The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-07-06
ITO that extent"
But that was ALL"

But that was ALL
No, no. my dear Watson. not abby
no means all. l would suggest. for ex-
ample that a presentation to a doctor is
1nnre likely to come from hospital than
from hunt and that when the initials
G. G. are placed before that hospital
tie words 'Charing Cross very naturally
suggest themselves
You may be right
The probability lies in that direction.
Arc il we take this as working hp-
pcthesis we have a fresh basis from which
10 start our construction Of this unknown
visitor
Well then. supposing that &C. c. H
GOES stand for 'Charing Cross Hospital,
wha, further differences may we draw"
do none suggest themselves? You
know my methods. Apply them
Il can only think OF the obvious con-
ciusion that the man has practiced in
town before going to the country"
Il think that we might venture little
farther than this Look at it in this light
on what occasion would it be most prob
able that such presentation would be
made? When would his friends unite to
give him n pledge Of their good Will?
Obviously at the moment when DR.. Nor
timer withdrew from the service of the
hospital In order to start in practice FOR
himself We know there has been a pre-
\
change from a town hospital to a country
practice. Is it. then. stretching our infer
enc- too far to say that the presenta-
ton was on the occasion of the changer
ut certainly seems probable
Now YOU will observe that he could
not have been on the staff OF the hospital.
stree only a man well established in a
London practice could hold such posi-
ton, and such a enc would not drift into
the country. What was he. then? II he
was in the hospital and yet not on the
staff. he could only have been a house
surgeon or a se-physician-litue more
than senior student. And he left five
years ago; the date is on the stick. SO
yGur grave. middIe-ased family practi-
ticner vaniShes into thin air. my dear
Watson. and there energies a young fell
low under thirty. aniable, unambtious,
aLscnt-minded and the possessor of a
farorite dog which I should describe
roughly as being larger than terrier
and smaller than a mastiff."
laughed incredulously as Sherlock
Holmes leaned back in his settee and
hlem little wavering rings Of smoke up to
the ceiling.
LAS to the latter part, have no means
Of checking YOU said I. but at least
II is not difficult to find out few partic-
ulars about the mans age and profess
siopal career From my small medical
shelf I took down the Medical Directory
and turned up the name. There were
several Mortimers. but only one could
be our visitor I read his record aloud.
Mortimer. James. NJ. R. c. S. 1852,
GrIr1pen. Dartmoor. Devon. House sur
geon from 1882 to 1854. at Charing Cross
HI spital Winner of the Jackson prize
for Comparative Pathology, with essay
entitled is Disease n Reversion" Cor
responding member of the Swedish Pa
Author Of Some
Freaks Of Atavism GIancet 1882. Do
We Progrcss?' Journal OF Psychology,
March. 1881. Medical officer for the par
ishes of Grimpen. Thorsley and High
Barrow.
NO mention of that local hunt. Wat
SON. said Holmes. with misch1ev0us
smile "but q country doctor. as you very
astutely observed. I think that I am
fairly justified in my inferences. AS to
tho adiectives. I said. if I remember
right. amiable. unamhitious and absent
r,inded 1t is my experience IHat only
an amiahie man in this world who re-
ceives testimonials, only an unam,Stious
one who abandons a London career for
the country. and only an absent-minded
one Who leaves his stick and not his Wis
ting card after waiting hour in your
room "
and the dog?''
HAS fraen in the habit Of carrying this
stick behind his master. Being a heavy
stick. the dog has held it tightly
by the middle. and the marks OF his
tech. are very plainly visible. The dogs
iay. as shown in the space between
IT,. Sc marks is too broad in my opinion,
for a terrier, and not broad enough for
rastiff 1t may have been-yes, by JoTe,
il is a curly-haired spaniel"
He had risen and paced the room as he
spoke. Now he halted in the recess OF
the window. There was such ring OF