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when he is ready he prefers to select his own organ of publication。
I do not find fault with all the brain…tappers。 Some of them are
doing excellent service by accumulating facts which could not
otherwise be attained。 Rut one gets tired of the strings of
questions sent him； to which he is expected to return an answer；
plucked； ripe or unripe； from his private tree of knowledge。 The
braintappers are like the owner of the goose that laid the golden
eggs。 They would have the embryos and germs of one's thoughts out of
the mental oviducts； and cannot wait for their spontaneous evolution
and extrusion。
The story I have promised is； on the whole； the most remarkable of a
series which I may have told in part at some previous date； but
which； if I have not told； may be worth recalling at a future time。
Some few of my readers may remember that in a former paper I
suggested the possibility of the existence of an idiotic area in the
human mind； corresponding to the blind spot in the human retina。 I
trust that I shall not be thought to have let my wits go wandering in
that region of my own intellectual domain； when I relate a singular
coincidence which very lately occurred in my experience； and add a
few remarks made by one of our company on the delicate and difficult
but fascinating subject which it forces upon our attention。 I will
first copy the memorandum made at the time：
〃Remarkable coincidence。 On Monday； April 18th； being at table from
6。30 P。 M。 to 7。30； with ________and ________ the two ladies of my
household； I told them of the case of 'trial by battel' offered by
Abraham Thornton in 1817。 I mentioned his throwing down his glove；
which was not taken up by the brother of his victim； and so he had to
be let off； for the old law was still in force。 I mentioned that
Abraham Thornton was said to have come to this country； 'and ＇I added
he may be living near us； for aught that I know。' I rose from the
table； and found an English letter waiting for me； left while I sat
at dinner。 d copy the first portion of this letter：
'20 ALFRED PLACE； West （near Museum）
South Kensington； LONDON； S。 W。
April 7； 1887。
DR。 O。 W 。 HOLMES：
DEAR SIR；In travelling； the other day； I met with a reprint of the
very interesting case of Thornton for murder； 1817。 The prisoner
pleaded successfully the old Wager of Battel。 I thought you would
like to read the account； and send it with this。。。。
Yours faithfully；
FRED。 RATHBONE。'〃
Mr。 Rathbone is a well…known dealer in old Wedgwood and eighteenth…
century art。 As a friend of my hospitable entertainer； Mr。 Willett；
he had shown me many attentions in England； but I was not expecting
any communication from him； and when； fresh from my conversation； I
found this letter just arrived by mail； and left while I was at
table； and on breaking the seal read what I had a few moments before
been； telling； I was greatly surprised； and immediately made a note
of the occurrence； as given above。
I had long been familiar with all the details of this celebrated
case；； but had not referred to it； so far as I can remember； for
months or years。 I know of no train of thought which led me to speak
of it on that particular day。 I had never alluded to it before in
that company； nor had I ever spoken of it with Mr。 Rathbone。
I told this story over our teacups。 Among the company at the table
is a young English girl。 She seemed to be amused by the story。
〃Fancy！〃 she said；〃how very very odd！〃 〃It was a striking and
curious coincidence；〃 said the professor who was with us at the
table。 〃As remarkable as two teaspoons in one saucer；〃 was the
comment of a college youth who happened to be one of the company。
But the member of our circle whom the reader will hereafter know as
Number Seven； began stirring his tea in a nervous sort of way； and I
knew that he was getting ready to say something about the case。 An
ingenious man he is； with a brain like a tinder…box； its contents
catching at any spark that is flying about。 I always like to hear
what he says when his tinder brain has a spark fall into it。 It does
not follow that because he is often wrong he may not sometimes be
right； for he is no fool。 He treated my narrative very seriously。
The reader need not be startled at the new terms he introduces。
Indeed； I am not quite sure that some thinking people will not adopt
his view of the matter； which seems to have a degree of plausibility
as he states and illustrates it。
〃The impulse which led you to tell that story passed directly from
the letter； which came charged from the cells of the cerebral battery
of your correspondent。 The distance at which the action took place
＇the letter was left on a shelf twenty…four feet from the place where
I was sitting＇ shows this charge to have been of notable intensity。
〃Brain action through space without material symbolism； such as
speech； expression； etc。； is analogous to electrical induction。
Charge the prime conductor of an electrical machine； and a gold…leaf
electrometer； far off from it； will at once be disturbed。
Electricity； as we all know； can be stored and transported as if it
were a measurable fluid。
〃Your incident is a typical example of cerebral induction from a
source containing stored cerebricity。 I use this word； not to be
found in my dictionaries； as expressing the brain…cell power
corresponding to electricity。 Think how long it was before we had
attained any real conception of the laws that govern the wonderful
agent； which now works in harness with the other trained and subdued
forces！ It is natural that cerebricity should be the last of the
unweighable agencies to be understood。 The human eye had seen heaven
and earth and all that in them is before it saw itself as our
instruments enable us to see it。 This fact of yours； which seems so
strange to you； belongs to a great series of similar facts familiarly
known now to many persons； and before long to be recognized as
generally as those relating to the electric telegraph and the slaving
‘dynamo。'
〃What！ you cannot conceive of a charge of cerebricity fastening
itself on a letter…sheet and clinging to it for weeks； while it was
shuffling about in mail…bags； rolling over the ocean； and shaken up
in railroad cars？ And yet the odor of a grain of musk will hang
round a note or a dress for a lifetime。 Do you not remember what
Professor Silliman says； in that pleasant journal of his； about the
little ebony cabinet which Mary； Queen of Scots； brought with her
from France；how 'its drawers still exhale the sweetest perfumes'？
If they could hold their sweetness for more than two hundred years；
why should not a written page retain for a week or a month the
equally mysterious effluence poured over it from the thinking marrow；
and diffuse its vibrations to another excitable nervous centre？〃
I have said that although our imaginative frie