"Huh? Water?"
"Yes, water."
"No, water is... I do have some status, you know."
"Your status doesn't matter. If you don't drink water, we'll have to cut this off."
I barely managed to stop myself from sighing mid-sentence.
Of course, I have Liston, who's like a cheat code for me.
Even the successful businessman hesitating to drink water in front of me right now would down it in an instant if I called Liston over.
But...
Isn't relying solely on intimidation to solve problems a bit amateurish?
Since I'm not a 19th-century person but a fairly educated 21st-century intellectual, that thought suddenly crossed my mind.
'Do I really have to resort to such methods?'
The more I thought about it, the more I felt the urge to sigh.
"Sigh."
"Alright, I'll drink it."
It actually came out.
Maybe my sigh was mixed with my genuine frustration.
The patient suddenly started drinking the water, his hands trembling.
Perhaps it was because of the collection I pointed out earlier.
The collection I'm talking about here is truly something rare, hard to find anywhere in the world.
It's a display of the results of people who drank alcohol after circumcision or, despite being told not to touch it, fumbled with dirty hands, causing inflammation and leading to the amputation of that precious and unique part of their body. These results are hung all over the wall.
Some were cut by me, others by someone else, but in any case, looking at them all gives you a magical, spine-chilling feeling.
It's no wonder witches used things like this for their magic.
Something like...
"Great, you're drinking it well! Not so bad, right?"
"Huh... the taste...? It doesn't taste weird?"
"Of course not. This is distilled water. It's not just regular water."
"Aha... I thought it was strange that a famous physician would make me drink plain water."
Impressed by how quickly the patient was drinking, I pulled myself together and looked at him.
Once he drank it, there was no need to persuade him further.
'Using civilized methods really is more effective.'
Usually, if you have to explain something verbally, it's a sign of a mediocre situation.
A truly famous person doesn't need to explain that they're famous, just like a vaguely famous person has to say, "I'm actually this kind of person."
Similarly, middle-aged people often brag about their past achievements or how they're actually such great people.
Truly great people don't need to say anything; they can just show it.
You might wonder what this has to do with the current situation, but it's actually a medical tip.
When you go to a hospital, you don't hang up diplomas or grades on the wall, do you?
'It enhances persuasiveness, as expected.'
Those collections might seem grotesque at first glance, but they're essentially my medical doctorate, my specialist title, and my academic background.
"Next."
"Yes. Gasp."
"If you drink alcohol instead of water, this could happen to you. What will you do?"
"I'll... drink the water."
See?
They really listen well.
If this were the 21st century, this wouldn't even be necessary.
It's not just because people are reasonable.
There are plenty of people who hate or even loathe doctors, whether online or offline...
But once they're in the examination room, they'll do whatever they're told, assuming there's a medical, or rational, reason for it.
Basically, there's a minimal level of trust in medicine and the doctors who've been trained in it.
"But I still..."
In the 19th century...
There are a lot of people who lack that trust.
You might wonder why they'd act like this even after coming to the examination room, but...
When you see what other doctors do, it's a bit strange that they even have that much trust.
"This could happen, you know?"
"Still..."
"Hmm."
"I'll drink alcohol. Drinking water is beneath my dignity."
"Okay. To Liston's room."
"Huh?"
I understand, but I can't just let it slide.
Because even if they don't listen to anyone else, they have to listen to me.
This isn't me being egotistical.
When it comes to medicine in the 19th century... I'm the best, aren't I?
So, giving up just because someone isn't listening isn't the right approach.
Even if it's not the most civilized method, there's no other choice.
"Ugh...!"
Actually, there were people who didn't listen even when facing Liston.
No matter how scary Liston is, the people who come here are still 19th-century folks.
There are plenty who go beyond bravery to pure recklessness...
So, I made a helmet.
The outside is covered in iron, and the inside is padded with rubber. You get hit in the head wearing that, right?
"Ahhh!"
That's the kind of scream that comes out.
I'm not sure how it feels, honestly.
One thing's for sure: Even iron made with 19th-century London technology can't withstand Liston's punches for long.
So, I had to make a new one almost every day.
It gets crushed...
"I'll drink it!"
"It would've been better to do that earlier. Why do you have to get hit first?"
"Ugh..."
Anyway, we managed to get everyone I operated on to drink water instead of alcohol—either by talking them into it or by persuading them in Liston's room.
I would've liked to do the same for others, but there just weren't enough hospital rooms.
I was actually worried that people might only get operated on by me and avoid other doctors.
