology developed step by step.Simple blind worship is the most terrifying thing, as you will lose yourself and be taken advantage of.

Qian Xuantong looked at Li Yu for a few seconds and asked again.

Li Yu said: "The strength of Western science and technology only lasts a few hundred years, which is not long for a civilization that lasts thousands of years. How can it be inherently strong?"

Zhou Zuoren said: "Speaking of which, the two of us were thinking at the door just now, whether the emperor thought that the two of us were arguing about the sun. I wonder if there is a scientific explanation for this question that even Confucius cannot answer?"

Li Yu said: "It's actually very simple. You just need to know how the earth rotates and revolves. There were no telescopes back then, so it didn't matter if you couldn't answer it. And doesn't the story itself say there is no end to learning?"

Zhou Zuoren praised and said: "The emperor's teacher is really knowledgeable."

Qian Xuantong took out a small gift box: "Master Zhang heard that the academician was happy to have a son, so he specially asked us to pass by the capital when we returned to China to send his blessings."

Li Yu said gratefully: "I didn't expect that Mr. Taiyan, who is far away in Japan, already knew about my affairs."

Zhou Zuoren said: "Every move made by Imperial Master will make news in Japan. Master Zhang naturally knows this."

Li Yu was stunned. He didn't expect Little Japan to pay so much attention to him.

Not afraid of thieves stealing, but afraid of thieves thinking.

Li Yu asked again: "How is your brother doing lately?"

Zhou Zuoren said: "My brother has returned to China for more than a year and is working as a physiology and chemistry teacher at the Zhejiang Normal School in Hangzhou. He also serves as a botany translator for Japanese teachers."

Li Yu said: "When I have time, I will go to Hangzhou to visit him."

Zhou Zuoren was a little surprised that Li Yu was so famous that he would pay homage to his little-known brother?So he also said: "Hangzhou is picturesque. If the academician goes there, my brother will definitely try his best to be a tour guide."

Li Yu knew that he would be wrong, so he said casually: "It couldn't be better."

At present, the relationship between the Zhou brothers is quite good. Lu Xun returned to China early to work in order to complete his younger brother's studies.

One of the reasons why their relationship broke down later was Zhou Zuoren's newly married Japanese wife Nobuko Hata.

Li Yu stayed with them to have a meal at home before saying goodbye to them.When he returned to the house to amuse his children, Lu Bicheng asked, "Who is here again today?"

Li Yu took out the box given by Zhang Taiyan. Inside was a piece of jade Ruyi. Although the quality was far inferior to the one given by Yuan Shikai, Li Yu cherished it. In addition, there was a piece of large-character calligraphy by Zhang Taiyan.

"Look, Mr. Taiyan's two disciples also gave Yu Ruyi as gifts."

Lu Bicheng said: "Mr. Taiyan's disciples are indeed not ordinary people."

Li Yu smiled and said, "You are really good at judging people."

These two people are naturally very famous in the history of the Republic of China, but one of them has a bit of a bad reputation.

-

A few days later, Wu Liande sent a telegram from Fengtian to hold a plague research conference for all countries and invited Li Yu to come.

Fengtian was relatively close, so Li Yu took the train there to attend.

This seminar was of a very high level, with several major powers from the Eight-Nation Alliance attending the seminar, and the chairman of the seminar was the young Wu Liande.

The long-famous Japanese bacteriologist Shibasaburo Kitasato is only the vice chairman.

By the way, Kitasato will become the cover character of Japan's new currency in the future.

But the Chinese certainly don’t have any good impressions of Japanese bacteriologists.

Countries expressed great interest in how quickly the Northeastern plague could be eradicated. Wu Liande personally announced various measures and his discovery of pneumonic plague that could be transmitted from person to person.

Prevention and control measures are of great significance in guiding the prevention and control of infectious diseases and public health in the future. Since the Northeastern Plague, when infectious diseases reappeared in various countries, they almost always followed Wu Liande's approach.

As for pneumonic plague, it was a major medical discovery.

So there is nothing wrong with Wu Liande winning the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology.

Next time Li Yu goes to Europe, he plans to unite some people to nominate him as soon as possible. The competition for medicine or physiology awards will become greater in the future.

Moreover, in the early years, almost only one person won the award every year. It would be easier to add one more.

After the seminar, Wu Liande went to Beijing to receive his award and was awarded the rank of Army Major General. This level was quite high at the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China. The imperial court also hoped that Wu Liande would serve as the director of the health department and coordinate the national medical work.

In later generations, he should be the Minister of Health.

However... Wu Liande refused.

