舌尖上的航海丨第14集 飯碗里的故事

這個(gè)故事是“珍珠泉”號(hào)的船員講的，題目也是船員給命名的。

故事的主角叫薛宇，“珍珠泉”號(hào)上的船醫(yī)。綽號(hào)叫“海上博士。”

薛宇出身在一個(gè)偏達(dá)的小山村，是座著名醫(yī)學(xué)院的優(yōu)秀畢業(yè)生。幾年前放棄了在大城市醫(yī)院工作的機(jī)會(huì)，只身參加了海員隊(duì)伍，在一家航運(yùn)企業(yè)的船上做了船醫(yī)。

問起緣由，薛宇淡淡地笑著說：“自己喜歡航海?！睍r(shí)間久了，人們發(fā)現(xiàn)薛宇不僅醫(yī)術(shù)高明，還特別喜歡讀有關(guān)航海的書籍，尤其是航海與醫(yī)學(xué)關(guān)系方面的書籍，更是愛不釋手。

使薛宇成為“海上博士”綽號(hào)，是“珍珠泉”號(hào)遠(yuǎn)航歐洲的一次偶然事件。

那天，“珍珠泉”號(hào)?？吭诜▏R賽港。

忽然，碼頭附近一家游樂園里，一個(gè)幼童從蹺蹺板上不小心掉了下來，摔破了腿，路過附近的“珍珠泉”號(hào)船員把幼童帶上船，邊安撫幼童，邊抱怨蹺蹺板：“該死的魔鬼！”

薛宇邊給幼童敷藥，邊笑著說：“蹺蹺板在醫(yī)學(xué)史上可是立了大功的呢！”

薛宇講起了“蹺蹺板”在醫(yī)學(xué)史上的一些趣事。

大約在十九世紀(jì)初，一位年輕的法國醫(yī)生富奈克，面臨一個(gè)辣手的問題；要為一位貴族小姐診斷心臟病，拘謹(jǐn)?shù)男〗闶治嫘乜诒砬橥纯?。富奈克醫(yī)生手指敲打或觸診毫無作用，又礙于當(dāng)時(shí)的風(fēng)俗，醫(yī)生又不能把耳朵貼在病人胸口診斷。如何清楚聽到病人的心肺音呢？富奈克陷入冥思苦想中。就在這時(shí)，窗外傳來兒童玩蹺蹺板的嬉鬧聲。情燥心煩的富奈克正準(zhǔn)備驅(qū)散這些玩童時(shí)，陡然發(fā)現(xiàn)這些玩童沒有騎在蹺蹺板上，而是用蹺蹺板玩著聲音傳遞的游戲；一個(gè)孩子把耳朵貼在木板一端凝神傾聽，其他孩子在木板另端用鐵片打擊出聲音。

這情景使富奈克想起童年玩木桿傳聲的游戲。

富奈克立刻加入了玩童的行列，把耳朵附在木板上，清楚地聽到另一端傳來敲打的聲音。

興奮不已的富奈克飛身回到屋內(nèi)，抓起一疊紙卷成圓筒，一端貼近貴族小姐的胸口，附耳在圓筒在另端傾聽。病人的心跳甚至輕微的雜音都貫入耳內(nèi)。

這是世界上第一個(gè)簡(jiǎn)單的“聽診器”。后來經(jīng)過富奈克反復(fù)多次實(shí)驗(yàn)改進(jìn)，制成了世界上第一個(gè)正宗的聽診器。

“這個(gè)故事就發(fā)生在巴黎。薛宇最后笑著說：“幽默的法國人把蹺蹺板稱做聽診器的‘祖先’呢！”

從此，薛宇被船員譽(yù)為“海上博士”。

“珍珠泉”號(hào)船員第一次聽到“海上博士”講航海與醫(yī)學(xué)關(guān)系的故事，是船橫跨赤道時(shí)聽到的。

“珍珠泉”號(hào)春節(jié)前夕，由青島開往澳大利亞，離開時(shí)，青島還是冰天雪地，寒風(fēng)刺骨，幾天后到達(dá)赤道海區(qū)卻烈日炎炎酷熱難熬。

