"What about the cost? Can we mass-produce it?" Lucas was very satisfied with this powder. It was far superior to many medicinal powders back on Earth.
He even briefly wondered if he should take the formula back to Earth to produce it through a company there. It would undoubtedly be a massive hit.
"The cost is a bit high. A small packet costs about a hundred copper coins to produce," Poison Fang admitted helplessly. Since their supply of specific herbs was currently limited, large-scale production wasn't feasible yet.
"Can you develop a weakened version? It doesn't need to work within ten minutes; twenty minutes would be acceptable," Lucas suggested with a frown.
For a finger-length wound to close and stop bleeding within twenty minutes was still excellent. The ten-minute version could be reserved as a special supply for the military or high-priority cases.
"I can. I just need to remove seven of the rarer ingredients," Poison Fang replied immediately. He had developed this powder in stages, meticulously recording every iteration.
"And the cost for that?" Lucas asked curiously as he began walking toward the greenhouses. "How many ingredients are in your current formula?"
"The cost for the weakened version would only be about ten copper coins," Poison Fang said, following closely behind. "The high-potency version uses a total of thirty-one herbs. The most expensive parts are those seven ingredients I'd remove for the cheaper version."
"Any side effects? Have you conducted human trials?" Lucas nodded. If there were no issues, he intended to push this to the market to relieve some of the pressure on the hospital.
"No side effects, though the weakened version is more likely to leave a scar. Everything has been tested," Poison Fang reported. The test subjects were criminals from the mining area. He noted that a recently captured noble had actually refused to leave the lab, preferring to stay as a test subject rather than return to the mines.
"Let's call the high-potency version Marching Powder," Lucas said softly. "Produce and stockpile it in large quantities as military supplies."
"Yes, My Lord," Poison Fang replied respectfully.
"As for the weakened version, call it Hemostatic Powder. We can release that to the public market," Lucas added calmly.
"The market?" Annie blinked, her fox ears twitching. "Master, do you mean selling it at the hospital?"
"No, we'll open a pharmacy—a shop dedicated specifically to selling medicine," Lucas shook his head. "We can't leave everything to the hospital; they'll be overwhelmed."
He was well aware of the massive profit margins in pharmaceuticals. While giving it all to the hospital might work in the short term, over time, it would inevitably tempt people to line their own pockets.
"Master, we'll need to implement a purchase limit for the Hemostatic Powder, otherwise speculators might buy out the entire stock," Mina reminded him.
She knew how popular it would be. Many professions involved frequent injury, and most people currently just wrapped wounds in linen and hoped for the best.
"Of course. It will be tied to their ID cards—limit of three packets per purchase," Lucas agreed. His gardens were only just beginning to yield, and he hadn't yet reached full-scale cultivation.
"Master, are we only selling this one type of powder?" Annie asked.
"That depends on our Mr. Poison Fang here." Lucas smirked and turned to Poison Fang. "Any other research? What did you find out from those other formulas I gave you?"
Lucas had given Poison Fang several formulas and notes on the medicinal properties of various plants, tasking him with finding local substitutes for Earth-based herbs.
"Two other formulas are in the preliminary stages of completion and can be tested for production," Poison Fang said quickly.
"Oh? Which two?" Lucas was impressed. Poison Fang truly was a medical prodigy.
"One is a Cold-Relief Powder. For mild colds and fevers, it works wonders," Poison Fang said with a fanatical glint in his eyes. "Many people in the mining district caught colds, and this powder cured them all."
"Treatment course and cost?" Lucas was always focused on mass production for maximum benefit.
"One packet three times a day for two to three days," Poison Fang lowered his voice. "The cost is only six copper coins for a full course of treatment."
"Two copper coins per packet? That's very affordable," Lucas nodded with satisfaction. He could sell it at a slight markup while keeping it accessible to everyone.
In reality, raw herbs were cheap, so the finished product shouldn't be expensive. He knew that on Earth, people would mark up medicine by ten or twenty times. Having seen that, Lucas was determined to keep prices fair. The poor couldn't afford to get sick; a serious illness often meant waiting for death, while even better-off families would have to sell everything they owned to pay for treatment.
"And the other one, My Lord, is for stomach pain," Poison Fang said seriously. He seemed particularly focused on this one.
"A remedy for stomach aches?" Lucas's eyes lit up.
Given the current standard of living, people suffering from stomach issues far outnumbered those with colds. Commoners, desperate to avoid starvation, often ate moldy or spoiled food. When the inevitable pain struck, they had no choice but to endure it and hope their immune systems could handle it. For many, this pain was so severe it drove them to suicidal thoughts; a remedy would be a true godsend.
"The cost is five copper coins per packet. If one packet doesn't work, then the condition is likely critical," Poison Fang recalled the experiments in the mining area. Out of ten people with stomach pain, nine were cured after drinking the medicine.
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