round the red lamp(红灯四周)-第39章
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his account he had just returned from the Abyssinian Campaign； and had
been one of the first of the British forces to enter Magdala。 No delusion
could possibly be more marked； for he would talk of little else； so I filled
in the papers without the slightest hesitation。 When his wife arrived；
after he had left； I put some questions to her to complete the form。 ‘What
is his age？' I asked。 ‘Fifty；' said she。 ‘Fifty！' I cried。 ‘Why； the man I
examined could not have been more than thirty！ And so it came out that
the real Mr。 Cooper had never called upon me at all； but that by one of
those coincidences which take a man's breath away another Cooper； who
really was a very distinguished young officer of artillery； had come in to
consult me。 My pen was wet to sign the paper when I discovered it；〃
says Dr。 Manson； mopping his forehead。
〃We were talking about nerve just now；〃 observes the surgeon。 〃Just
after my qualifying I served in the Navy for a time； as I think you know。
I was on the flag…ship on the West African Station； and I remember a
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singular example of nerve which came to my notice at that time。 One of
our small gunboats had gone up the Calabar river； and while there the
surgeon died of coast fever。 On the same day a man's leg was broken by
a spar falling upon it； and it became quite obvious that it must be taken off
above the knee if his life was to be saved。 The young lieutenant who was
in charge of the craft searched among the dead doctor's effects and laid his
hands upon some chloroform； a hip…joint knife； and a volume of Grey's
Anatomy。 He had the man laid by the steward upon the cabin table； and
with a picture of a cross section of the thigh in front of him he began to
take off the limb。 Every now and then； referring to the diagram； he
would say： ‘Stand by with the lashings； steward。 There's blood on the
chart about here。' Then he would jab with his knife until he cut the artery；
and he and his assistant would tie it up before they went any further。 In
this way they gradually whittled the leg off； and upon my word they made
a very excellent job of it。 The man is hopping about the Portsmouth
Hard at this day。
〃It's no joke when the doctor of one of these isolated gunboats himself
falls ill；〃 continues the surgeon after a pause。 〃You might think it easy
for him to prescribe for himself； but this fever knocks you down like a
club； and you haven't strength left to brush a mosquito off your face。 I
had a touch of it at Lagos； and I know what I am telling you。 But there
was a chum of mine who really had a curious experience。 The whole
crew gave him up； and； as they had never had a funeral aboard the ship；
they began rehearsing the forms so as to be ready。 They thought that he
was unconscious； but he swears he could hear every word that passed。
‘Corpse comin' up the latchway！' cried the Cockney sergeant of Marines。
‘Present harms！' He was so amused； and so indignant too； that he just
made up his mind that he wouldn't be carried through that hatchway； and
he wasn't； either。〃
〃There's no need for fiction in medicine；〃 remarks Foster； 〃for the facts
will always beat anything you can fancy。 But it has seemed to me
sometimes that a curious paper might be read at some of these meetings
about the uses of medicine in popular fiction。〃
〃How？〃
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〃Well； of what the folk die of； and what diseases are made most use of
in novels。 Some are worn to pieces； and others； which are equally
common in real life； are never mentioned。 Typhoid is fairly frequent； but
scarlet fever is unknown。 Heart disease is common； but then heart
disease； as we know it； is usually the sequel of some foregoing disease； of
which we never hear anything in the romance。 Then there is the
mysterious malady called brain fever； which always attacks the heroine
after a crisis； but which is unknown under that name to the text books。
People when they are over…excited in novels fall down in a fit。 In a fairly
large experience I have never known anyone do so in real life。 The small
complaints simply don't exist。 Nobody ever gets shingles or quinsy； or
mumps in a novel。 All the diseases； too； belong to the upper part of the
body。 The novelist never strikes below the belt。〃
〃I'll tell you what； Foster；〃 says the alienist； there is a side of life which
is too medical for the general public and too romantic for the professional
journals； but which contains some of the richest human materials that a
man could study。 It's not a pleasant side； I am afraid； but if it is good
enough for Providence to create； it is good enough for us to try and
understand。 It would deal with strange outbursts of savagery and vice in
the lives of the best men； curious momentary weaknesses in the record of
the sweetest women； known but to one or two； and inconceivable to the
world around。 It would deal； too； with the singular phenomena of
waxing and of waning manhood； and would throw a light upon those
actions which have cut short many an honoured career and sent a man to a
prison when he should have been hurried to a consulting…room。 Of all
evils that may come upon the sons of men； God shield us principally from
that one！〃
〃I had a case some little time ago which was out of the ordinary；〃 says
the surgeon。 〃There's a famous beauty in London societyI mention no
names who used to be remarkable a few seasons ago for the very low
dresses which she would wear。 She had the whitest of skins and most
beautiful of shoulders； so it was no wonder。 Then gradually the frilling at
her neck lapped upwards and upwards； until last year she astonished
everyone by wearing quite a high collar at a time when it was completely
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out of fashion。 Well； one day this very woman was shown into my
consulting… room。 When the footman was gone she suddenly tore off the
upper part of her dress。 ‘For Gods sake do something for me！' she cried。
Then I saw what the trouble was。 A rodent ulcer was eating its way
upwards； coiling on in its serpiginous fashion until the end of it was flush
with her collar。 The red streak of its trail was lost below the line of her
bust。 Year by year it had ascended and she had heightened her dress to
hide it； until now it was about to invade her face。 She had been too proud
to confess her trouble； even to a medical man。〃
〃And did you stop it？〃
〃Well； with zinc chloride I did what I could。 But it may