“珍珠泉”號(hào)抵達(dá)赤道時(shí)，正值農(nóng)歷正月初一。

船上大廚準(zhǔn)備包一頓口味鮮美的餃子，不料，船上冷凍箱出了故障，部分食物變了質(zhì)。

大廚無奈去請(qǐng)示船長(zhǎng)。正在船長(zhǎng)房間的潘宇連連了擺手：“腐爛變質(zhì)的食品絕不能吃，特別是肉質(zhì)品?！?/p>

接著講起中世紀(jì)帆船時(shí)間，由于船上設(shè)備簡(jiǎn)陋環(huán)境惡劣，沒有冷藏設(shè)備，食物常常腐爛變質(zhì)，使許多水手死于病魔之手。

船上做了頓素菜水餃，慰勞大家。

飯后，船上搞了一個(gè)傳統(tǒng)的過赤道游戲：擊鼓傳花。一人擊鼓眾人傳花。鼓聲停，花落誰手，誰就要抽個(gè)簽牌。簽牌上除有良好的祝愿外，還提出一些稀奇古怪的問題讓你回答。答對(duì)了有獎(jiǎng)品，錯(cuò)了要表演節(jié)目。

一陣緊密的鼓聲后，花落在水手長(zhǎng)手里。

水手長(zhǎng)打開簽牌一看：“祝你春節(jié)快樂。請(qǐng)問我國哪個(gè)省種植大米最多？”

水手長(zhǎng)毫不猶豫說：“我們老家湖南。水稻之父袁隆平就是我們那里人?！?/p>

人們議論紛紛，眾說紛紜。

這時(shí)，做主持人的“海上博士”潘宇笑著說：“這是道怪異題，大米啥時(shí)候都不能發(fā)芽生長(zhǎng)，只能食用，人們種的是稻谷而不是大米！

此刻，人們才緩過神來，哈哈大笑起來：“大米只能吃不能種?！?/p>

待大家笑聲漸止，“海上博士”一眼一板地說：“別小看大米，它對(duì)醫(yī)學(xué)貢獻(xiàn)不小哩！”

說著，“海上博士”講了航海登陸“醫(yī)學(xué)史”的故事。

中世紀(jì)的歐洲，海盜猖獗，為了尋找食物和財(cái)富，紛紛揚(yáng)帆遠(yuǎn)航。

由于航上條件參差不各，有的衛(wèi)生條件差，使許多水手死于病患，一些條件較好以大米為主食的船上；水手得了一種奇怪的疾病，整個(gè)腿腫如象腿，用手一按便是一個(gè)凹陷。全身無力氣喘噓噓，無法工作，甚至不治身亡。

莫名其妙的疾病，引起人們極度的恐慌。

這時(shí)，一位在英國船上服務(wù)的日本醫(yī)生高森雄寬決心拯救水手們的生命。

高森雄寬選擇了兩個(gè)船進(jìn)行跟蹤試驗(yàn)；一艘以食大米為主食的日本船，一艘以肉類和面包為主的英國船。

結(jié)果高森雄寬發(fā)現(xiàn)；食用大米的日本船，幾乎所有都患上了腿腫病，英國船卻安然無恙。

高森雄寬認(rèn)定：腿腫病是大米里一種細(xì)菌造成的。但是，經(jīng)過多次試驗(yàn)，沒有找到殺死這種細(xì)菌的“靈丹妙藥”。

航海產(chǎn)生的腿腫病，引起人們的廣泛關(guān)注。

一名叫卡西米爾的波蘭醫(yī)學(xué)家，最終從米糠里找到一種治療腿腫病的白色粉末——維生素B。認(rèn)為水手長(zhǎng)期食用大米，不是細(xì)菌造成的，而是體內(nèi)缺乏這種粉末的原故。并把這種白色粉末定名為“維持生命的腳，”由拉丁文生命和腳兩詞組成，簡(jiǎn)稱HP，后來改名為“維生素B”。

維生素B在治療許多疾疾中起了不可替代的作用。

由此，航海首次“登陸”了醫(yī)學(xué)史。

聽完“海上博士”的講述，大伙十分興奮，在夸獎(jiǎng)薛宇醫(yī)生知識(shí)淵博的同時(shí)，戲稱這是“飯碗里的故事?！?/p>

“飯碗里的故事”在航海界傳開了?！昂Ｉ喜┦俊钡拿曉絹碓巾?！

This story was first told by a sailor on the cargo ship Pearl Springs.

