Whodunit?
Murder mysteries are one of the most classical genres of literature and media.
They captivate mass collectives of fans yet very few pursue or learn of the
real people who crack the cases. Doctor Joseph Bell, a renowned lecturer at the
medical university in Edinburgh, Scotland spent his off hours testing and
concluding theories and techniques he thought could apply to crime
investigation.
Joseph Bell was
born on the second of December 1837, in Scotland. He earned a medical degree
and got a job lecturing at the highly renowned medical school, the University
of Edinburgh. In his lectures, Bell often emphasized that close and sharp
observations are the key to diagnosis. As an example or demonstration, he would
sometimes choose a random stranger, bring them in front of the class and deduce
them to the point of not only their ailments but occupation and recent
activities, like knowing their previous location because of the color of dirt
on their shoes. However it is his time outside the class room where the true
story begins. Bell carried out some of the first serious toxicology and
ballistics studies in history and was the first to start applying science to
criminal investigation; he is looked upon as the Father of Forensic Science.
Joseph Bell’s specialty though, was in forensic pathology, or the precise study
of diseases.
It wasn’t a
surprise that Joseph pursued a career in medical science, it ran in his
family’s bloodline, as he was the great-grandson of Benjamin Bell. Benjamin was
considered one of the first scientific surgeons and his six volume text book ‘A System of Surgery’ was considered a bible at the
university where Joseph lectured and at several other medical schools. Even in
today’s times his text book is referenced in medical teachings. He uncovered
several important discoveries including studies of sexually transmitted
diseases and stomach ulcers. Not to mention Bells
father and grandfather worked at Edinburgh University as surgeons.
The Scotland
Yard even consulted and involved Bell in several cases after rumors of his
studies became more and more public: including the Ardlamont Mystery of 1893,
investigations of Jack the Ripper and my personal favorite the Coal-Gas
Mystery. The Coal-Gas mystery also called the Case of Elizabeth Chantrelle was
the case that brought Joseph Bell into the spotlight. Fifteen year old
Elizabeth Dyer was a student of Eugene Marie Chantrelle, a French immigrant. He
seduced her, convincing her to marry him and for the next ten years he abused
her, claiming he could kill her in infinite ways. One day Elizabeth fell ill,
seriously ill and her maid found her unconscious on her bed. She ran to get
help from a doctor but when she came back she noted slight changes in the
room—the half-full glass of lemonade was now emptied and some of the oranges
and grapes had disappeared too but Elizabeth was still unconscious. Chantrelle
stood at the window as if to draw attention to the area, the smell of coal-gas
now flooding the room. The doctor, of course picking up on smell of the gas
assumed that Elizabeth suffered from Coal-gas poisoning; they moved her to a
clinic where she unfortunately soon died. Bell heard about the case suspected
that there was more to this than there appeared so he decided to call his
friend and noted toxicologist/chemist Sir Henry Littlejohn. After examining the
woman they discovered all of her symptoms were consistent of that of narcotics
poisoning. Poison is a method of murder often used for quick, discrete crime,
in hopes they cannot be caught and in the late 1800s it was often overlooked.
Toxins rarely leave evidence so finding samples to test for poisoning is
difficult. Often in today’s times, the blood, stomach contents and tissue
around the entrance point are often analyzed but in Bell’s time, much less was
known of the effects and ways to trace poison. They then needed more evidence
to prove this discovery so Bell and Littlejohn returned to the crime scene
where they found and collected a sample of vomit from the pillow. After
analysis it was proven it contained high levels of opium. Chantrelle still
protested that the room had a coal-gas leak and the maid told police she only
smelled the gas once she returned from fetching a physician. After inspecting
the pipes and having a gasfitter come in they learned that Chantrelle asked
several questions about the pipe last time it was being inspected, not to
mention the discovery of records saying Chantrelle not only recently purchased
thirty doses of opium but three months earlier he had insured his wife for a
considerable sum. It was clear now that he had staged an accidental gas
poisoning to cover up his murder. His trial lasted four days and he was convicted
on May 31, 1878. As he stood on the platform, noose around his neck, he
puffed his cigar and removed his hat, looking at Littlejohn he said, “Bye, Bye
Littlejohn. Don’t forget to give my compliments to Joe Bell. You both did a
good job in bringing me to the scaffold.” It was that quote that led to the
media’s discovery of this brilliant man’s detective work.
