A Hospital in Another World?-Chapter 854: I Will Build a 210,000-Floor Mage Tower!

After optimizing the work methods, the scanning and input progress advanced rapidly. By the evening of the next day, Garrett sat at the core of the Mage Tower, frowning as he looked at the data displayed by Moss.

The situation was very dire.

The April Flower, with a displacement of 180 tons, had 30 crew members and 105 passengers. Upon arrival, 26 crew members and 102 passengers survived. The crew death rate was 13%, and the passenger death rate was 3%.

The Silver Deer, with a displacement of 150 tons, had 25 crew members and 58 passengers. Upon arrival, 23 crew members and 54 passengers survived. The crew death rate was 8%, and the passenger death rate was 6.9%.

The St. Marian, with a displacement of 300 tons, had 48 crew members and 287 passengers. Upon arrival, 41 crew members and 244 passengers survived. The crew death rate was 14.5%, and the passenger death rate was 15%.

The Bridge, with a displacement of 400 tons, had 58 crew members and 450 passengers. Upon arrival, 50 crew members and 332 passengers survived. The crew death rate was 13.7%, and the passenger death rate was 26%.

In summary, the crew death rate remained relatively constant between 10% and 15%. This rate did not increase with the number of passengers, likely related to maritime risks such as storms and operational dangers.

However, the passenger death rate showed a significant increase with the rise in passenger/ton ratio.

"Moss, calculate the passenger/ton ratio and passenger death rate for each ship. Plot a scatter diagram with the passenger/ton ratio on the vertical axis and the passenger death rate on the horizontal axis."

"Boss, what is a scatter diagram?"

"It's a chart where we mark the data points for each ship on a coordinate axis. For example, the April Flower should be marked here..."

Using a Silent Illusion, Garrett drew the coordinate axis and calculated the passenger/ton ratio, marking a point on the axis. Moss paused for about a second and then replied:

"Understood, boss."

On the light screen, a familiar coordinate axis spread out. The x-axis and y-axis were marked with values, and black dots began to appear, one by one, then in groups of five, ten, twenty, thirty, fifty...

The increasing density of dots quickly reached a level that would cause trypophobia at a glance.

These dense black dots in the first quadrant of the coordinate axis outlined a giant serpent with its head raised.

Roughly, perhaps when the passenger/ton ratio exceeded 0.9, the death rate began to rise sharply, stabilizing above 20% when the ratio exceeded 1.

20%!

Garrett recalled hearing from a reviewer that during this great famine, Kent Kingdom needed to transfer 200,000 people to the New World. From what he saw on Aeolan Island, with everyone crowded in the lower decks...

At least, the ship Garrett returned on had a tonnage of less than 300 tons. And the number of passengers crowded in the lower decks definitely exceeded 300.

Without precise calculations, it was clear that the passenger/ton ratio exceeded 1.

This meant that out of the 200,000 people, 20%—40,000 starving refugees—would die during the two-month journey!

The thought alone made Garrett shiver. Forty thousand people, a 20% death rate. If it could be reduced to 10%, or even 5%...

Even at 5%, the number would still be unbearably high. What, 5% of people dying on a single sea voyage? The risk was completely unacceptable!

However, even if it could be reduced to 5%, it would mean saving 30,000 lives out of those 40,000.

—Saving one life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda. This time, I, Garrett Nordmark, will build a 210,000-floor Mage Tower!

Of course, the specifics of how to reduce the death rate would rely on the data. Garrett examined the scatter diagram closely but wasn't satisfied.

The dense cluster within the giant serpent's body, surrounded by sparse, scattered black dots, only showed a general trend. What passenger/ton ratio would reduce the death rate to 5%? 0.9? 0.8? Or 0.7?

—This required more precise calculations.

—Or rather, the scatter diagram needed to be converted into a fitted curve. A smooth curve would be far clearer than a dense scatter diagram with surrounding outliers.

…Darn it, how do you do a fitted curve again? What formula for regression analysis should be used?

He had learned this before, used it in writing papers. But after working for years and only referring back to books when needed, he'd somewhat forgotten after these years in another world...

Garrett scratched his head, finally spreading out paper and pen, diligently reviewing university mathematics and medical statistics. After a long struggle, he finally selected the necessary formulas and painstakingly taught Moss.

After several adjustments, a smooth curve finally appeared on the light screen projected by Moss.

"0.7..."

Garrett frowned, hands behind his back, pacing in front of the light screen. According to the curve, to keep the death rate below 10%, the passenger/ton ratio should be below 0.9. To reduce it to 5%, the ratio must be below 0.7.

If the Parliament's ships transporting the refugees had a ratio generally above 1, it meant the Parliament needed to pay 50% more in shipping costs to transfer these people. Beyond costs, the capacity was even more troublesome—

There were only so many ships capable of crossing to the New World, and only so many experienced captains and sailors. They couldn't create more. If the refugees couldn't be transferred in time, additional problems would arise in the kingdom...

What other solutions were there?

What other methods could reduce their death rate?

Garrett unconsciously rubbed a maritime log. Thanks to Parliament's regulations, every death on board had to be examined by the ship's doctor, the cause of death recorded, and signed off by the captain.

This made the death causes in the logs relatively reliable, at least without unnecessary falsifications...

"Moss, analyze the causes of death for all crew members and passengers, and the proportion of each cause." He took a deep breath and commanded. Moss fell silent for a while before displaying a screen:

"Fever, neural fever, bile fever, pleuritic fever, suppurative fever, malignant fever, severe fever, remitting fever, acute fever, diarrhea, dysentery, worms, diarrhea, dry abdominal pain..."

"Stop, stop, stop!"

Garrett quickly interrupted. Ugh, different temples, different descriptions and judgments, plus pharmacists, herbalists, barbers, carpenters, who knew what other people acting as ship doctors, their records were truly nauseating! 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"Define all fevers as fever. Define all from diarrhea to dry abdominal pain as gastrointestinal diseases." He ordered helplessly. Sigh, despair, with too little information, he could only classify them simply...

Moss buzzed, the screen shook, combined, and refreshed again. This time, the causes of death were somewhat more manageable, and Garrett's blood pressure wasn't as high.

"Fever, gastrointestinal diseases, respiratory diseases, scurvy, drowning, falling, rebellion, others, unmarked..."

Garrett focused intently. In terms of overall death proportions, gastrointestinal diseases accounted for 28%, scurvy 15%, covering the top two causes of death.

"Moss, re-calculate by passenger/ton ratio, increasing by 0.1 each time. Count the different causes of death for each segment!"

This time, the data was exceptionally encouraging. When the passenger/ton ratio reached above 0.9, the death probability from gastrointestinal diseases reached 48%!

This meant that under such conditions, providing clean food and water, appropriate vegetables, and sodium ascorbate, along with basic medicines, could reduce the death rate by an additional 63%!

Thus, the passenger death rate could be kept below 5%... saving as many as 30,000 lives!

I am determined to build this 210,000-floor Mage Tower!