第6章

ThefirstthingtheInterviewerhadtodowastoaccountforhisvisitingapersonwhohadnotaskedtomakehisacquaintance，andwhowaslivingasarecluse。Hetookouthisbatteredcoppers，andshowedthemtoMaurice。

"Iunderstoodthatyouwereveryskilfulinantiquities，andhadagoodmanyyourself。SoItookthelibertyofcallinguponyou，hopingthatyoucouldtellmesomethingaboutsomeancientcoinsI

havehadforagoodwhile。”Sosaying，hepointedtothecopperwiththenameofGallienus。

"Isthisveryrareandvaluable？Ihaveheardthatgreatpriceshavebeenpaidforsomeoftheseancientcoins，——eversomanyguineas，sometimes。Isupposethisisasmuchasathousandyearsold。”

"Morethanathousandyearsold，"saidMaurice。

"Andworthagreatdealofmoney？"askedtheInterviewer。

"No，notagreatdealofmoney，"answeredMaurice。

"Howmuch，shouldyousay？"saidtheInterviewer。

Mauricesmiled。"Alittlemorethanthevalueofitsweightincopper，——Iamafraidnotmuchmore。ThereareagoodmanyofthesecoinsofGallienusknockingabout。Thepeddlersandtheshopkeeperstakesuchpiecesoccasionally，andsellthem，sometimesforfiveortencents，toyoungcollectors。No，itisnotverypreciousinmoneyvalue，butasarelicanypieceofmoneythatwaspassedfromhandtohandathousandorfifteenhundredyearsagoisinteresting。Thevalueofsuchrelicsisagooddealamatterofimagination。”

"Andwhatdoyousaytotheseothers？"askedtheInterviewer。Pooroldworn-outthingstheywere，withaletterortwoonly，andsomefainttraceofafigureononeortwoofthem。

"Veryinteresting，always，iftheycarryyourimaginationbacktothetimeswhenyoumaysupposetheywerecurrent。PerhapsHoracetossedoneofthemtoabeggar。PerhapsoneofthesewasthecointhatwasbroughtwhenOnesaidtothoseaboutHim，\'Bringmeapenny，thatI

mayseeit。\'Butthemarketpriceisadifferentmatter。Thatdependsonthebeautyandpreservation，andabovealltherarity，ofthespecimen。Hereisacoin，now，"——heopenedasmallcabinet，andtookonefromit。"HereisaSyracusandecadrachmwiththeheadofPersephone，whichisatoncerare，wellpreserved，andbeautiful。I

amafraidtotellwhatIpaidforit。”

TheInterviewerwasnotanexpertinnumismatics。Hecaredverylittlemoreforanoldcointhanhedidforanoldbutton，buthehadthoughthispurchaseatthetollman\'smightproveagoodspeculation。

Nomatteraboutthebatteredoldpieces:hehadfoundout，atanyrate，thatMauricemusthavemoneyandcouldbeextravagant，orwhathehimselfconsideredso；alsothathewasfamiliarwithancientcoins。Thatwoulddoforabeginning。

"MayIaskwhereyoupickedupthecoinyouareshowingme？"hesaid"Thatisaquestionwhichprovokesanegativeanswer。Onedoesnot\'pickup\'first-classcoinsorpaintings，veryoften，inthesetimes。

IboughtthisofagreatdealerinRome。”

"LivedinRomeonce？"saidtheInterviewer。

"Forsomeyears。Perhapsyouhavebeenthereyourself？"

TheInterviewersaidhehadneverbeenthereyet，buthehopedheshouldgothere，oneoftheseyears。"supposeyoustudiedartandantiquitieswhileyouwerethere？"hecontinued。

"EverybodywhogoestoRomemustlearnsomethingofartandantiquities。BeforeyougothereIadviseyoutoreviewRomanhistoryandtheclassicauthors。Youhadbettermakeastudyofancientandmodernart，andnothaveeverythingtolearnwhileyouaregoingaboutamongruins，andchurches，andgalleries。YouknowyourHoraceandVirgilwell，Itakeitforgranted？"

TheInterviewerhesitated。Thenamessoundedasifhehadheardthem。"NotsowellasImeantobeforegoingtoRome，"heanswered。

"MayIaskhowlongyoulivedinRome？"

"Longenoughtoknowsomethingofwhatistobeseeninit。Nooneshouldgotherewithoutcarefulpreparationbeforehand。YouarefamiliarwithVasari，ofcourse？"

TheInterviewerfeltaslightmoistureonhisforehead。Hetookouthishandkerchief。"Itisawarmday，"hesaid。"Ihavenothadtimetoreadall——theworksImeanto。Ihavehadtoomuchwritingtodo，myself，tofindallthetimeforreadingandstudyIcouldhavewished。”

"Inwhatliteraryoccupationhaveyoubeenengaged，ifyouwillpardonmyinquiry？saidMaurice。

"Iamconnectedwiththepress。Iunderstoodthatyouwereamanofletters，andIhopedImighthavetheprivilegeofhearingfromyourownlipssomeaccountofyourliteraryexperiences。”

"Perhapsthatmightbeinteresting，butIthinkIshallreserveitformyautobiography。Yousaidyouwereconnectedwiththepress。

DoIunderstandthatyouareanauthor？"

BythistimetheInterviewerhadcometotheconclusionthatitwasaverywarmday。Hedidnotseemtobegettingholdofhispitcherbytherighthandle，somehow。ButhecouldnothelpansweringMaurice\'sverysimplequestion。

"Ifwritingforanewspapergivesonearighttobecalledanauthor，Imaycallmyselfone。Iwriteforthe"People\'sPerennialandHouseholdInquisitor。\'"

"Areyoutheliterarycriticofthatwell-knownjournal，ordoyoumanagethepoliticalcolumn？"

"Iamacorrespondentfromdifferentplacesandonvariousmattersofinterest。”

"Placesyouhavebeento，andpeopleyouhaveknown？"

"Well，yes，-generally，thatis。SometimesIhavetocompilemyarticles。”

"DidyouwritetheletterfromRome，publishedafewweeksago？"

TheInterviewerwasinwhathewouldcallatightplace。However，hehadfoundthathismanwastoomuchforhim，andsawthatthebestthinghecoulddowastosubmittobeinterviewedhimself。Hethoughtthatheshouldbeabletopickupsomethingorotherwhichhecouldworkintohisreportofhisvisit。

