"This is really fascinating…"
I was utterly shocked, but…
The others were completely mesmerized by the mysterious flames, far beyond mere astonishment.
Honestly, if I hadn't known better, I probably would have been staring in awe too.
Just a quick strike, and whoosh—flames erupted. And when we transferred it to the firewood, it just… kept going.
"I've never seen white smoke like this before."
Not only was it burning fiercely, but the white smoke was pouring out like crazy, as if to show why it's called white phosphorus, or 'White Phosphorus.'
Even I would have been captivated if I hadn't known better. But then, something I learned during my industrial medicine class came to mind.
Our hospital had an acute poisoning center, which made this situation possible.
You'd think poisoning would be rare in modern society, but it actually happens quite often in industrial settings.
"Wait, hold on! Just a moment!"
Even if I hadn't learned about it, I should have realized that the endless stream of smoke was harmful.
'I remember now, I remember! Damn it… The Little Match Girl…'
Some professors made you wonder why they even taught certain things, while others made the material so engaging that it stayed with you for decades. The industrial medicine professor was definitely one of the latter.
He had a knack for explaining things, especially through examples.
One of those examples was Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale, *The Little Match Girl*.
"This is actually a social critique. White phosphorus matches… they sold these absurd things for over a decade just because they were cheap and convenient. Do you know what white phosphorus matches are like?"
It's a fairy tale everyone knows.
I doubt there's anyone who hasn't read it at least once in their childhood.
That's why it stuck with me.
"In the story, the little match girl lights matches and sees visions in the flames—like a stove, a lavish dinner, a Christmas tree. From a medical perspective, what do you think those visions were?"
It felt a bit harsh to dissect a children's story like that, but that's probably why it left such an impression.
Looking back now, it was definitely a lecture that shattered childhood innocence.
"They were hallucinations or delusions. There are many causes for such symptoms, but let's consider the little match girl's situation. She was cold, right? Her shoes were stolen by the local bullies. That would lead to hypothermia, and one of the symptoms of hypothermia is hallucinations or auditory delusions."
Warm stories about hallucinations and delusions…
But I was a medical student, and later, I became a doctor trained to remain calm in cold, clinical situations. So now, I found myself nodding along.
Yes, that makes sense.
That's probably what happened.
It's a rational judgment and inference…
"But there's something far more likely to cause these symptoms than hypothermia… and that's white phosphorus. Ingesting it can cause similar symptoms, but ingestion usually leads to liver failure. Inhalation of its smoke, however, often causes hallucinations or auditory delusions. It's a fairly common side effect."
When we think of white phosphorus, we usually recall its low ignition point of 60 degrees and the fact that its flames are hard to extinguish.
Anyone who's seen the devastation it causes would never forget it.
It's no wonder its use is considered a war crime…
But if you focus on its toxicity rather than its explosive nature, the real danger lies in inhaling its smoke.
"And if you look closely at the fairy tale, at the end, she burns all her remaining matches to see the vision of her deceased grandmother. Burning that much white phosphorus would release a massive amount of smoke, and inhaling it could lead to vomiting, bloody stools, and other fatal side effects. Eventually, it would cause respiratory distress and death. Well… in our country, the Major Disaster Act is pretty strict about white phosphorus, so it's usually under control. But still, it's good to know. You never know what kind of patient you'll encounter as a doctor."
What a true mentor.
Every word he spoke resonated deeply.
You never know what kind of patient you'll encounter in a doctor's life.
"What's wrong with you? You look pale."
Recalling all this, I quickly rushed over and pushed people back.
Fortunately, although the smoke was intense, only one white phosphorus match had been used, so the spread of harmful substances didn't seem too severe.
"You, come over here!"
"Why? People usually get scared when a doctor acts like this."
I grabbed the person who had been lingering near the smoke, marveling at it.
Surprisingly, Liston tried to stop me.
He said it was scary and all.
It was absurd coming from Liston, who had made a fortune by cutting off people's limbs.
But instead of arguing, I sold them some medicine.
"The person who first discovered this was the 17th-century alchemist Hennig Brand. He collected urine, evaporated it, and discovered phosphorus, a glowing substance. Why he did that is a mystery, but it was a significant discovery. Of course, people had already noticed that bones emit a peculiar light when burned."
Selling medicine required some background knowledge.
Though that alone wasn't enough…
I was a Joseon man.
Kim Taepyeong, a genius doctor from the mysterious, serene land of Joseon.
"Brother. This light… I feel like I've seen it somewhere before…"
"Where have you seen something like this?"
"When you collect human urine, evaporate it, and set it on fire, it burns like this."
"Huh…?"
"But if you inhale too much of that smoke, you'll die!"
"Huh?!"
Liston looked utterly confused.
So did everyone else.
My words probably sounded ridiculous.
Honestly, if I hadn't known better, I would have thought the same.
I understood, but understanding didn't mean I could just stand by.
People could die!
"Come over here!"
"Uh, okay."
Fortunately, the person who had been inhaling the smoke followed my lead.
After all, I was now a somewhat famous doctor.
People wouldn't just ignore what I said…
"My stomach…"
Damn it.
No, that's not it.
He was already showing symptoms.
"Ugh."
He was retching.
Was there an antidote?
Even if there was, it wouldn't be very effective.
Would it even be here?
'There's no neutralizing agent either…'
Worse, I couldn't think of any specific medication.
I don't think there was one… In that case, the only thing to do was get him some fresh air.
Lowering the concentration was the priority.
"This way! Lie down here."
With Joseph's help, I brought the patient outside and laid him down.
Looking around, we were surrounded by forest. Thankfully, there was plenty of fresh air.
'Phew… Let's start another fire with something else… No, these lunatics.'
After administering first aid, I returned to find Liston roasting meat.
They'd just seen someone collapse, and yet… they could do this?
Shouldn't there be a limit to how oblivious one can be?
"Ah, come here. The smoke's fine now. We might as well eat since the fire's already going. That friend will be fine after a while."
No, that wasn't it.
Listening to him, I noticed the smoke had indeed returned to a normal color.
The volume had also decreased.
Still, worrying that everyone here would be poisoned by one match was a bit ridiculous.
But roasting meat here…?
"Try this. It's really delicious."
Liston handed me a piece of meat, clearly noticing my unease.
The sizzling fat suggested it was high-quality meat.
Even in the British Empire, obtaining such premium meat wasn't easy.
"Yes, brother."
I ate it not because I was hungry, but because I appreciated the gesture.
Really…
It wasn't just about the meat…
"How are you feeling?"
Of course, I kept checking on the patient.
Fortunately, the symptoms didn't progress beyond retching, likely because the amount inhaled wasn't excessive.
But it was still too early to relax.
Especially since I didn't know much about acute white phosphorus poisoning…
'I wish I could just cut it out with a scalpel and be done with it…'
How else could I think?
But I wasn't so deranged as to abandon a patient, so I brought him back to the ward.
While I was at it, I visited the amputation ward, where the screams had noticeably decreased.
They hadn't completely stopped.
How could they?
"Ughhh!"
"Aaaah!"
It was enough to make your stomach churn.
And since it wasn't aspirin but an earlier-stage painkiller, the analgesic effect was probably quite weak.
Still, both patients and medical staff were satisfied, and I was greeted by a rather enthusiastic crowd.
"You're truly our hospital's treasure!"
Even the director was among them.
Technically, it was during work hours… No, I'm still a student, so that doesn't count, right?
Anyway, even though I'd slipped out to roast meat, he didn't seem to mind.
He just gave me a thumbs-up and laughed heartily.
I knew exactly what he was thinking.
It was all about the money…
It was hard to blame him outright.
I wasn't in a position to just focus on treatment.
'Research requires… a lot of money.'
It would have been great if I had all sorts of knowledge, but unfortunately, all I had was a smattering of medical knowledge.
That's why I needed experts from various fields, especially chemists.
I could lure them with condoms, but for anything else, I'd need money.
"Yes, yes. I'll work even harder."
"Haha. Good, good!"
"So, about that…"
"Say anything."
The director seemed to be envisioning a rosy future where our hospital monopolized amputation surgeries thanks to anesthesia and painkillers.
So he couldn't just brush off my words.
After all, I'd already hit two home runs.
"I saw something called white phosphorus matches today… They're extremely dangerous. Could you do something to stop their use?"
"Huh…?"
"Go to the factory and at least warn them. Tell them it's dangerous. Or come with me…"
"Ah… Well… Sure, that's not too hard."