What Wu Liande wanted to do was to start building a modern medical system in Northeast China, not just modern hospitals.

Otherwise, Wu Liande could be worthy of the highest praise: "The country's unparalleled scholar."

Wu Liande also asked Li Yu to help find and buy a house in Beijing so that his wife and children could live there.

Li Yu has been living in Beijing for so many years and has become quite familiar with the housing agency market in Beijing. He found Cui Laosan, a Guapimao, and bought a high-quality and low-priced house.

Wu Liande expressed his gratitude: "In the future, I will go to the Northeast, and my family will also look forward to the care of the emperor. It is best for my children to enter your school."

"Put it on me!" Li Yu readily agreed, and then asked, "What are Doctor Wu going to do first during this time?"

Wu Liande said: "I want to write a history of Chinese medicine."

"History of Chinese medicine?" Li Yu asked, "Why do you have such an idea?"

Wu Liande said: "I read a medical history book written by the American writer Garrison before, and the introduction to Chinese medicine was only one page, and this only page contained many errors.

"I wrote to him to inquire. Garrison said that there were no books introducing Chinese medicine in any library in the United States, and he was helpless.

"You know, this is terrible and will only aggravate foreigners' misunderstanding of Chinese medicine."

Li Yu was in awe. He happened to have the idea of ​​​​writing a history of science and technology, and replied: "It is too difficult to write a history of Chinese medicine. The vast number of classical books is very obscure to read."

Wu Liande himself is not a pure Chinese medicine practitioner, and he said with emotion: "Of course there are difficulties, but no matter how difficult it is, it can't be more difficult than extinguishing a plague."

Li Yu said: "I hope it will be published in both Chinese and English by then."

Historically, the "History of Chinese Medicine" written by Wu Liande was in English.

Wu Liande said: "At that time, I will contact those who are interested in completing the manuscript together."

Li Yu suddenly asked: "When it comes to the history of Chinese medicine, what does Dr. Wu think of traditional medicine?"

Wu Liande said: "In my opinion, traditional medicine has stagnated as early as 300 years ago. I grew up studying Western medicine, and I do not have a thorough understanding of some theories in traditional medicine, but the biggest problem is not here. .”

Li Yu asked: "Where is that?"

Wu Liande said: "The biggest problem of traditional medicine is that there is no complete teaching system, the level of the apprentices trained is uneven, and there is no sufficiently objective evaluation standard; therefore, there will be a lot of quack doctors, and there are still a lot of quack doctors. , will have a huge negative impact on the entire society.

"This also leads to foreigners being unable to understand traditional medicine at all and remaining skeptical.
"In addition, in traditional medicine, famous and famous doctors who are famous and capable often hide their exclusive secret recipes. Once a famous doctor dies, the secret recipe will be buried with him. The villages and towns where he is located will almost instantly lose their excellent medical support capabilities. "

The points pointed out by Wu Liande are very insightful. Throughout the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, TCM had such problems.

Li Yu said: "It is indeed time to improve, but traditional medicine is not without merit."

Wu Liande sighed: "The past was indeed glorious, but in the past few hundred years, no new excellent traditional medical works have been published. Everyone is keen on annotating ancient books, which is not healthy for the development of a discipline."

Li Yu said: "Perhaps the combination of modern medicine and traditional medicine will be a route."

Wu Liande said: "People who can learn both are really rare."

Li Yu said: "At least in the field of herbal medicine, there are still many places for cooperation. Aspirin and quinine were first discovered in herbal medicine."

Aspirin was originally discovered from willow bark.

Quinine, used to treat malaria, comes from the bark of the cinchona tree.It is said that Kangxi suffered from malaria and was cured by taking cinchona cream provided by foreigners.

By the way, don’t forget the famous artemisinin, which Tu Youyou discovered in ancient prescriptions and extracted it from Artemisia annua.

Therefore, Chinese medicine is also divided into traditional Chinese medicine and modern Chinese medicine.

It doesn't feel right to directly call them "Chinese medicine" and "Western medicine". It will be misunderstood by others and then provoke confrontation. There are too many similar scoldings on the Internet.

Wu Liande clasped his fists and said, "What Mr. Academician said is not unreasonable. I will add more notes when I write the history of Chinese medicine in the future."

Wu Liande had a high status in the medical community in the Republic of China. In the vote on the abolition of traditional Chinese medicine in the late 1920s, Wu Liande voted in favor.

Li Yu hoped to change things somewhat. After all, the decision was too hasty and the consequences were not good. It was ordinary people who suffered.

(End of this chapter)