The Secret Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes by June Thomson Read Free Book Online

the Appendix where they will find, printed in full, the monograph of my late uncle, Dr John F. Watson, concerning the dating of certain events within the published canon, with particular reference to the precise year of Dr John H. Watson’s marriage. (Aubrey B. Watson)
    * It would appear that Dr John H. Watson had at least two medical acquaintances who were willing to take over his practice in his absence. In ‘The Adventure of the Crooked Man’, one is referred to as Jackson, while in ‘The Boscombe Valley Mystery’, Mrs Watson suggests that Anstruther might oblige. (Dr John F. Watson)
    * Fortunae Progenies may be literally translated as ‘The Lineage of Fortune’ or, more loosely, as ‘Of Fortunate Descent’. (Dr John F. Watson)
    * Dr John H. Watson is no doubt referring to Irene Adler who, in Mr Sherlock Holmes’ estimation, was always ‘ the woman ’. Vide ‘A Scandal in Bohemia’. (Dr John F. Watson)
    * There are several references to dogs within the published canon and two instances when Mr Sherlock Holmes made use of such an animal to assist him in his investigations. Vide ‘The Sign of Four’ and ‘The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter’. In ‘The Adventure of the Creeping Man’, Mr Sherlock Holmes speaks of writing a monograph on the use of dogs in detective work in relation to the manner in which they reflect the characters and moods of their owners. (Dr John F. Watson)
    * Iodoform is a compound of iodine, used as an antiseptic.
    † In ‘The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier’, Godfrey Emsworth was kept segregated in an outhouse by his father who feared that his son was suffering from leprosy. However, Mr Sherlock Holmes called in the eminent dermatologist, Sir James Saunders, who diagnosed pseudo-leprosy or ichthyosis, a non-infectious disease. (Dr John F. Watson)
    * As Mr Sherlock Holmes points out in ‘The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier’, it was not illegal to keep a lunatic on private premises, provided a qualified person was in attendance and the authorities had been notified. However, as this latter obligation had clearly not been fulfilled, Lord Hindsdale was breaking the law. (Dr John F. Watson)
    * In ‘The Five Orange Pips’, Dr John H. Watson refers briefly to the adventure of the Paradol Chamber among a list of other cases which occurred in 1887 and of which he has retained the records. (Dr John F. Watson)

THE CASE OF THE HAMMERSMITH WONDER
    ‘What an exceedingly depressing day!’ Holmes complained. He was standing at the window of our * sitting-room in Baker Street, drumming his fingers on the pane down which the rain was pouring like a cataract. ‘No investigation to stimulate the mind! No book worth reading! Nothing to look at except wet umbrellas and steaming cab-horses! We really must do something, Watson. I cannot tolerate another hour spent shut up between these four walls. I shall suffocate with boredom!’
    He had been in a restless state of mind all afternoon, alternately pacing about the room or flinging himself down on the sofa to stare moodily at the ceiling.
    ‘What do you suggest, Holmes?’ I inquired.
    I was seated by the fire, reading the evening newspaper, with no real desire to venture out in such wild, wet weather.
    ‘Let us see what the Star has to offer,’ said he, striding across the room. Taking the paper from me, he rustled through the pages until he came to the section advertising the various places of entertainment.
    ‘Which would you prefer? A concert at St James’s Hall? A theatre? Or a return visit to Goldini’s?’ *
    ‘Quite frankly, I should prefer none of them. It is a beastly night, Holmes.’
    ‘What a dull fellow you are! A little wetting hurt no one. Aha! I see something here which will tempt you away from the fire. The French Nightingale is top of the bill at the Cambridge. † I thought that would rouse you!’ said Holmes, quite recovering his good spirits at the alacrity with which I sat upright in my chair. ‘She