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。