The Shadow of Great Britain

The bartender responded with a smile and turned to instruct the kitchen.

Arthur skillfully picked a round table by the window facing the sea and gestured for Snow to sit down.

The bartender soon brought two glasses of ginger beer. Arthur raised his glass and gently clinked it with Snow’s: ”So, tell me, how has your year at Westminster Hospital been? I heard from Professor Madsen that Westminster Hospital holds you in high regard.”

Snow flicked away the froth on the rim with his fingertips, then took a sip. The slightly spicy ginger beer immediately lightened his mood, causing him to exclaim: ”At Westminster Hospital, I mainly learned from Mr. Anthony White; you may have heard of him. Mr. White was a prized student of Anthony Callier, Sir George IV’s Imperial Physician, and the chairman of the Royal Society of Surgery. Although he’s somewhat oblivious to time, I can’t deny that Mr. White is the most skilled surgeon I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Arthur, being a seasoned policeman, was naturally somewhat familiar with these renowned London doctors.

Both Anthony White and his mentor Anthony Callier are prominent figures in Britain’s medical field.

However, they’re more widely known not for their medical expertise, but for several peculiar anecdotes.

Though Anthony Callier served as chairman of the Royal Society of Surgery like his pupil, making him a medical authority in Britain.

At the same time, he is unquestionably an eccentric. His most criticized behavior was presenting two papers themed around ”oysters” at the academic conferences of the Royal Society of Surgery, earning him the nickname ”Anthony Oyster Sir.”

That doesn’t mean Callier was truly unlearned. Even setting aside his medical achievements, his discovery of electrolysis with William Nicholson, which led to the decomposition of water into hydrogen and oxygen, is enough to immortalize him.

As for Mr. White, he inherited his teacher’s eccentric attributes but surpassed him.

As Snow mentioned, White is quite lacking in time management and often forgets patient appointments.

Yet he is also the inventor of the surgical procedure for removing the necrotic femoral head in hip joint diseases.

Such an adventurous surgical method naturally provoked opposition in the medical community, and even his teacher Anthony Callier publicly criticized his student, calling him a ”Mongol doctor” neglectful of patient safety, threatening to report White, his rebellious student, to the Royal Society of Surgery.

Nonetheless, despite the widespread opposition, White persisted and completed the surgery, ultimately achieving great success.

To add insult to injury, he waived the patient’s surgical fee, in exchange for requiring the recovered patient to visit each opponent, naturally including his teacher Anthony Callier.

”My days with Mr. White weren’t exactly easy, but they were indeed fruitful.” Snow put down his glass, crossing his hands on the table: ”He rarely explained the steps before surgery. Initially, while assisting him, I was always sweating profusely, fearing I might lag behind. But over time, I gradually learned to anticipate his intentions; seeing his eyes move or wrist flick, I’d know whether next was to detach, remove, or prepare for stitching.”

Arthur nodded slightly: ”Even if Mr. White isn’t the best surgeon in Britain, he’s certainly close. You’re lucky to learn by his side. Yet, didn’t they assign you to intern in internal medicine?”

”They did.” Snow replied with a smile: ”Thanks to Professor Madsen’s recommendation, Westminster Hospital didn’t solely train me as a surgeon. In internal medicine, I’m under Dr. John Bright’s jurisdiction, though Dr. Bright, being a director and qualification examiner at the Royal College of Physicians, has been appointed as the Lord Chancellor’s office psychiatric consultant this year, so he rarely appears at the hospital. Most times, I learn under Dr. George Roy; he’s our medical lecturer and holds dual certifications issued by both the Surgical and Medical Societies. Especially in treating respiratory diseases like whooping cough, he is a formidable authority.”

Arthur wasn’t surprised by Snow’s answer, aware that Snow’s primary interest lies in infectious diseases, so it makes sense for him to pursue expertise under respiratory disease authority Dr. George Roy.

However, the problem was, he wasn’t interested in respiratory diseases now; he wanted to inquire about gynecological issues.

Arthur took a sip of ginger beer, casually asking: ”Then... How about diseases concerning women at Westminster Hospital? Of course, I’m not referring to childbirth; I know that falls under obstetrics.”

Upon hearing this, Snow raised his head, pondering briefly: ”Strictly speaking, our hospital doesn’t have a dedicated department for treating women’s diseases. As you mentioned, childbirth and complications fall under the obstetric ward, managed by obstetricians and midwives. Other diseases related to women are mostly handled by internists, occasionally transferred to surgeons. But I guess you’re referring to those tied to emotional and neurological symptoms, right? If it’s a mental issue, most are categorized as ’hysteria’ (Hysterica) under internal medicine; if too severe, families are advised to send patients directly to places like Bethlem Hospital.”