Bell and
Littlejohn went on to solve many other cases and in the summer of 1888 a new
kind of predator lurked the streets of London. The Whitechapel murders carried
out by the infamous ‘Jack the Ripper’ is believed to be the last public case
Bell and Littlejohn ever worked. After receiving the files with three suspects
separately, the two start individual research on the murders. Bell began to fixate
on the letters, studying the handwriting to deduce things about the writer’s
character. He utilized the evidence he was given and he and Littlejohn drew
their separate conclusions writing the suspects name down and placing it in an
envelope. They then exchange envelopes to see if their conclusions match up,
and they do. Unfortunately, in the process of the final conclusion letter being
delivered to the Scotland Yard, the letter disappears. Because of this, it is
possible that we will never know what name Bell wrote down, but there is one
main suspect that scientist and historians believe was the most likely for him
to have written down-Montague Druitt. A few days after the letter was sent, the
body of Druitt was found in the Thames river with his pockets filled with
stones. It was after this suicide that the killings stopped. Bell and
Littlejohn would never know if the name they wrote was correct, nor will we.
Young Bell was
raised in Scotland with deep religious roots much of which had sprung from his father’s
involvement in the church, which at the time was a Christian denomination with
no government ties. His father enforced strict religious rules and structure
upon Joseph and his siblings. Joseph spent most of his time outside, mainly
because he was fascinated by nature, especially flowers. He was known for
planting flowers around his town as a young boy.
His
education started at Mr.Macdonal’s school; however his parents were displeased
with the quality of education he was receiving so they transferred him to
several different schools before settling at Mr. Oliphant’s school until he was
transferred into Edinburgh Academy at age ten. Edinburgh Academy is a highly
renowned boarding school; at the time it was the best in the country and still
ranks within the top 30. Joseph learned soon after admittance to the
academy that they took education extremely seriously. Teachers ranged from
supportive to downright brutal. For instance the academy’s math professor at
the time, James Gloag had a reputation of beating kids with a Tawse , a strip
of leather, with one end split into a number of tails for the smallest of
interruptions. In Bell’s time, corporal punishment was common, taws were even
referred to as ‘school straps’ and almost every professor or schoolmaster had
them.
Not all of his
professors were bad, D’Archy Wentworth Thompson a classics instructor was very
non-violent, and believing that whipping a student would have no outcome on
their ability to learn. He treated his students with respect and like young
adults rather that foolish children. Joseph was impacted by this man; he would
adopt several of his characteristics as he got older. Young Joseph excelled at the academy.
The scrawny boy often described as having a wild mane of black hair, was
energetic and athletic. He was a member of the hailes team, a sport similar to
field hockey that is played with racquets known as clackens, and the tennis
team. However as he grew older he preferred being more of a spectator. He
enjoyed observing the mechanics of football [soccer], cricket and his personal
favorite, boxing. When he graduated from the academy he pursued his education
to the University of Leyden in Holland. However he found himself growing
homesick and he transferred to Edinburgh University and joined the progressive
and philanthropic programs they offered.
In 1859 Joseph
Bell graduated from the University of Edinburgh, he was age 21 and it was from
this point that his career began to take off at a rapid rate. He found work
practically imediately after his graduation working in the Royal Edinburgh
Infirmary, his first official research thesis titled: “On Epithetical Cancer.”
Was well received and won several accolades, not to mention he was even
promoted to Demonstrator of Anatomy. Though he wasn’t restricted to medical
papers, an issue of Cornhill
Magazine from 1860 featured
an article by Bell talking about different styles of architecture and interior
decorating. Though it was the only known article like this, it still shows his
ability to dabble in his other interests.
