the magic skin-第60章

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asked　them；　but　Brisset　and　Maugredie　protested　against　this；　and；　in

spite　of　their　patient's　entreaties；　declined　altogether　to　deliberate

in　his　presence。



Raphael　gave　way　before　their　custom；　thinking　that　he　could　slip　into

a　passage　adjoining；　whence　he　could　easily　overhear　the　medical

conference　in　which　the　three　professors　were　about　to　engage。



〃Permit　me；　gentlemen；〃　said　Brisset；　as　they　entered；　〃to　give　you　my

own　opinion　at　once。　I　neither　wish　to　force　it　upon　you　nor　to　have

it　discussed。　In　the　first　place；　it　is　unbiased；　concise；　and　based

on　an　exact　similarity　that　exists　between　one　of　my　own　patients　and

the　subject　that　we　have　been　called　in　to　examine；　and；　moreover；　I

am　expected　at　my　hospital。　The　importance　of　the　case　that　demands　my

presence　there　will　excuse　me　for　speaking　the　first　word。　The　subject

with　which　we　are　concerned　has　been　exhausted　in　an　equal　degree　by

intellectual　laborswhat　did　he　set　about；　Horace？〃　he　asked　of　the

young　doctor。



〃A　'Theory　of　the　Will；'　〃



〃The　devil！　but　that's　a　big　subject。　He　is　exhausted；　I　say；　by　too

much　brain…work；　by　irregular　courses；　and　by　the　repeated　use　of　too

powerful　stimulants。　Violent　exertion　of　body　and　mind　has　demoralized

the　whole　system。　It　is　easy；　gentlemen；　to　recognize　in　the　symptoms

of　the　face　and　body　generally　intense　irritation　of　the　stomach；　an

affection　of　the　great　sympathetic　nerve；　acute　sensibility　of　the

epigastric　region；　and　contraction　of　the　right　and　left

hypochondriac。　You　have　noticed；　too；　the　large　size　and　prominence　of

the　liver。　M。　Bianchon　has；　besides；　constantly　watched　the　patient；

and　he　tells　us　that　digestion　is　troublesome　and　difficult。　Strictly

speaking；　there　is　no　stomach　left；　and　so　the　man　has　disappeared。

The　brain　is　atrophied　because　the　man　digests　no　longer。　The

progressive　deterioration　wrought　in　the　epigastric　region；　the　seat

of　vitality；　has　vitiated　the　whole　system。　Thence；　by　continuous

fevered　vibrations；　the　disorder　has　reached　the　brain　by　means　of　the

nervous　plexus；　hence　the　excessive　irritation　in　that　organ。　There　is

monomania。　The　patient　is　burdened　with　a　fixed　idea。　That　piece　of

skin　really　contracts；　to　his　way　of　thinking；　very　likely　it　always

has　been　as　we　have　seen　it；　but　whether　it　contracts　or　no；　that

thing　is　for　him　just　like　the　fly　that　some　Grand　Vizier　or　other　had

on　his　nose。　If　you　put　leeches　at　once　on　the　epigastrium；　and　reduce

the　irritation　in　that　part；　which　is　the　very　seat　of　man's　life；　and

if　you　diet　the　patient；　the　monomania　will　leave　him。　I　will　say　no

more　to　Dr。　Bianchon；　he　should　be　able　to　grasp　the　whole　treatment

as　well　as　the　details。　There　may　be；　perhaps；　some　complication　of

the　diseasethe　bronchial　tubes；　possibly；　may　be　also　inflamed；　but

I　believe　that　treatment　for　the　intestinal　organs　is　very　much　more

important　and　necessary；　and　more　urgently　required　than　for　the

lungs。　Persistent　study　of　abstract　matters；　and　certain　violent

passions；　have　induced　serious　disorders　in　that　vital　mechanism。

However；　we　are　in　time　to　set　these　conditions　right。　Nothing　is　too

seriously　affected。　You　will　easily　get　your　friend　round　again；〃　he

remarked　to　Bianchon。



〃Our　learned　colleague　is　taking　the　effect　for　the　cause；〃　Cameristus

replied。　〃Yes；　the　changes　that　he　has　observed　so　keenly　certainly

exist　in　the　patient；　but　it　is　not　the　stomach　that；　by　degrees；　has

set　up　nervous　action　in　the　system；　and　so　affected　the　brain；　like　a

hole　in　a　window　pane　spreading　cracks　round　about　it。　It　took　a　blow

of　some　kind　to　make　a　hole　in　the　window；　who　gave　the　blow？　Do　we

know　that？　Have　we　investigated　the　patient's　case　sufficiently？　Are

we　acquainted　with　all　the　events　of　his　life？



〃The　vital　principle；　gentlemen；〃　he　continued；　〃the　Archeus　of　Van

Helmont；　is　affected　in　his　casethe　very　essence　and　centre　of　life

