A Study in Scarlet - Part 1, Chapter 1: Mr. Sherlock Holmes

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Part one, Chapter one of A Study in Scarlet presented
by Dream Audio Books. A Study in Scarlet by Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle, Part one being a reprint from the
reminiscences of John H. Watson, m D. Late of the
Army Medical Department, Chapter one Mister Sherlock Holmes. In the

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year eighteen seventy eight, I took my degree of Doctor
of Medicine of the University of London and proceeded to
Netley to go through the course prescribed for surgeons in
the Army. Having completed my studies there, I was duly
attached to the fifth Northumberland Fusiliers as assistant surgeon. The
regiment was stationed in India at the time, and before
I could join it, the Second Afghan War had broken out.

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On landing at Bombay, I learned that my corps had
advanced through the passes and was already deep in the
enemy's country. I followed, however, with many other officers who
were in the same situation as myself, and succeeded in
reaching Kandahar in safety, where I found my regiment and
at once entered upon my new duties. The campaign brought

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honors in promotion to many, but for me it had
nothing but misfortune and disaster. I was removed from my
brigade and attached to the Berkshires with whom I served
at the fatal Battle of my wand there I was
struck on the shoulder by a jezail bullet which shattered
the bone and grazed the subclavian artery. I should have
fallen into the hands of the murderous Gazis, had it

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not been for the devotion and courage shown by Murray,
my orderly, who threw me across a pack horse and
succeeded in bringing me safely to the British wines. Worn
with pain and weak from the prolonged hardships which I
had undergone, I was removed with a great train of
wounded sufferers to the base hospital at Peshawar. Here I rallied,

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and had already improved so far as to be able
to walk about the wards and even to bask a
little upon the Verandah, when I was struck down by
enteric fever, that curse of our Indian possessions. For months
my life was dis bared of, and when at last
I came to myself and became convalescent. I was so
weak and emaciated that a medical board determined that not

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a day should be lost in sending me back to England.
I was dispatched accordingly in the troopship Orantes, and landed
a month later on Portsmouth Jetty, with my health irretrievably ruined,
but with permission from a paternal government to spend the
next nine months in attempting to improve it. I had
neither kith nor kin in England, and was therefore as

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free as air, or as free as an income of
eleven shillings and sixpence a day will permit a man
to be. Under such circumstances, I naturally gravitated to London,
that great cesspool into which all the loungers and idlers
of the Empire are irresistibly drained. There I stayed for
some time at a private hotel in the Strand, leading
a comfortless, meaningless existence and spending such money as I

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had considerably more freely than I ought. So alarming did
the state of my finances become that I soon realized
that I I must either leave the metropolis and rusticate
somewhere in the country, or that I must make a
complete alteration in my style of living, choosing the latter alternative,
I began by making up my mind to leave the
hotel and take up my quarters in some less pretentious

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and less expensive dumicile. On the very day that I
had come to this conclusion, I was standing at the
Criterion bar when someone tapped me on the shoulder, and
turning round, I recognized young Stamford, who had been a
dresser under me at Bart's. The sight of a friendly
face in the great wilderness of London is a pleasant thing,
indeed to a lonely man in old days. Stamford had

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never been a particular crony of mine, but now I
hailed him with enthusiasm, and he, in his turn, appeared
to be delighted to see me. In the exuberance of
my joy, I asked him to lunch with me at
the Holborn, and we started off together in a hansom.
Whatever have you been doing with yourself, Watson, he asked
in undisguised wonder, as we rattled through the crowded London streets.

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You are as thin as a laugh and as brown
as a nut. I gave him a short sketch of
my adventures, and had hardly concluded it by the time
that we reached our destination. Poor devil, he said, commiseratingly,
after he had listened to my misfortunes. What are you
up to now looking for lodgings, I answered, trying to

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solve the problem as to whether it is possible to
get comfortable rooms at a reasonable price. This is strange thing,
remarked my companion. You are the second man to day
that has used that expression to me. And who was
the first? I asked a fellow who was working at
the chemical laboratory up at the hospital. He was bemoaning

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himself this morning because he could not get some one
to go halves with him in some nice rooms which
he had found, and which were too much for his purse.
By jove, I cried, if you really want some one
to share the rooms in the expense, I am the
very man for him. I should prefer having a part
partner to being alone. Young Stamford looked rather strangely at

