the magic skin-第53节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





After　this　reply；　Brisset　looked；　without　speaking；　at　a　middle…sized

person；　whose　darkly　flushed　countenance　and　glowing　eyes　seemed　to

belong　to　some　antique　satyr；　and　who；　leaning　his　back　against　the

corner　of　the　embrasure；　was　studying　Raphael；　without　saying　a　word。

Doctor　Cameristus；　a　man　of　creeds　and　enthusiasms；　the　head　of　the

〃Vitalists；〃　a　romantic　champion　of　the　esoteric　doctrines　of　Van

Helmont；　discerned　a　lofty　informing　principle　in　human　life；　a

mysterious　and　inexplicable　phenomenon　which　mocks　at　the　scalpel；

deceives　the　surgeon；　eludes　the　drugs　of　the　pharmacopoeia；　the

formulae　of　algebra；　the　demonstrations　of　anatomy；　and　derides　all

our　efforts；　a　sort　of　invisible；　intangible　flame；　which；　obeying

some　divinely　appointed　law；　will　often　linger　on　in　a　body　in　our

opinion　devoted　to　death；　while　it　takes　flight　from　an　organization

well　fitted　for　prolonged　existence。



A　bitter　smile　hovered　upon　the　lips　of　the　third　doctor；　Maugredie；　a

man　of　acknowledged　ability；　but　a　Pyrrhonist　and　a　scoffer；　with　the

scalpel　for　his　one　article　of　faith。　He　would　consider；　as　a

concession　to　Brisset；　that　a　man　who；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　was

