a mortal antipathy-第37章

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wonderful　way　of　dealing　with　books　amazes　me。〃



What　marvels　those　〃first　scholars〃　in　the　classes　of　our　great

universities　and　colleges　are；　to　be　sure！　　They　are　not；　as　a　rule；

the　most　distinguished　of　their　class　in　the　long　struggle　of　life。

The　chances　are　that　〃the　field〃　will　beat　〃the　favorite〃　over　the

long　race…course。　　Others　will　develop　a　longer　stride　and　more

staying　power。　　But　what　fine　gifts　those　〃first　scholars〃　have

received　from　nature！　　How　dull　we　writers；　famous　or　obscure；　are　in

the　acquisition　of　knowledge　as　compared　with　them！　　To　lead　their

classmates　they　must　have　quick　apprehension；　fine　memories；　thorough

control　of　their　mental　faculties；　strong　will；　power　of

concentration；　facility　of　expression；a　wonderful　equipment　of

mental　faculties。　　I　always　want　to　take　my　hat　off　to　the　first

scholar　of　his　year。



Dr。　Butts　felt　somewhat　in　the　same　way　as　he　contemplated　The

Terror。　　She　surprised　him　so　often　with　her　knowledge　that　he　was

ready　to　receive　her　without　astonishment　when　she　burst　in　upon　him

one　allay　with　a　cry　of　triumph；　〃Eureka！　Eureka！〃



〃And　what　have　you　found；　my　dear？〃　said　the　doctor。



Lurida　was　flushed　and　panting　with　the　excitement　of　her　new

discovery。



〃I　do　believe　that　I　have　found　the　secret　of　our　strange　visitor's

dread　of　all　human　intercourse！〃



The　seasoned　practitioner　was　not　easily　thrown　off　his　balance。



〃Wait　a　minute　and　get　your　breath；〃　said　the　doctor。　　〃Are　you　not　a

little　overstating　his　peculiarity？　　It　is　not　quite　so　bad　as　that。

He　keeps　a　man　to　serve　him；　he　was　civil　with　the　people　at　the　Old

Tavern；　he　was　affable　enough；　I　understand；　with　the　young　fellow　he

pulled　out　of　the　water；　or　rescued　somehow；I　don't　believe　be

avoids　the　whole　human　race。　　He　does　not　look　as　if　he　hated　them；

so　far　as　I　have　remarked　his　expression。　　I　passed　a　few　words　with

him　when　his　man　was　ailing；　and　found　him　polite　enough。　　No；　I

don't　believe　it　is　much　more　than　an　extreme　case　of　shyness；

connected；　perhaps；　with　some　congenital　or　other　personal　repugnance

to　which　has　been　given　the　name　of　an　antipathy。〃



Lurida　could　hardly　keep　still　while　the　doctor　was　speaking。　　When

he　finished；　she　began　the　account　of　her　discovery：



〃I　do　certainly　believe　I　have　found　an　account　of　his　case　in　an

Italian　medical　journal　of　about　fourteen　years　ago。　　I　met　with　a

reference　which　led　me　to　look　over　a　file　of　the　Giornale　degli

Ospitali　lying　among　the　old　pamphlets　in　the　medical　section　of　the

Library。　　I　have　made　a　translation　of　it；　which　you　must　read　and

then　tell　me　if　you　do　not　agree　with　me　in　my　conclusion。〃



〃Tell　me　what　your　conclusion　is；　and　I　will　read　your　paper　and　see

for　myself　whether　I　think　the　evidence　justifies　the　conviction　you

seem　to　have　reached。〃



Lurida's　large　eyes　showed　their　whole　rounds　like　the　two　halves　of

a　map　of　the　world；　as　she　said；



〃I　believe　that　Maurice　Kirkwood　is　suffering　from　the　effects　of　the

bite　of　a　TARANTULA！〃



The　doctor　drew　a　long　breath。　　He　remembered　in　a　vague　sort　of　way

the　stories　which　used　to　be　told　of　the　terrible　Apulian　spider；　but

he　had　consigned　them　to　the　limbo　of　medical　fable　where　so　many

fictions　have　clothed　themselves　with　a　local　habitation　and　a　name。

He　looked　into　the　round　eyes　and　wide　pupils　a　little　anxiously；　as

if　he　feared　that　she　was　in　a　state　of　undue　excitement；　but；　true

to　his　professional　training；　he　waited　for　another　symptom；　if

indeed　her　mind　was　in　any　measure　off　its　balance。



〃I　know　what　you　are　thinking；〃　Lurida　said；　〃but　it　is　not　so。　　'I

am　not　mad；　most　noble　Festus。'　　You　shall　see　the　evidence　and　judge

for　yourself。　　Read　the　whole　case；you　can　read　my　hand　almost　as

if　it　were　print；　and　tell　me　if　you　do　not　agree　with　me　that　this

young　man　is　in　all　probability　the　same　person　as　the　boy　described