"Well，I——preparedthatarticleforourcolumns。Youknowonedoesnothavetoseeeverythinghedescribes。Youfounditaccurate，I

hope，initsdescriptions？"

"Yes，Murrayisgenerallyaccurate。Sometimeshemakesmistakes，butIcan\'tsayhowfaryouhavecopiedthem。YougotthePonteMolle——

theoldMilvianbridge——agooddealtoofardownthestream，ifI

remember。Ihappenedtonoticethat，butIdidnotreadthearticlecarefully。MayIaskwhetheryouproposetodomethehonorofreportingthisvisitandtheconversationwehavehad，forthecolumnsofthenewspaperwithwhichyouareconnected？"

TheInterviewerthoughthesawanopening。"Ifyouhavenoobjections，"hesaid，"Ishouldlikeverymuchtoaskafewquestions。”Hewasrecoveringhisprofessionalaudacity。

"Youcanaskasmanyquestionsasyouconsiderproperanddiscreet，——

afteryouhaveansweredoneortwoofmine:Whocommissionedyoutosubmitmetoexamination？"

"Thecuriosityofthepublicwishestobegratified，andIamthehumbleagentofitsinvestigations。”

"Whathasthepublictodowithmyprivateaffairs？"

"Isupposeitisaquestionofmajorityandminority。Thatsettleseverythinginthiscountry。Youareaminorityofoneopposedtoalargenumberofcuriouspeoplethatformamajorityagainstyou。

ThatisthewayI\'veheardthechiefputit。”

MauricecouldnothelpsmilingatthequietassumptionoftheAmericancitizen。TheInterviewersmiled，too，andthoughthehadhisman，sure，atlast。Mauricecalmlyanswered，"Thereisnothingleftforminorities，then，buttherightofrebellion。Idon\'tcareaboutbeingmadethesubjectofanarticleforyourpaper。Iamhereformypleasure，mindingmyownbusiness，andcontentwiththatoccupation。Irebelagainstyoursystemofforcedpublicity。

WheneverIamreadyIshalltellthepublicallithasanyrighttoknowaboutme。InthemeantimeIshallrequesttobesparedreadingmybiographywhileIamliving。Iwishyouagood-morning。”

TheInterviewerhadnottakenouthisnote-bookandpencil。InhisnextcommunicationfromArrowheadVillagehecontentedhimselfwithabriefmentionofthedistinguishedandaccomplishedgentlemannowvisitingtheplace，whoselibraryandcabinetofcoinshehadhadtheprivilegeofexamining，andwhosecourtesywasequalledonlybythemodestythatshunnedthepublicnotorietywhichtheorgansofpopularintelligencewouldotherwiseconferuponhim。

TheInterviewerhadattemptedtheriddleoftheSphinx，andhadfailedtogetthefirsthintofitssolution。

Themanytonguesofthevillageanditsvisitorscouldnotremainidle。Thewholesubjectofantipathieshadbeentalkedover，andthevariouscasesrecordedhadbecomemoreorlessfamiliartotheconversationalcircleswhichmeteveryeveninginthedifferentcentresofsociallife。TheprevalenthypothesisforthemomentwasthatMauricehadacongenitalaversiontosomecolor，theeffectsofwhichuponhimweresopainfulordisagreeablethathehabituallyavoidedexposuretoit。Itwasknown，andithasalreadybeenmentioned，thatsuchcaseswereonrecord。Therehadbeenagreatdealofdiscussion，oflate，withreferencetoafactlongknowntoafewindividuals，butonlyrecentlymadeamatterofcarefulscientificobservationandbroughttothenoticeofthepublic。Thiswasthenowwell-knownphenomenonofcolor-blindness。Itdidnotseemverystrangethatifonepersonineveryscoreortwocouldnottellredfromgreentheremightbeothercuriousindividualpeculiaritiesrelatingtocolor。Acasehasalreadybeenreferredtowherethesubjectofobservationfaintedatthesightofanyredobject。WhatifthiswerethetroublewithMauriceKirkwood？Itwillbeseenatoncehowsuchacongenitalantipathywouldtendtoisolatethepersonwhowasitsunfortunatevictim。Itwasanhypothesisnotdifficulttotest，butitwasaratherdelicatebusinesstobeexperimentingonaninoffensivestranger。MissVincentwasthinkingitover，butsaidnothing，eventoEuthymia，ofanyprojectsshemightentertain。

XII

MISSVINCENTASAMEDICALSTUDENT。

TheyoungladywhomwehaveknownasTheTerror，asLurida，asMissVincent，SecretaryofthePansophianSociety，hadbeenreadingvariousworksselectedforherbyDr。Butts，——workschieflyrelatingtothenervoussystemanditsdifferentaffections。Shethoughtitwasabouttimetotalkoverthegeneralsubjectofthemedicalprofessionwithhernewteacher，——ifsuchaself-directingpersonasLuridacouldbesaidtorecognizeanybodyasteacher。

Shebeganatthebeginning。"Whatisthefirstbookyouwouldputinastudent\'shands，doctor？"shesaidtohimoneday。Theywereinhisstudy，andLuridahadjustbroughtbackathickvolumeonInsanity，oneofBucknillandPuke\'s，whichshehaddevouredasifithadbeenapamphlet。

"Notthatbook，certainly，"hesaid。"Iamafraiditwillputallsortsofnotionsintoyourhead。Whoorwhatsetyoutoreadingthat，Ishouldliketoknow？"

"Ifounditononeofyourshelves，andasIthoughtImightperhapsbecrazysometimeorother，IfeltasifIshouldliketoknowwhatkindofaconditioninsanityis。Idon\'tbelievetheywereeververybright，thoseinsanepeople，mostofthem。IhopeIamnotstupidenoughevertolosemywits。”

"Thereisnotelling，mydear，whatmayhappenifyouoverworkthatbusybrainofyours。Butdidn\'titmakeyounervous，readingaboutsomanypeoplepossessedwithsuchstrangenotions？"

"Nervous？Notabit。Icouldn\'thelpthinking，though，howmanypeopleIhadknownthathadalittletouchofcrazinessaboutthem。

TakethatpoorwomanthatsayssheisHerMajesty\'sPerson，——notHerMajesty，butHerMajesty\'sPerson，——averyimportantdistinction，accordingtoher:howshedoesremindmeofmorethanonegirlIhaveknown!Shewouldletherskirtsdownsoastomakeakindoftrain，andpilethingsonherheadlikeasortofcrown，foldherarmsandthrowherheadback，andfeelasgrandasaqueen。Ihaveseenmorethanonegirlactverymuchinthatway。Arenotmostofusalittlecrazy，doctor，——justalittle？Ithinkso。ItseemstomeIneversawbutonegirlwhowasfreefromeveryhintofcraziness。”

"Andwhowasthat，pray？"

"Why，Euthymia，——nobodyelse，ofcourse。Sheneverlosesherhead，——

Idon\'tbelieveshewouldinanearthquake。WheneverwewereatworkwithourmicroscopesattheInstituteIalwaystoldherthathermindwastheonlyachromaticoneIeverlookedinto，——Ididn\'tsaylookedthrough——ButIdidn\'tcometotalkaboutthat。IreadinoneofyourbooksthatwhenSydenhamwasaskedbyastudentwhatbooksheshouldread，thegreatphysiciansaid，\'Read"DonQuixote。”\'Iwantyoutoexplainthattome；andthenIwantyoutotellmewhatisthefirstbook，accordingtoyouridea，thatastudentoughttoread。”

"WhatdoyousaytomytakingyourquestionasthesubjectofapapertobereadbeforetheSociety？Ithinktheremaybeotheryoungladiesatthemeeting，besidesyourself，whoarethinkingofpursuingthestudyofmedicine。Atanyrate，thereareagoodmanywhoareinterestedinthesubject；infact，mostpeoplelistenreadilytoanythingdoctorstellthemabouttheircalling。”

"Iwishyouwould，doctor。IwantEuthymiatohearit，andIdon\'tdoubttherewillbeotherswhowillbegladtoheareverythingyouhavetosayaboutit。Butoh，doctor，ifyoucouldonlypersuadeEutbymiatobecomeaphysician!Whatadoctorshewouldmake!Sostrong，socalm，sofullofwisdom!Ibelieveshecouldtakethewheelofasteamboatinastorm，orthehoseofafire-engineinaconflagration，andhandleitaswellasthecaptainoftheboatorofthefire-company。”

"Haveyouevertalkedwithheraboutstudyingmedicine？"

"IndeedIhave。Oh，ifshewouldonlybeginwithme!Whatgoodtimeswewouldhavestudyingtogether!"

"Idon\'tdoubtit。Medicineisaverypleasantstudy。Buthowdoyouthinkpracticewouldbe？Howwouldyoulikebeingcalleduptoridetenmilesinamidnightsnow-storm，justwhenoneofyourragingheadacheswasrackingyou？"

"Oh，butwecouldgointopartnership，andEuthymiaisn\'tafraidofstormsoranythingelse。Ifshewouldonlystudymedicinewithme!"

"Well，whatdoesshesaytoit？"

"Shedoesn\'tlikethethoughtofit。Shedoesn\'tbelieveinwomendoctors。Shethinksthatnowandthenawomanmaybefittedforitbynature，butshedoesn\'tthinktherearemanywhoare。Shegivesmeagoodmanyreasonsagainsttheirpractisingmedicine，youknowwhatmostofthemare，doctor，——andendsbysayingthatthesamewomanwhowouldbeapoorsortofdoctorwouldmakeafirst-ratenurse；andthat，shethinks，isawoman\'sbusiness，ifherinstinctcarrieshertothehospitalorsick-chamber。Ican\'targueherideasoutofher。”

"NeithercanIargueyououtofyourfeelingaboutthematter；butI

amdisposedtoagreewithyourfriend，thatyouwilloftenspoilagoodnursetomakeapoordoctor。Doctorsandside-saddlesdon\'tseemtometogotogether。Ridinghabitswouldbeawkwardthingsforpractitioners。Butcome，wewon\'thaveacontroversyjustnow。Iamforgivingwomeneverychanceforagoodeducation，andiftheythinkmedicineisoneoftheirpropercallingsletthemtryit。Ithinktheywillfindthattheyhadbetteratleastlimitthemselvestocertainspecialties，andalwayshaveanexpertoftheothersextofallbackupon。Thetroubleisthattheyaresoimpressibleandimaginativethattheyareatthemercyofallsortsoffancysystems。

Youhaveonlytoseewhatkindsofinstructiontheyverycommonlyflocktoinordertoguesswhethertheywouldbelikelytoprovesensiblepractitioners。Charlatanismalwayshobblesontwocrutches，thetattleofwomen，andthecertificatesofclergymen，andIamafraidthathalfthewomendoctorswillbetoomuchunderboththoseinfluences。”

LuridabelievedinDr。Butts，who，tousethecommonlanguageofthevillage，had"carriedherthrough"afever，broughtonbyover-

excitementandexhaustingstudy。Shetooknooffenceathisreferencetonurserygossip，whichshehadlearnedtoholdcheap。

Nobodysodespisestheweaknessesofwomenasthechampionofwoman\'srights。Sheacceptedthedoctor\'sconcessionofafairfieldandopentrialofthefitnessofhersexformedicalpractice，anddidnottroubleherselfabouthissuggestedlimitations。Astotheimaginativetendenciesofwomen，sheknewtoowellthetruthofthedoctor\'sremarkrelatingtothemtowishtocontradictit。

"Besureyouletmehaveyourpaperinseasonforthenextmeeting，doctor，"shesaid；andindueseasonitcame，andwasofcourseapprovedforreading。

XIII

DR。BUTTSREADSAPAPER。

"Nexttotheinterestwetakeinallthatrelatestoourimmortalsoulsisthatwhichwefeelforourmortalbodies。Iamafraidmyveryfirststatementmaybeopentocriticism。Thecareofthebodyisthefirstthoughtwithagreatmany，——infact，withthelargerpartoftheworld。Theysendforthephysicianfirst，andnotuntilhegivesthemupdotheycommonlycallintheclergyman。Eventheministerhimselfisnotsoverydifferentfromotherpeople。Wemustnotblamehimifheisnotalwaysimpatienttoexchangeaworldofmultipliedinterestsandever-changingsourcesofexcitementforthatwhichtraditionhasdeliveredtousasoneeminentlydeficientinthestimulusofvariety。Besides，thesebodilyframes，evenwhenwornanddisfiguredbylongyearsofservice，hangaboutourconsciousnesslikeoldgarments。Theyareusedtous，andweareusedtothem。

Andalltheaccidentsofourlives，——thehousewedwellin，thelivingpeopleroundus，thelandscapewelookover，all，uptotheskythatcoversuslikeabellglass，——allthesearebutlooseroutsidegarmentswhichwehavewornuntiltheyseemapartofus，andwedonotlikethethoughtofchangingthemforanewsuitwhichwehaveneveryettriedon。HowwellIrememberthatdearancientlady，wholivedwellintothelastdecadeofhercentury，assherepeatedtheversewhich，ifIhadbutonetochoose，Iwouldselectfromthatstringofpearls，Gray\'s\'Elegy\'!

