Chapter 577: Wrapping Up
The two sides signed an agreement, which, at Japan's strong request, was not made public. East Africa clearly understood Japan's intent—it still had ambitions. But as long as East Africa properly managed the Southern Ryukyu Islands, Japan would have to pay a steep price if it ever tried to take them back.
…
Hohenzollern Province.
Although East Africa lacked the capacity to fully develop a pharmaceutical industry, it still attempted to utilize its unique conditions to grow traditional medicine—or more precisely, reduce the cost of Chinese medicine.
This essentially came down to freeloading. The West emphasized patents, while the Far East did not. That's not to say Far Eastern doctors were generous; their skills were typically passed down through families or apprenticeships, which could be quite selfish—and risked being lost over time. Understandably so—it was, after all, their livelihood.
The Far East never placed much emphasis on developing medicine, at least not when judging by social status. In a previous life, doctors and lawyers were among the most respected professions in the U.S., but both were viewed as money-hungry fields.
In the 19th century, medicine was largely based on the belief that "my fate is mine, not Heaven's." Its effectiveness wasn't reliable, so Ernst focused heavily on preventative health to avoid getting sick.
Modern medicine in East Africa still lacked foundational leaders, formal systems, or advanced tools to drive its growth. Without any of these, development was impossible.
Traditional Chinese medicine, on the other hand, had a more mature system. Any innovation in modernized TCM would take years and wouldn't significantly impact East Africa's existing medical system.
Therefore, East Africa prioritized the development of medicinal herb farming. All ancient medical systems relied on herbs—and East Africa needed them just as much.
Westerners of the time were dismissive of Chinese medicine and often demonized it. Japan, in its rush to "leave Asia and join Europe," had fully abandoned it. Apart from East Africa, no one else had any interest in it. Even the Far Eastern Empire had grown indifferent.
Western contempt had even caused some in the Far East to doubt their own traditions. Many professional TCM doctors were now facing criticism.
While the Far East lacked patents, growing medicinal herbs required technical skill. Most needed to be imported to East Africa.
Medicinal herbs are primarily plants. Though East Africa's tropical savannah climate supported a wide variety of flora, Africans had done very little with herbal medicine.
Thus, East Africa's native pharmacology came mostly from Arab-African traditions—particularly the Swahili and those living just south of the Sahara.
Africans had their own "witch doctor" systems, but under East African control, these systems were dismantled. While Black Africans still existed, their shamanic medical traditions were not the same—and were no longer in use. Even in the most primitive societies, knowledge was guarded.
Pre-colonial African medicine was rudimentary and rooted in superstition. Illness and recovery were tied to divine will. If a treatment failed, the patient was blamed for lacking faith.
This effectively eliminated malpractice complaints. Even if the doctor's error led to death, the ruling class shifted the blame to the gods.
Witch doctors were often political elites—chiefs, priests, or other high-ranking figures.
Of course, trickery also requires skill. The gods couldn't be scapegoats forever—eventually, the lies would collapse.
For East Africa, such a system was more harmful than helpful—primitive and obsolete.
The most developed ancient systems were Chinese and Arab medicine. The former had centuries of refinement; the latter had geographic advantages and absorbed ideas from many cultures.
East Africa chose Chinese medicine, so it had to use Chinese herbs. But many couldn't grow in Africa—at least not yet. Most had to be imported at high cost. Even so, they were often cheaper than Western pharmaceuticals with unknown side effects.
Trials to grow them locally had mixed results—especially for common herbs like ginseng.
Hohenzollern Province became one of the ginseng test sites—mainly in shaded river valleys.
"This ginseng planted on the shady side of the mountain can grow, but we're not sure how its quality and efficacy compare to that of the Far East."
"We've selected four national ginseng trial bases. So far, Hesse Province has shown the best growth. The roots are largest and most resemble Far Eastern ginseng. We still need more samples and clinical tests to confirm efficacy."
"Hesse has mountainous terrain, but it's not suitable for large-scale planting. I suggest we try the South African Plateau."
"Kales, what are your thoughts?"
"I'm thinking about sunlight. I've heard ginseng grows best in high latitudes. Our southernmost provinces are subtropical."
"You're overlooking something. The South African Plateau has the right temperature, but it's not humid enough. Ginseng needs moisture."
"I know. That's why I recommend Swaziland. It gets plenty of rain and has large elevated plateaus."
"Not many of us have been to Swaziland. Are you sure?"
"You know me—why would I lie? It's now a prefecture-level city. Most of the native population has been relocated. The area is sparsely populated but protected by nearby troops guarding against Portugal. It's safe."
"Then Kales, this task is yours. Lead a team to Swaziland, start trials, and report progress regularly."
"Director, I really can't. You know my background—I love plants, but I'm not educated enough to lead. Unless you assign Mars to assist me."
Mars laughed, "If I go to Swaziland, I'll be the leader. You won't even get a say. Besides, I'm off to Hesse in a few days. This task is yours."
"But I have no experience!"
The director reassured him, "Don't worry, Kales. Just repeat what you've been doing here, but in Swaziland. I'll assign you a new intern—a recent graduate from Europe. With his help, you'll be fine."
Kales sighed. "I guess I don't have a choice."
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