Chapter 528: Keeping Up with the Times
"These people are insane!"
"Free clinics?"
"Free of charge?"
It was almost unbelievable. Kind-hearted doctors exist everywhere, regardless of background—China has a long tradition of free medical consultations, and the West too has had physicians who treated the sick without asking for payment. There have always been good people in the medical world. But in East Africa, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) had turned such charitable behavior into an institutionalized practice, and this made quite an impression on German doctors—ranging from scorn and jealousy to admiration and reflection.
As for how the East African TCM practitioners viewed their German peers? They didn't care. Right now, they just wanted to prove that TCM was legitimate and worthy of pride. Not only did it deserve to be preserved—it needed to thrive.
To promote it properly, Li Ge and others had established the East African Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Of course, this had been reported to and approved by Ernst. Without him, it would've been hard to push this through in a German-influenced country. Just look at the messy medical schools in India—Ernst would never approve something like that.
The grassroots movement of East African TCM doctors offering free clinics in rural areas was fully supported by the government. East Africa lacked medical talent, and doctors were scarce in any era.
"Chairman Li, you're still reading Cellular Biology?"
"Yes, Elder Wei. Whether we accept it or not, the organisms we see under a microscope are real. We TCM practitioners can't pretend they don't exist. As science advances, it helps us better understand the world. So we need to study hard and modernize our field."
"You're right. When I first looked through a microscope and saw cells and microbes on human skin… I can't even describe the shock. It changed my worldview. If I weren't already so old, I'd join you in exploring this new direction for TCM."
"Come on, you're more eager than anyone. I saw you reading that Western anatomy book all night the other day!"
Wei Jin didn't respond to the teasing. As a traditional physician with deep roots, he had pride—but exposure to modern science in East Africa had truly shaken him. Still, he wanted TCM to survive and evolve. As the saying goes: use the strengths of the barbarians to defeat them.
Li Ge was considered one of the pioneers of modern East African TCM. He already had solid medical experience in the Far East—not quite top-tier, but definitely first class. The Far Eastern Empire cared about appearances, after all. They wouldn't dare send second-rate talent. Of course, that was after Ernst put pressure on them—otherwise, their bureaucrats might've tried to sneak in some frauds. Fortunately, Ernst knew them too well.
"Elder Wei, don't feel burdened. What we're doing is important. There's no shame in learning. Our mission has limitless potential."
"I know. You also know I specialize in surgery. After seeing how the Westerners study human anatomy, I realized just how far behind we are. They can illustrate every vein and artery with precision. It's very similar to our meridians, but much more detailed. And medicine is a serious business—small mistakes lead to big consequences."
No wonder Wei Jin often mentioned Western medicine. Once he boarded the East African "pirate ship," there was no turning back. Going back to the Far East would only invite ridicule from conservative scholars. So he brought his family to East Africa, where doctors were respected and had a decent place in society.
Still, some habits were hard to break. He was an older man and more stubborn. Unlike Li Ge, who embraced his new East African identity, took on citizenship, and even adopted a German-style name—just a rearranged version of his original Chinese name to better fit into local society.
"Li Ge, I heard you've been working on reforming herbal medicine. Any progress?"
"More or less. Traditionally, decoctions are still the most effective. But now that we're in the industrial era, if TCM wants to enter the market, it has to adapt. So I'm working on turning herbal formulas into pills or patches."
"Doesn't that affect the medicine's effectiveness?"
"Of course it does—sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. Some remedies work better as pills, some don't. But we have so many ancient formulas to experiment with, we're bound to find valuable ones. No other medical system has a database like ours."
Li Ge added proudly, "You have no idea. The Crown Prince has all kinds of treasures. When I brought up medicinal texts, he showed me his collection—many are rare ancient texts and royal archives. Just the medical books alone could keep me busy for years."
"The Crown Prince is interested in TCM?"
"Hard to say. But his collection of East Asian texts and antiques is massive. His medical archives fill two entire warehouses."
That wasn't extravagance—those books were collectibles and needed specialized care, unlike regular library books that could sit on any shelf. They required preservation against pests, mold, and decay.
"So he just lets you read them?"
"Of course not. But he said books are meant to be read—to pass on knowledge. So he assigned me to organize a copying team."
Ernst genuinely wanted East African medicine to flourish. Since Li Ge and his fellow TCM doctors had taken the initiative, Ernst was happy to support them. Thanks to their help, East Africa had registered a large number of medical patents.
East African TCM was now walking on two legs—Li Ge's modernized path, and the conservative camp that refused to change.
Ernst didn't mind. Both sides had strengths and weaknesses. Li Ge's approach essentially applied modern science to revamp TCM. The transition had its bumps, but it was smoother than Western medicine's own shift from tradition to science.
TCM had a huge volume of written records. Even if only 10% were useful, that was still more than any Western medical tradition could boast.
Western-style medicine in East Africa was also developing rapidly. But because it was still early days, most of the work was clinical.
Theoretical innovation and high-level research were still happening in Europe. Once results were produced, they'd be tested in East Africa—thanks to its abundant supply of Black patients.
That abundance allowed clinical research to progress quickly. Black patients were essentially human test subjects—and more reliable than lab rats.
But it wasn't entirely cruel. In this era, many injured or sick people—especially in places like West Africa—had no access to treatment and would simply die. So being used for drug trials and surgery might actually save them.
It was a mutual exchange, just like India in Ernst's previous life. Indians knew they were test subjects for Western pharma, but still accepted it. It was a willing transaction.
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