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If she could cultivate this penicillin further in a more efficient way and produce it in larger quantities, it could save so many lives!
The next step was to cultivate more of the penicillin, essentially fermenting it.
Hedy found herself regretting not reading more related reports when she was in America. Holding the box of mold, she thought for a long time. The principles should be similar, she assumed.
Currently, the penicillin on the agar was only a faint stain—far too little to be used to treat patients. If it were to be injected into someone's body to help them recover, she would need at least a whole bowl's worth.
...So, would it still rely on beef broth?
"Dechio, bring me a bigger bowl."
During that same spring, the lord did two things that had the whole city talking.
It seemed he had consulted a famous scholar from somewhere and, experimenting on his own, had created a device.
This instrument could magnify objects by dozens of times and allowed one to see the intricate structure of fruits and vegetables' surfaces. He handed both the instrument and its designs to the University of Florence. They held a meeting to study it and decided to establish a new academic field—natural science.
Perhaps it was thanks to these advancements that orders were sent out across the city and surrounding areas:
—Everyone, of any profession or age, should wash their hands with clean water before and after handling things, in order to wash away the invisible "small things."
This requirement sounded rather odd, but since the bishop himself had taken the lead in washing his hands, the citizens had no problem following suit.
As a result, doctors performing surgeries, butchers and vendors handling meat, maids, and cooks began washing their hands, either consciously or unconsciously. Some said it was for health and cleanliness, others explained it was in honor of the Virgin Mary, but regardless, the custom began to spread.
Coincidentally, after this practice was introduced, many people in the city benefitted from it.
People now suffered from fewer cases of diarrhea and vomiting than ever before.
Especially after the cooks started washing their hands regularly, the stomachs of the lords felt much better.
Foreigners had mentioned that this practice had even spread to nearby cities in France, where many nobles were following suit.
Lorenzo had been waiting for a long time, but he still hadn’t seen the second paper.
He had initially thought that after seeing his approval and support, the alchemist would continue working diligently, creating more things to please him. But after two or three months, there had been no progress. She had remained silent, doing nothing.
Lorenzo knew that this young woman was a mystery, with many suspicious aspects surrounding her.
However, the Medici family, being bankers, was skilled in balancing and weighing their decisions carefully.
The maid, Dechio, was an honest person, bringing him the carrot juice and animal liver she had consumed, all presented for inspection. Lorenzo even called a doctor to examine each item, but nothing unusual was found.
He personally took a sip of the fresh carrot juice, cautiously testing it.
It was worse than the blood of demons.
"What has she been busy with lately?"
"Reading, learning Latin, fiddling with that moldy jar, and accompanying Mr. Da Vinci while he paints."
The lord fell silent for a moment.
"Bring her to me."
Before Hedy could arrive, another servant suddenly knocked on the door.
"My lord, that... gentleman said he must see you."
