The Case of the Nun's Disease

On glancing over my notes of the seventy odd				patient.""Yes Dr Watson", says she. "What you
cases in which I have during the last eight years				say is true but this is no comfort for a women if
studied the methods of my friend Sherlock				she has to wait to find out if she contracts this
Holmes, I find many tragic, some comic, a large				terrible disease before any treatment is given her
number merely strange, but none commonplace;				and by which time it is already too late. That is
for, working as he did rather for the love of his				why my Aunt believes that someone like Mr
art than for the acquirement of wealth, he				Holmes, the famous detective who solves cases
refused to associate himself with any investigation				of crime when all others have failed, may best be
which did not tend towards the unusual, and even				qualified to find the answer."Turning to Holmes,
the fantastic. Of all these varied cases, however,				the lady hesitated, but then asked, "Sir, if
I cannot recall any which presented more singular				anybody can fathom out the answer to this riddle
features than "The Case of the Nun's Disease".It				my Aunt believes that you can. Please Mr Holmes,
all began in a year, and even in a decade, that				she requests your help in this matter, for the
shall be nameless, that upon one Tuesday morning				pointers that your colleague speaks, are clues like
in autumn I woke to find Sherlock Holmes				any that you have used in solving crimes. Surely
standing, fully dressed, by the side of my bed. He				Mr Holmes", says she. "There is no difference
was a late riser, as a rule, and as the clock on the				between these and those clues you have acted
mantelpiece showed me that it was only a				upon in the crimes that you have solved".I could
quarter-past seven, I blinked up at him in some				see that Holmes was moved by the manner and
surprise, and perhaps just a little resentment, for				speech of Miss Miles. For a moment I could see
I was myself regular in my habits."Very sorry to				this from the expression on his face, one that I
knock you up, Watson," said he, "but it's the				was familiar, when he was in deep thought. Then
common lot this morning. Mrs. Hudson has been				his face changed to one of an expression of
knocked up, she retorted upon me, and I on				gentleness and conviction."Miss Miles" he says.
you.""What is it, then -- a fire?""No; a client. It				"You are quite right in what you say. Tell your
seems that a young lady has arrived in a				Aunt that I will endeavour to provide an answer
considerable state of excitement, who insists				to her enquiry before she takes that journey that
upon seeing me. She is waiting now in the sitting				we all must take one day. She has my deepest
room. Now, when young ladies wander about the				sympathy and respect".Miss Miles arose, tears in
metropolis at this hour of the morning, and knock				her eyes and thanked Holmes for his words of
sleepy people up out of their beds, I presume				encouragement. Mrs Hudson escorted her to the
that it is something very pressing which they				door and hailed a cab for the young lady and she
have to communicate. Should it prove to be an				departed.The Game is AfootWhen our visitor had
interesting case, you would, I am sure, wish to				departed Holmes stood in silence then sat for
follow it from the outset. I thought, at any rate,				some time lost in the deepest thought. Unable to
that I should call you and give you the				bear the suspense anymore I caught his attention,
chance.""My dear fellow, I would not miss it for				which only made him frown."Holmes, what are
anything."I had no keener pleasure than in following				you going to do, then?" I asked."To smoke," he
Holmes in his professional investigations, and in				answered. "It is quite a three pipe problem, and I
admiring the rapid deductions, as swift as				beg that you won't speak to me for fifty
intuitions, and yet always founded on a logical				minutes."He curled himself up in his chair, with his
basis with which he unravelled the problems which				thin knees drawn up to his hawk-like nose, and
were submitted to him. I rapidly threw on my				there he sat with his eyes closed and his black
clothes and was ready in a few minutes to				clay pipe thrusting out like the bill of some strange
accompany my friend down to the sitting room.				bird. I had come to the conclusion that he had
A lady dressed in black and heavily veiled, who				dropped asleep, and indeed was nodding myself,
had been sitting in the window, rose as we				when he suddenly sprang out of his chair with the
entered."Good-morning, madam," said Holmes				gesture of a man who has made up his mind and
cheerily. "My name is Sherlock Holmes. This is my				put his pipe down upon the mantelpiece."Watson,
intimate friend and associate, Dr. Watson, before				my good fellow", says he to me. "Tell me what
whom you can speak as freely as before myself.				you know about this disease.""Holmes", I replied.
