The Shadow of Great Britain

She paused, glanced at the door behind her, and only after confirming it was locked did she lower her voice again: ”She has almost no appetite; in these three days, she’s only had a few sips of tea with sugar. Her stomach is very bad, and she often frowns and covers her abdomen. There have been two episodes of diarrhea. I’m worried the water source might be the problem, but everyone in the villa drinks from the same well, and so far, there’s been no report of others falling ill.”

Snow’s brow moved slightly. He reached out to arrange Victoria’s quilt more comfortably and continued to ask: ”Has she been sweating profusely at night?”

Leisen nodded: ”Yes, but soon she shivers from cold again and needs to be wrapped tightly in a blanket. Her breathing has been rapid, and... her cough sounds quite dry.”

Snow didn’t rush to speak but asked Leisen to move the candlestick closer to the bedside. He carefully examined Victoria’s tongue, noticing it was covered with a thick, pale yellow coating with slightly reddened edges.

Snow straightened up and lowered his voice to Leisen: ”These symptoms – high fever, rapid pulse, delirium, accompanied by abdominal tenderness and diarrhea – I’m afraid Princess might be suffering from typhoid fever. This kind of fever can easily claim a life if not promptly cooled down and hydrated. Have someone open the windows for ventilation, and remove the hearth from the room. Every hour, remember to have someone use clean wet cloths to wipe her limbs, and intermittently give her boiled mild saltwater to drink; she mustn’t dehydrate any further.”

With that, Snow squatted by the medicine chest, unbuttoned and pulled out a small cloth bag containing coarse salt and a silver teaspoon. He then instructed Lady Leisen to send someone to the kitchen for a pot of freshly boiled warm water. ”For every quart of water, add one flat spoonful of salt, not more, not less. This is the best ratio for treating dehydration, discovered by Sir Arthur Hastings during the cholera incident in Liverpool; you mustn’t forget it.”

He spoke while using the tip of the spoon to level the salt and pouring it into the porcelain pot, gently stirring. As tiny ripples appeared on the water’s surface, the salt granules quickly disappeared, leaving only a subtle salty taste.

Then, he took a small, delicate glass bottle from the medicine chest, inside which a faint sight of white crystals could be seen.

Using the silver spoon, he measured out two drams of powder and poured it into a small porcelain cup filled with warm water, instructing the maid to add a spoonful of honey: ”This is quinine, a potent antipyretic medicine. It tastes very bitter, so remember to add some honey to ease the taste before brewing it.”

Snow brought the slightly sweetened bitter water to Victoria’s lips, and Leisen supported her neck gently, allowing her to take a sip.

The bitterness hit as soon as it touched her throat, and Victoria frowned slightly but still managed to swallow it down.

Snow watched her finish it slowly before placing the cup on the bedside table, instructing: ”Let her drink a small cup again in two hours. If she vomits it up midway, don’t force her; try again after she recovers. Until her fever subsides, she must be hydrated regularly and take quinine.”

At that moment, Conroy’s low voice admonitions and footsteps sounded from downstairs; he evidently learned that the doctor had stayed in the sickroom for quite some time and was coming up to investigate.

Leisen immediately closed the cover of the medicine chest and quickly put the empty bottle and spoon inside, then turned to look at Snow.

Snow, understanding, moved the medicine chest to a position against the wall.

The moment the door swung open, Conroy’s figure appeared at the entrance. His gaze first swept over Victoria, seeing the towel replaced on her forehead, and the window by the bed slightly open, his brow instantly furrowed.

”Who permitted you to open the window?”