DR. JOSEPH BELL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1294, 24 November 1911, Page 11

DR. JOSEPH BELL.

« A DISTINGUISHED SCOTTISH SUF. GEON DEAD. SOME REMINISCENCES.

Tiio death 15 announced in the "Weekly Scotsman" of Dr. Joseph 8011, ono oi the most distinguished surgeons o£ the ( day and the leading ornament of the pro- , fesion in Edinburgh—known throughout , the world as. the original ol Sherlock \ Holmes. The defeased had been. in. failing health for somo time, and, being ( troubled with a somewhat serious heart affection, his life was uioro than once despaired of. He passed away at his residence, Manriccwood, Jlid-Lotliian. Dr. Joepb 8011, or "Joe Bell as ho wai> affectionately termed by hi* oontemnoraries in the profession, yiranß lr ° m a mcdical stock. Born in Edinburgh on Dcceinbcr 2, XS-37, Joseph Bell received his education at the Academy and University of his native town. Following the footsteps of the three generations oi his fainilv which immediately preceded linn Mr. great grandfather, his grandfather, and his father being distinguished surgeons., in their day-Joseph BelU soon aftor tjiking his degree, was elected Icllow ol the T?<ival College of Surgeons ill the very vear in which his fatVr, Dr. Benjamin Bell, presided over that institution. It was in the vear 1863 that his father i\a» •elccted to tho offico. ot .president, and twentv' vears lator, m the jeai of his father's death, : it was Dr. Jcseph Bell s destiny to bo ■ elected to the famei high office, an offico which he held for six consecutive years. For twenty-five years Dr. Bell was a surgeon at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmarv, and on retiring from that position he' was made consulting surgeon, wliicn appointment he held to the day ot his death. At one time he acted as editor of the "TJdinburgh TMedical Journal, and was also, the author' of several works on surgorv. He for many >pars Justice of the Peace for the County of Mid-Lothian.

"I am Sherlock Holmes!" When the exploits and adventures of Sir Arthur Conan Boyle's immortal detectivc first began to delight the Bntish public, tho quest inn was often asked, WHO i» Sherlock Holmes?" Now, everyone knows the answer, for Sir Arthur himselt has on several occasions acknowledged Uie great Scottish surgeon who has just passed away as the prototype of his imaginerv hero. Time was, however, when Sherlock's identity was not a matter oi common knowledge, as tho following story, which is taken from a biographical sketch of Dr. Bell by "Handasyde in '•Good Words," July, 1902, shows:Some ladies who had never bolero read a story of that kind were sitting round tho fire one' winter's day reading and discussing Conan Doyle s hero as though he were "'an actual person, which is one test of literary fame, when thev were interrupted bv the entrance ot a famous and favourite physician, who, in a habitual spirit of inquiry, asked what it was thev were reading with so much interest "Tho Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, thev said, the story of a most entrancing individual, whom tlioy only wished it were i possible to meet with in real life. 11 know the man," observed the doctor quietly, hastening away before they hail time 'to ply him with the many surprised anil anxious questions that naturally rose to their lins. Returning shortly from seeing his patient, lie eanjo back for one brief minute to finish his story and to announce with as much modesty as uiiglit b©, "1 >ini Shcrlocb Holmes;

Surgeon-Dotective. Here is another story. 3t vill bo remembered that Sherlock Holmes's focuJ* tics were ever so keenly on the alert that, no smallest detail could possibly escape his penetrative eyes, oven so with the detective-surgeon who had himself learnt the answer before ho usked his patients a question, and from whoso vigilance 110 deception or evasion could ever, bo successfully hid. ''Your first child, my good

woman?'' with perfect confidence lie asked' .•;onio mnllicT villi an infant in tho uiowdcd uiit-pniionts' ward of the fjreat infirmary, thereby more thuu uiystilying the good woman, who answered, as he had foreseen, in the affirmative; she, simple soul, having no idea that there could bo uny significance in the brilliant tartan capo slie had bought, with such pardonable extravagance for her first-born.

A Lovable Man. i So, too, with Iho poor working man suffering from spinal complaint, bis sympathy was instant and comprehensive. "It. aches docs it? 1 luivc ilo rloubl. it doe:*. ami carrying a- heavy bod of bricks won't improvo thai, will it?" ho said in his brisk way; but tUo afflicted bricklaycr. being a speechless Scot, kept his surprise to himself till tin: end of the interview., when ho asked with canny curiosity, "I'm 110' saying yc'ro wrung; but, wliu tcll't ye I was n bricklayer to trade f J.'nr to his circumscribed brain it had never occurred that the man, occupied only with his spine, could havo noticed the rough, horny hands, that _ to, tji* practised eyo at onco revealed his trade, (•jherlock Holmes would liave noticed these things, and thereby would have hung _ /x tale; but Sherlock Ilolmqs, even in his dramatised version, was never so lovable n man a* flip lato Dr. Bell; lie might verv possibly without, counting bo able to tell the number of buttons on his waistcoat, but he would never havo had sufficient geuialitv to play fairy godfather to a delighted hospital of sick children,., or have the friendliness to claim acquaintunco witli every white«capped hospital nurse he met. ' . llero is an anecdote of Dr. Bell .which ' shows his perspicuity was sometimes at fault. Lecturing ono day on emphysema, he introduced to his class a patient suffering from this . complaint. "Now, gentlemen, wc shall probably find that this patient used to play upon si)me instrument." Turning to the patient he said. "You belonged to a band, did you notf" "Ye*, sir." "Now, tell the. class Iho sort of instrument you played on.' "I used to beat the big drum." :

Conan Doyle's Tribute, . ■ "VVritinpr to tbi? "Edinburgh Evening Dispatch," Sir Arthur Conan Doylo says:—, '•'Personally !• can say very little of Dr. Joseph 'Bell, for I have ' never met liira in his own house, arid really only know him as my professor. As such I shall alwavs sec-lnm very clearly, his stiff, bristling, iron-grey hair,.vilis clear, Ualt'-Uumorous, half-critical grcr eyes, his eager face, and swarthy skin jHc. had a very spare figure, as I remembe,rhim, anil walked with a jerky, energetic'gait, his head carried.high, and his arul.fi swirling. He had a dry humour, and a.remarkable comniand of i.hc vernacular, iuto which ho easily fell when addressing his patients. His skill as a surgeon, and. his charm as I a lecturer, are, of course, proverbial."