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Chapters (90)
  1. PROLOGUE
  2. 1849
  3. ONE
  4. TWO
  5. EDINBURGH
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. TWELVE
  16. THIRTEEN
  17. FOURTEEN
  18. FIFTEEN
  19. SIXTEEN
  20. SEVENTEEN
  21. EIGHTEEN
  22. NINETEEN
  23. TWENTY
  24. TWENTY-ONE
  25. TWENTY-TWO
  26. TWENTY-THREE
  27. TWENTY-FOUR
  28. TWENTY-FIVE
  29. TWENTY-SIX
  30. TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. TWENTY-NINE
  33. THIRTY
  34. THIRTY-ONE
  35. THIRTY-TWO
  36. THIRTY-THREE
  37. THIRTY-FOUR
  38. THIRTY-FIVE
  39. THIRTY-SIX
  40. THIRTY-SEVEN
  41. THIRTY-EIGHT
  42. THIRTY-NINE
  43. FORTY
  44. FORTY-ONE
  45. FORTY-TWO
  46. FORTY-THREE
  47. FORTY-FOUR
  48. FORTY-FIVE
  49. FORTY-SIX
  50. FORTY-SEVEN
  51. FORTY-EIGHT
  52. FORTY-NINE
  53. FIFTY
  54. FIFTY-ONE
  55. FIFTY-TWO
  56. FIFTY-THREE
  57. FIFTY-FOUR
  58. FIFTY-FIVE
  59. FIFTY-SIX
  60. FIFTY-SEVEN
  61. FIFTY-EIGHT
  62. FIFTY-NINE
  63. SIXTY
  64. SIXTY-ONE
  65. SIXTY-TWO
  66. SIXTY-THREE
  67. SIXTY-FOUR
  68. SIXTY-FIVE
  69. SIXTY-SIX
  70. SIXTY-SEVEN
  71. SIXTY-EIGHT
  72. SIXTY-NINE
  73. SEVENTY
  74. SEVENTY-ONE
  75. SEVENTY-TWO
  76. SEVENTY-THREE
  77. SEVENTY-FOUR
  78. SEVENTY-FIVE
  79. SEVENTY-SIX
  80. SEVENTY-SEVEN
  81. SEVENTY-EIGHT
  82. SEVENTY-NINE
  83. EIGHTY
  84. EIGHTY-ONE
  85. EPILOGUE
  86. HISTORICAL NOTE
  87. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  88. Extract from A Corruption of Blood
  89. 1850
  90. ONE

‘Several years ago, Dr Simpson attended the post-mortem examination of a patient who had died from puerperal fever. He and another practitioner handled the diseased parts. The next four midwifery cases that Dr Simpson attended were all affected with puerperal fever. The next three cases the other doctor attended were attacked with the disease. There is something that adheres to the hands. Common ablutions will not remove it; chloride of lime must be used.’

‘Doesn’t everyone use chloride of lime then?’

‘Dr Simpson favours cyanide of potass, but that is of no matter. Not all are convinced. There are those who still favour the miasma theory: epidemics of disease occurring as a result of noxious air.’

‘But Dr Fowler is right. This is not puerperal fever,’ Sarah said.

‘No. But it might be Raven’s Malady.’

And there it was, the reason his fervour alarmed her: his hunger for professional acclaim was driving this now more than his desire to rescue Dr Simpson’s reputation.

Regardless of his motivation, they did need to speak to Nurse Dempster. Sarah felt sure that finding her would conclude their investigation with regard to Mrs Johnstone’s death. Whatever other avenues of enquiry Raven wished to embark upon, he could do so himself.

Dr Fowler reappeared, looking perplexed.

‘I must apologise. If I ever had the address, I have misplaced it. However, I believe it is to be found by consulting the Post Office directory. How many Mary Dempsters can there be in Edinburgh?’

THIRTY-SEVEN

logo missinghere was an easterly wind whipping off the water of Lochend as Sarah strived to match Raven’s long stride down Easter Road. She could feel moisture in the air and hoped it had been picked up from the loch rather than being an indicator that the dark-grey skies were about to unburden themselves.

It was a Sunday afternoon, one of the few occasions when neither she nor Raven had duties elsewhere, and they were spending it in an attempt to locate the nurse who had worked for both Mrs Johnstone and the Porteous family. Raven had suggested Sarah might prefer to spend the day with her husband, which had made her uneasy. It might have been an idle remark, or even motivated by his own preference to go alone, but she could not help worrying that it indicated he was aware of Archie’s condition. Was he implying she ought to make the best of what little time they might have left together? Or was that her own guilt speaking?