round the red lamp(红灯四周)-第38章
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little hunch…backed woman who wished me to come and attend to her
sister in her trouble。 When I reached the house； which was a very poor
one； I found two other little hunched…backed women； exactly like the first；
waiting for me in the sitting…room。 Not one of them said a word； but my
companion took the lamp and walked upstairs with her two sisters behind
her； and me bringing up the rear。 I can see those three queer shadows
cast by the lamp upon the wall as clearly as I can see that tobacco pouch。
In the room above was the fourth sister； a remarkably beautiful girl in
evident need of my assistance。 There was no wedding ring upon her
finger。 The three deformed sisters seated themselves round the room；
like so many graven images； and all night not one of them opened her
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mouth。 I'm not romancing； Hargrave； this is absolute fact。 In the early
morning a fearful thunderstorm broke out； one of the most violent I have
ever known。 The little garret burned blue with the lightning； and thunder
roared and rattled as if it were on the very roof of the house。 It wasn't
much of a lamp I had； and it was a queer thing when a spurt of lightning
came to see those three twisted figures sitting round the walls； or to have
the voice of my patient drowned by the booming of the thunder。 By Jove！
I don't mind telling you that there was a time when I nearly bolted from
the room。 All came right in the end； but I never heard the true story of
the unfortunate beauty and her three crippled sisters。〃
〃That's the worst of these medical stories；〃 sighs the outsider。 〃They
never seem to have an end。〃
〃When a man is up to his neck in practice； my boy； he has no time to
gratify his private curiosity。 Things shoot across him and he gets a
glimpse of them； only to recall them； perhaps； at some quiet moment like
this。 But I've always felt； Manson； that your line had as much of the
terrible in it as any other。〃
〃More；〃 groans the alienist。 〃A disease of the body is bad enough；
but this seems to be a disease of the soul。 Is it not a shocking thinga
thing to drive a reasoning man into absolute Materialismto think that you
may have a fine； noble fellow with every divine instinct and that some
little vascular change； the dropping； we will say； of a minute spicule of
bone from the inner table of his skull on to the surface of his brain may
have the effect of changing him to a filthy and pitiable creature with every
low and debasing tendency？ What a satire an asylum is upon the majesty
of man； and no less upon the ethereal nature of the soul。〃
〃Faith and hope；〃 murmurs the general practitioner。
〃I have no faith； not much hope； and all the charity I can afford；〃 says
the surgeon。 〃When theology squares itself with the facts of life I'll read
it up。〃
〃You were talking about cases；〃 says the outsider； jerking the ink down
into his stylographic pen。
〃Well； take a common complaint which kills many thousands every
year； like G。 P。 for instance。〃
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〃What's G。 P。？〃
〃General practitioner；〃 suggests the surgeon with a grin。
〃The British public will have to know what G。 P。 is；〃 says the alienist
gravely。 〃It's increasing by leaps and bounds； and it has the distinction of
being absolutely incurable。 General paralysis is its full title； and I tell
you it promises to be a perfect scourge。 Here's a fairly typical case now
which I saw last Monday week。 A young farmer； a splendid fellow；
surprised his fellows by taking a very rosy view of things at a time when
the whole country…side was grumbling。 He was going to give up wheat；
give up arable land； too； if it didn't pay； plant two thousand acres of
rhododendrons and get a monopoly of the supply for Covent Garden
there was no end to his schemes； all sane enough but just a bit inflated。 I
called at the farm； not to see him； but on an altogether different matter。
Something about the man's way of talking struck me and I watched him
narrowly。 His lip had a trick of quivering； his words slurred themselves
together； and so did his handwriting when he had occasion to draw up a
small agreement。 A closer inspection showed me that one of his pupils
was ever so little larger than the other。 As I left the house his wife came
after me。 ‘Isn't it splendid to see Job looking so well； doctor；' said she；
‘he's that full of energy he can hardly keep himself quiet。' I did not say
anything； for I had not the heart； but I knew that the fellow was as much
condemned to death as though he were lying in the cell at Newgate。 It
was a characteristic case of incipient G。 P。〃
〃Good heavens！〃 cries the outsider。 〃My own lips tremble。 I often
slur my words。 I believe I've got it myself。〃
Three little chuckles come from the front of the fire。
〃There's the danger of a little medical knowledge to the layman。〃
〃A great authority has said that every first year's student is suffering in
silent agony from four diseases；〃 remarks the surgeon。 〃 One is heart
disease； of course； another is cancer of the parotid。 I forget the two
other。〃
〃Where does the parotid come in？〃
〃Oh； it's the last wisdom tooth coming through！〃
〃And what would be the end of that young farmer？〃 asks the outsider。
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〃Paresis of all the muscles； ending in fits； coma； and death。 It may be
a few months； it may be a year or two。 He was a very strong young man
and would take some killing。〃
〃By…the…way；〃 says the alienist； 〃did I ever tell you about the first
certificate I signed？ I came as near ruin then as a man could go。〃
〃What was it； then？〃
〃I was in practice at the time。 One morning a Mrs。 Cooper called
upon me and informed me that her husband had shown signs of delusions
lately。 They took the form of imagining that he had been in the army and
had distinguished himself very much。 As a matter of fact he was a
lawyer and had never been out of England。 Mrs。 Cooper was of opinion
that if I were to call it might alarm him； so it was agreed between us that
she should send him up in the evening on some pretext to my consulting…
room； which would give me the opportunity of having a chat with him and；
if I were convinced of his insanity； of signing his certificate。 Another
doctor had already signed； so that it only needed my concurrence to have
him placed under treatment。 Well； Mr。 Cooper arrived in the evening
about half an hour before I had expected him； and consulted me as to some
malarious symptoms from which he said that he suffered。 According to
his account he had just returned from the Abyssinian Campaign； and had
been one o