Edith was a
beautiful kind hearted woman with a shy streak and the second she walked into
his life, she and Bell became inseparable. Their engagement lasted several
years as Bell settled into his teaching job but on April 17th, 1865
they were pronounced man and wife.
Shortly after
settling into his new family and job, Edinburgh fell siege to a widespread
pandemic of Diphtheria. It wasn’t long until they turned to Bell and his
expertise; he soon began his examinations and experiments on the disease. He
noted that Diphtheria affects the upper respiratory tract, and that he could
help slow it if he had the proper technology which t that time hadn’t been created.
So Bell took it upon himself to craft a special pipette and with it he could
suck bacteria from the back of the glottis and ease breathing. In the modern
day we now know more about the disease, Diphtheria is a bacterial infection on
the throat that causes a formation of a thick, tenacious pseudomembrane that
causes obstruction of the airway. Victims of this infection usually die of
suffocation or choking rather than the actual bacteria. Bell’s usage of the
Pipette is still one of the main ways doctors treat this rare but serious
disease today. Though unfortunately, his exposure to the disease caused him to
contract it, he recovered after three months and was able to return to work but
he carried some long lasting effects, like stiffness in the legs that would
change the way he walked for the rest of his life. Yet another tragedy struck
in 1874 when his wife Edith died of puerperal peritonitis. He was in such a
state of devastation people say in the month following her death his hair
turned from coal to snow. This intense feeling of loss and anxiety caused him
to delve even deeper into his studies, though even through all this he allotted
time to spend with his children. He decided that in her honor he would help
those in need and in 1875 he opened the Longmore Hospital for the Incurables,
which gave healthcare to the poor and homeless. He not only owned the facility
but he put time out of his day to go down and diagnose some of the more
difficult cases and supply aid and medication.
Joseph Bell was
an analytical leader. He was stable and data driven, keeping himself rooted in
reality. This reflected in his almost flawless work; he seemed to measure his
success on his intellectual ability or scientific enlightenments he was able to
achieve. When he worked with the Scotland Yard he was commonly referred to as a
voice of reason, he was able to draw quick conclusions and point out patterns
deeply rooted in facts rather than opinions. This gave him a meticulous,
unbiased and logically sound view on his cases and made him a valuable asset to
the yard. In the classroom he was always described as a thorough, prudent,
methodical professor who seemed serious and detached from emotion. He often got
his points across with this method.
Joseph’s
strengths were his prudent, systematic, practical, and usually serious methods
of solving problems and cases. Though he usually struggled with being too
critical and data-bound, sometimes he empathized with logic over emotions and
people if he became too overwhelmed. In several cases his wife, Henry
Littlejohn and even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle have stated that he had a very
deadpan sense of humor that he would slip in, even at crime scenes. He was also
a very solitary person and when the option arose he often elected to work alone.
Joseph Bell had
a few distinct and prominent relationships in his life, the first and probably
most impacting was that with his wife. Edith Murray is always described as
stunningly beautiful, however it is her kind heartedness and philanthropic
attitudes that made him fall for her. They married on April 17, 1865 and later
had three children: Benjamin, Cecilia and Jean. Edith kept him human; it was
easy for him to become lost in his research and shut off from the world but she
was his rock that kept him in line. When she tragically died of disease he
struggled with finding the balance, however he always made sure through
anything that he saved time for his children. One of his daughters, Cecilia
once said she remembered how her father would play an observation game with
them. This game was where he would observe a stranger and deduce their job,
traveling locations and age. Bells sheer ability to read people amazed quite a
few of his students, one of whom was so inspired he began to write books.
Arthur Conan Doyle, Bell’s student and surgical dresser would take extremely
meticulous notes, writing all of his lectures word for word into his notebook.
