The Sage of Einar

Chapter 157: First simple microscope

In the morning Einar, who had woken up, gave his wives a few kisses and got ready to take a bath because today was a very important day because he would collect three very important materials.

The first had to do with a small biconvex lens that he had made with amber, and the second was two sheets of amber as thin as possible.

Last but not least was a small silver device in which the biconvex lens would be placed and which had a small screw to configure the foil grip that it had.

All of these parts were to make a simple microscope based on Leeuwenhoek’s microscope, fortunately, because he had prepared everything in advance before leaving for fort north.

He was able to find out yesterday from Seren that his order was ready, so he only had to pick it up with Hakoon in case of the biconvex lens and the two amber sheets.

Whereas he had to go with Gerd, to pick up the silver microscope he had made.

After taking a bath and putting on some loose clothing that will help keep you warm due to the cold outside.

He left in the direction of Hakoon’s workshop with the intention of going to collect the materials, on the way he could see how the tribe continued their day-to-day.

Although most of the people were buying or selling things in the market that were in the central square.

Something that Einar liked very much was the fact that with some small reforms that he had carried out in the market, hygiene and order had improved a lot.

Because all the merchants had to collect the garbage they made because it is mostly used to make fertilizer for the crops, while those that could not be used were simply incinerated to prevent the proliferation of diseases.

Another thing was the use of soap and face masks for the sellers of anything in the market, they also had to have an assistant who received the money because if they handled merchandise they could not do it themselves.

Although at the beginning there was some resistance, it was something that became a habit, so it was normal to see vendors with a cloth covering their faces and a bucket with soap and water to wash their hands.

After passing the market, Einar walked a little further, avoiding some slaves and workers on the walls who greeted him respectfully.

Upon reaching Hakoon’s workshop, he knocked on the door and a middle-aged woman with brown hair greeted him.

“Welcome herald, do you like to pass, or do you want me to only deliver the things Hakoon told me to deliver to you?”

Einar smiled “Good morning Caryn if you like just give me the package as I still have to go to Gerd’s workshop to pick up the other part of my order.”

Caryn nodded and walked away from the door as she walked to a ledge from where she took a small pine box, which she handed to Einar.

“Herald, if you need anything else, do not hesitate to inform us, we will gladly help you.”

After this Caryn closed the door and Einar walked to Gerd’s workshop, which was not far away.

Upon arrival, he entered the workshop and could see Gerd and Ibssen working on the bellows of the forge that he had asked for. When they heard someone enter, they turned their heads and looked at Einar with some nervousness.

“Herald, do not tell me that we already have to deliver the bellows, we are a little behind the order you asked for.”

Einar shook his head “Take your time because something slow but functional is better than something rushed and fail.

But what I am coming from is the microscope that I asked you to make, it’s just that I need help to fit the biconvex lens into the microscope’s receptacle. “

Gerd and Ibssen looked at each other as they had only understood that they would help him because they did not know that it was a biconvex lens.

So they took from a wooden box the silver microscope that they had made and approaching Einar they watched with curiosity as they handed it to him.

When Einar received it he was quite happy, as he had to admit that it looked a lot like the one he had once seen with Margaret in a museum in London.

“Very well, you may have wondered why they left in the middle of this silver plate a small hole that has these little silver legs.

Well, this biconvex lens is attached here, which is made of amber.”

With his hand, Einar took out the pine box and opened it. At that moment, the three of them could see a beautiful amber stone that was small but had a very peculiar shape.

They could also see two thin sheets of amber and a silver clamp.

“This is the difficult part, who of you two has a good pulse as you will need to take the silver tweezers to later take the biconvex lens or the amber stone.

To place it on the hole that is in the middle of the silver plate, everything has to be done perfectly because being very small, the biconvex lens can break if a lot of force is applied or if it falls. “

Ibssen who didn’t have a very good pulse simply shook his head and looked at Gerd, who upon seeing the two men’s gaze only sighed.

“I will do my best, but you must know that I cannot guarantee a perfect result.”

After this, he took the tweezers from the box and very carefully used them to take the biconvex lens, which he took very carefully to the small hole of the silver plate.

When he placed the lens correctly in the hole, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and using the tweezers he moved the silver legs from the place where the lens was so that it will stay fixed in place.

In the end, he gave Einar a smile “I think I’m done but how does this thing work.”

Einar, seeing that the simple microscope was already made, took one of the amber sheets and took a drop of Gerd’s sweat to later place the other amber sheet on it.

With the bead of sweat prepared and Gerd and Ibssen’s hesitation, Einar took the simple microscope and placed the two slides in the slide holder at the back of the microscope.

He began to look through the small biconvex lens while adjusting the focus with a screw behind the microscope.

After a while, he could begin to see the micro-organisms that were in the sweat drop, and although due to the yellowness of the amber it was a bit difficult to see.

It didn’t take long for him to get used to it and to be able to see the entire cultivation of microscopic beings in a drop of sweat. At that moment, he waved his hand for Gerd so that he could see through the biconvex lens.

When Gerd held up Einar’s simple microscope and closed one of his eyes so that he could see better at that moment, he almost fainted at the sight of hundreds of moving things.

“But what are those things, are they perhaps those creatures you always talk about called microbes, but why are there so many in sweat?

Is there something wrong with me? “

Einar almost laughed when he saw Gerd’s worried face, but in the end, he didn’t, knowing that it would be the normal reaction of a person when looking through a microscope for the first time.

“Don’t worry Gerd, everywhere there are microbes, viruses, and parasites, they are in the air we breathe and in the water we drink.

The only difference is that when we boil the water, most of the pathogens that harm us die.

As for why your sweat has so many bacteria, it is because it is an excretion of the body, so all the toxins in our body come out through it.

But I hope this taught you that the bathroom should be daily and the importance of washing your hands after using the bathroom and before eating.

The same thing that you are seeing I will show the merchants and the children so that they can see the world of bacteria, fungi, cells, and parasites.

It is not for them to be afraid but to develop awareness about personal care and the importance of disinfecting wounds.

Do you want to see through the Ibssen microscope? “

Ibssen, who was somewhat scared, nodded, otherwise Gerd would tease him, so he took the microscope and looked through the biconvex lens.

At that moment he felt a huge urge to bathe because of all the strange things moving in Gerd’s bead of sweat.

After this, Einar removed the two sheets of amber and cleaned them using a little alcohol to later place them back on its pinewood box.

“Remember to bathe and maintain constant hygiene because these bacteria can infect you, in any case, Kassia and I will work to make a book with pictures that illustrate each of these microorganisms.

See you later.”

When Einar came out of Gerd’s workshop, the two men looked at each other rather uncomfortably.

“What do you think if we take a break and take a bath, I think from today on I will not stop bathing daily.”

Gerd who listened to Ibssen nodded and agreed with the “I also think it is important to take a bath.”