\'ForwhotodumbforgetfulnessapreyThispleasing，anxiousbeinge\'erresigned，Leftthewarmprecinctsofthecheerfulday，Norcastonelonging，lingeringlookbehind？\'

Plotinuswasashamedofhisbody，wearetold。Betterso，itmaybe，thantolivesolelyforit，assomanydo。ButitmaybewelldoubtedifthereisanydiscipleofPlotinusinthisSociety。Onthecontrary，therearemanywhothinkagreatdealoftheirbodies，manywhohavecomeheretoregainthehealththeyhavelostinthewearandtearofcitylife，andveryfewwhohavenotatsometimeorotheroftheirliveshadoccasiontocallintheservicesofaphysician。

"Thereis，therefore，noimproprietyinmyofferingtothememberssomeremarksuponthepeculiardifficultieswhichbesetthemedicalpractitionerinthedischargeofhislaboriousandimportantduties。

"Ayoungfriendofmine，whohastakenaninterestinmedicalstudies，happenedtomeetwithaveryfamiliarstoryaboutoneofthegreatestandmostcelebratedofallEnglishphysicians，ThomasSydenham。Thestoryisthat，whenastudentaskedhimwhatbooksheshouldread，thegreatdoctortoldhimtoread\'DonQuixote。\'

"Thispieceofadvicehasbeenusedtothrowcontemptuponthestudyofbooks，andfurnishesaconvenientshieldforignorantpretenders。

ButSydenhamleftmanywritingsinwhichhehasrecordedhismedicalexperience，andhesurelywouldnothavepublishedthemifhehadnotthoughttheywouldbebetterreadingforthemedicalstudentthanthestoryofCervantes。Hisownworksareesteemedtothisday，andhecertainlycouldnothavesupposedthattheycontainedallthewisdomofallthepast。Noremedyisgood，itwassaidofold，unlessappliedattherighttimeintherightway。Sowemaysayofallanecdotes，likethiswhichIhavetoldyouaboutSydenhamandtheyoungman。Itisverylikelythathecarriedhimtothebedsideofsomepatients，andtalkedtohimaboutthecasesheshowedhim，insteadofputtingaLatinvolumeinhishand。Iwouldassoonbegininthatwayasanyother，withastudentwhohadalreadymasteredthepreliminarybranches，——whoknewenoughaboutthestructureandfunctionsofthebodyinhealth。

"ButifyouaskmewhatreadingIwouldcommendtothemedicalstudentofaphilosophicalhabitofmind，youmaybesurprisedtohearmesayitwouldbecertainpassagesin\'Rasselas。\'TheyaretheoneswheretheastronomergivesanaccounttoImlacofhismanagementoftheelements，thecontrolofwhich，ashehadpersuadedhimself，hadbeencommittedtohim。Letmereadyouafewsentencesfromthisstory，whichiscommonlyboundupwiththe\'VicarofWakefield，\'likeawoollenliningtoasilkenmantle，butisfullofstatelywisdominprocessionsofparagraphswhichsoundasiftheyoughttohaveagrammaticaldrum-majortomarchbeforetheirtrampingplatoons。

"TheastronomerhastakenImlacintohisconfidence，andrevealstohimthesecretofhiswonderfulpowers:——

"\'Hear，Imlac，whatthouwiltnotwithoutdifficultycredit。Ihavepossessedforfiveyearstheregulationoftheweatherandthedistributionoftheseasonsthesunhaslistenedtomydictates，andpassedfromtropictotropicbymydirection；theclouds，atmycall，havepouredtheirwaters，andtheNilehasoverflowedatmycommand；

Ihaverestrainedtherageofthedog-star，andmitigatedthefervorsofthecrab。Thewindsalone，ofalltheelementalpowers，havehithertoeludedmyauthority，andmultitudeshaveperishedbyequinoctialtempests，whichIfoundmyselfunabletoprohibitorrestrain。\'

"Thereadernaturallywishestoknowhowtheastronomer，asincere，devoted，andmostbenevolentman，forfortyyearsastudentoftheheavens，cametothestrangebeliefthathepossessedthesemiraculouspowers。Thisishisaccount:

"\'Oneday，asIwaslookingonthefieldswitheringwithheat，IfeltinmymindasuddenwishthatIcouldsendrainonthesouthernmountains，andraisetheNiletoaninundation。InthehurryofmyimaginationIcommandedraintofall，andbycomparingthetimeofmycommandwiththatoftheinundationIfoundthatthecloudshadlistenedtomylips。\'

"\'Mightnotsomeothercause，\'saidI，\'producethisconcurrence？

TheNiledoesnotalwaysriseonthesameday。\'

"\'Donotbelieve，\'saidhe，withimpatience，Ithatsuchobjectionscouldescapeme:Ireasonedlongagainstmyownconviction，andlaboredagainsttruthwiththeutmostobstinacy。Isometimessuspectedmyselfofmadness，andshouldnothavedaredtoimpartthissecretbuttoamanlikeyou，capableofdistinguishingthewonderfulfromtheimpossibleandtheincrediblefromthefalse。\'

"ThegoodoldastronomergiveshispartingdirectionstoImlac，whomhehasadoptedashissuccessorinthegovernmentoftheelementsandtheseasons，intheseimpressivewords:

"Donot，intheadministrationoftheyear，indulgethypridebyinnovation；donotpleasethyselfwiththinkingthatthoucanstmakethyselfrenownedtoallfutureagesbydisorderingtheseasons。Thememoryofmischiefisnodesirablefame。Muchlesswillitbecometheetoletkindnessorinterestprevail。Neverrobothercountriesofraintopouritonthineown。ForustheNileissufficient。\'

"Doyouwonder，myfriends，whyIhavechosenthesepassages，inwhichthedelusionsofaninsaneastronomerarerelatedwithallthepompoftheJohnsonianvocabulary，asthefirstlessonfortheyoungpersonabouttoenteronthestudyofthescienceandartofhealing？

ListentomewhileIshowyoutheparallelofthestoryoftheastronomerinthehistoryofmedicine。

"Thishistoryisluminouswithintelligence，radiantwithbenevolence，butallitswisdomandallitsvirtuehavehadtostrugglewiththeever-risingmistsofdelusion。Theagencieswhichwasteanddestroytheraceofmankindarevastandresistlessastheelementalforcesofnature；nay，theyarethemselveselementalforces。Theymaybetosomeextentavoided，tosomeextentdivertedfromtheiraim，tosomeextentresisted。Somaythechangesoftheseasons，fromcoldthatfreezestoheatsthatstrikewithsuddendeath，beguardedagainst。Somaythetidesbeinsomesmallmeasurerestrainedintheirinroads。Somaythestormsbebreastedbywallstheycannotshakefromtheirfoundations。Buttheseasonsandthetidesandthetempestsworktheirwillonthegreatscaleuponwhateverstandsintheirway；theyfeedorstarvethetillersofthesoil；theyspareordrownthedwellersbytheshore；theywafttheseamantohisharbororburyhimintheangrybillows。

"Theartofthephysiciancandomuchtoremoveitssubjectsfromdeadlyanddangerousinfluences，andsomethingtocontrolorarresttheeffectsoftheseinfluences。Butlookattherecordsofthelife-insuranceoffices，andseehowuniformistheactionofnature\'sdestroyingagencies。Lookattheannualreportsofthedeathsinanyofourgreatcities，andseehowtheirregularityapproachestheuniformityofthetides，andtheirvariationskeeppacewiththoseoftheseasons。TheinundationsoftheNilearenotmorecertainlytobepredictedthanthevastwaveofinfantilediseasewhichflowsinuponallourgreatcitieswiththegrowingheatsofJuly，——thanthefeversanddysenterieswhichvisitourruraldistrictsinthemonthsofthefallingleaf。

"Thephysicianwatchesthesechangesastheastronomerwatchedtheriseofthegreatriver。Helongstorescueindividuals，toprotectcommunitiesfromtheinroadsofthesedestroyingagencies。Heusesallthemeanswhichexperiencehasapproved，trieseveryrationalmethodwhichingenuitycansuggest。Somefortunaterecoveryleadshimtobelievehehashituponapreventiveoracureforamaladywhichhadresistedallknownremedies。Hisrescuedpatientsoundshispraises，andawidecircleofhispatient\'sfriendsjoinsinachorusofeulogies。Self-loveapplaudshimforhissagacity。Self-

interestcongratulateshimonhishavingfoundtheroadtofortune；

thesenseofhavingprovedabenefactorofhisracesmoothsthepillowonwhichhelayshisheadtodreamofthebrilliantfutureopeningbeforehim。Ifasinglecoincidencemayleadapersonofsanguinedispositiontobelievethathehasmasteredadiseasewhichhadbaffledallwhowerebeforehistime，andonwhichhiscontemporarieslookedinhopelessimpotence，whatmustbetheeffectofaseriesofsuchcoincidencesevenonamindofcalmertemper!

Suchseriesofcoincidenceswillhappen，andtheymaywelldeceivetheveryelect。ThinkofDr。Rush，——youknowwhatafamousmanhewas，theveryheadandfrontofAmericanmedicalscienceinhisday，——andrememberhowhespokeaboutyellowfever，whichhethoughthehadmastered!

"Thusthephysicianisentangledinthemeshesofawideconspiracy，inwhichheandhispatientandtheirfriends，and-Natureherself，areinvolved。WhatwonderthatthehistoryofMedicineshouldbetosogreatanextentarecordofself-delusion!

"Ifthisseemsadangerousconcessiontotheenemiesofthetruescienceandartofhealing，IwillremindyouthatitisallimpliedinthefirstaphorismofHippocrates，theFatherofMedicine。Donotdrawawronginferencefromthefrankstatementofthedifficultieswhichbesetthemedicalpractitioner。Thinkrather，iftruthissohardofattainment，howpreciousaretheresultswhichtheconsentofthewisestandmostexperiencedamongthehealersofmenagreesinaccepting。Thinkwhatfollyitistocastthemasideinfavorofpalpableimpositionsstolenfromtherecordsofforgottencharlatanism，oroffantasticspeculationsspunfromthesquintingbrainsoftheoristsaswildastheEgyptianastronomer。

"Beginyourmedicalstudies，then，byreadingthefortiethandthefollowingfourchaptersof\'Rasselas。\'Yourfirstlessonwillteachyoumodestyandcautioninthepursuitofthemostdeceptiveofallpracticalbranchesofknowledge。Faithwillcomelater，whenyoulearnhowmuchmedicalscienceandarthaveactuallyachievedforthereliefofmankind，andhowgreatarethepromisesitholdsoutofstilllargertriumphsovertheenemiesofhumanhealthandhappiness。”

Afterthereadingofthispapertherewasalivelydiscussion，whichwehavenoroomtoreporthere，andtheSocietyadjourned。

XIV

MISSVINCENT\'SSTARTLINGDISCOVERY。

Thesober-minded，sensible，well-instructedDr。Buttswasnotalittleexercisedinmindbythedemandsmadeuponhisknowledgebyhisyoungfriend，andforthetimebeinghispupil，MissLuridaVincent。

"Idon\'twondertheycalledherTheTerror，"hesaidtohimself。

"Sheisenoughtofrightenanybody。ShehastakendownoldbooksfrommyshelvesthatIhadalmostforgottenthebacksof，andastothemedicaljournals，Ibelievethegirlcouldindexthemfrommemory。Sheisinpursuitofsomespecialpointofknowledge，Ifeelsure，andIcannotdoubtwhatdirectionsheisworkingin，butherwonderfulwayofdealingwithbooksamazesme。”