in　the　Italian　journal；



One　thing　you　might　say　is　against　the　supposition。　　The　young

patient　is　spoken　of　as　Signorino　M　。　　。　　。　　Ch。　　。　　。　　。　　But　you

must　remember　that　ch　is　pronounced　hard　in　Italian；　like　k；　which

letter　is　wanting　in　the　Italian　alphabet；　and　it　is　natural　enough

that　the　initial　of　the　second　name　should　have　got　changed　in　the

record　to　its　Italian　equivalent。〃



Before　inviting　the　reader　to　follow　the　details　of　this

extraordinary　case　as　found　in　a　medical　journal；　the　narrator　wishes

to　be　indulged　in　a　few　words　of　explanation；　in　order　that　he　may

not　have　to　apologize　for　allowing　the　introduction　of　a　subject

which　may　be　thought　to　belong　to　the　professional　student　rather

than　to　the　readers　of　this　record。　　There　is　a　great　deal　in　medical

books　which　it　is　very　unbecoming　to　bring　before　the　general

public；a　great　deal　to　repel；　to　disgust；　to　alarm；　to　excite

unwholesome　curiosity。　　It　is　not　the　men　whose　duties　have　made　them

familiar　with　this　class　of　subjects　who　are　most　likely　to　offend　by

scenes　and　descriptions　which　belong　to　the　physician's　private

library；　and　not　to　the　shelves　devoted　to　polite　literature。

Goldsmith　and　even　Smollett；　both　having　studied　and　practised

medicine；　could　not　by　any　possibility　have　outraged　all　the　natural

feelings　of　delicacy　and　decency　as　Swift　and　Zola　have　outraged

them。　　But　without　handling　doubtful　subjects；　there　are　many　curious

medical　experiences　which　have　interest　for　every　one　as　extreme

illustrations　of　ordinary　conditions　with　which　all　are　acquainted。

No　one　can　study　the　now　familiar　history　of　clairvoyance　profitably

who　has　not　learned　something　of　the　vagaries　of　hysteria。　　No　one

can　read　understandingly　the　life　of　Cowper　and　that　of　Carlyle

without　having　some　idea　of　the　influence　of　hypochondriasis　and　of

dyspepsia　upon　the　disposition　and　intellect　of　the　subjects　of　these

maladies。　　I　need　not　apologize；　therefore；　for　giving　publicity　to

that　part　of　this　narrative　which　deals　with　one　of　the　most　singular

maladies　to　be　found　in　the　records　of　bodily　and　mental　infirmities。



The　following　is　the　account　of　the　case　as　translated　by　Miss

Vincent。　　For　obvious　reasons　the　whole　name　was　not　given　in　the

original　paper；　and　for　similar　reasons　the　date　of　the　event　and　the

birthplace　of　the　patient　are　not　precisely　indicated　here。



＇Giornale　degli　Ospitali；　Luglio　21；　18…。1



REMARKABLE　CASE　OF　TARANTISM。



〃The　great　interest　attaching　to　the　very　singular　and　exceptional

instance　of　this　rare　affection　induces　us　to　give　a　full　account　of

the　extraordinary　example　of　its　occurrence　in　a　patient　who　was　the

subject　of　a　recent　medical　consultation　in　this　city。





〃Signorino　M　。　　。　　。　　Ch　。　　。　　。　　is　the　only　son　of　a　gentleman

travelling　in　Italy　at　this　time。　　He　is　eleven　years　of　age；　of

sanguine…nervous　temperament；　light　hair；　blue　eyes；　intelligent

countenance；　well　grown；　but　rather　slight　in　form；　to　all　appearance

in　good　health；　but　subject　to　certain　peculiar　and　anomalous　nervous

symptoms；　of　which　his　father　gives　this　history。



〃Nine　years　ago；　the　father　informs　us；　he　was　travelling　in　Italy

with　his　wife；　this　child；　and　a　nurse。　　They　were　passing　a　few　days

in　a　country　village　near　the　city　of　Bari；　capital　of　the　province

of　the　same　name　in　the　division　（compartamento）　of　Apulia。　　The

child　was　in　perfect　health　and　had　never　been　affected　by　any

serious　illness。　　On　the　10th　of　July　he　was　playing　out　in　the　field

near　the　house　where　the　family　was　staying　when　he　was　heard　to

scream　suddenly　and　violently。　　The　nurse　rushing　to　him　found　him　in

great　pain；　saying　that　something　had　bitten　him　in　one　of　his　feet。

A　laborer；　one　Tommaso；　ran　up　at　the　moment　and　perceived　in　the

grass；　near　where　the　boy　was　standing；　an　enormous　spider；　which　he

at　once　recognized　as　a　tarantula。　　He　managed　to　catch　the　creature

in　a　large　leaf；　from　which　he　was　afterwards　transf