15 – 15. Morphine
The first person to successfully separate and extract morphine was the young pharmacist Jertürner from Germany.
A pioneer in modern pharmacology. However, his life was not particularly smooth.
First of all, he was a morphine addict.
It was because he conducted self-experiments on his own body to reveal the efficacy and proper dosage of morphine. There were times when he drank morphine equivalent to a lethal dose with his friends, wandering through life in dire straits. After addiction, he reportedly suffered from lifelong depression.
It wasn’t that I wanted to reconsider that dedication.
“Success in production and running a business are separate issues.”
Just making it doesn’t mean it sells on its own.
I had over 20 kilograms of morphine in my possession.
There were still piles of raw op*ium in the warehouse, but production had been temporarily suspended. It was due to a shortage of funds and the sudden lack of sealed containers for storing the medicine.
Now was the time to seriously consider distribution.
“Sir. No, Boss. May I say something?”
Jacob, a member of the Bonno family, spoke while cautiously observing the situation. His face was stained with op*ium powder.
Although he had been working as an op*ium slave, breaking down op*ium with his younger brother, now that the operation had stopped, it seemed he had regained the ability to speak.
“Speak.”
“Is the efficacy of the dru*g really that remarkable? Of course, I’m not doubting it.”
“Even if it’s administered to someone who was just shot by a musket, they can forget the pain. It can even suppress unbearable pain even if the person is completely addicted to op*ium. …The dosage for one intake is 15 milligrams.”
“….”
Jacob, who seemed to have momentarily forgotten what he wanted to say, adjusted his glasses. It seemed he was recalling how many doses of morphine they had produced so far.
Considering that they had produced it in an environment slightly better than a cottage industry, it was a considerable amount. That’s why Jacob was also hesitant.
“I suppose it won’t be for direct sale, will it?”
“I have the same thought.”
“Then there is a way. We can use word of mouth.”
“Word of mouth?”
I decided to listen for now.
It wasn’t because I wanted to be an employer who listens to the opinions of employees, but rather because I, as a former employee of a trading company who had learned a thing or two, wanted to see what kind of perception people had about morphine. Once it is released into the world, there is no way to take it back.
“Well… There is a dental clinic near my house. The dentist there is a bit old, but he learned proper tooth extraction techniques from a young age at a barber shop.”
“….”
“But whenever I pass by there, I hear screams. Sometimes they tie people down and extract their teeth. What if we supply them with a small amount at a low cost?”
“And wait until the rumor spreads?”
“Yes…! I think it won’t be long before several people come running, asking to buy morphine. We can sit comfortably and do business.”
It wasn’t entirely wrong to focus only on making money.
Perhaps it was the most comfortable and easy path.
Choosing a dental clinic where screams never ceased, handing over the goods,
casually waiting for rumors about morphine to spread,
From Noble mtl dot com
I sat quietly in the office, collecting money.
Maybe in about two months, I wouldn’t have known that I’d be sitting on a money cushion. I could even afford to give Sienna a generous dividend.
But in the long run, there was a possibility that it would threaten my security. Many people would come out dying from dru*g abuse, after all.
‘It’s better to speak up this time.’
I looked at Bono and his brother Jacob, who were standing with innocent expressions.
“There’s something I haven’t said.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I said that 15 milligrams would give you pain relief. However, if you take three times that amount, you’ll stagger and fall asleep without even realizing it. If you drink ten times, you’ll fall into a state of unconsciousness, and you might not even be able to wake up again.”
“…”
“If you follow Jacob’s method, there will soon be a fatal accident.”
Whether it’s 15 or 150, it’s a tiny amount that can be measured precisely on the scales of a lethal poison.
Just advising to “take only the right amount” wouldn’t work.
It wasn’t because people were ignorant; it was inherently difficult to stick to the recommended dosage. If it were an easy task, we wouldn’t have seen so many news articles about people weakly dying in their past lives. My brother, who was an experienced dru*g dealer, wouldn’t have had an overdose accident.
“Did you create such a dangerous thing?”
Bono asked with a tense expression.
It was strange that someone who had worked in the front lines would be nervous about dru*gs, but I had no intention of blaming him. What we needed right now was a sense of crisis.
“Bono. Even the poisonous hemlock, with which you have a destined connection, becomes a remedy for abdominal pain and asthma when used in small quantities. However, if consumed in large amounts, it can lead to blindness or a state of unconsciousness.”
“It means it should be used in moderation.”
Got it. I didn’t understand why you suddenly used formal language, but I decided to let it be.
There was one task I could assign to them.
It was far more important than spending the whole day grinding op*ium.
It was about selling the medicine.
