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He stepped forward and said modestly, “Gentlemen, you all know that unless a man is prepared to sacrifice his life, he cannot hope to save the lives of others in a critical situation like this. If a-single man's life can lead to a great discovery that might save the lives of thousands, I am ready to risk my life. I will dissect the corpse of a victim of the plague. There is no one to weep for me if I die. Whatever wealth I leave behind, should be used for patients of the plague.”
Older doctors looked down with something of shame in their eyes. They had lived their lives and were much nearer the end than this youth, and yet they were not prepared to risk losing the few years that were left to them.
The young surgeon was as good as his word. He straightway went to the dissection chamber and started dissecting the corpse of a victim of the bubonic plague. He steadfastly continued the nauseating job, making observations and recording the results of his research. He tried to locate the spot where the germs had attacked and the reason for it.
When his research was complete, he put the invaluable results into some chemicals to disinfect them and thus make them safe for handling by other doctors. He knew he himself would never be able to put to use the fruit of his labour, for he had already started to pay the price of his research. He stood up,
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