Occasionally he would even ask Bell to repeat himself so he could make sure he
got everything written correctly. Doyle began to write stories, drawing from
his notes and the things he observed as Bell’s surgical dresser. He tried
several times to get his work published with no avail so he finished out
his doctorate, writing a thesis on the degeneration of sensory neurons and
traveled on a whaling ship for three years. After he returned home he decided
to attempt writing again changing his view from the mind of the genius to the
mind of another man, a military doctor that went by the name of Johnathan
Hamish Watson. It was with this that Sherlock Holmes became fully established
and the first novel, A study in Scarlet was published in 1887. And like there
is a real Sherlock Holmes, Joseph Bell, there was also a real Dr. Watson. His
name was Dr. Patrick Watson, He was a surgeon with a high level of experience
with gunshot wounds, ballistics and dialects. He served in the war and was also
personal surgeon to the queen. Though it is also said Bell’s close friend Henry
Littlejohn and even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had a strong impact on the character
structure of John Watson.
He was a
sportsman and a bird watcher in his off hours, and when he retired at age
sixty- four to his Morriswood estate he cared for an expansive green house of
exotic plants and even built an apiary so he could bee keep.
Joseph ran on
the arrogant side, relying on his own acuity to get him through. When he would
solve cases for the police, he didn’t want the press to know his name. He
would sometimes even cover his face to avoid pictures, because he worried
public awareness of his abilities would hinder his ability to solve cases.
Joseph Bell kept
a good balance in his life, he solved cases and was surrounded by rather morbid
scenes but kept light in his life by going to his hospital that he founded for
those homeless and in need and providing them medical care, and that is only
one of his several philanthropic endeavors. Because of his urges to help the
people in need he was able to shed more light upon the segregation of social
classes in Great Britain at the time, moving London towards a future of
social equality. Solving crimes and teaching allowed him to help make a
difference in others, whether it be saving the streets of London or inspiring a
future generation with medical knowledge. Bell also looked at everything with a
logical manner, which helped him solve his problems with unbiased efficiency,
even in the face of tragedy he was able to push through and persevere. He was
strong willed and confident and it helped him get through.
I admire him for
his scientific innovations, and his pure genius ability, particularly his
observation skills. Two of my favorite stories about him that just inspires me
to be like him are the Chantrelle Case and this small story that is often
retold as being his favorite classroom trick: He would start by informing the
class that the beaker contained a potent drug that had a bitter taste and a
putrid smell. He then would tell them to test it by tasting and smelling it and
that he too would do it to prove it was okay. Then he would dip his finger in
the liquid, and placed it in his mouth. The beaker was passed around the
classroom. With contorted, grimacing, puckered faces the students did as
he asked all of them would taste the liquid. Once the beaker would return to Bell
he would chuckle and say something along the lines of, " I am deeply
grieved to find that not one of you has developed this power of perception,
which I so often speak about; for if you watched me closely, you would have
found that, while I placed my forefinger in the medicine, it was the middle
finger which found its way into my mouth" [CITE
http://www.diogenes-club.com/joebell.htm] -T.H.
References
The
Edinburgh Academy. (2009, 15 September) About the Academy. Retrieved October
29, 2013 from the World Wide Web:
http://www.edinburghacademy.org.uk/About_the_Academy
Edwards, W.
(2013). The Real Life of Sherlock Holmes: A Biography of Joseph Bell. New York:
Absolute Crime.
Ramsland, K.
(2009, 12 October). Observe Carefully, Deduce Shrewdly: Dr. Joseph Bell.
Retrieved October 15, 2013 from the World Wide
Web:
http://www.abfm.us/articles/news/38/15/Observe-Carefully-Deduce-Shrewdly-Dr-Joseph-Bell-Part-3
Rowley,
Christopher. (2003). Sherlock Holmes: The True Story of Doctor Joseph Bell.
Canada.
SIPI (1996) What
is Pathology? Retrieved October 29, 2013 from the World Wide Web:
http://www.humpath.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment