Chapter 38

Episode 38. Thump Thump (4)

Oliver sighed.

“Another theory that’ll turn the academic world upside down, if what Professor says is true.”

I think I’m right about this.

There’s no way I could think otherwise.

“Anyway, do you get it? Arteries and veins connect through capillaries, which can be easily observed under a microscope.”

“Yeah, it does look that way.”

“If this theory holds, most of the mysteries around blood circulation are solved—cardiac output, how blood is produced, its components… all of it.”

This time, Istina tilted her head in confusion.

“But if blood isn’t absorbed into tissues, then what do the tissues use for energy?”

“Blood changes composition as it circulates. It leaves the heart carrying oxygen and nutrients, and comes back with carbon dioxide and waste products.”

“Where does the waste go?”

“To the kidneys.”

It’s just that their understanding of chemistry here is lacking. I don’t even know if they’ve discovered oxygen yet. Istina doesn’t seem to fully grasp the concept.

Have they found the periodic table?

If only they understood chemistry better—it would make sense why ammonia and urea contain nitrogen, or why glucose produces carbon dioxide when oxidized…

But that’s too far ahead for now.

Let me see… What did we miss last time?

“So, does blood only flow one way? How exactly does the circulation work?”

“Starting from the left ventricle. Blood travels through the aortic arch to the entire body, then returns to the right atrium via the superior and inferior vena cava.”

Amy traced the vessels with her hand.

“Right, the right atrium connects to the right ventricle, and from there it goes to the pulmonary artery.”

“Why does it go to the lungs?”

“To pick up oxygen. You know how gases can dissolve in water, right?”

“Oh, yeah.”

They’d understand faster if they saw it directly.

I took out a piece of the inferior vena cava, cleaned off any clots inside, and checked if air could pass through. There were things we needed to observe.

Amy took the segment.

“Look inside. Can you see the valves?”

“Yes.”

“They act like doors, allowing blood to flow only one way. Try pouring some water in.”

Istina and Amy poured water into the cut segment together. Dark red clots washed away from the vessel walls.

Things didn’t quite go according to plan.

Instead of being blocked by the valve, the water leaked out through smaller branches of the vein. Still, the idea that valves prevent backflow should have gotten across, right?

“Anyway, it flows only one way, right?”

“That’s correct.”

Amy reluctantly accepted the piece of vein. Back in my previous life, during dissections, I handled every nerve and vessel carefully so as not to damage them.

Here, though, the knives are blunt, cadavers can simply be purchased, and preservation methods aren’t great, so everything looks rough. This makes dissections more aggressive.

“So, the structure of these valves means that blood circulates through the body and lungs in a one-way system, right?”

I nodded. Accurate. It may differ from current academic norms, but…

Changing scientific paradigms isn’t about one experiment or statement. You need to address every possible counterargument.

“This really is amazing…”

“Let’s wrap up for now.”

We need to finish before sunrise.

I covered the cadaver again. Last time, I wore a mask and got mistaken for a ghost, so even though it’s annoying, let’s clean up the equipment properly before leaving.

“Dissection complete.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Be careful not to touch the cadaver bare-handed. There might be bacteria or toxins.”

I removed my gloves and mask.

The smell wasn’t as bad as expected. Maybe it’s because of all the alcohol in the basement. The students followed suit, cleaning up their protective gear.

One last thing to confirm.

“Oliver, Amy, so… you guys have no intention of joining grad school, huh?”

“Not yet.”

“I’m not sure.”

Vague answers came back.

I thought about it further…

“Hey, listen. Just this time alone, if you join my lab now, your names could end up in the healing textbook!”

Just look at Istina—her name became the primary author on the cholera paper. Fame and fortune come with joining the graduate program. Why wouldn’t you take it?

“Hmm, I’ll think about it.”

“Let me consider it more.”

They must really not want to join.

The dissection went well, but neither Amy nor Oliver seems interested in grad school. It’s disappointing.

Getting Istina at the start of the semester was truly lucky. Otherwise, I don’t know what I would’ve done.

Blood circulation.

This was the subject we were researching.

Let’s summarize: We developed a sphygmomanometer for clinical use, studied the structure of the heart, discovered valves in veins and experimentally confirmed their function, and observed capillaries in liver tissue. All experimental evidence is in place. Now we just need to write and publish the paper.

How long it will take, I don’t know.

“The key point here is this, Istina.”

“What is it?”

“Cardiac output: six liters per minute.”

The most undeniable proof.

Six liters of blood leave the heart every minute, and six liters return. If they weren’t the same amount, it wouldn’t make sense.

No organ in the human body can consume six liters of blood in a minute, nor produce six liters in such a short time.

“How did you calculate cardiac output?”

“By filling the cadaver’s heart with water and squeezing it.”

“Ah, right.”

The volume of liquid a dead heart can hold is about 0.1 to 0.2 liters. Even squeezed hard, only about half comes out. That’s our conclusion.

During exercise, cardiac output can increase two or three times. Heart rates during intense activity often exceed 150 beats per minute.

“Oh, right, Istina. There was something I wanted to say.”

“What is it?”

“After talking to those undergrads, I realized how lucky we were to meet early. Those guys don’t even plan to join grad school after graduation?”

“They might still join. They haven’t graduated yet.”

True, realistically, it’s hard for students to enter grad school mid-semester. More will likely enroll during the graduation season later this year.

“Why are you smiling?”

“Nothing important.”

I’ll keep asking around for now.

Amy rolled the pen on her palm. Actually, there were several reasons why other students didn’t want to join Asterix’s grad program.

First, Istina.

Treating patients, conducting research, performing secret dissections… whatever the reason, seeing the professor and Istina wandering around looking like corpses at dawn was enough to scare anyone serious about grad school.

Second, Asterix himself.

Rumors about him ranged from parachute drops to mad scientist theories, or even genius claims. The strongest fear is always the fear of the unknown. One thing is certain: working under this professor means hard labor.

Thus, they didn’t want to join.

Still, Amy’s perspective was shifting. The dissection session revealed genuine knowledge and skill. His dedication to medicine and patients was clear. She wanted to try grad school… but honestly, it was scary.

Imperial Princess Mint sat in my lab again today. She just pops in whenever she has free time.

Guess I’ll let her stay.

“Teacher Asterix, look at this!”

“Huh?”

Pfft! A spark of mana appeared on the princess’s hand, sending desk clutter flying.

“Amazing, isn’t it?”

The princess was a magician. Though not particularly talented compared to others, her efforts clearly paid off.

“You’re not trying to tease me, are you?”

“Nope. This is genuinely cool.”

The princess patted the couch beside her invitingly, but I stayed put.

Mint seemed especially cheerful today.

Did she learn a new spell?

“What are you working on lately, Teacher?”

Instead of answering, I glanced at the specimen on the desk—two hearts preserved in alcohol. Formalin would be better, but I don’t know where to get it.

Stick with alcohol for now.

“Eh? Is that real?”

“Yes. Human hearts.”

“Did you cut them out yourself?”

“Yes.”

Princess Mint looked at me with an odd expression. True, putting a human heart on the desk isn’t exactly normal.

I scratched my head.

“It’s for research.”

“Hmm, if you say so, Teacher.”

She quickly lost interest.

“Teacher, if you’re not busy, let’s grab coffee at the Academy café. I feel awkward going alone.”

“Uh…”

“Are you busy?”

“Alright.”

Thinking about it, she must be lonely without friends. But honestly, going with a professor might not be much better than going alone…

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