Chapter 120: Tropical Disease Research Center
January 4, 1868
Berlin, the political center of Prussia, was also one of its academic hubs.
Numerous Prussian universities and research institutes were concentrated here.
Today, Ernst established a new medical research institute in Berlin—the Tropical Disease Research Center.
Ernst knew nothing about medicine—he was like trying to blow fire through a rolling pin: completely clueless.
But with money, anything was possible. Once the funding was secured, talented individuals would naturally come.
As the name implies, the center focused on combating tropical diseases.
Prussia, being a mid-latitude country without overseas colonies, had virtually no experience in this field—certainly far behind Britain or France.
At this time, research into even common infectious diseases was still in its infancy, let alone tropical ones.
So Ernst had no illusions that breakthroughs would happen quickly.
Still, it was worth making an early investment in this area—technical preparation was never wrong.
Why had Western medical enterprises and institutions dominated cutting-edge theory and technology in Ernst's past life?
Because they had an early start, strong national backing, and used that momentum to build nearly impenetrable fortresses.
The Tropical Disease Research Center was tasked with laying the foundation for East Africa's future medical capabilities.
Falling behind once wasn't a problem—but falling behind at every step would be fatal.
Despite its name, the center's research wasn't limited to the tropics.
It would be divided into two branches: one in East Africa and one in Berlin.
In Berlin, it was difficult to obtain fresh tropical pathogens or bacteria samples—especially without refrigeration.
So the Berlin branch would focus mainly on traditional continental diseases.
The East African branch would require much more funding.
Personnel had to be European medical professionals with higher education.
And without massive incentives, who would volunteer to risk their life in Africa?
Sure, some idealists might be willing to sacrifice for humanity—but people still needed to eat.
Therefore, salaries at the East African center would be generous, with high insurance coverage to ease their concerns.
Medical equipment was another major expense—not to be skimped on.
Cutting-edge tools were essential for achieving results.
Getting such equipment to Berlin was easy.
But to East Africa? That meant shipping across oceans—expensive and slow.
Ernst also planned to collect medical materials from around the world for reference.
Take penicillin: Ernst had heard claims it was mentioned in ancient Chinese medicine. He wasn't sure if that was true—his past-life internet was full of misinformation.
But artemisinin certainly had government-backed evidence. If it was in traditional Chinese texts, there must be records.
Beyond Chinese medicine, every region of the world had its own traditions—herbalism, shamanism, or otherwise.
Among these, there would be effective remedies worth studying.
In theory, there was no need to establish a research center in the colony itself.
Most countries simply collected global samples and studied them domestically.
So why did Ernst insist on building a second center in East Africa?
Because of fear—deeply rooted from past-life knowledge.
In his previous life, African viruses had legendary reputations: HIV, Ebola, Marburg—each a nightmare in its own right.
Ernst feared that bringing African virus samples to Europe could lead to disaster.
And if they traced the source back to him, he'd be the most wanted man on Earth.
Maybe he was being paranoid.
But still—caution was wise.
Africa's status as a viral hotbed had real foundations.
It was humanity's cradle, with the most diverse gene pool—fertile ground for mutation.
Add to that poor hygiene (drinking dirty water, eating raw meat), war, inadequate healthcare…
And it became a perfect storm for virus emergence.
Environment wasn't the only factor.
South America and India had similar climates, but far fewer outbreaks.
In East Africa, Ernst's colony was actively purging the native population, which reduced genetic diversity.
He also improved sanitation, eliminated nearby wildlife (especially primates), and cut off many virus transmission paths.
As the colony grew, its influence would reshape Africa.
Some viruses from Ernst's past might not even emerge this time.
Take HIV—it originated in Congo (Zaire) around the mid-20th century.
That was still decades away.
But with East Africa expanding, it would eventually control the Mitumba Mountains and southern Congo Plateau.
These zones—where tropical rainforest and savannah met—were ripe for agriculture.
Even Rwanda had claimed parts of this region in Ernst's previous life.
Whether Ernst would conquer all of Congo remained unclear.
Rainforests were difficult to develop, and hard to cleanse of natives.
Still, when East Africa took the northwest, many would flee west into Congo.
Later, as the colony advanced into Zambia, nearby kingdoms would also be pushed into the jungles.
But jungles aren't fit for human survival.
In Ernst's past, most Congolese lived along the edges of the basin.
To support their populations, they kept retreating—north to the Central African savannah, or into West Africa.
The Congo of this timeline would be drastically different.
Diseases like HIV might not even emerge.
But Ernst's fears weren't unfounded.
After all, Marburg virus had first been identified in a West German lab.
That alone justified keeping African research contained to Africa.
Marburg originated from monkeys in Uganda and Kenya—territories now part of East Africa.
So, as it turned out, Ernst's drive to exterminate East Africa's native primates had a certain logic.
This was the 19th century—medical science was far worse than it would be in 1967 (when Marburg was discovered).
Better to wipe out potential vectors now—safely and completely.
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