Whatmarvelsthose"firstscholars"intheclassesofourgreatuniversitiesandcollegesare，tobesure!Theyarenot，asarule，themostdistinguishedoftheirclassinthelongstruggleoflife。

Thechancesarethat"thefield"willbeat"thefavorite"overthelongrace-course。Otherswilldevelopalongerstrideandmorestayingpower。Butwhatfinegiftsthose"firstscholars"havereceivedfromnature!Howdullwewriters，famousorobscure，areintheacquisitionofknowledgeascomparedwiththem!Toleadtheirclassmatestheymusthavequickapprehension，finememories，thoroughcontroloftheirmentalfaculties，strongwill，powerofconcentration，facilityofexpression，——awonderfulequipmentofmentalfaculties。Ialwayswanttotakemyhatofftothefirstscholarofhisyear。

Dr。ButtsfeltsomewhatinthesamewayashecontemplatedTheTerror。Shesurprisedhimsooftenwithherknowledgethathewasreadytoreceiveherwithoutastonishmentwhensheburstinuponhimoneallaywithacryoftriumph，"Eureka!Eureka!"

"Andwhathaveyoufound，mydear？"saidthedoctor。

Luridawasflushedandpantingwiththeexcitementofhernewdiscovery。

"IdobelievethatIhavefoundthesecretofourstrangevisitor\'sdreadofallhumanintercourse!"

Theseasonedpractitionerwasnoteasilythrownoffhisbalance。

"Waitaminuteandgetyourbreath，"saidthedoctor。"Areyounotalittleoverstatinghispeculiarity？Itisnotquitesobadasthat。

Hekeepsamantoservehim，hewascivilwiththepeopleattheOldTavern，hewasaffableenough，Iunderstand，withtheyoungfellowhepulledoutofthewater，orrescuedsomehow，——Idon\'tbelievebeavoidsthewholehumanrace。Hedoesnotlookasifhehatedthem，sofarasIhaveremarkedhisexpression。Ipassedafewwordswithhimwhenhismanwasailing，andfoundhimpoliteenough。No，I

don\'tbelieveitismuchmorethananextremecaseofshyness，connected，perhaps，withsomecongenitalorotherpersonalrepugnancetowhichhasbeengiventhenameofanantipathy。”

Luridacouldhardlykeepstillwhilethedoctorwasspeaking。Whenhefinished，shebegantheaccountofherdiscovery:

"IdocertainlybelieveIhavefoundanaccountofhiscaseinanItalianmedicaljournalofaboutfourteenyearsago。ImetwithareferencewhichledmetolookoverafileoftheGiornaledegliOspitalilyingamongtheoldpamphletsinthemedicalsectionoftheLibrary。Ihavemadeatranslationofit，whichyoumustreadandthentellmeifyoudonotagreewithmeinmyconclusion。”

"Tellmewhatyourconclusionis，andIwillreadyourpaperandseeformyselfwhetherIthinktheevidencejustifiestheconvictionyouseemtohavereached。”

Lurida\'slargeeyesshowedtheirwholeroundslikethetwohalvesofamapoftheworld，asshesaid，"IbelievethatMauriceKirkwoodissufferingfromtheeffectsofthebiteofaTARANTULA!"

Thedoctordrewalongbreath。HerememberedinavaguesortofwaythestorieswhichusedtobetoldoftheterribleApulianspider，buthehadconsignedthemtothelimboofmedicalfablewheresomanyfictionshaveclothedthemselveswithalocalhabitationandaname。

Helookedintotheroundeyesandwidepupilsalittleanxiously，asifhefearedthatshewasinastateofundueexcitement，but，truetohisprofessionaltraining，hewaitedforanothersymptom，ifindeedhermindwasinanymeasureoffitsbalance。

"Iknowwhatyouarethinking，"Luridasaid，"butitisnotso。\'I

amnotmad，mostnobleFestus。\'Youshallseetheevidenceandjudgeforyourself。Readthewholecase，——youcanreadmyhandalmostasifitwereprint，andtellmeifyoudonotagreewithmethatthisyoungmanisinallprobabilitythesamepersonastheboydescribedintheItalianjournal，Onethingyoumightsayisagainstthesupposition。TheyoungpatientisspokenofasSignorinoM……Ch……ButyoumustrememberthatchispronouncedhardinItalian，likek，whichletteriswantingintheItalianalphabet；anditisnaturalenoughthattheinitialofthesecondnameshouldhavegotchangedintherecordtoitsItalianequivalent。”

Beforeinvitingthereadertofollowthedetailsofthisextraordinarycaseasfoundinamedicaljournal，thenarratorwishestobeindulgedinafewwordsofexplanation，inorderthathemaynothavetoapologizeforallowingtheintroductionofasubjectwhichmaybethoughttobelongtotheprofessionalstudentratherthantothereadersofthisrecord。Thereisagreatdealinmedicalbookswhichitisveryunbecomingtobringbeforethegeneralpublic，——agreatdealtorepel，todisgust，toalarm，toexciteunwholesomecuriosity。Itisnotthemenwhosedutieshavemadethemfamiliarwiththisclassofsubjectswhoaremostlikelytooffendbyscenesanddescriptionswhichbelongtothephysician\'sprivatelibrary，andnottotheshelvesdevotedtopoliteliterature。

GoldsmithandevenSmollett，bothhavingstudiedandpractisedmedicine，couldnotbyanypossibilityhaveoutragedallthenaturalfeelingsofdelicacyanddecencyasSwiftandZolahaveoutragedthem。Butwithouthandlingdoubtfulsubjects，therearemanycuriousmedicalexperienceswhichhaveinterestforeveryoneasextremeillustrationsofordinaryconditionswithwhichallareacquainted。

Noonecanstudythenowfamiliarhistoryofclairvoyanceprofitablywhohasnotlearnedsomethingofthevagariesofhysteria。NoonecanreadunderstandinglythelifeofCowperandthatofCarlylewithouthavingsomeideaoftheinfluenceofhypochondriasisandofdyspepsiauponthedispositionandintellectofthesubjectsofthesemaladies。Ineednotapologize，therefore，forgivingpublicitytothatpartofthisnarrativewhichdealswithoneofthemostsingularmaladiestobefoundintherecordsofbodilyandmentalinfirmities。

