novelSusiti Chapter 91 Therapy
Chapter 91 Therapy
In May of the Islamic Hijri calendar 578 (early November of the Julian calendar 1182), the hills surrounding Beit Sheian Fortress.
A cold air mass from the Mediterranean clashes with dry, cold air from the Syrian desert over the Jordan Valley, bringing a climate drastically different from that of summer to the Beit Shea region.
Farouk did not receive news of Almorin's success, but instead received news of his uncle Saladin's army.
Saladin's army marched north from Caleb and eventually camped on the high ground on the east bank of the Yarmouk River.
Meanwhile, Baldwin IV's army also built a series of camps on the ridge west of Beitsheenburg.
Saladin's campsite was chosen according to traditional experience, nestled against the Yarmouk River to secure a water source. However, this resulted in the camp accumulating damp, cold air from the river.
As night fell, the cold wind assaulted the thin tents, and the Ayyubid soldiers from Egypt struggled to withstand the bone-chilling cold they had never experienced before.
Even more seriously, the camp's location near the riverbank for easy access to water resulted in a combination of cold and dampness, causing many soldiers to experience symptoms such as severe coughing, fever, and diarrhea.
When Saladin inspected the camp, he was met with an increasing number of sick people and a growing sense of low morale.
The military physicians attributed these symptoms to "humoral imbalance" based on the traditional theory of the four humors.
"Bloodletting is the most effective treatment," the physician, who was preparing to treat the soldier, reported to Saladin, still holding a bloodletting needle in his hand. "The excess black bile must be drained to restore balance."
Saladin silently watched the scene before him. A young soldier was being held down on a makeshift cot, a medic making a cut on his arm, from which dark red blood slowly flowed into a copper basin. Beside him, another soldier was being induced to vomit; the medic forced him to drink a mixture of resveratrol and castor oil, and soon after, he began to retch.
"Enough!" Saladin suddenly spoke, his voice filled with suppressed pain. He walked to a soldier who had just been bled dry, took off his cloak and covered the shivering young man with it.
"I would rather lose jihad and be condemned by everyone than see my warriors suffer like this."
Saladin continued his inspection of the camp, each step bringing with it the deepest sympathy for the soldiers' suffering. He saw them pale and weakened by frequent bloodletting. The army medics, though doing their utmost, were only making matters worse with their treatments. One soldier fainted after bloodletting, while another suffered dehydration and convulsions from excessive vomiting.
"We have tried everything, Your Majesty the Sultan," the chief physician reported helplessly. "According to the theory of the four humors, we have balanced their humors, but..."
Saladin raised his hand to interrupt him. His deep gaze swept over the sick lying haphazardly in the tent, and the sounds of groans rose and fell around him.
"Send the order down, including the Farouk army under Beitshean," Saladin turned to Isfahani beside him, "to withdraw them all to Damascus."
In stark contrast to the plight of the East Bank military camps, the Jerusalem military camps on the western highlands of Beit She'an Fort presented a completely different picture.
Baldwin IV lay in a specially made palanquin, covered in thick fur, as he toured the camp, surrounded by nobles.
The Jerusalem Kingdom's military camp avoided the low-lying, damp river valleys and chose to set up camp on a higher, sheltered, and sunny hillside.
Their tents are not set up directly on the ground. Instead, a layer of gravel is laid first, followed by a thick layer of dry grass and local wool felt, before finally setting up the tents.
Each tent housed ten people and was equipped with a hot water bottle made from sheep stomachs, which was provided to everyone. Following the king's instructions, the artisans in the army improved the traditional charcoal brazier by adding earthenware flues, which distributed heat more evenly and reduced the risk of poisoning.
The military camp was strictly divided into functional zones. All soldiers were required to dig drainage ditches, and toilets were dug in deep pits downwind of the camp and disinfected with lime. Livestock areas were strictly separated from living areas.
The army cooks provided at least one hot meal a day, with large pots bubbling with bean soup and dried meat porridge with plenty of pepper and local spices, and it took at least fifteen minutes to bring the soup to a complete boil.
The rest of the time, the cooks and doctors collected large quantities of pine needles, white chrysanthemums, elderberry leaves, and ginger. The pine needles were soaked in hot water and distributed to the soldiers to drink. The white chrysanthemums, elderberry leaves, and ginger were prepared according to the recipe ordered by the king. The white chrysanthemums were boiled twice in a pot, the elderberry leaves were ground and added to the pot, then the ginger was added, and finally the mixture was distilled. The resulting medicine was then given to the soldiers.
"Your Majesty, as you instructed, we have moved the camp to higher ground, away from the damp valley," Earl Raymond reported to Baldwin. "All drinking water must be boiled, and the patient has been placed separately in the eastern camp."
Grand Master Roger of the Hospitallers bowed respectfully to the king, his expression one of adoration: "Your Majesty is wise. We have fewer than a hundred patients, while Saladin's army is said to have hundreds who have fallen ill."
Baldwin weakly raised his hand, pointing to the soldiers distributing herbal soup in the distance: "That wasn't my wisdom, but Lyon's foresight. He foresaw all of this long before Saladin went to war."
The crowd exchanged shocked glances. Grand Master Gerald of the Knights Templar had a grim expression: "How could Prince Lyon possess such foresight?"
Baldwin gestured to his attendant to bring a wooden box filled with letters from Lyon sent from Berthes-de-Seinen.
"He has been in Jerusalem for the past two years, and we have been studying Saladin's military tactics. Saladin was extremely cautious in his military campaigns, not seeking small victories but only big ones, advancing step by step and steadily. It is not hard to imagine that Saladin camped along the Yarmouk River to secure a water supply, but the nights by the river are cold in November, and the soldiers are prone to diarrhea and fever if they drink cold water."
Earl Raymond nodded slightly in agreement, seemingly unsurprised.
Just as they were talking, a team of Hospitallers came carrying a large cauldron containing a medicinal soup made from white chrysanthemums, elderberry leaves, and ginger.
Gerald leaned closer, gave it a disapproving look, and frowned as he asked, "What's this strange liquid for?"
The lead knight reported, "Following His Majesty's prescription, we have been distributing this medicine to the soldiers twice a day, and the fever symptoms in the army have been relieved."
"So amazing?" Roger murmured. "White chrysanthemums, elderberry leaves, ginger... I've never even heard of such a recipe!"
"It's normal not to have heard of it. The Patriarchs of the University of Constantinople certainly possess wisdom beyond our comprehension," Baldwin chuckled softly. "I'm beginning to understand and deeply admire the Queen Mother's decision to leave the Prince's brother in Constantinople..."
At that moment, a scout rode in on horseback to report: "Saladin has broken camp and withdrawn his troops!"
Upon hearing this, they quickly climbed to higher ground and indeed saw in the distance that the Farouk army below Beit She'an Castle and the Egyptian army personally led by Saladin on the east bank of the Yarmouk River were beginning an orderly retreat. The central army, where Saladin's tent was located, personally covered the rear, ensuring that no wounded or sick soldiers were abandoned.
Gerald drew his weapon: "Your Majesty, please give the order to charge! The Knights Templar will be the vanguard!"
Baldwin waved his hand: "Pass down the order, do not pursue them, let them leave safely."
Gerald exclaimed in bewilderment, "Your Majesty, this is a golden opportunity to severely damage Saladin!"
"Saladin withdrew his troops out of concern for his soldiers. To take advantage of this situation now would be against chivalry." Baldwin gazed into the distance, his eyes lingering on the dust raised by the armies of Beitshean and Ayyubid. "There will be plenty of opportunities in the future..."