Ha! I am glad to see that Mrs. Hudson has had the				"There is really very little to tell. Breast cancer as
good sense to light the fire. Pray draw up to it,				it is now called, first made its appearance in the
and I shall order you a cup of hot coffee, for I				seventeenth century, although it is suggested that
observe that you are shivering.""lt is not cold				it may have occurred before then. At that time it
which makes me shiver," said the woman in a low				was known as the nun's disease because for
voice, changing her seat as requested."What,				reasons unknown it was particularly prevalent
then?""It is fear, Mr. Holmes. It is terror." She				amongst nuns. Bernardino Ramazzini an Italian
raised her veil as she spoke, and we could see				physician was the first to notice this unusual trend
that she was indeed in a pitiable state of agitation,				in the convents, when he was carrying out a
her face all drawn and grey, with restless				survey of convents to look at the
frightened eyes, like those of some hunted animal.				occupation."Holmes thinks about the case in
Her features and figure were those of a woman				silence"Ah!" Holmes exclaimed. "I have heard of
of thirty, but her hair was shot with premature				this man. He was a man after my own heart and
grey, and her expression was weary and				he used similar methods as I, in identifying causes
haggard.Sherlock Holmes ran her over with one of				and effect for various illnesses. If I recall his book
his quick, all-comprehensive glances."You must not				"Diseases of Workers" outlined the health hazards
fear," said he soothingly, bending forward and				of chemicals, dust, metals, and other agents
patting her forearm. "We shall soon set matters				encountered by workers in various occupations.
right, I have no doubt. You have come in by train				He had seen that there was a relationship
this morning, I see.""You know me, then?""No, but				between various metals and the symptoms of
I observe the second half of a return ticket in the				metallic poisoning that developed in the artisans
palm of your left glove. You must have started				who worked with them, and he recognised that
early, and yet you had a good drive in a dog-cart,				paints were a factor in the poisoning of painters.
along heavy roads, before you reached the				He also made studies of diseases in other
station."The lady gave a violent start and stared in				occupations including lung diseases of miners, eye
bewilderment at my companion."There is no				conditions of printers, and yes, I remember now,
mystery, my dear madam," said he, smiling. "The				"breast cancer in nuns." Watson, what conclusions
left arm of your jacket is spattered with mud in				did he reach with respects to our present
no less than seven places. The marks are				case?"Well, my friend", says I. "It was a puzzle to
perfectly fresh. There is no vehicle save a				be sure. The only thing he could think of was that
dog-cart which throws up mud in that way, and				perhaps there was some relationship between
then only when you sit on the left-hand side of				their celibacy and childlessness. ""No Watson!" says
the driver.""Whatever your reasons may be, you				he. "There must be more that this for even now
are perfectly correct," said she. "My aunt's faith in				many women remain childless and do not suffer
your deductive powers is well founded I can see,"				from the disease. What else do you know?"There
says she. "I am here on a matter of life and				is strong evidence that breast feeding offers
death. Alas!" said she, "the very horror of the				some kind of prevention to women getting the
situation lies in the fact that my fears are so				disease." I said. Medical studies have shown this to
vague, and my suspicions depend so entirely upon				be true, and nuns of course did not breast feed,
small points, which might seem trivial to another,				so this must be of some relevance."Sherlock
that even those to whom of all others I have a				Holmes clapped his hands softly together and
right to look for help and advice looks upon all				chuckled. "Pon my word, Watson, you are coming
that I tell as the fancies of a nervous woman. But				along wonderfully. You have really done very well
I have heard Mr. Holmes that you can see deeply				indeed. It is true that you have missed everything
into the manifold wickedness of the human heart.				of importance, but you have hit upon the
You may advise me how to walk amid the				method" Never trust to general impressions, my
dangers which encompass those who share the				boy, but concentrate yourself upon details.I could
horrors of which I am about to speak.""I am all				not help but smile at his outburst and as I did so
attention, madam." says he."My name is Sarah				other "details" entered my head. "Holmes", I said in
Miles, and I am here on behalf of my aunt. She is				excitement. "Women in those days wore tight
dying Mr Holmes. She is dying of a dreadful illness				fitting clothing as they do now, that squeezed
that has plagued those of her vocation. She has				their breasts to their chest, in order to boost,
sent me to you for even though she lies				dare I say, cleavage. Further many of the upper
bedridden in terrible pain, knowing that her time is				classes applied makeup to their bosom, faces and
