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Round the fire in the sitting…room three medicos are still lingering；
however； all smoking and arguing； while a fourth； who is a mere layman
and young at that； sits back at the table。 Under cover of an open journal
he is writing furiously with a stylographic pen； asking a question in an
innocent voice from time to time and so flickering up the conversation
whenever it shows a tendency to wane。
The three men are all of that staid middle age which begins early and
lasts late in the profession。 They are none of them famous； yet each is of
good repute； and a fair type of his particular branch。 The portly man with
the authoritative manner and the white； vitriol splash upon his cheek is
Charley Manson； chief of the Wormley Asylum； and author of the brilliant
monographObscure Nervous Lesions in the Unmarried。 He always
wears his collar high like that； since the half…successful attempt of a
student of Revelations to cut his throat with a splinter of glass。 The
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second； with the ruddy face and the merry brown eyes； is a general
practitioner； a man of vast experience； who； with his three assistants and
his five horses； takes twenty…five hundred a year in half…crown visits and
shilling consultations out of the poorest quarter of a great city。 That
cheery face of Theodore Foster is seen at the side of a hundred sick…beds a
day； and if he has one…third more names on his visiting list than in his cash
book he always promises himself that he will get level some day when a
millionaire with a chronic complaintthe ideal combinationshall seek his
services。 The third； sitting on the right with his dress shoes shining on
the top of the fender； is Hargrave； the rising surgeon。 His face has none
of the broad humanity of Theodore Foster's； the eye is stern and critical；
the mouth straight and severe； but there is strength and decision in every
line of it； and it is nerve rather than sympathy which the patient demands
when he is bad enough to come to Hargrave's door。 He calls himself a
jawman 〃a mere jawman〃 as he modestly puts it； but in point of fact he is
too young and too poor to confine himself to a specialty； and there is
nothing surgical which Hargrave has not the skill and the audacity to do。
〃Before； after； and during；〃 murmurs the general practitioner in answer
to some interpolation of the outsider's。 〃I assure you； Manson； one sees
all sorts of evanescent forms of madness。〃
〃Ah； puerperal！〃 throws in the other； knocking the curved grey ash
from his cigar。 〃But you had some case in your mind； Foster。〃
〃Well； there was only one last week which was new to me。 I had
been engaged by some people of the name of Silcoe。 When the trouble
came round I went myself； for they would not hear of an assistant。 The
husband who was a policeman； was sitting at the head of the bed on the
further side。 ‘This won't do；' said I。 ‘Oh yes； doctor； it must do；' said
she。 ‘It's quite irregular and he must go；' said I。 ‘It's that or nothing；'
said she。 ‘I won't open my mouth or stir a finger the whole night；' said he。
So it ended by my allowing him to remain； and there he sat for eight hours
on end。 She was very good over the matter； but every now and again HE
would fetch a hollow groan； and I noticed that he held his right hand just
under the sheet all the time； where I had no doubt that it was clasped by
her left。 When it was all happily over； I looked at him and his face was
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the colour of this cigar ash； and his head had dropped on to the edge of the
pillow。 Of course I thought he had fainted with emotion； and I was just
telling myself what I thought of myself for having been such a fool as to
let him stay there； when suddenly I saw that the sheet over his hand was
all soaked with blood； I whisked it down； and there was the fellow's
wrist half cut through。 The woman had one bracelet of a policeman's
handcuff over her left wrist and the other round his right one。 When she
had been in pain she had twisted with all her strength and the iron had
fairly eaten into the bone of the man's arm。 ‘Aye； doctor；' said she； when
she saw I had noticed it。 ‘He's got to take his share as well as me。 Turn
and turn；' said she。〃
〃Don't you find it a very wearing branch of the profession？〃 asks
Foster after a pause。
〃My dear fellow； it was the fear of it that drove me into lunacy work。〃
〃Aye； and it has driven men into asylums who never found their way
on to the medical staff。 I was a very shy fellow myself as a student； and I
know what it means。〃
〃No joke that in general practice；〃 says the alienist。
〃Well； you hear men talk about it as though it were； but I tell you it's
much nearer tragedy。 Take some poor； raw； young fellow who has just
put up his plate in a strange town。 He has found it a trial all his life；
perhaps； to talk to a woman about lawn tennis and church services。
When a young man IS shy he is shyer than any girl。 Then down comes
an anxious mother and consults him upon the most intimate family matters。
‘I shall never go to that doctor again；' says she afterwards。 ‘His manner
is so stiff and unsympathetic。' Unsympathetic！ Why； the poor lad was
struck dumb and paralysed。 I have known general practitioners who
were so shy that they could not bring themselves to ask the way in the
street。 Fancy what sensitive men like that must endure before they get
broken in to medical practice。 And then they know that nothing is so
catching as shyness； and that if they do not keep a face of stone； their
patient will be covered with confusion。 And so they keep their face of
stone； and earn the reputation perhaps of having a heart to correspond。 I
suppose nothing would shake YOUR nerve； Manson。〃
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