perfectly　well　was　dead；　and　recognize　with　Cameristus　that　a　man

might　be　living　on　after　his　apparent　demise。　He　found　something

sensible　in　every　theory；　and　embraced　none　of　them；　claiming　that　the

best　of　all　systems　of　medicine　was　to　have　none　at　all；　and　to　stick

to　facts。　This　Panurge　of　the　Clinical　Schools；　the　king　of　observers；

the　great　investigator；　a　great　sceptic；　the　man　of　desperate

expedients；　was　scrutinizing　the　Magic　Skin。



〃I　should　very　much　like　to　be　a　witness　of　the　coincidence　of　its

retrenchment　with　your　wish；〃　he　said　to　the　Marquis。



〃Where　is　the　use？〃　cried　Brisset。



〃Where　is　the　use？〃　echoed　Cameristus。



〃Ah；　you　are　both　of　the　same　mind；〃　replied　Maugredie。



〃The　contraction　is　perfectly　simple；〃　Brisset　went　on。



〃It　is　supernatural；〃　remarked　Cameristus。



〃In　short；〃　Maugredie　made　answer；　with　affected　solemnity；　and

handing　the　piece　of　skin　to　Raphael　as　he　spoke；　〃the　shriveling

faculty　of　the　skin　is　a　fact　inexplicable；　and　yet　quite　natural；

which；　ever　since　the　world　began；　has　been　the　despair　of　medicine

and　of　pretty　women。〃



All　Valentin's　observation　could　discover　no　trace　of　a　feeling　for

his　troubles　in　any　of　the　three　doctors。　The　three　received　every

answer　in　silence；　scanned　him　unconcernedly；　and　interrogated　him

unsympathetically。　Politeness　did　not　conceal　their　indifference；

whether　deliberation　or　certainty　was　the　cause；　their　words　at　any

rate　came　so　seldom　and　so　languidly；　that　at　times　Raphael　thought

that　their　attention　was　wandering。　From　time　to　time　Brisset；　the

sole　speaker；　remarked；　〃Good！　just　so！〃　as　Bianchon　pointed　out　the

existence　of　each　desperate　symptom。　Cameristus　seemed　to　be　deep　in

meditation；　Maugredie　looked　like　a　comic　author；　studying　two　queer

characters　with　a　view　to　reproducing　them　faithfully　upon　the　stage。

There　was　deep；　unconcealed　distress；　and　grave　compassion　in　Horace

Bianchon's　face。　He　had　been　a　doctor　for　too　short　a　time　to　be

untouched　by　suffering　and　unmoved　by　a　deathbed；　he　had　not　learned

to　keep　back　the　sympathetic　tears　that　obscure　a　man's　clear　vision

and　prevent　him　from　seizing　like　the　general　of　an　army；　upon　the

auspicious　moment　for　victory；　in　utter　disregard　of　the　groans　of

dying　men。



After　spending　about　half　an　hour　over　taking　in　some　sort　the　measure

of　the　patient　and　the　complaint；　much　as　a　tailor　measures　a　young

man　for　a　coat　when　he　orders　his　wedding　outfit；　the　authorities

uttered　several　commonplaces；　and　even　talked　of　politics。　Then　they

decided　to　go　into　Raphael's　study　to　exchange　their　ideas　and　frame

their　verdict。



〃May　I　not　be　present　during　the　discussion；　gentlemen？〃　Valentin　had

asked　them；　but　Brisset　and　Maugredie　protested　against　this；　and；　in

spite　of　their　patient's　entreaties；　declined　altogether　to　deliberate

in　his　presence。



Raphael　gave　way　before　their　custom；　thinking　that　he　could　slip　into

a　passage　adjoining；　whence　he　could　easily　overhear　the　medical

conference　in　which　the　three　professors　were　about　to　engage。



〃Permit　me；　gentlemen；〃　said　Brisset；　as　they　entered；　〃to　give　you　my

own　opinion　at　once。　I　neither　wish　to　force　it　upon　you　nor　to　have

it　discussed。　In　the　first　place；　it　is　unbiased；　concise；　and　based

on　an　exact　similarity　that　exists　between　one　of　my　own　patients　and

the　subject　that　we　have　been　called　in　to　examine；　and；　moreover；　I

am　expected　at　my　hospital。　The　importance　of　the　case　that　demands　my

presence　there　will　excuse　me　for　speaking　the　first　word。　The　subject

with　which　we　are　concerned　has　been　exhausted　in　an　equal　degree　by

intellectual　laborswhat　did　he　set　about；　Horace？〃　he　asked　of　the

young　doctor。



〃A　'Theory　of　the　Will；'　〃



〃The　devil！　but　that's　a　big　subject。　He　is　exhausted；　I　say；　by　too

much　brain…work；　by　irregular　courses；　and　by　the　repeated　use　of　too

powerful　stimulants。　Violent　exertion　of　body　and　mind　has　demoralized

the　whole　system。　It　is　easy；　gentlemen；　to　recognize　in　the　symptoms

of　the　face　and　body　generally　intense　irritation　of　the　stomach；　an

affection　of　the　great　sympathetic　nerve；　acute　sensibility　of　the

epigastric　region；　and　contraction　of　the　right　and　left

hypochondriac。　You　have　noticed；　too；　the　large　size　and　prominence　of

the　liver。　M。　Bianchon　has；　besides；　constantly　watched　the　patient；

and　he　tells　us　that　digestion　is　troublesome　and　difficult。　Strictly

speaking；　there　is　no　stomach　left；　and　so　the　man　has　disappeared。

The　brain　is　atrophied　because　the　man　digests　no　longer。　The

progressive　deterioration　wrought　in　the　epigastric　region；　the　seat

of　vitality；　has　vitiated　the　whole　system。　Thence；　by　continuous

fevered　vibrations；　the　disorder　has　reached　the　brain　by　means　of　the

nervous　plexus；　hence　the　excessive　irritation　in　that　organ。　There　is

monomania。　The　patient　is　burdened　with　a　fixed　idea。　That　piece　of

skin　really　contracts；　to　his　way　of　thinking；　very　likely　it　always

has　been　as　we　have　seen　it；　but　whether　it　contracts　or　no；　that

thing　is　for　him　just　like　the　fly　that　some　Grand　Vizier　or　other　had

on　his　nose。　If　you　put　leeches　at　once　on　the　epigastrium；　and　reduce

the　irritation　in　that　part；　which　is　the　very　seat　of　man's　life；　and

if　you　diet　the　patient；　the　monomania　will　leave　him。　I　will　say　no

more　to　Dr。　Bianchon；　he　should　be　able　to　grasp　the　whole　treatment

as　well　as　the　details。　There　may　be；　perhaps；　some　complication　of

the　diseasethe　bronchial　tubes；　possibly；　may　be　also　inflamed；　but

I　believe　that　treatment　for　the　intestinal　organs　is　very　much　more

important　and　necessary；　and　more　urgently　required　than　for　the

lungs。　Persistent　study　of　abstract　matters；　and　certain　violent

passions；　have　induced　serious　disorders　in　that　vital　mechanism。

However；　we　are　in　time　to　set　these　conditions　right。　Nothing　is　too

seriously　affected。　You　will　easily　get　your　friend　round　again；〃　he

remarked　to　Bianchon。



〃Our　learned　colleague　is　taking　the　effect　for　the　cause；〃　Cameristus

replied。　〃Yes；　the　changes　that　he　has　observed　so　keenly　certainly

exist　in　the　patient；　but　it　is　not　the　stomach　that；　by　degrees；　has

set　up　nervous　action　in　the　system；　and　so　affected　the　brain；　like　a

hole　in　a　window　pane　spreading　cracks　round　about　it。　It　took　a　blow

of　some　kind　to　make　a　hole　in　the　window；　who　gave　the　blow？　Do　we

know　that？　Have　we　investigated　the　patient's　case　sufficiently？　Are

we　acquainted　with　all　the　events　of　his　life？



〃The　vital　principle；　gentlemen；〃　he　continued；　〃the　Archeus　of　Van

Helmont；　is　affected　in　his　casethe　very　essence　and　centre　of　life

is　attacked。　The　divine　spark；　the　transitory　intelligence　which　holds

the　organism　together；　which　is　the　source　of　the　will；　the

inspiration　of　life；　has　ceased　to　regulate　the　daily　phenomena　of　the

mechanism　and　the　functions　of　every　organ；　thence　arise　all　the

complications　which　my　learned　colleague　has　so　thoroughly

appreciated。　The　epigastric　region　does　not　affect　the　brain　but　the

brain　affects　the　epigastric　region。　No；〃　he　went　on；　vigorously

slapping　his　chest；　〃no；　I　am　not　a　stomach　in　the　form　of　a　man。　No；

everything　does　not　lie　there。　I　do　not　feel　that　I　have　the　courage

to　say　that　if　the　epigastric　region　is　in　good　order；　everything　else

is　in　a　like　condition



〃We　cannot　trace；〃　he　went　on　more　mildly；　〃to　one　physical　cause　the

serious　disturbances　that　supervene　in　this　or　that　subject　which　has

been　dangerously　attacked；　nor　submit　them　to　a　uniform　treatment。　No

one　man　is　like　another。　We　have　each　peculiar　organs；　differently

affected；　diversely　nourished；　adapted　to　perform　different　functions；

and　to　induce　a　condit