short. But even in this state, her mind is clear and				arms, a substance called ceruse or white Lead
she has heard of you and knows in her heart that				and used other preparations to enhance their
if anybody could solve the riddle of her illness, you				beauty that was of dubious toxicity. In fact some
can. But knowing that she has but a few days to				of these women also got the nun's disease too
live, perhaps a week or two at the most, it is the				while it remained exceeding rare among the lower
reason why I have hastened here at such an				classes. Holmes, I think we are onto something", I
early hour. She wants to know if you can help				exclaimed.Holmes smiled at me as one would of
before she dies and the reason for my				to a child who has discovered something new and
haste""Prey tell me what vocation is that", said he,				exciting. "My dear Watson", he said. "Are you not
his eyes now aflame with interest.I am sure I				forgetting something? Nuns wore habits, long
detected a tear in the corner of his eye, as I				flowing garments, and did not dub themselves
glanced over to him."She is a nun Mr Holmes",				with makeup. I fear that our line of enquiry is
says she. "and has returned home with me to die"				leading along a path that has no significance.Now it
But she is not alone in her agony for many in her				was my turn to smile. "Holmes my dear friend". I
convent had died of the same disease, and				said. "When it comes to women, your knowledge
others."Ah yes, says he. "You mean that she has				is truly lacking in this area, but as a doctor I am
the nun's disease, which nowadays is called breast				often in situations where my services require
cancer? I have heard much about this terrible				treatment of feminine ailments, and nuns are no
disease" -Holmes consoles Miss Miles as she				exception."Holmes looked at me in surprise and
relates the condition of her Aunt to him.				motioned me to carry on."Well", I said. "While it is
Holmes glanced in my direction. I had expected				true that nuns wear long flowing robes as you
him to be impatient upon this narrative because				say, beneath them they wore a stay or similar
of the untypical nature of the case, one that my				garment that flattened their breasts close to their
profession is more likely to be involved in than he,				chests, and they wear it all the time. I can tell you
but, on the contrary he had listened with the				it is quite a job to remove the garment when one
greatest concentration of attention."Yes Mr				wants to examine the chest area of a nun with a
Holmes, she has that terrible disease, that spreads				stethoscope." I explained that it was something to
fear and tribulation among all women, but				do with the church's understanding of chastity,
especially nuns, who for reasons yet unexplained,				and the need not to be a focal point of attention
are susceptible to its horrors. My aunt knows that				and a lure to men. However the exact details
there is nothing that anyone can do for her, but				escapes me as it is an internal doctrinal matter of
she believes that if anyone can find out why				the church, and you know me and my thoughts
those of her calling get the disease, it would be				about religion.," says I.The face of Holmes lit up no
you sir.She turned in my direction and asked, "Dr				sooner had my explanation passed his ears. For a
Watson, are you a doctor of the medical				moment he was silent, deep in thought then he
profession.""Yes, I replied", knowing what she was				said, "Ah! My dear Watson, there we come into
about to say."Why is it Dr Watson that those				those realms of conjecture, where the most
who are supposed to find out cures and remedies				logical mind may be at fault. Each may form his
for sickness and disease have failed so badly				own hypothesis upon the present evidence, and
when it come to this disease", says she. "Instead				yours is as likely to be correct as mine is. What
all that seems to be done is to offer treatment				else have you to tell me?""Thank you Watson",
when someone has the disease, which often				Holmes replied, "I was aware of this. Prey tell me
results in painful mastectomy which rarely				what has breast feeding and a woman having her
resolves the problem.""Madam", says I. "We of				breasts squeezed to her chest by tight fitting
my profession do not know why nun's are more				clothing have do with this case?"..........So we sat, in
prone to get the disease than other women". All				silence, lost in our thoughts. Then all of a sudden
we have are a few pointers, but not enough to				he exclaimed, "My dear fellow." says he, as we
ascertain the reasons why. So all we can do is				sat on either side of the fire in his lodgings at
tackle the disease when it arises, hopefully when				Baker Street, "life is infinitely stranger than
it is caught in its early stages, because if we do,				anything which the mind of man could invent. We
we can usually provide treatment that will either				would not dare to conceive the things which are
cure the person or at least extend the life of the				really mere commonplaces of existence.

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The Case of the Nun's Disease

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