Given that my collection of circumcision results fills an entire wall, there's already a rumor spreading that if you get circumcised, there's a chance you'll lose it.
But...
The 19th century truly is the era of the brave.
"Hey, who performed the surgery on that guy?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"How would I? All the medical staff who can hold a scalpel are busy with circumcisions. Money is being made—how can they resist?"
"But if something goes wrong, you'll get cut, you know."
"Haha... How are we supposed to survive this harsh world worrying about a future that might not even happen?"
Any doctor out there is ready to cut.
This... no matter how you think about it, it's not just because of what's been known so far. After looking into it, I found out there's a saying like this:
"Getting circumcised increases virility."
You might think, "What nonsense is this?"
Of course, everything related to circumcision is nonsense.
But virility? That's even more absurd, right?
Yet, when you listen to the people who claim this, it actually sounds plausible.
"Wouldn't it be easier to spread your seed and even grow in size if it's exposed rather than covered?"
When you hear it...
It kind of makes sense.
Moreover, their claims have considerable evidence.
"The Jews... How could they be all over Europe if they didn't have something like this?"
Thinking about it, it does make sense.
There's even the term "diaspora."
Being stateless...
As someone from a nation that's experienced colonization, I can only imagine the immense disadvantage that is.
It's also the reason why, no matter how annoying it is, we have to keep paying taxes.
Being outside the fence...
But despite that, seeing how they've flourished, it kinda makes sense.
'No... wait, no?'
Thinking medically, it probably isn't true...
But since I haven't specifically studied it, saying it's not true feels a bit off.
As someone who's had it done, I don't know if it makes seeding easier, but I want to believe the claim that it increases virility.
"Besides, isn't the cost of living in London high? As the British Empire's status rises, more and more people are flocking here."
"True, I've heard rent is no joke these days."
"Right. Meanwhile, doctors' salaries remain the same. You and I have other ways of making money, but other doctors are struggling."
"But still. They're cutting others' things?"
"If cutting it helps them make a living, they'll cut it. They cut off limbs too, so what's the difference?"
"Well... hmm."
Listening to Liston, I could see his point.
London is indeed a huge city.
With a population in the millions, it's a significant country.
The problem is, since it grew without any preparation, there are many side effects.
Housing, water supply, labor rights, and so on.
In a way, circumcision is just one of many issues crammed in here.
'Is this really my problem to worry about...?'
Going from 0 problems to 1 is a big deal, but going from 100 to 101 is kind of expected...
Wait, hold on.
"But it's not just doctors who are struggling, right?"
"Of course not. The average worker has it even harder."
"But getting surgery from a doctor is expensive, isn't it?"
"In our hospital... especially if it's from the two of us, it's expensive."
"So, there must be people getting it done by non-doctors, right?"
"Probably. The Jews did it, didn't they? People who believe if the Jews can do it, they can too... Oh."
I realized something, and Liston caught on during the conversation.
He's a 19th-century man with a lack of common sense, but he's not stupid, so it was natural.
"This is..."
"I think a second or third Harry the Butcher might emerge."
"That's trouble."
"Regular people... wouldn't know not to get it done by just anyone, would they?"
"Listen. In our British Empire, even His Grace the Duke cut off his own testicles."
"Ugh. Damn it."
Well, that was the kind of country it was.
That's just how it was, so let's leave it at that...
The real issue is circumcision.
If this keeps up, we might enter an era of mass amputations.
No, this isn't just a thought—it's a prediction.
"Let's call the police first."
"Let's call the gangs too."
"Right. They're more familiar with the slums, after all."
"True. Their fists are faster than the law."
"And while we're at it, let's expand the boiling water team."
"Ah... Right. Definitely. Hmm."
It's already been two days since we started boiling water, so even those who aren't Liston have long realized that water is safer than alcohol after circumcision.
Even as recently as yesterday, they might've been skeptical, but not anymore.
That's a relief.
If Liston and the director are convinced, we can mobilize the entire hospital.
"Right, let's do that."
"You're coming with me."
"Ah, yes."
Leaving the boiling water task to others, we headed out.
We were going to meet with both the police and the gang together.
You might think such a thing couldn't happen in the world, but...
In 19th-century London, collaboration between gangs and police is a kind of common sense—common sense.
If you don't do it, things just won't work.
Especially for sweeping the streets of London like we're doing now.
"Ah... I see. That's serious."
"Um, could you take a look at me too?"
After meeting them, I found out.
Both the gang and the police had many people who'd been recklessly cut up.