**
“Go and sell it.”
I escorted Bono and Jacob outside the Thames Palace separately.
I didn’t send them to stand on the street and sell. I simply instructed them to visit hospitals within the jurisdiction, politely explain the effects of morphine, and propose supply contracts. I even told them to provide small samples if necessary.
The target was hospitals with a minimum of 100 beds.
There were hospitals operated by the military, as well as those run by wealthy individuals for charitable purposes.
It was a carefully chosen sales outlet because, without that scale, morphine couldn’t be systematically administered. It wasn’t perfectly controlled just because it was a hospital, but it was much better than indiscriminately spreading it. Morphine was also most effectively used in such places.
Naturally, both of them seemed unsure.
“Do you think they’ll buy just because we bring in goods? It might be different if it were the Knight Commander.”
I didn’t think they would buy so easily.
A former trading company employee and former bodyguards known to be associated with the Second and Third Princesses.
It would be strange if they readily agreed to a sudden request for medicine.
‘Maybe it’s even difficult to meet them in the first place.’
After all, the majority of hospitals within the jurisdiction were more like institutions for accommodating disabled individuals and patients than medical facilities. When really wealthy people got injured, it was more common for them to donate a large sum to the church and meet a saint.
However, suddenly, employees of Medoph Pharmaceuticals appeared and said, “We have a medicine that can alleviate the patient’s pain. Please allow us to supply it regularly.”
Treating them as scammers seemed to be the norm. No matter how diligently they explained the efficacy, it seemed to be the same.
“Moreover, it’s not even cheap.”
The price I set for morphine was 50 dollars for four doses (a day’s worth).
It was money that could cover three meals and even beer.
Although it didn’t seem like profiteering, for a small amount that was difficult to measure even with a regular scale, the hospital couldn’t help but feel that it was expensive at that price.
Unless the Bonneau brothers managed to secure the contract by using their connections, there was a high possibility of being unilaterally rejected.
This expectation soon became a reality.
“Boss, I went to the hospital sponsored by Lord Lachias, but I couldn’t even meet the hospital director and was rejected. I’ve been waiting for about an hour, but a nurse came out covered in blood and told me to leave… I’m sorry.”
Rejection.
“No one there didn’t know that Princess Siena cultivates op*ium flowers…! When I asked who would buy op*ium at that price, they replied. I explained that morphine has different effects and even offered samples, but they wouldn’t listen.”
Rejection again the next day. Several times.
“Now… there are no more hospitals to visit.”
After being rejected continuously for several days, I suddenly had nowhere to go.
The Bonneau brothers seemed embarrassed by their lack of results, but I wasn’t disappointed at all. I had anticipated this from the beginning. I was the one who stubbornly followed them, knowing full well that it would fail.
“It’s okay, now take a rest. You’ve done your part well enough.”
“Part… you say?”
“At least we left an impression on the hospital staff with the name ‘Morphine.’ We visited them first and made a polite offer, but they unilaterally rejected us. We even left a picture of us being turned away. It will be helpful in the future.”
To prevent the Bonneau brothers from making any more awkward remarks, I turned my attention away. Their role was over after diligently running around for several days.
The rest was up to me.
I had been waiting for the right opportunity to arise.
…
Two days later, Siena sent a messenger to summon me.
I wonder if she wanted to urge me to make money quickly.
But she didn’t seem at ease. Even the maid who was tidying her hair was trembling.
“…Alan. I am going to the royal palace on my father’s orders. I have refrained from engaging in external activities, but I cannot refuse this royal summons.”
“What happened there?”
“I ran into my sister. And she suddenly apologized to me.”
Her sister was Victoria Kallail, the First Princess.
She had the support of the military. Not only was she an active-duty captain herself, but she also took care of the welfare of the soldiers.
For her to apologize to Siena, it must have been something significant.
“Is it because of the morphine?”
“Yes. Victoria sister is the biggest sponsor of the Imperial Military Hospital. She thought I was the director and apologized for not being able to buy things for me… She probably mistook me for someone who could help her with her business.”
It meant that Siena had failed in her attempt to dispose of op*ium (with a different name) at a high price at the military hospital because she needed money urgently. Today, I couldn’t scold Siena for her behavior.
Fortunately, there was a way to ease her mind.
“It seems that even Her Majesty Victoria has become aware of the existence of morphine. I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly. I am deeply sorry to Her Majesty, but it is not bad news.”
Siena’s expression immediately changed upon hearing those words.
“You were expecting this situation?”
She’s quick to catch on, as expected.
I asked her for permission to sell the medicine. I gave a brief explanation, but Siena seemed to understand and simply waved her hand, dismissing me.