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me over his wine glass. You don't know Sherlock Holmes, yet,
he said, Perhaps you would not care for him as
a constant companion. Why what is there against him? Oh?
I didn't say there was anything against him. He is
a little queer in his ideas, an enthusiast in some
branches of science. As far as I know, he is

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a decent fellow, enough a medical student, I suppose, said I. No,
I have no idea what he intends to go in for.
I believe he is well up in anatomy, and he
is a first class chemist. But as far as I know,
he has never taken out any systematic medical classes. His
studies are very desultory and eccentric, but he has amassed

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a lot of out of the way knowledge which would
astonish his professors. Did you never ask him what he
was going in for? I asked, no. He is not
a man that it is easy to out, though he
can be communicative enough when the fancy seizes him. I
should like to meet him, I said. If I am
to lodge with any one, I should prefer a man

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of studious and quiet habits. I am not strong enough
yet to stand much noise or excitement. I had enough
of both in Afghanistan to last me for the remainder
of my natural existence. How could I meet this friend
of yours? He is sure to be at the laboratory
returned my companion. He either avoids the place for weeks,
or else he works there from morning till night. If

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you like, we will drive round together after luncheon. Certainly,
I answered, and the conversation drifted away into other channels
as we made our way to the hospital. After leaving
the halborn Stamford gave me a few more particulars about
the gentleman whom I propose to take as a fellow lodger.
You mustn't blame me if you don't get on with him,

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he said. I know nothing more of him than I
have learned from meeting him occasionally in the laboratory. You
propose this arrangement, so you must not hold me responsible
if we don't get home. It will be easy to
part company, I answered, It seems to me Stamford, I added,
looking hard at my companion, that you have some reason

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for washing your hands of the matter. Is this fellow's
temper so formidable or what is it? Don't be mealy
mouthed about it. It is not easy to express the inexpressible,
he answered, with a laugh. Holmes is a little too
scientific for my tastes. It approaches to cold bloodedness. I
could imagine his giving a friend a little pinch of

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the latest vegetable alkaloid. Not out of malevolence, you understand,
but simply out of a spirit of inquiry, in order
to have an accurate idea of the effects to do injustice.
I think that he would take it himself with the
same readiness. He appears to have a passion for definite
and exact knowledge. Very right too, Yes, but it may

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be pushed to excess when it comes to beating the
subjects in the dissecting rooms with a stick. It is
certainly taking rather a bizarre shape beating the subjects, Yes,
to verify how far bruises may be produced after death.
I saw him at it with my own eyes. And
yet you say he is not a medical student. No,

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Heaven knows what the objects of his studies are. But
here we are, and you must form your own impressions
about him. As he spoke, we turned down a narrow
lane and passed through a small side door which opened
into a wing of the great hospital. It was familiar
ground to me, and I needed no guiding as we
ascended the bleak stone staircase and made our way down
the long corridor with its vista of white washed wall

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and dun colored doors. Near the farther end, a low
arched passage branched away from it and led to the
chemical laboratory. This was a lofty chamber, lined and littered
with countless bottles. Broad low tables were scattered about, which
bristled with retorts, test tubes, and little Bunsen lamps with
their blue flickering flames. There was only one student in

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the room, who was bending over a distant table, absorbed
in his work. At the sound of our steps, he
glanced round and sprang to his feet with a cry
of pleasure. I've found it. I have found it, he
shouted to my companion, running towards us with a test
tube in his hand. I have found a reagent which
is precipitated by hemoglobin and by nothing else. Had he

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discovered a gold mine, greater delight could not have shown
upon his features, Doctor Watson, Mister Sherlock Holmes, said Stamford,
introducing us. How are you, he said, cordially, gripping my
hand with a strength for which I should hardly have
given him credit. You have been an Afghanistan, I perceive.

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How on earth did you know that I asked in astonishment.
Never mind, said he, chuckling to himself. The question now
is about hemoglobin. No doubt you see the significance of
this discovery of mine. It is interesting chemically, no doubt,
I answered. But practically, why, man, it is the most

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practical medico legal discovery for years. Don't you see that
it gives us an infallible test for blood stains? Come
over here now, He seized me by the coat sleeve
in his eagerness, and drew me over to the table
at which he had been working. Let us have some
fresh blood, he said, digging a long bodkin into his
finger and drawing off the resulting drop of blood in

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a chemical pipette. Now I add this small quantity of
blood to a liter of water. You perceive that the
resulting mixture has the appearance of pure water. The proportion
of blood cannot be more than one in a million.
I have no doubt, however, that we shall be able
to obtain the characteristic reaction. As he spoke, he threw
into the vessel a few white crystals, and then added

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some drops of a transparent fluid. In an instant, the
contents assumed a dull mahogany color, and a brownish dust
was precipitated to the bottom of the gloe. Last jar Haha,
he cried, clapping his hands and looking as delighted as
a child with a new toy. What do you think
of that? It seems to be a very delicate test,

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I remarked, beautiful, beautiful. The old quayacum test was very
clumsy and uncertain. So is the microscopic examination for blood corpuscles.
The latter is valueless if the stains are a few
hours old. Now this appears to act as well, whether
the blood is old or new. Had this test been invented,

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there are hundreds of men now walking the earth who
would long ago have paid the penalty of their crimes. Indeed,
I murmured. Criminal cases are continually hinging upon that one point.
A man is suspected of a crime, months perhaps after
it has been committed, his linen or clothes are examined
and brownish stains discovered upon them. Are they blood stains

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or mud stains, or rust stains or fruit stains? Or
what are they? That is a question which has puzzled
many an expert. And why because there was no reliable
test now we have the Sherlock Holmes test, and there
will no longer be any difficulty. His eyes fairly glittered
as he spoke, and he put his hand over his
heart and bowed, as if to some applauding crowd conjured

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up by his imagination. You are to be congratulated, I remarked,
considerably surprised at his enthusiasm. There was the case of
von Bischoff at Frankfort last year. He would certainly have
been hung had this test been in existence. Then there
was Mason of Bradford, and a notorious Muller, and Lefevre

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of Montpellier, and Samson of New Orleans. I could name
a score of cases in which it would have been decisive.
You seem to be a walking calendar of crime, said Stamford,
with a laugh. You might start a paper on those lines.
Call it the Police News of the past. Very interesting
reading it might be made, too, remarked Sherlock Holmes, sticking

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us piece of plaster over the prick on his finger.
I have to be careful, he continued, turning to me
with a smile, For I dabble with poisons a good deal.
He held out his hand as he spoke, and I
noticed that it was all modeled over with similar pieces
of plaster and discolored with strong acids. We came here
on business, said Stamford, sitting down on a high three

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legged stool and pushing another one in my direction with
his foot. My friend here wants to take diggings. And
as you were complaining that you could get no one
to go halves with you, I thought that I had
better bring you together. Sherlock Holm seemed delighted at the
idea of sharing his rooms with me. I have my
eye on a suite in Baker Street, he said, which

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would suit us down to the ground. You don't mind
the smell of strong tobacco, I hope. I always smoke
ships myself. I answered, that's good enough. I generally have
chemicals about and occasionally do experiments. Would that annoy you?
By no means? Let me see what are my other shortcomings.

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I give in the dumps at times and don't open
my mouth for days on end. You must not think
I am sulky when I do that. Just let me
alone and I'll soon be right. What have you to confess? Now?
It's just as well for two fellows to know the
worst of one another before they begin to live together.
I laughed at this cross examination. I keep a bull pop,

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I said, and I object to rouse because my nerves
are shaken, and I get up at all sorts of
ungodly hours, and I am extremely lazy. I have another
set of vices when I'm well, but those are the
principal ones at present. Do you include violin playing in
your category of rows? He asked anxiously. It depends on

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the player, I answered. A well played violin is a
treat for the gods. A badly played one. Oh that's
all right, he cried, with a merry laugh. I think
we may consider the thing as settled. That is, if
the rooms are agreeable to you, when shall we see them?
Call for me here at noon tomorrow, and we'll go

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together and settle everything. He answered, all right, noon exactly,
said I, shaking his hand. We left him working among
his chemicals, and we walked together towards my hotel. By
the way, I asked, suddenly, stopping and turning upon Stamford,
how the deuce did he know that I had come
from Afghanistan? My companion smiled an enigmatical smile. That's just

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his little peculiarity, he said, A good many people have
wanted to know how he finds things out. Oh a mystery,
is it, I cried, rubbing my hands. This is very piquant.
I am much obliged to you for bringing us together.
The proper study of mankind is man. You know you
must study him. Then, Stamford said, as he bade me

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good bye, you'll find him a naughty problem, though, I'll
wager he learns more about you than you about him.
Good Bye, good bye, I answered, and strolled on to
my hotel, considerably interested in my new acquaintance. End of
Part one, Chapter one