Shadow of great britain

The Metropolitan Police Headquarters, 4 Whitehall Street, Westminster, London.

The sound of riding boots hitting the floor echoed throughout Scotland Yard.

The hall is full of Scotland Yard police officers trotting back and forth. They come from different police districts across London and face different security situations and regional characteristics. However, the purpose of their visit to the headquarters today on behalf of the local police districts is Eerily the same.

Not because of theft, robbery, or arson, but because of a pandemic that came without warning.

"Superintendent Matthews, St. Thomas' Hospital and London Bridge Hospital suddenly announced that the beds were full early this morning. Because they could not find beds, many patients' families gathered in front of the hospital to protest. The local police station asked the headquarters to Armed police units were dispatched to the area to help maintain order."

"Superintendent Klein, here is a special report from the Hackney Police Department. Since yesterday evening, the local Homerton Hospital has suddenly received many patients with unknown causes. The vehicles used by the local police station to transport patients are extremely extreme. There is a shortage, and they are asking headquarters to allocate some police resources to support Hackney."

"Sir Mayne, a similar situation broke out in the East India Dock area. Many sailors suddenly fell ill. The Thames Water Police Department is currently unable to arrange more police officers to participate in water security work. They have forwarded assistance and support to us through the London Port Authority. Application. The relevant documents are currently undergoing review and approval by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and I have explained the details in the appendix of the document."

Arthur walked hurriedly down the aisle of the hall, holding his hat under his arm and holding a white glove in his mouth, hurriedly changing his clothes as he walked.

Behind him was Louis, who rushed back to Scotland Yard to sort out relevant documents. While following Arthur's footsteps, he unfolded the document report: "According to the information currently fed back by each police district, the Eastern District, North District and Southern District There has been a major outbreak of the epidemic. Major hospitals in London are working hard to treat patients. At present, all hospitals except the West End are almost full, and the remaining regional hospitals are also transferring excess patients to the West End. However, according to the current situation It seems that the beds in the West District will be filled up soon..."

Arthur took off his white gloves and put them on his hands while walking with his head down: "Time is tight, so try to focus on the key points. Is there any latest progress in the cabinet?"

Louis hurriedly turned a new page: "The emergency cabinet meeting has just ended. According to the report of the Chancery Hall, they have launched a traceability operation to trace the origin of the epidemic. Currently, according to the work reports submitted by the medical officers of each local government, the epidemic is currently It has been identified as cholera that was raging across the European continent. The source of cholera in Britain may have come from Sunderland on the coast of Durham.

A few weeks ago, sailors in the port of Sunderland were the first to become ill, but local doctors in Sunderland misdiagnosed it as an endemic disease and did not pay further attention to it. After tracing back, the Chancery Hall found that the epidemic has continued to spread northward along the Tyburn River, passing through Northumberland and entering Scotland. Suspected cases have also appeared in Haddington and East Lothian.

At present, Prime Minister Earl Gray has asked the Chancery Hall to convene fever experts from major hospitals in London to discuss the next step of prevention and treatment work. The Ministry of Internal Affairs asked Scotland Yard not to act rashly until the end of the medical and health meeting, and all police officers continued to maintain local order in accordance with their daily work regulations. "

"Don't act rashly?" Arthur stopped and turned to look at Louis and said: "The outbreak of cholera is already very clear. Does the Ministry of the Interior have anything to hesitate now?"

Louis closed the document and replied: "It is not that the Ministry of the Interior is hesitating, but that the Chancery has been hesitant. At present, the views of the miasma school and the contagion school in the committee are at odds, and many of them are in cholera-affected areas. work experience. Therefore, the Ministry of Internal Affairs does not dare to act rashly until it is determined which faction's point of view is based on."

After Louis said this, he handed over the document in his hand.

Arthur took a quick glance and understood the current situation.

The so-called miasma school is mostly advocated by doctors who have experience in treating cholera in the Indian colonies or who are engaged in research on cholera reports in India. Since they found that medical staff treating cholera patients in India rarely contracted the disease, they naturally based on their own experience. He insists that cholera and even all diseases are not contagious, but are determined by environmental factors such as climate, temperature, and air.

The current investigation report on cholera in India further supports their view. The outbreak areas are almost without exception located in low-lying, humid and hot areas. Many doctors in Sunderland, where the British cholera epidemic broke out, also held the same view. At a meeting this morning, representatives of the miasma group also submitted a report submitted by local doctor Henry Dodd.

The report claimed that before the cholera cases appeared, extreme unseasonal weather occurred in the local area, which produced and spread deadly gas-like substances in certain areas and accumulated locally. This situation was enough to cause a cholera pandemic to spread among the local population. break out.

Although the views and examples of the miasma school seem to be extremely correct, its opponents have also produced a lot of evidence that is enough to overturn it. One of them is the clear transmission path of cholera.

In fact, long before the cholera pandemic broke out in Britain, the British government had already noticed this appalling disease.

As a fatal disease that originated in the South Asian subcontinent, the British Army had already experienced the power of cholera as early as 1817.

At that time, the third Maratha War between Britain and India broke out. Just like the previous two wars, without foreign aid from the Indian princes, it seemed that the army was about to win another hearty and crushing victory.

Unexpectedly, not long after the war broke out, cholera quietly invaded Calcutta. As soldiers became sick one after another, the army's combat effectiveness was quickly hit, and even the frontline battle became difficult.

But unfortunately, although cholera is an Indian disease, it affects people regardless of nationality, and there is obviously not much patriotism.

In this way, cholera soon expanded its infection targets from the British Army to all soldiers on the battlefield.

Soon after, it followed soldiers from both warring sides to the borders of Nepal, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

By the time the cholera outbreak ended in 1823, it had extended its footprint to Muscat, Tehran, and Baghdad in Central Asia.

After that, due to the two wars between Russia and the Persian and Ottoman Empires from 1826 to 1829, cholera successfully crossed the Caucasus Mountains and followed Russian soldiers to St. Petersburg.

Although Tsar Nicholas I exerted his iron willpower, this could not prevent the cholera outbreak in Russia in 1829.

The sick Russian soldiers were soon sent to Warsaw to suppress the Polish uprising. With the arrival of Russian soldiers, the entire Poland quickly became an epidemic area.

With the conquest of Poland, it followed the footsteps of refugees and pushed westward, quickly sweeping across Europe.

Faced with thousands of death statistics, the British government has long felt chills down its spine. After all, no one wants another Black Death. But unfortunately, as an island nation that relies on commerce for its livelihood, Britain has been unable to escape almost every global disease pandemic.

In order to prevent the outbreak of cholera, the British government took advantage of the harmonious diplomatic relations between the two countries to send some physicians to St. Petersburg to learn how to prevent and treat cholera as early as the outbreak of cholera in Russia.

And these doctors have now become the main force in the theory of infectious diseases. Their testimonies are almost completely opposite to those of doctors stationed in India.

I don’t know why, but the experience of Russian medical staff was completely different from that of doctors stationed in India. They often suffered from cholera while caring for patients, and this became the center of the battle between miasma theory and contagion theory.

They all accused each other of making up facts and disregarding the basic ethics of being a doctor.

Faced with this situation, it is not difficult to understand why the non-professional cabinet is hesitant.

Arthur finished reading the report, took a deep breath, put on his hat and said: "I understand, of course we have to implement the decision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Since they said everything will continue as usual, then we will continue as usual. But according to the principle of utilitarianism , the main responsibilities of the Police Intelligence Bureau have been temporarily changed, the murder investigation has been temporarily suspended, and our extra manpower has been assigned to the subordinate police districts to participate in assistance work.

Since it's not possible to determine which faction is correct now, let's pay attention to both. Our police officers are advised to wear scarves to cover their mouth and nose as much as possible when on duty, and not to eat local food and drinking water. It is not safe across London now. During this special period, their food supply will be the unified responsibility of the department. By the way, I warned them that I have no plans to include an additional pension in this year's department budget quota, so they cannot fall down before calming down the situation. "

"Understood, sir!"

Louis stood at attention and saluted, handed the document in his arms to Arthur, and trotted away.

Arthur flipped through the document casually, and after understanding the cause and effect, he put his white gloves on the door handle and pushed open the door to the conference room.

When his police officer's knife and straight stance appeared in everyone's sight, the superintendents who were puffing away smoke and slamming the table in the conference room suddenly stopped.

"Black...Superintendent Hastings?"

"How did you come?"

Arthur didn't explain much. He just took off his hat and threw it on the table, then pulled out a chair and sat down.

In the silence, Arthur struck a match, lit his pipe, and took a puff.

Behind the smoke are glowing red eyes.

"Don't be too surprised. It's just a minor injury. I can still breathe."

Deputy Director Sir Mayne nodded slightly when he heard this, and then turned to look at Director Rowan who was sitting in a chair next to him, smoking.

Luo Wan slowly straightened his back and gently placed the pipe in the teacup at hand. The smoke dissipated, revealing his angular face and sparse hair on his forehead.

"Arthur, I won't say those polite words. Flattery is all false, I am a real person. Scotland Yard needs you now, and I am very happy that you can return to the team in time. When this cholera is over, 豼You can take as much compensatory leave as you want. If the Ministry of Internal Affairs has anything to say, I will deal with it and you can ignore it."

Arthur smiled and replied: "Sir, I am also a real person. Since you said so, let's talk about how to end cholera first, shall we?"

Superintendent Matthews heard this and asked Director Rowan with a straight face: "Sir, since I woke up today, the word cholera has been ringing in my ears. This disease How is it different from typhus and yellow fever? Is it worth dealing with it with so much fanfare?"

When Rowan heard this, he suddenly turned his attention to Arthur: "I don't know much about the disease. To be honest, I am confused now. The Ministry of Internal Affairs seems not to say anything to us for the time being. If If any of you know the situation, you might as well tell everyone."

Arthur stood up and opened the document in his hand and said: "As for cholera, according to the information just obtained by the Intelligence Bureau, this is an endemic disease originating from the South Asian subcontinent. This time the cholera is likely to be caused by a ship returning from Hamburg to San Imported by Deland's merchant ships.

According to the description of relevant doctors: the onset of cholera is violent and difficult to cure. Once the disease is discovered, it can kill the patient in as little as two to three hours, or more seriously, in two to three days. People who die from cholera lose water all over their body, their body fluids are almost drained, they lose weight severely, lose their human shape and look like a skeleton, and their skin turns blue-gray. Because of its deadly symptoms and rapid spread, many people have now begun to call it blue death.

As we all know, cholera has been endemic in continental Europe for some time. In fact, Britain launched cholera prevention and control measures as early as a year ago. The Duke of Wellington, who had been Governor of the Cinque Ports since 1829, ordered the restart of the medieval period in the ports of Hastings, Romney, Hayes, Dover, Sandwich, Rye and Winchilsea under his jurisdiction. Strict quarantine to prevent plague importation. All ships suspected by the quarantine authorities to be at risk of introducing cholera will be quarantined outside the port for 40 to 80 days..."

When Superintendent Motherwell heard this, he couldn't help but asked: "I guess they probably didn't enforce it strictly, right? After all, the people of the Cinque Ports Alliance have been accustomed to being arrogant and domineering for hundreds of years, although they are no longer the The Middle Ages are at their peak, but the arrogance cannot be compared to other places."

Superintendent Mosley on the side also turned his pen and echoed: "After all, apart from them, I can't think of any other place where sailors can do things like sacking their own cities. Back then, their fleet was alone with the Royal Navy of the Cinque Ports. ' flag, completely outside the command of the Navy Commander."

Director Luo Wan raised his hand to signal them to stop, and said to Arthur: "Let's talk about cholera."

Arthur continued: "Although the news of the discovery of cholera was only announced today, according to feedback from various places, it should have entered Britain for several weeks. London is not its first stop, and it will not be its last stop. Based on the experience of India, Russia and other places, the duration of this cholera epidemic is likely to be as long as one year."

"this……"

"One year?"

After listening to Arthur's description, the superintendents felt itchy all over their bodies, as if they were about to suffer from cholera.

As for some grumpy superintendents, they couldn't help but bang their pipes on the table: "Since the situation is so serious, why hasn't the Ministry of Internal Affairs issued an order? According to past practice, we should seal off the epidemic area as soon as possible and burn the bodies. By the way, Hess Superintendent Tings, have you figured out how this cholera spreads now? Do we need to catch more rats on the street or something?"

Arthur unfolded the document and laid it out in front of the superintendents: "The question you asked is also what the doctors want to know most at present. And according to the information I got, the reason why the cabinet is hesitant is because of the emergence of a group of doctors. differences.”

"Ah? Didn't we send people to Russia to investigate before? Didn't they find a difference after investigating for a long time?"

"They are also armed with knives. If they continue like this, the number of murders will soon exceed that of Scotland Yard and the Army."

"Sir, are we just going to sit here? What does the Ministry of Internal Affairs mean now?"

Rowan did not answer their questions, but directly picked up the police officer's knife and put on his gloves, and nodded at Arthur: "Arthur."

"Sir?"

Luo Wan walked up to him and patted his shoulder: "It's useless to expect these big guys to be useless. Only college students with formal education can be useful in this kind of thing. Stop sitting around and go." , accompany me to the Chancery Hall."