Chapter 1484: The Heir
"Physical examinations are of paramount importance for disease prevention," Joseph remarked, glancing toward the entrance of the health check center before turning to his wife. "In the future, we should undergo a comprehensive checkup every six months."
"Of course, I shall do as you wish," she replied softly.
As the couple entered the facility, passing through a crowd of bowing nobles, Joseph immediately spotted a glass tube as thick as a man's arm and nearly the height of an adult standing in the center of the hall.
Jean-Noël Hallé, the director of the sanatorium who was accompanying them, eagerly introduced the device. "Your Highness, that is the blood pressure monitor. It relies on the pressure of concentrated brine within the glass tube to compress the artery. We then gradually lower the fluid level until the pulse begins to thrum again. At that precise moment, the water pressure reflects the patient's blood pressure..."
Dr. Bisha, standing behind him, hurriedly leaned in and whispered, "Director, have you forgotten? This very device was invented by His Royal Highness the Prince Regent." Hallé stiffened. He had grown so accustomed to flaunting this cutting-edge medical equipment to foreign dignitaries that he had inadvertently tried to teach a fish how to swim. He let out an awkward, dry cough and took a medical chart from a nearby physician, bowing deeply to Joseph. "Your Highness, let us then begin the 'Prayer for Health'."
"Prayer for Health" was the sanatorium's sophisticated euphemism for a physical examination.
Joseph nodded and followed Hallé toward a partitioned cubicle for measuring height and weight.
Meanwhile, the sanatorium’s chief physician personally attended to the Crown Princess.
Soon, Joseph was seated beside the massive blood pressure monitor.
Joseph had heard from Corvisart, the Director of the Medical and Health Bureau, that this deerskin bag actually contained a cow's bladder. It was currently the best flexible sealing material available to them.
"We are about to begin, Your Highness," Hallé reminded him respectfully. "It may feel somewhat uncomfortable, but that is perfectly normal. It will be over shortly." Joseph gave a brief nod.
An assistant physician immediately began to rhythmically pump a wooden handle. The handle drove a metal piston at its end, pumping concentrated brine from a reservoir into the large glass column.
As the water level rose rapidly, Joseph felt his arm being constricted by the transmitting pressure. It felt remarkably similar to the blood pressure cuffs of his previous life, though this cuff was far bulkier and the pressure increased much more slowly.
Standing behind him, Alexandra and the nobles fortunate enough to be present watched as if they were witnessing alien technology. Their eyes were filled with shock and a sense of the unimaginable.
Once the liquid reached the top of the column, Hallé placed one hand over Joseph’s radial pulse and used the other to gently turn a release valve. As the liquid level dropped to roughly the height of an adult's neck, he turned his head to his assistant. "Start pressure: 148 centimeters."
A few moments later, he added, "Stop pressure: 100 centimeters."
He then rose to help Joseph remove the cuff, smiling warmly. "Congratulations, Your Highness. Your blood pressure is extremely healthy.
"According to our measurements of a large number of healthy individuals, normal blood pressure ranges between a start pressure of 175 centimeters and a stop pressure of 125 centimeters." Joseph estimated that Hallé was referring to systolic and diastolic pressure, though the specific terminology didn't much matter.
He performed a quick mental conversion; his blood pressure was approximately 75 to 107 millimeters of mercury. Indeed, very healthy.
As for why they didn't simply build a mercury sphygmomanometer?
The reason was simple: a cow's bladder couldn't contain mercury. The liquid metal would cause the proteins in the bladder to rapidly denature, causing it to dehydrate and become brittle. Furthermore, current sealing techniques weren't up to standard; the tiny gaps between the bladder and the copper pipes would allow mercury vapor to leak. Long-term inhalation would be toxic.
Thus, a water-based pressure gauge was the only viable solution.
The drawback was its immense bulk; the entire apparatus weighed over 500 kilograms.
Once Alexandra had completed her own blood pressure reading with a mix of nervousness and curiosity, Hallé led the royal couple to the station for blood lipid testing. Joseph went first once again.
However, when he saw Hallé take a syringe nearly as thick as a cucumber from an assistant, Joseph couldn't help but frown. "Why is such a large syringe necessary?"
Hallé bowed. "Your Highness, the fat content in blood is relatively low and consists of various components.
"We require at least 180 grams of blood to isolate a measurable amount of lipids."
Joseph sighed inwardly. That was nearly the amount of a modern blood donation. But considering the state of centrifuges in this era, there was no other way.
He turned to Alexandra, gave her a playful wink, and whispered, "Perhaps we should change these checkups to once a year... no, once every two years." After that, Joseph underwent a series of tests for blood sugar, heart function, gastrointestinal health, and lung capacity.
It was only then that he realized that, aside from the future medical knowledge he had introduced, the doctors of this era already possessed many scientific diagnostic methods. For instance, using sensitive fingers, they could detect arterial hardening, hepatosplenomegaly, or thyroid enlargement.
When paired with a stethoscope, they could identify early-stage pneumonia, asthma, pleural effusion, ascites, and heart murmurs.
Currently, the sanatorium gathered the top physicians in all of France. They were capable of screening for nearly forty different diseases through these physical examinations. More than half of these conditions could be prevented from worsening through early intervention.
For those undergoing the checkup, it was essentially like being granted a second life.
Three hours later, Joseph had completed all the items on his list and was feeling thoroughly exhausted.
Alexandra still had one final task—a gynecological examination. Joseph retreated to the VIP lounge to enjoy some tea.
In the main hall, the Duke of Gramont’s eyebrows twitched when he heard the physician mention that the full battery of tests would deduct 1,100 points from his VIP card.
Those 1,100 points were equivalent to 1,100 Francs!
The King of Baden, who was waiting behind him, laughed dismissively. He turned to his attendant and remarked in a lighthearted tone, "I heard they offer free bloodletting during the exam, and they do it without even needing to cut the skin. That is quite impressive."
While Joseph was contemplating how to stabilize the situation in Poland, Alexandra entered the lounge with a look of nervous intensity. She was followed by the sanatorium’s chief physician, Pinel.
She gave Joseph a quick curtsy and signaled for the servants to withdraw.
Joseph set down his teacup, looking at her with confusion. "My dear, what is it? Is something wrong?"
The Crown Princess turned her gaze toward Pinel.
The chief physician stepped forward and bowed. "Your Royal Highness, based on my preliminary assessment, it is highly likely that the Crown Princess is pregnant." "Truly?!" Joseph vaulted to his feet. He seized Alexandra’s hands, his face alight with sheer joy. "That's wonderful! This is absolutely wonderful! Haha, my love, I’m going to be a father!"
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