is　attacked。　The　divine　spark；　the　transitory　intelligence　which　holds

the　organism　together；　which　is　the　source　of　the　will；　the

inspiration　of　life；　has　ceased　to　regulate　the　daily　phenomena　of　the

mechanism　and　the　functions　of　every　organ；　thence　arise　all　the

complications　which　my　learned　colleague　has　so　thoroughly

appreciated。　The　epigastric　region　does　not　affect　the　brain　but　the

brain　affects　the　epigastric　region。　No；〃　he　went　on；　vigorously

slapping　his　chest；　〃no；　I　am　not　a　stomach　in　the　form　of　a　man。　No；

everything　does　not　lie　there。　I　do　not　feel　that　I　have　the　courage

to　say　that　if　the　epigastric　region　is　in　good　order；　everything　else

is　in　a　like　condition



〃We　cannot　trace；〃　he　went　on　more　mildly；　〃to　one　physical　cause　the

serious　disturbances　that　supervene　in　this　or　that　subject　which　has

been　dangerously　attacked；　nor　submit　them　to　a　uniform　treatment。　No

one　man　is　like　another。　We　have　each　peculiar　organs；　differently

affected；　diversely　nourished；　adapted　to　perform　different　functions；

and　to　induce　a　condition　necessary　to　the　accomplishment　of　an　order

of　things　which　is　unknown　to　us。　The　sublime　will　has　so　wrought　that

a　little　portion　of　the　great　All　is　set　within　us　to　sustain　the

phenomena　of　living；　in　every　man　it　formulates　itself　distinctly；

making　each；　to　all　appearance；　a　separate　individual；　yet　in　one

point　co…existent　with　the　infinite　cause。　So　we　ought　to　make　a

separate　study　of　each　subject；　discover　all　about　it；　find　out　in

what　its　life　consists；　and　wherein　its　power　lies。　From　the　softness

of　a　wet　sponge　to　the　hardness　of　pumice…stone　there　are　infinite

fine　degrees　of　difference。　Man　is　just　like　that。　Between　the　sponge…

like　organizations　of　the　lymphatic　and　the　vigorous　iron　muscles　of

such　men　as　are　destined　for　a　long　life；　what　a　margin　for　errors　for

the　single　inflexible　system　of　a　lowering　treatment　to　commit；　a

system　that　reduces　the　capacities　of　the　human　frame；　which　you

always　conclude　have　been　over…excited。　Let　us　look　for　the　origin　of

the　disease　in　the　mental　and　not　in　the　physical　viscera。　A　doctor　is

an　inspired　being；　endowed　by　God　with　a　special　giftthe　power　to

read　the　secrets　of　vitality；　just　as　the　prophet　has　received　the

eyes　that　foresee　the　future；　the　poet　his　faculty　of　evoking　nature；

and　the　musician　the　power　of　arranging　sounds　in　an　harmonious　order

that　is　possibly　a　copy　of　an　ideal　harmony　on　high。〃



〃There　is　his　everlasting　system　of　medicine；　arbitrary；　monarchical；

and　pious；〃　muttered　Brisset。



〃Gentlemen；〃　Maugredie　broke　in　hastily；　to　distract　attention　from

Brisset's　comment；　〃don't　let　us　lose　sight　of　the　patient。〃



〃What　is　the　good　of　science？〃　Raphael　moaned。　〃Here　is　my　recovery

halting　between　a　string　of　beads　and　a　rosary　of　leeches；　between

Dupuytren's　bistoury　and　Prince　Hohenlohe's　prayer。　There　is　Maugredie

suspending　his　judgment　on　the　line　that　divides　facts　from　words；

mind　from　matter。　Man's　'it　is；'　and　'it　is　not；'　is　always　on　my

track；　it　is　the　Carymary　Carymara　of　Rabelais　for　evermore：　my

disorder　is　spiritual；　Carymary；　or　material；　Carymara。　Shall　I　live？

They　have　no　idea。　Planchette　was　more　straightforward　with　me；　at　any

rate；　when　he　said；　'I　do　not　know。'　〃



Just　then　Valentin　heard　Maugredie's　voice。



〃The　patient　suffers　from　monomania；　very　good；　I　am　quite　of　that

opinion；〃　he　said；　〃but　he　has　two　hundred　thousand　a　year；

monomaniacs　of　that　kind　are　very　uncommon。　As　for　knowing　whether　his

epigastric　region　has　affected　his　brain；　or　his　brain　his　epigastric

region；　we　shall　find　that　out；　perhaps；　whenever　he　dies。　But　to

resume。　There　is　no　disputing　the　fact　that　he　is　ill；　some　sort　of

treatment　he　must　have。　Let　us　leave　theories　alone；　and　put　leeches

on　him；　to　counteract　the　nervous　and　intestinal　irritation；　as　to　the

existence　of　which　we　all　agree；　and　let　us　send　him　to　drink　the

waters；　in　that　way　we　shall　act　on　both　systems　at　once。