The protagonist of this tale is a man named Pan. He worked as a physician onboard the

Pearl Springs, and was even nicknamed “The Doctor of the Sea” by his crew.

Pan was born in a remote mountain village in China and worked hard to graduate from a

renowned medical school. A few years ago, he rejected a high paying job at an international

hospital in a Chinese metropolis, and instead joined a nautical shipping company so that he

could drift on the ocean and tend to the injuries and illnesses of a crew of sailors.

When others asked about the reason behind his absurd decision, he chuckled lightly and

answered, “I’ve always wanted to sail.” Over time, those who were close to him realized that

Pan was incredible at diagnosing and curing physical conditions, and also loved to read

novels and short stories regarding maritime history. In particular, he always kept a few books

on nautical medicine in his cabin and flipped through the pages whenever he had free time.

As to how Pan got the nickname “The Doctor of the Sea”, that was actually brought

about by a coincidence.

That day, the Pearl Springs was docked at the Port of Marseille in France. When the

crew was busy loading cargo off of their craft, a boy accidentally fell off a seesaw in a nearby

amusement park and hurt his knee. Desperate for help, him and his family walked past the

Pearl Springs and asked if there was a physician onboard.

The crew welcomed the child onto their boat. Without hesitation, Pan opened his

medical kit and began cleaning and applying medicine to the boy’s wound. But despite the

sailors’ best efforts to calm him, the boy kept screaming, “I hate the seesaw!”

As Pan wrapped a bandage around the boy’s knee and offered a kind smile. “You know,

the seesaw has in fact made many important contributions to medical history!”

The child fell silent and looked at Doctor Pan with curious eyes. Pan explained that at

the beginning of the 19th century, a French physician named Laennec had tried to diagnose a

noblewoman with heart disease but was met with a slew of problems. He felt her pulse on her

wrist to no avail, and because of the cultural customs at the time, he wasn’t comfortable with

putting his ear to her chest.

So how could he clearly decipher the sounds in his patient’s chest and lungs? Laennec

was lost in thought, but he was disturbed by the children who were playing on the seesaw

outside of his home. Just when he was about to shoo the kids away, he noticed that inside of

riding on the seesaw, the children were playing a game of sound transmissions. One child

leaned his head against one end of the seesaw and listened carefully, while another used a

piece of iron to gently tap on the other end, making simple beats and musical notes.

The kids reminded Laennec of his time playing whispering games through wooden

poles.

Laennec quickly joined the children in their game and stuck his ear to one side of the

seesaw. He was amazed when he heard clear, twinkling sounds coming through from the

other end.

Realizing that he just had a breakthrough, Laennec dashed back to his house, grabbed a

piece of paper, rolled it into a cylinder, and put one opening against the lady’s chest and his

ear against the other. The patient’s heartbeat and even the slightest murmur became amplified

and perfectly clear to Laennec.

Little did Laennec know, he had invented the world’s first stethoscope. After many

experiments and improvements, Laennec unveiled his invention and presented it to thousands

of doctors all across the world. This medical miracle is used widely in hospitals even today!

Doctor Pan laughed and continued, “This story took place in Paris. Some people even

joke that the seesaw is the ancestor of the stethoscope!”

Ever since then, the crew has referred to Pan as the Doctor of the Sea. They loved

listening to his stories about medicine and history, but the first time they ever heard him tell a

story related to nautical history was when the ship crossed through the Equator.

On the eve of the Spring Festival, the Pearl Springs embarked on a voyage from

Qingdao, China, to Brisbane, Australia. When they set sail, Qingdao was still deep in the

grasp of winter. But only a few days later, the Pearl Springs wandered into a scorching

summer as they wandered into the equator.

Since it was the first day on the Lunar Calendar, the chief cook had planned to prepare a

festive dumpling meal for the sailors. Unfortunately, due to the drastic changes in weather,

the refrigerator on board broke down, and half of the foods inside it rapidly deteriorated.

The disgruntled cook sought out his Captain for advice. Pan, who just so happened to be

in the Captain’s office, shook his head and said, “The spoiled meat is definitely inedible,

although perhaps the vegetables left are still safe to eat.”