ThefollowingistheaccountofthecaseastranslatedbyMissVincent。Forobviousreasonsthewholenamewasnotgivenintheoriginalpaper，andforsimilarreasonsthedateoftheeventandthebirthplaceofthepatientarenotpreciselyindicatedhere。

[GiornaledegliOspitali，Luglio21，18。1

REMARKABLECASEOFTARANTISM。

"Thegreatinterestattachingtotheverysingularandexceptionalinstanceofthisrareaffectioninducesustogiveafullaccountoftheextraordinaryexampleofitsoccurrenceinapatientwhowasthesubjectofarecentmedicalconsultationinthiscity。

"SignorinoM……Ch……istheonlysonofagentlemantravellinginItalyatthistime。Heiselevenyearsofage，ofsanguine-nervoustemperament，lighthair，blueeyes，intelligentcountenance，wellgrown，butratherslightinform，toallappearanceingoodhealth，butsubjecttocertainpeculiarandanomalousnervoussymptoms，ofwhichhisfathergivesthishistory。

"Nineyearsago，thefatherinformsus，hewastravellinginItalywithhiswife，thischild，andanurse。TheywerepassingafewdaysinacountryvillagenearthecityofBari，capitaloftheprovinceofthesamenameinthedivision(compartamento)ofApulia。Thechildwasinperfecthealthandhadneverbeenaffectedbyanyseriousillness。Onthe10thofJulyhewasplayingoutinthefieldnearthehousewherethefamilywasstayingwhenhewasheardtoscreamsuddenlyandviolently。Thenurserushingtohimfoundhimingreatpain，sayingthatsomethinghadbittenhiminoneofhisfeet。

Alaborer，oneTommaso，ranupatthemomentandperceivedinthegrass，nearwheretheboywasstanding，anenormousspider，whichheatoncerecognizedasatarantula。Hemanagedtocatchthecreatureinalargeleaf，fromwhichhewasafterwardstransferredtoawide-

mouthedbottle，wherehelivedwithoutanyfoodforamonthormore。

Thecreaturewascoveredwithshorthairs，andhadapairofnipper-

likejaws，withwhichhecouldinflictanuglywound。Hisbodymeasuredaboutaninchinlength，andfromtheextremityofoneofthelongestlimbstotheotherwasbetweentwoandthreeinches。

Suchwastheaccountgivenbythephysiciantowhomthepeasantcarriedthegreatspider。

"Theboywhohadbeenbittencontinuedscreamingviolentlywhilehisstockingwasbeingremovedandthefootexamined。Theplaceofthebitewaseasilyfoundandthetwomarksoftheclaw-likejawsalreadyshowedtheeffectsofthepoison，asmalllividcircleextendingaroundthem，withsomepuffyswelling。ThedistinguishedDr。Amadeiwasimmediatelysentfor，andappliedcupsoverthewoundsinthehopeofdrawingforththepoison。Invainallhisskillandefforts!

Soon，ataxic(irregular)nervoussymptomsdeclaredthemselves，anditbecameplainthatthesystemhadbeeninfectedbythepoison。

Thesymptomswereverymuchlikethoseofmalignantfever，suchasdistressabouttheregionoftheheart，difficultyofbreathing，collapseofallthevitalpowers，threateningimmediatedeath。Fromthesefirstsymptomsthechildrallied，buthisentireorganismhadbeenprofoundlyaffectedbythevenomcirculatingthroughit。Hisconstitutionhasneverthrownoffthemaladyresultingfromthistoxic(poisonous)agent。ThephenomenawhichhavebeenobservedinthisyoungpatientcorrespondsonearlywiththoseenumeratedintheelaborateessayofthecelebratedBaglivithatonemightthinktheyhadbeentranscribedfromhispages。

"Heisveryfondofsolitude，——ofwanderingaboutinchurchyardsandotherlonelyplaces。Hewasoncefoundhidinginanemptytomb，whichhadbeenleftopen。Hisaversiontocertaincolorsisremarkable。Generallyspeaking，heprefersbrighttintstodarkerones，buthislikesanddislikesarecapricious，andwithregardtosomecolorshisantipathyamountstopositivehorror。Someshadeshavesuchaneffectuponhimthathecannotremainintheroomwiththem，andifhemeetsanyonewhosedresshasanyofthatparticularcolorhewillturnawayorretreatsoastoavoidpassingthatperson。Amongthese，purpleanddarkgreenaretheleastendurable。

Hecannotexplainthesensationswhichtheseobnoxiouscolorsproduceexceptbysayingthatitislikethedeadlyfeelingfromablowontheepigastrium(pitofthestomach)。

"Aboutthesameseasonoftheyearatwhichthetarantularpoisoningtookplaceheisliabletocertainnervousseizures，notexactlylikefaintingorepilepsy，butremindingthephysicianofthoseaffections。Alltheothersymptomsareaggravatedatthistime。

"Inotherrespectsthanthosementionedtheboyisingoodhealth。

Heisfondofriding，andhasaponyonwhichhetakesagreatdealofexercise，whichseemstodohimmoregoodthananyotherremedy。

"Theinfluenceofmusic，towhichsomuchhasbeenattributedbypopularbeliefandevenbythedistinguishedProfessortowhomweshallagainrefer，hasnotasyetfurnishedanysatisfactoryresults。

Ifthegraversymptomsrecurwhilethepatientisunderourobservation，weproposetomakeuseofanagencydiscreditedbymodernskepticism，butdeservingofafairtrialasanexceptionalremedyforanexceptionaldisease。

"ThefollowingextractsfromtheworkofthecelebratedItalianphysicianofthelastcenturyaregivenbythewriterofthepaperintheGiornaleintheoriginalLatin，withatranslationintoItalian，subjoined。Herearetheextracts，orratherhereisaselectionfromthem，withatranslationofthemintoEnglish。

"AftermentioningthesingularaversiontocertaincolorsshownbythesubjectofTarantism，Bagliviwritesasfollows:

"\'Etsiastantesincedantvestibuseocoloredifusis，quiTarantatisingratesest，necesseestutabillorumaspecturecedant；namadintuitummolesticolorisangorecordis，etsymptomatumrecrudescantiastatingcorripiuntur。\'(G。Baglivi，Op。Omnia，page614。Lugduni，1745。)

