round the red lamp(红灯四周)-第29章
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about the uses of medicine in popular fiction。〃
〃How？〃
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〃Well； of what the folk die of； and what diseases are made most use of
in novels。 Some are worn to pieces； and others； which are equally
common in real life； are never mentioned。 Typhoid is fairly frequent； but
scarlet fever is unknown。 Heart disease is common； but then heart
disease； as we know it； is usually the sequel of some foregoing disease； of
which we never hear anything in the romance。 Then there is the
mysterious malady called brain fever； which always attacks the heroine
after a crisis； but which is unknown under that name to the text books。
People when they are over…excited in novels fall down in a fit。 In a fairly
large experience I have never known anyone do so in real life。 The small
complaints simply don't exist。 Nobody ever gets shingles or quinsy； or
mumps in a novel。 All the diseases； too； belong to the upper part of the
body。 The novelist never strikes below the belt。〃
〃I'll tell you what； Foster；〃 says the alienist； there is a side of life which
is too medical for the general public and too romantic for the professional
journals； but which contains some of the richest human materials that a
man could study。 It's not a pleasant side； I am afraid； but if it is good
enough for Providence to create； it is good enough for us to try and
understand。 It would deal with strange outbursts of savagery and vice in
the lives of the best men； curious momentary weaknesses in the record of
the sweetest women； known but to one or two； and inconceivable to the
world around。 It would deal； too； with the singular phenomena of
waxing and of waning manhood； and would throw a light upon those
actions which have cut short many an honoured career and sent a man to a
prison when he should have been hurried to a consulting…room。 Of all
evils that may come upon the sons of men； God shield us principally from
that one！〃
〃I had a case some little time ago which was out of the ordinary；〃 says
the surgeon。 〃There's a famous beauty in London societyI mention no
names who used to be remarkable a few seasons ago for the very low
dresses which she would wear。 She had the whitest of skins and most
beautiful of shoulders； so it was no wonder。 Then gradually the frilling at
her neck lapped upwards and upwards； until last year she astonished
everyone by wearing quite a high collar at a time when it was completely
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out of fashion。 Well； one day this very woman was shown into my
consulting… room。 When the footman was gone she suddenly tore off the
upper part of her dress。 ‘For Gods sake do something for me！' she cried。
Then I saw what the trouble was。 A rodent ulcer was eating its way
upwards； coiling on in its serpiginous fashion until the end of it was flush
with her collar。 The red streak of its trail was lost below the line of her
bust。 Year by year it had ascended and she had heightened her dress to
hide it； until now it was about to invade her face。 She had been too proud
to confess her trouble； even to a medical man。〃
〃And did you stop it？〃
〃Well； with zinc chloride I did what I could。 But it may break out
again。 She was one of those beautiful white…and…pink creatures who are
rotten with struma。 You may patch but you can't mend。〃
〃Dear！ dear！ dear！〃 cries the general practitioner； with that kindly
softening of the eyes which had endeared him to so many thousands。 〃I
suppose we mustn't think ourselves wiser than Providence； but there are
times when one feels that something is wrong in the scheme of things。
I've seen some sad things in my life。 Did I ever tell you that case where
Nature divorced a most loving couple？ He was a fine young fellow； an
athlete and a gentleman； but he overdid athletics。 You know how the
force that controls us gives us a little tweak to remind us when we get off
the beaten track。 It may be a pinch on the great toe if we drink too much
and work too little。 Or it may be a tug on our nerves if we dissipate
energy too much。 With the athlete； of course； it's the heart or the lungs。
He had bad phthisis and was sent to Davos。 Well； as luck would have it；
she developed rheumatic fever； which left her heart very much affected。
Now； do you see the dreadful dilemma in which those poor people found
themselves？ When he came below four thousand feet or so； his
symptoms became terrible。 She could come up about twenty…five
hundred and then her heart reached its limit。 They had several interviews
half way down the valley； which left them nearly dead； and at last； the
doctors had to absolutely forbid it。 And so for four years they lived
within three miles of each other and never met。 Every morning he would
go to a place which overlooked the chalet in which she lived and would
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wave a great white cloth and she answer from below。 They could see
each other quite plainly with their field glasses； and they might have been
in different planets for all their chance of meeting。〃
〃And one at last died；〃 says the outsider。
〃No； sir。 I'm sorry not to be able to clinch the story； but the man
recovered and is now a successful stockbroker in Drapers Gardens。 The
woman； too； is the mother of a considerable family。 But what are you
doing there？〃
〃Only taking a note or two of your talk。〃
The three medical men laugh as they walk towards their overcoats。
〃Why； we've done nothing but talk shop；〃 says the general practitioner。
〃What possible interest can the public take in that？〃
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LOT NO。 249。
Of the dealings of Edward Bellingham with William Monkhouse Lee；
and of the cause of the great terror of Abercrombie Smith； it may be that
no absolute and final judgment will ever be delivered。 It is true that we
have the full and clear narrative of Smith himself； and such corroboration
as he could look for from Thomas Styles the servant； from the Reverend
Plumptree Peterson； Fellow of Old's； and from such other people as
chanced to gain some passing glance at this or that incident in a singular
chain of events。 Yet； in the main； the story must rest upon Smith alone；
and the most will think that it is more likely that one brain； however
outwardly sane； has some subtle warp in its texture； some strange flaw in
its workings； than that the path of Nature has been overstepped in open
day in so famed a centre of learning and light as the University of Oxford。
Yet when we think how narrow and how devious this path of Nature is；
how dimly we can trace it； for all our lamps of science； and how from the
darkness which girds it round great and terrible possibilities loom ever
shadowly upwards； it is a bold and confident man who will put a limit to
the strange by… paths into which the human spirit may wander。
In a certain wing of what we will call Old College in Oxford there is a
corner turret of an exceeding great age。 The heavy arch which spans the
open door has bent downwards in the centre under the weight of its years；
and the grey； lichen…blotched blocks of stone are； bound and knitted
together with withes and strands of ivy； as though the old mother had set
herself to brace them up against wind and weather。 From the door a
stone stair curves upward spirally； passing two landings； and terminating
in a third one； its steps all shapeless and hollowed by the tread of so many
generations of the seekers after knowledge。 Life has flowed like water
down this winding stair； and； waterlike； has left these smooth… worn
grooves behind it。 From the long…gowned； pedantic scholars of
Plantagenet days down to the young bloods of a later age； how full and
strong had been that tide of young English life。 And what was left now
of all those hopes； those strivings； those fiery energies； save here and there
in some old…world churchyard a few scratches upon a stone； and perchance
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a handful of dust in a mouldering coffin？ Yet here were the silent stair
and the grey old wall； with bend and saltire and many another heraldic
device still to be read upon its surface； like grotesque shadows thrown
back from the days that had passed。
In the month of May； in the year 1884； three young men occupied the
sets of rooms which opened on to the separate landings of the old stair。
Each set consisted simply of a sitting…room and of a bedroom； while the
two corresponding rooms upon the ground… floor were used； the one as a
coal…cellar； and the other as the living…room of the servant； or gyp； Thomas
Styles； whose duty it was to wait upon the three men above him。 To right
and to left was a line of lecture…rooms and of offices； so that the dwellers
in the old turret enjoyed a certain seclusion； which made the chambers
popular among the more studious undergraduates。 Such were the three
