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Back The Art of Dying Save as PDF
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

‘Do you think that it will ever be possible for a woman to study at the university here, in Edinburgh?’

Dr Simpson frowned.

‘Despite being a leader in many fields, I doubt Edinburgh University will blaze a trail in this matter,’ he said. ‘Certainly not the Medical School. Knowing my brother professors as I do, I think it unlikely in my lifetime.’

Sarah felt her shoulders sag. Dr Simpson could usually be relied upon for his optimism no matter the subject being discussed. His doubts about this could not be readily dismissed.

‘Things will change,’ he said. ‘There are few obstacles that will not disappear before determined industry.’

He smiled at her, but she noticed that, unusually, it did not reach his eyes.

THIRTY

logo missing thick fog had settled itself on the streets of the New Town as Raven and Sarah made their way along Queen Street. It was brutally cold, so they walked quickly, heads down. They had shared few words since leaving No. 52, Sarah rebuffing his conversational gambits with brief, terse answers.

Eventually, she spoke.

‘What made you change your mind about helping me?’

There was an edge of accusation to it. He could tell she was still annoyed that he had refused her in the first place.

‘It occurred to me that although Dr Simpson can be disorganised, he is not dishonest, and he is certainly not incompetent.’

‘That is surely not news to you.’

‘No, but it was brought home to me by a case I was asked to see recently. Unusual symptoms that I could not explain. Deep stupor preceded by delirium and twitching. I’ve never come across anything quite like it. The patient’s usual practitioner, a Dr Fowler, was an old-fashioned type, determined to bleed and purge. He seemed more concerned about his leeches than the fate of the patient.’

‘His leeches?’

‘Yes, they all fell off and died shortly after they were applied. It seems he was quite attached to them, if you will.’

Raven paused, inviting her to share the joke. She did not look amused.

‘I mean he had had them for a long time,’ he explained. ‘Given his adherence to the doctrine of depletion and blood-letting, the things probably succumbed due to exhaustion.’ There was still no hint of a smile from Sarah and so he abandoned his attempts at humour and continued with the unadorned facts of the case.

‘I had no idea what to suggest and the patient died shortly after I saw him. By the time I was involved it was probably too late to make a difference, but I still felt a terrible sense of defeat. Dr Fowler implied that I had been obstructive and was clearly trying to blame me for the outcome. It occurred to me that it is easy to make enemies in this town, and it troubles me that the death of a patient often becomes a battleground rather than an opportunity to learn.’