Pan mentioned that during the Middle Ages, the harsh environments and lack of proper

refrigeration onboard crafts constantly caused meats to become spoiled, thus spreading

foodborne diseases to many sailors who perished.

The cook took Pan’s advice and prepared vegetarian dumplings as consolation.

After dinner, the crew engaged in a rhythm game that many sailors play to pass time:

Pass the Parcel. One sailor tapped on a drum as his crewmates passed around a flower, and

when the drumming stopped, the person who had the flower had to draw a message out of a

mystery box. Aside from quotes and fortune slips, the box also contained lists of trivia

questions that the player had to answer. If the sailor answered correctly, he’d get a small

peculiar prize, but if he got it wrong, he had to perform a song or dance in front of the entire

crew.

After the first round of intense drumming, the flower fell in the hands of the chief

officer.

He opened the piece of paper and read out a question. “Happy Chinese New Year. In

China, the farms in which province grows the most rice?”

The officer said confidently, “The answer is my hometown of Hunan. The Father of

Rice, Yuan Longping, is from our province.”

Even though his answer seemed correct, his fellow sailors had different opinions. Each

person wanted to say that their own province grew the most rice instead.

Doctor Pan, who was hosting the game, piped up and said cheerfully, “This is a trick

question! You can’t grow rice, rice can only be eaten. What we grow and harvest is grain

plants, which is different from the rice that we eat during our meals.”

The sailors burst out laughing. “You can’t grow rice beads!”

Doctor Pan gestured for the sailors to settle down. “Don’t laugh at grain plants just yet!

They were monumental in the development of medicinal science.”

The crew quieted themselves, and Pan launched into the story of how nautical

adventures gained their place in medical history.

During the Medieval Period, pirates rampant in the seas near Europe and sometimes

sailed to faraway lands in search of distant lands and foreign treasures. However, due to poor

sailing conditions, poor sanitary upkeep, and the many diseases of the time, certain pirates

kept only rice as their main source of nutrition during long voyages.

A sailor on one such pirate ship developed a strange disease that no one knew the cause

of. His leg was swollen like an elephant’s, and when he tried to push down on it, his hands

left a large dent in his skin. He became weak and fragile, unable to work, and his pain was so

great that he wished to sleep forever.

His crewmates also became afraid of the sick sailor, fearing that the disease was

somehow contagious. Luckily, as they looked for external help, a Japanese doctor named

Yusuke Takamori was assisting the doctors on a British steamship nearby. Takamori took an

interest in the case of the elephant leg, and was determined to find a cure.

After investigating the pirate ship, Takamori decided to hold an experiment. He tracked

the health of the sailors on two different vessels: one was a Japanese ship that used rice as its

primary source of food, and the other was a British craft whose crew dined mostly on bread

and meat.

Takamori discovered that the majority of sailors on the Japanese ship fell victim to the

elephant legs, but the men on the British craft were completely healthy.

Following multiple rounds of investigation, Takamori came to the conclusion that this

disease resembling elephant legs was caused by a bacteria that can be found in rice.

Frustratingly though, despite how hard he tried, Takamori couldn’t find a remedy for this

bizarre ailment.

Takamori spread the word about the elephant leg disease across the world in hopes of a

scientific breakthrough with the help of other doctors.

Finally, a biochemist from Poland named Casimir Funk researched the elephant leg

disease and found a substance found in rice bran that could be used to cure the swelling of the

sailors’ legs. He believed that the source of this illness was not the bacteria found inside the

rice, but instead because the sailors were lacking in this substance.

This substance was eventually named “Vitamin B”. Funk used this substance to heal the

sailors of their disease, and later many other illnesses, too. Today, the many different types of

vitamins are staples in every person’s diet, and are irreplaceable sources of nutrition.

Thus, maritime history and medicinal ventures became monumentally intertwined.

Doctor Pan was met with applause when he finished his story. The crew was impressed

with his knowledge and expertise, but also proud that the rice they ate everyday contributed

to a significant scientific breakthrough. Stories of Doctor Pan and his wise words were told

across the nautical world, making him a legendary “Doctor of the Sea”.