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Enjoy your column in the BMJ. Wondered if you had come across the
following novel which has a medical hero:
Arnold Bennett's "The Ghost," first published 1907. It is a
ripping yarn, but quite "sensationalist" and not really in the same
class of writing as his Potteries sagas Basically, the book is an excuse
for a newly-qualified young doctor, Carl Foster, to have all sorts of
adventures, picking up a small fortune, a mansion in Brughes and the love
of a world-famous opera singer along the way. Right in the middle of the
book, he has rather adventurous night time
trip from London-Paris, surviving both a train crash , and a serious
maritime accident.
Carl is taking a break after his finals, and thinking about joining
his brother’s practice in Totnes (the abbreviation “GP” is used at least
once), when a chance meeting with a cousin leads to an invitation to the
opera. Answering an “is there a doctor in the house?” call, Carl finds
himself attending the leading tenor, Alresca, who has fallen back stage.
Based on clinical signs (including crepitus!) he diagnoses “the left thigh
was broken near the knee joint.” Carl shows enough judgement to advise
that a surgeon would be more useful than a physician, and just then a
suitable Scottish one, Toddy MacWhirter (by co-incidence, recently one of
Carl’s examiners), presents himself and sets the leg in plaster. Mr
MacWhirter seems to believe in the minimum of orthopaedic follow up (one
house call) and then discharges Alresca into Carl’s care, as personal
physician and companion, for convalescence at his Brughes home.
Alresca’s fracture heals, but his health declines in a mysterious,
psychological way. He then seems to recover, but on being visited by Rosa
Rosetta, the famous young soprano, Aresca’s co-star and as it transpires,
object of desire, he suffers a fatal relapse. Carl discovers that Alresca
has made him his heir, to the Brughes house, a modest fortune and a
strange letter.
Despite the periodic intrusion of the “Ghost” ( the malign spirit of
a deceased lover of Rosa), by the strength of Rosa’s character and love,
Carl finally wins her hand as well. His medical expertise is however only
needed twice more in the book: once when he detects that Rosa’s maid is
attempting to poison her with Atropine in a milk drink, and once to
provide first aid to a stab victim…who takes several days to die! Also, as
one stage we have to believe that a man moribund with “brain fever”
(??meningitis) can rise from his death bed, don full evening wear, make a
valedictory speech and then expire!
Doctors in literature
Dear Theodore:
Enjoy your column in the BMJ. Wondered if you had come across the
following novel which has a medical hero:
Arnold Bennett's "The Ghost," first published 1907. It is a
ripping yarn, but quite "sensationalist" and not really in the same
class of writing as his Potteries sagas Basically, the book is an excuse
for a newly-qualified young doctor, Carl Foster, to have all sorts of
adventures, picking up a small fortune, a mansion in Brughes and the love
of a world-famous opera singer along the way. Right in the middle of the
book, he has rather adventurous night time
trip from London-Paris, surviving both a train crash , and a serious
maritime accident.
Carl is taking a break after his finals, and thinking about joining
his brother’s practice in Totnes (the abbreviation “GP” is used at least
once), when a chance meeting with a cousin leads to an invitation to the
opera. Answering an “is there a doctor in the house?” call, Carl finds
himself attending the leading tenor, Alresca, who has fallen back stage.
Based on clinical signs (including crepitus!) he diagnoses “the left thigh
was broken near the knee joint.” Carl shows enough judgement to advise
that a surgeon would be more useful than a physician, and just then a
suitable Scottish one, Toddy MacWhirter (by co-incidence, recently one of
Carl’s examiners), presents himself and sets the leg in plaster. Mr
MacWhirter seems to believe in the minimum of orthopaedic follow up (one
house call) and then discharges Alresca into Carl’s care, as personal
physician and companion, for convalescence at his Brughes home.
Alresca’s fracture heals, but his health declines in a mysterious,
psychological way. He then seems to recover, but on being visited by Rosa
Rosetta, the famous young soprano, Aresca’s co-star and as it transpires,
object of desire, he suffers a fatal relapse. Carl discovers that Alresca
has made him his heir, to the Brughes house, a modest fortune and a
strange letter.
Despite the periodic intrusion of the “Ghost” ( the malign spirit of
a deceased lover of Rosa), by the strength of Rosa’s character and love,
Carl finally wins her hand as well. His medical expertise is however only
needed twice more in the book: once when he detects that Rosa’s maid is
attempting to poison her with Atropine in a milk drink, and once to
provide first aid to a stab victim…who takes several days to die! Also, as
one stage we have to believe that a man moribund with “brain fever”
(??meningitis) can rise from his death bed, don full evening wear, make a
valedictory speech and then expire!
Rgds Alan
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests