A Study in Scarlet (Serial Edition Cover) — page 18: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

10 A STUDY IN SCARLET. “If we don’t get on it will be easy to part company,” I answered. “It seems to me, Stamford,” I added, look- ing hard at my companion, “that you have some reason for washing your hands of the matter. Is this fellow’s temper so formidable, or what is it? - Don’t be mealy- mouthed about it.” “It 1s not easy to express the inexpressible, ” he an- swered, with a laugh. ‘“ Holmes 1s a little too scientific for my tastes—-it approaches to cold-bloodedness. I could imagine his giving a friend a little pinch of the latest vegetable alkaloid, not out of malevolence,’ you understand, but simply out of a spirit of inquiry in order to have an accurate idea of the effects. To do him justice, I think that he would take it himself with the same readiness. He appears to have a passion for defi- nite and exact knowledge.” “Very right, too.” “Yes; but it may be pushed to excess. When it comes to beating the subjects in the dissecting-rooms with a stick, it is certainly taking rather a bizarre shape.” “ Beating the subjects!” “Yes, to verify how far bruises may be produced after death. I saw him at it with my own eyes.” “ And yet you say he is not a medical student ?™ “No. Heaven knows what the objects of his studies are! But here we are, and you must form your own impressions about him.” As he spoke, we turned down a narrow lane ard passed through a small! side door, which opened into a wing of the great hospital. It was familiar ground to me, and I needed no guiding as we ascended the bleex Gomilecboo <SaG