Chapter 1399: Wisdom of the 19th Century
"That's roughly it," Joseph added finally. "Blood pressure is directly related to diseases like heart disease and stroke. High blood pressure must be intervened in promptly..."
Both doctors and biologists stared wide-eyed. It was the first time any of them had heard of pressure issues in the human body during blood circulation, let alone its close relation to health.
Joseph looked at everyone. "We can measure blood pressure by compressing an artery — when an artery stops pulsating under pressure, it indicates that the blood pressure is below that pressure value.
"Then, gradually reduce the pressure. The moment the artery begins to pulsate again, that pressure value is the blood pressure..."
He himself only had a partial understanding of blood pressure measurement, so he could only describe the sphygmomanometer as he remembered it.
"You'd use a hollow air cuff to encircle the arm, then inflate it to increase the pressure. As for how to measure the pressure... it should involve a mercury column...
"Who is willing to take on the development of this instrument?"
The conference hall fell silent. The Crown Prince had only described a concept, leaving them completely clueless on how to begin.
Just as Joseph frowned, about to designate a few individuals to develop the sphygmomanometer, Chief Imperial Physician Bisha rose and said, "Your Highness, if we only need to determine whether a patient's blood pressure is higher than average, perhaps a precise machine isn't necessary."
"I believe there's someone who might be able to do it," Chief Imperial Physician Bisha replied. "Mr. Joel Prevost."
"Is he... a doctor?"
"Mr. Prevost is the court magician, Your Highness," Bisha quickly explained, noticing the Crown Prince's frown. "He possesses the most sensitive hands in the world. It's said he can distinguish whether five or seven strands of hair are placed on his palm."
"According to my idea, he could encircle a patient's arm with his hands and then gradually relax his grip. While monitoring the patient's pulse with a stethoscope, when the artery begins to pulsate, Mr. Prevost would note the amount of force he was exerting at that moment.
"Afterward, the same procedure would be repeated on a healthy individual. Mr. Prevost could then compare the difference in the force required to compress the arteries of both, thus determining if the patient's blood pressure is too high."
Joseph nodded. While the method was incredibly rudimentary, if the blood pressure was exceptionally high, it might indeed be discernible by touch.
Until a sphygmomanometer could be produced, it would serve as an acceptable stopgap solution.
"Very well, bring him in for a trial."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Joseph turned to the assembled doctors once more. "Is anyone familiar with mechanics or pressure dynamics? I will have the Engineering Design Institute dispatch their most skilled technicians to assist you in developing the sphygmomanometer..."
The following midday.
In the dining room of the Petit Trianon, Queen Marie gazed forlornly at the pan-seared veal steak, roasted fish, and pigeon soup before her, sighing involuntarily.
Though these were all delicacies meticulously prepared by the imperial chefs, she had absolutely no appetite.
All she wanted now was a large slice of strawberry cake, or even a "Polite Lion."
Indeed, she hadn't eaten dessert for two consecutive days, making her feel as though her entire world had turned gray, as if even God Himself had abandoned her.
Louis XVI, beside her, spoke softly, "My dear, this salmon is perfectly roasted; you really must try it... You barely ate anything for breakfast. If this continues, your body won't be able to bear it."
He hadn't even visited his workshops for the past two days, staying constantly by his ailing wife's side.
Queen Marie sighed again, listlessly picking up her fork.
Just then, the Countess of Debeninac gently rapped on the door. "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has arrived."
Joseph entered the dining room, quickly saluted his parents, then gestured behind him. "Please, bring them in."
Immediately, several servants approached and placed three covered dishes on the large dining table.
Joseph personally lifted the lid off the first dish, and Queen Marie's eyes lit up instantly — revealing an exquisitely shaped strawberry cake!
But then, she nearly burst into tears, whimpering, "My dear, what are you doing with it?"
Two days prior, both Joseph and the imperial physicians had gravely informed her that she must never again eat sugar, honey, bread, or even potatoes.
Joseph picked up the second lid. "Of course, I'm bringing you dessert."
"But Chief Imperial Physician Bisha said I couldn't eat these..."
Joseph pointed at the bright orange pudding on the plate, smiling. "I specifically asked Mr. Karem to prepare this for you.
"They contain no cane sugar at all, but instead use fructose refined from apples and strawberries."
"What's... the difference?"
"Fructose has almost no effect on blood sugar," Joseph thought to himself with a silent sigh. 'It's a good thing I remember my homeroom teacher mentioning in my previous life that fructose absorption doesn't require insulin, so diabetics can consume it.'
As he spoke, he lifted the final lid, revealing a "Polite Lion" on the plate. "As for the pastry and cake itself, they are made from almond flour, walnut flour, mixed with a small amount of regular flour and rye flour. While they will still slightly raise blood sugar, the impact won't be significant as long as you don't eat too much."
He had already tasked several chemists and biologists with finding sugar substitutes similar to xylitol, but he presumed a breakthrough wasn't likely in the short term. Therefore, he had gone to great lengths to prepare these desserts for his mother, choosing those he believed would have the lowest impact on blood sugar.
Overjoyed, Queen Marie rose and embraced her son. "My dear, you are truly a savior sent by God!"
Joseph gently patted her back, gesturing toward the table. "Please, have a taste."
Queen Marie nodded, returning to her seat. She carefully cut a small piece of the strawberry cake, then hesitated. "Are you truly sure it's alright?"
"Don't worry, just don't eat too much."
Queen Marie immediately put the cake in her mouth, chewing it carefully. The sweet flavor instantly spread across her palate, making her eyes narrow in blissful contentment.
To be honest, the taste was still slightly inferior to her previous cakes, especially the cake base, which was far less fluffy than those made with regular flour and crumbled easily with a gentle chew.
However, the sweetness was only slightly less. For her, who hadn't had dessert in 'ages,' it was already a dreamlike indulgence.
Half an hour later, Queen Marie's lunch concluded.
She had eaten about a quarter of each dessert, along with most of the roasted fish and some steak.
Joseph waited for her to complete her series of post-meal courtesies. As she stood, he immediately stepped forward, smiling and placing a hand over his chest. "Mother, now we must 'declare war' on the desserts you've just eaten!"
"Huh?"
Half an hour later, the King and Queen ran along the gravel path of the Petit Trianon under the warm sunlight.
Joseph loudly cheered them on from the side. "Keep going! You've already run 700 meters, hold on! Only 300 meters left! Then, another 30 minutes of tennis, and your midday exercise will be complete!"
Yes, another powerful weapon against diabetes was exercise.
Joseph had once heard that strenuous exercise could prompt muscles to consume sugar from the bloodstream.
Although Queen Marie had just consumed "low-sugar desserts," they still contained small amounts of cane sugar and starch, which needed to be burned off through exercise.
He estimated that with this approach, his mother's blood sugar levels should be controllable.
As for his father, exercising alongside them would also be beneficial — his belly now resembled three inner tubes, and if he didn't start training soon, he would likely be plagued by 'three highs' (high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol).
What Joseph hadn't expected was that in just three days, the Queen's "healthy desserts" would quietly become popular throughout Versailles...
Comments