Part 7

Brown-Séquard had such an enviable reputation as a scientist that testicular extracts at once became widely and indiscriminately used. The idea spread like wildfire. More than twelve thousand physicians were administering testicular extracts to their patients before the end of the year. Some of the more conservative physicians in England and in the United States, however, were highly critical of Brown-Séquard’s recent researches. They spoke derisively of the extract as “senile folly,” “elixir of youth,” and made other uncomplimentary remarks. In fairness to Brown-Séquard, it should be stated that he realized the extract was not a panacea for all illnesses. But he did feel, up to the time of his death, which occurred four years later, that testicular extracts built up what he termed “nervous force.”

It is now recognized by modern endocrinologists that the distinguished Brown-Séquard had not controlled his experiments well. The testicular extracts he used were probably inactive. If I may be technical about it, he had made an aqueous extract which would leave behind the hormones, which are fat soluble. It is known also that some of the claims made by Steinach and by Voronoff were grossly exaggerated.

It is possible that people who are not familiar with the science of endocrinology might gain the impression that the administration of ape serum could produce the effects so vividly described in _The Adventure of the Creeping Man_. The concept that such a serum exists is, of course, rank nonsense. Even though the tale is incredible, I confess that I have always enjoyed reading it. This may be because it is a story about a physiologist--and an unusual physiologist, for he was also extremely wealthy. Parenthetically, mention should be made that the story actually touches on science-fiction, which is at present so much in vogue.

The theme of rejuvenation has been used by numerous authors. One story which comes to mind is the novel _Black Oxen_, written by the late Gertrude Atherton, and published many years ago. This book was widely read. The story, of course, was actually in the nature of science-fiction.

The subject of the renewal of youth is not as popular as it was some years ago. There are still a few charlatans in the medical profession who take advantage of the public and prescribe gonadal therapy irrationally and even indiscriminately. These misguided medical men make wild promises as to the permanent benefits to be derived from administration of gonadal extracts. Indeed, there have been a few such doctors in the United States, and one, at least, is reported to have amassed a fortune. A few of these men have acted in good faith, and we may charitably assume they believed that the administration of gonadal extracts stimulated the libido of their patients or enabled them to lead a more strenuous life. Be that as it may, many such practitioners have acted on slender evidence, and they surely have, in a large measure, the will to believe.

Since the time Dr. Watson wrote _The Adventure of the Creeping Man_, there have been highly important developments in gonadal therapy. Testosterone, for example, a preparation from the male gonads, is presently widely used and has a definite place in the therapeutic armamentarium of any reputable physician. There are other preparations, such as the estrogenic substances and progesterone, which have therapeutic uses. These latter substances are extracted from the female gonads. It would take us too far afield to elaborate on these or to give the indication for their uses. There is good reason to believe that there will be many new developments in this particular field, for the science of endocrinology is still in its infancy.

GENETICS AND SHERLOCK HOLMES

“The point under discussion was how far any singular gift in an individual was due to his ancestry and how far to his early training.”

_The Greek Interpreter_

Allusions are made in several of the tales to the subject of genetics--that is, the science of heredity. Many of the observations set forth, although perhaps not entirely acceptable today, are nevertheless intellectually stimulating.

Nearly all human beings--some much more than others--are interested in matters pertaining to heredity. Most of us like to hear about our grandparents and even about our great-grandparents, despite the fact that the deeds of some of our ancestors, and the lives they lived, may cause us some embarrassment.

In this connection, I am reminded of a statement made to me one evening (a long time ago) by a distinguished Southerner of the old school, a Kentucky gentleman, during a discussion of our ancestors. In effect, he suggested that perhaps we should not examine the lives of our early kinfolk too closely, because one of them might have been hanged as a horse thief.

When we uncover some irregularity in the behavior of our ancestors, we often toss it aside by pointing out that after all they were products of their times, which indicates, in part at least, that environment was highly important. There is doubtless considerable truth in this statement, but an honorable man in the eighteenth century probably had (or anyway, _should_ have had) the same high standard of conduct as an honorable man in the twentieth century. Rather than sermonize further, let us turn to the tales of Sherlock Holmes.

We find Doctor Watson and Sherlock Holmes talking together on a beautiful summer evening. Doctor Watson writes:

... the conversation ... came round to the question of atavism and hereditary aptitudes. The point under discussion was how far any singular gift in an individual was due to his ancestry and how far to his early training.

_The Greek Interpreter_

Watson expressed the thought that Holmes’ faculty of observation and his peculiar facility for deduction were due to his own systematic training. Holmes ventured this was true only to some extent. When Watson asked him why he thought it hereditary, Holmes replied, “Because my brother Mycroft possesses it in a larger degree than I do.”