"Thatis，\'ifthepersonsaboutthepatientweardressesofthecolorwhichisoffensivetohim，hemustgetawayfromthesightofthem，foronseeingtheobnoxiouscolorheisatonceseizedwithdistressintheregionoftheheart，andarenewalofhissymptoms。\'

"Astotherecurrenceofthemalady，Baglivisays:

"\'Damcalorsolisardentiusexurereincipat，quodcontingitcircainitiaJuliietAugusti，Tarantatilentevenientemrecrudescentiamvenenipercipiunt。\'(Ibid。，page619。)

"WhichIrender，\'Whentheheatofthesunbeginstoburnmorefiercely，whichhappensaboutthebeginningofJulyandAugust，thesubjectsofTarantismperceivethegraduallyapproachingrecrudescence(returningsymptoms)ofthepoisoning。Amongtheremediesmostvaluedbythisillustriousphysicianisthatmentionedinthefollowingsentence:

"\'Laudomagnopereequitationesinaererusticanofactassingulisdiebus，hordpotissimummatutina，quibusequitationibusmorboschronicospeneincurabilesprotanuseliminavi。\'

"Orintranslation，"\'Icommendespeciallyridingonhorsebackincountryair，everyday，bypreferenceinthemorninghours，bytheaidofwhichhorsebackridingIhavedrivenoffchronicdiseaseswhichwerealmostincurable。\'"

MissVincentreadthispaperaloudtoDr。Butts，andhandedittohimtoexamineandconsider。Helistenedwithagravecountenanceanddevoutattention。

Asshefinishedreadingheraccount，sheexclaimedinthepassionatetonesofthedeepestconviction，"There，doctor!Haven\'tIfoundthetruestoryofthisstrangevisitor？Haven\'tIsolvedtheriddleoftheSphinx？Whocanthismanbebuttheboyofthatstory？Lookatthedateofthejournalwhenhewaselevenyearsold，itwouldmakehimtwenty-fivenow，andthatisjustabouttheagethepeopleherethinkhemustbeof。WhatcouldaccountsoentirelyforhiswaysandactionsasthatstrangepoisoningwhichproducesthestatetheycallTarantism？IamjustassureitmustbethatasIamthatIamalive。Oh，doctor，doctor，I

mustberight，——thisSignprinoM……Ch……wastheboyMauriceKirkwood，andthestoryaccountsforeverything，——hissolitaryhabits，hisdreadofpeople，——itmustbebecausetheywearthecolorshecan\'tbear。Hismorningridesonhorseback，hiscomingherejustastheseasonwasapproachingwhichwouldaggravateallhissymptoms，doesn\'tallthisprovethatImustberightinmyconjecture，——no，myconviction？"

Thedoctorknewtoomuchtointerrupttheyoungenthusiast，andsoheletherrunonuntilsherandown。Hewasmoreusedtotherulesofevidencethanshewas，andcouldnotacceptherpositiveconclusionsoreadilyasshewouldhavelikedtohavehim。Heknewthatbeginnersareveryapttomakewhattheythinkarediscoveries。Buthehadbeenananglerandknewthemeaningofayieldingrodandaneasy-runningreel。Hesaidquietly，"Youareamostsagaciousyounglady，andaveryprettyprimafaciecaseitisthatyoumakeout。IcanseenoproofthatMr。KirkwoodisnotthesamepersonastheM……Ch……ofthemedicaljournal，——thatis，ifIacceptyourexplanationofthedifferenceintheinitialsofthesetwonames。Eveniftherewereadifference，thatwouldnotdisprovetheiridentity，fortheinitialsofpatientswhosecasesarereportedbytheirphysiciansareoftenalteredforthepurposeofconcealment。Idonotknow，however，thatMr。

Kirkwoodhasshownanyspecialaversiontoanyparticularcolor。Itmightbeinterestingtoinquirewhetheritisso，butitisadelicatematter。Idon\'texactlyseewhosebusinessitistoinvestigateMr。MauriceKirkwood\'sidiosyncrasiesandconstitutionalhistory。Ifheshouldhaveoccasiontosendformeatanytime，hemighttellmeallabouthimself，inconfidence，youknow。TheseoldaccountsfromBagliviarecuriousandinteresting，butIamcautiousaboutreceivinganystoriesahundredyearsold，iftheyinvolveanimprobability，ashisstoriesaboutthecureofthetarantulabitebymusiccertainlydo。Iamdisposedtowaitforfuturedevelopments，bearinginmind，ofcourse，theverysingularcaseyouhaveunearthed。Itwouldn\'tbeverystrangeifouryounggentlemanhadtosendformebeforetheseasonisover。Heisoutagooddealbeforethedewisoffthegrass，whichisratherriskyinthisneighborhoodasautumncomeson。Iamsomewhatcurious，Iconfess，abouttheyoungman，butIdonotmeddlewhereIamnotaskedfororwanted，andIhavefoundthateggshatchjustaswellifyouletthemaloneinthenestasifyoutakethemoutandshakethemeveryday。Thisisawonderfullyinterestingsuppositionofyours，andmayprovetobestrictlyinaccordancewiththefacts。ButIdonotthinkwehaveallthefactsinthisyoungman\'scase。Ifitwereprovedthathehadanaversiontoanycolor，itwouldgreatlystrengthenyourcase。

His\'antipatia，\'ashismancalledit，mustbeonewhichcoversawideground，toaccountforhisself-isolation，——andthecolorhypothesisseemsasplausibleasany。But，mydearMissVincent，Ithinkyouhadbetterleaveyoursingularandstrikinghypothesisinmykeepingforawhile，ratherthanletitgetabroadinacommunitylikethis，wheresomanytonguesareinactiveexercise。Iwillcarefullystudythispaper，ifyouwillleaveitwithme，andwewilltalkthewholematterover。Itisafairsubjectforspeculation，onlywemustkeepquietaboutit。”

ThislongspeechgaveLurida\'sperfervidbraintimetocooloffalittle。Sheleftthepaperwiththedoctor，tellinghimshewouldcomeforitthenextday，andwentofftotelltheresultofthisvisittoherbosomfriend，MissEuthymiaTower。

XV

DR。BUTTSCALLSONEUTHYMIA。