Doctor Watson was amazed at this answer, and expressed the sentiment that if any other man in England possessed greater keenness in observation and deductive powers than did Sherlock Holmes, the public would surely know of him. Watson hinted it was Holmes’ modesty which caused him to extoll his brother’s powers. Holmes quickly made this rejoinder: “I cannot agree with those who rank modesty among the virtues. To the logician all things should be seen exactly as they are, and to underestimate one’s self is as much a departure from truth as to exaggerate one’s own powers. When I say, therefore, that Mycroft has better powers of observation than I, you may take it that I am speaking the exact and literal truth.”

There are doubtless many people who would take issue with the thoughts Holmes expressed. But they do contain more than a modicum of truth. Is there not an expression to the effect that false modesty is not a virtue? Does not the matter of intellectual honesty also enter into this picture? We will not at this time pursue the matter further, although it is tempting.

Sherlock Holmes suggested to Dr. Watson that, since he had never met Mycroft, it would be fitting for him to make his acquaintance. Accordingly, they set out for the Diogenes Club, where Holmes assured Watson that Mycroft, on account of his routine life, would be found this very hour of the day.

Watson was presented to this extraordinary person:

... his face ... had preserved something of the sharpness of expression which was so remarkable in that of his brother. His eyes, which were of a peculiarly light, watery gray, seemed to always retain that far-away introspective look which I had only observed in Sherlock’s when he was exerting his full powers.

Watson has skillfully depicted the family likeness--that is, the highly intelligent face and the dreamy and introspective look. Obviously, Mycroft and Sherlock were both remarkably keen, alert men.

At the Diogenes Club, Mycroft and Sherlock seated themselves before a window which gave them a clear view of the street. As they sat there conversing, two strangers were approaching along the sidewalk. Mycroft called attention to them, and the following brilliant dialogue ensued:

“Look at these two men ... coming toward us....”

“The billiard-marker and the other?”

“Precisely. What do you make of the other?”

(Dr. Watson then explained that he noted some chalk marks on the waistcoat of one of the men which was the only evidence of billiards he could see, and that the other one was carrying several packages.)

“An old soldier, I perceive,” said Sherlock.

“And very recently discharged,” remarked the brother.

“Served in India, I see.”

“And a non-commissioned officer.”

“Royal Artillery, I fancy,” said Sherlock.

“And a widower.”

“But with a child.”

“Children, my dear boy, children.”

Watson laughingly remarked that this was too much. Sherlock and Mycroft assured him it was not. They pointed out some of the salient points which had enabled them to make their astute conclusions. Among those mentioned were that the man in question had the bearing of a soldier, wore the expression of authority, and had a deeply tanned skin (which suggested he had served in India). The fact that he was wearing deep mourning indicated he was probably a widower.

The dialogue actually was a contest of wits between Sherlock and Mycroft. The latter obviously won when he said, “Children, my dear boy, children.” This winning stroke Mycroft explained in this way: “He has been buying things for his children.... There was a rattle which shows one of them is young ... a picture book under his arm shows that there is another child to be thought of.”

When Mycroft had finished, Holmes merely turned to Watson and smiled, not only to acknowledge his brother’s genius but also his superiority in observation and deduction.

Sherlock Holmes apparently believed firmly that heredity played an extremely important part in the life of an individual. There is no end to the argument among biologists whether heredity or environment plays the more significant role in the development of an individual. It is especially so with a person’s mental capacity. One who unfortunately has inherited a mediocre mind will always be handicapped, to a degree, regardless of his environment or training. The mental powers will remain ordinary. Conversely, the individual who is endowed with a keener intellect will always be potentially the intellectual superior of his less fortunate brother. There is no doubt that training and environment in general will aid both types of individuals, but even the most ideal developmental conditions can not completely overcome a deficient genetic constitution.

In the story of _The Yellow Face_, it will be recalled that a white woman had married a Negro. The child, according to the story, had even a darker skin than her father: “It was our misfortune that our only child took after his people rather than mine. It is often so in such matches, and little Lucy is darker than her father was.” This statement must be challenged. It appears incredible that a child born of a white mother could be darker than her Negro father. If the mother had had some Negro blood, then by certain arrangements of genes this could have happened, but not otherwise. Dr. Watson doubtless is in error in this instance.

A hereditary likeness once enabled Holmes to solve a mystery (_The Adventure of the Cardboard Box_). A maiden lady (Miss Cushing) had received in the mail a small cardboard box containing two human ears--one that of a woman. Holmes was called in, and during the course of the investigation visited the receiver of this gruesome package. He noted the resemblance of one of the severed ears to the ears of the lady upon whom he was calling. Because of the striking likeness, he felt certain that the person whose ear had been dismembered was a close relative of the Miss Cushing whom he had come to interrogate. Holmes remarks to Dr. Watson: “I perceived that her ear corresponded exactly with the female ear I had just inspected.... There was the same shortening of the pinna, the same broad curve of the upper lobe, the same convolution of the inner cartilage.... It was evident that the victim was a blood relation, and probably a very close one.” It will be recalled that the dismembered ear proved to be that of Miss Cushing’s sister.

Holmes propounds an interesting theory of the development of the individual, in _The Adventure of the Empty House_. Speaking of the terrible Colonel Moran, he expressed the idea that the individual represents the whole procession of his ancestors in his development, and that the person becomes the epitome of the history of his own family. Doctor Watson thought this rather fanciful, and Holmes’ rejoinder was that he would not insist upon it.

In _The Hound of the Baskervilles_, Holmes successfully demonstrates by means of a family portrait that the villain Stapleton is actually a Baskerville. It will be remembered that Holmes stands upon a chair and uses his arm to cover the broad hat and the long ringlets depicted in the portrait. Now that only the features are visible, the portrait of old Hugo Baskerville boldly stands out. Watson is astounded when he beholds the results. Holmes remarks that it was an interesting instance of a throwback, apparently both physical and spiritual.

The discovery that Stapleton markedly resembles one of his early ancestors is not too surprising, for this surely could happen in any family. The remarkable thing is that Holmes had had the acumen to cover up certain portions of the old family portrait to make the face of old Hugo Baskerville stand out. This clever demonstration would not have occurred to many people. The extraordinary family resemblance portrayed is a splendid example of atavism--that is, a reappearance of the characteristics of a remote ancestor which presumably had been more or less absent in intervening generations. The matter of atavism would make a most interesting study. Therein lies the value and interest of the old family album which used to grace the center table in the parlor.

In _The Adventure of the Copper Beeches_, Holmes makes a neat point in regard to the subject of heredity: “My dear Watson, you as a medical man are continually gaining light as to the tendencies of a child by the study of the parents. Don’t you see that the converse is equally valid. I have frequently gained my first real insight into the character of parents by studying their children.”

This is an interesting analysis. Let us pursue the thought further. The expression is often heard that a child’s behavior resembles that of one of his parents. A popular way of putting it is that he is “a chip off the old block.” This makes it appear that the pattern of behavior is set up early in life. An old maxim has it: “As the twig is bent, so the tree will incline.”

The problem is not always as simple as Holmes suggests. It is true that we all have seen fine and lovable children whose parents have similar qualities. But we also have seen ill-mannered, nasty-tempered children whose parents have fine characters and possess charming manners. One is reminded of a statement attributed to the gentle and amiable Robert Louis Stevenson: “It has been a source of perpetual mystification to me where all the disagreeable medical students go to, and all the admirable doctors come from.”

I think the same may be said about some of the spoiled, unlovable children. Many of them develop into sterling young men and women who later in life carry on with noble purpose and high resolve. These individuals often form the backbone of their community.

The entire matter of heredity is a complicated one, and much is still to be learned about the subject. It is extremely important in the study and practice of medicine. There are some common diseases which certainly run in families, such as migraine, high blood pressure (hypertension), and diseases of the coronary arteries. And it is definitely known that diabetes may be inherited. In my own experience, I have known a father with diabetes whose three daughters had all developed this condition early in life. There are other diseases just as formidable: for example, certain neurological and mental diseases. Any researches which may throw any light on the subject of heredity should be encouraged.

As we have seen, there are not many allusions in the Sherlock Holmes stories to genetics. It is a pity that the topic of crime and heredity was not touched upon. As far as I know, no specific reference is made to it. I am not sufficiently acquainted with crime statistics to know how commonly one would find several criminals in one family--that is, in a single generation. However, one does think of those Missouri bandits: the James brothers, the Younger brothers, and the Daltons. Perhaps there are others. In any case, one would like to know whether their parents or grandparents had criminal records. I submit, however, that these last-named cases are rather special ones, for the James brothers and their colleagues were products of an unusual period. Doubtless, a black sheep may be found in an otherwise respectable family. As Sherlock Holmes stated to Dr. Watson, once in a while a carrion crow appears among the eagles (_The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place_).

THE ZOOLOGICAL DOCTOR WATSON

“The coyote skulks among the scrub, the buzzard flaps heavily through the air, and the grizzly bear lumbers through the dark ravines....”

_A Study in Scarlet_

Dr. Watson was a man of catholic tastes and diversified interests. Not only was he a capable and experienced physician, but he was a man of letters, an amateur detective, and an athlete of considerable ability. No one, as far as I know, has emphasized his interest in zoology. This trait is more apparent to those acquainted with the biological sciences, but even the most casual reader cannot but notice the frequent references to animal life.

The plots in a number of the tales depend entirely upon a zoologic background. In _The Adventure of the Lion’s Mane_, for example, the death of a person as well as that of a dog are attributed to the poisonous sting of _Cyanea capillata_, a huge jellyfish. A swamp adder, which Watson describes as “the deadliest snake in India,” is used to kill two people in _The Adventure of the Speckled Band_. In another tale, the plot hinges upon the fact that a goose has swallowed a rare jewel, which is eventually recovered from its crop (_The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle_). A race horse is answerable for the mysterious death of his trainer (_Silver Blaze_). In _The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger_, a lion is responsible for the dilemma of the unfortunate lodger. The central theme in _The Adventure of the Creeping Man_ has to do with the antics of a scientist who at times shows apelike qualities. Finally, in _The Hound of the Baskervilles_, the grisly spectral hound plays the title role.

Let us consider first some references to the lower forms of life, such as insects. The naturalist Stapleton, in _The Hound of the Baskervilles_, was supposed to be an authority on butterflies and moths, that is, lepidoptera. When he and Watson met one day on the moor, the naturalist invited him to see his collection, which he described as the most complete in the southwest of England. Later in the story, when searching the house for the fiendish Stapleton, Dr. Watson describes a room fitted up as a small museum with glass-topped cases filled with butterflies and moths.

The scholarly recluse Nathan Garrideb evidently was another such collector, for when Holmes and Watson visited his house they found cases of butterflies and moths on each side of the entrance (_The Adventure of the Three Garridebs_). One must remind the reader that butterflies are distinguished from moths by the shape of their antennae, the former having clubbed antennae, the latter not.

Two allusions are made to the antennae of insects. In _The Adventure of the Illustrious Client_, the waxed tips of the Baron’s mustache are likened to an insect’s antennae. The other is found in _The Hound of the Baskervilles_. Dr. Watson, observing Dr. Mortimer, the country practitioner, rolling a cigarette, remarks that his long and quivering fingers remind one of the agility and restlessness of the antennae of an insect. These descriptions are extremely apt, since the antennae of insects are nearly always in motion.

In _The Adventure of Black Peter_, Captain Peter Carey was found one morning harpooned to death in a small shed near his house. Holmes remarks that the captain had been pinned to the wall like a beetle on a card.

Let us go higher in the zoological scale. It is evident that Holmes despised snakes, for he refers to them as extremely repugnant creatures and remarks to Watson that watching them in a zoo gives him a most unpleasant sensation (_The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton_). A number of animals which live in the water are mentioned: namely, fish, jellyfish, sharks, seals, and crocodiles. For instance, when Holmes introduces his brother Mycroft to Watson, the latter writes that Mycroft put “... out a broad fat hand like the flipper of a seal” (_The Greek Interpreter_). And in _The Sign of the Four_, Jonathan Small had the extreme misfortune of having his leg bitten off by a crocodile.

Birds are not neglected. In _The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist_, Watson tells how he and Holmes on one of their walks enjoyed the music of the birds. On another occasion, he likens Holmes to a lank bird (_The Adventure of the Dancing Men_). Watson, in _The Adventure of the Priory School_, speaks of the plover and the curlew; and in _The Hound of the Baskervilles_, the raven and bittern are used effectively to accentuate the utter loneliness of the moor. The ravens croak loudly behind the tor, and this is the only life stirring over the vast landscape. When Watson one day asks the naturalist Stapleton what had caused the bloodcurdling sound on the moor, the latter’s shifty reply is that they had heard the cry of the last of the bitterns. In _A Study in Scarlet_ occurs the felicitous expression: “... the buzzard flaps heavily through the [desert] air....” In _The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place_, Holmes makes the pertinent statement, when speaking of the weakness of Lord Robertson, that even among eagles one may find a carrion crow.

An occasional reference to the eggs of birds also occurs. Watson writes, “... a young lady entered the room with a bright quick face, freckled like a plover’s egg ...” (_The Adventure of the Copper Beeches_). The cipher Holmes employed in _The “Gloria Scott”_ contained the words, “pheasant hen eggs.”

So much for the lower forms of life; let us move on to the mammals. Attention is called to several small mammals--in _The Adventure of the Crooked Man_, a mongoose; and in _The Sign of the Four_, a stoat and a mole as well as a weasel. The reader may recall that other names for a stoat are “ermine” or “ferret.”