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Continued from Page 8 or syphilitic myelopathy, wherein nerves in the spine
reflected that, “I thought I would try my hand at writing a degenerate because of untreated syphilis. He served on
story where the hero would treat crime as Dr. Bell treated another voyage as ship’s doctor aboard the SS Mayumba on
disease.” This inspired him to create a character who a journey to the west coast of Africa, and in 1900, he spent
could apply his clinical mind to criminal investigation. six months during the Second Boer War in South Africa as a
volunteer field army surgeon.
Diagnostic medicine and detective work share many
similarities, most notably, the methods of observation and A staunch supporter of compulsory vaccination, Conan
deduction that are used to reach a conclusion. Medical Doyle wrote several articles advocating for the practice
practitioners use a patient’s medical history, physical and denouncing the views of anti-vaccinators. Despite his
examination, and investigation to reach a diagnosis. success as a writer, he never turned his back on his medical
Conan Doyle mirrored this approach as Sherlock career. One might wonder how he would feel knowing that
Holmes used his methodical and logical approach to he would be remembered much more for his writing than for
solve mysteries. His ability to observe even the most his doctoring.
minute detail is a skill that is still
taught to medical students today. Conan Doyle wrote four novels
Deductive reasoning is an important Sir Arthur Conan Doyle about Sherlock Holmes as well as
component of the modern medical "How great a privilege 56 short stories that feature the
diagnostic process. famous detective. His stories are
and how valuable a considered milestones in the field of
In his autobiography, Conan Doyle crime fiction. He was also a prolific
remarked, “It is no wonder that after possession it is to be a writer of fantasy and science fiction,
the study of such a character [Bell], medical man,and humor, plays, romances, poetry,
I used and amplified his methods historical novels, and non-fiction, as
when in later life I tried to build up a to have had a well as several stories inspired by
scientific detective who solved cases medical training." his time at sea. Conan Doyle—and
on his own merits and not through many critics—consider his seven
the folly of the criminal.” historical novels his best work. His
last Sherlock Holmes story was
Conan Doyle’s two careers rested published in 1927, three years
side by side. His first published before his death in 1930 at age 71.
work, “The Mystery of Sasassa
Valley,” was featured in Chambers's Edinburgh Conan Doyle influenced and
Journal on September 6, 1879; his first academic inspired nearly every mystery writer who
paper, “Gelsemium as a Poison” appeared in the followed him, and his legacy can be found
British Medical Journal on September 20, 1879. in works from other genres as well. Nearly
60 years after Conan Doyle’s death, another
A true adventurer, after graduating from medical physician-turned-author, Michael Crichton, paid
school in 1880 with his MBCM degree (Bachelor homage to Conan Doyle by naming the sequel
of Medicine and Master of Surgery), Conan to Jurassic Park, Crichton’s best-selling novel
Doyle worked as a ship’s physician and surgeon, about cloned dinosaurs, “The Lost World” after
visiting the Arctic aboard the Greenland whaler, Conan Doyle’s 1912 novel about an expedition to
Hope of Peterhead, which he would refer to a plateau in the Amazon basin of South America
as “a strange and fascinating chapter of my where prehistoric animals (dinosaurs and other
life.” Though his primary duty was that of ship’s extinct creatures) still survive. Conan Doyle
doctor, he would go out into the harpooner’s continues to be one of the world’s best-known
longboats or onto the ice every chance he had. He and most widely read authors.
celebrated his 21st birthday during the voyage and ~ Martha Abell Shrader
recounted years later that, “I came of age at 80 degrees
north latitude.” 1 Often referred to as "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle" or simply "Conan Doyle"
(implying that Conan is part of a compound surname as opposed to
Conan Doyle went on to receive an advanced medical his given middle name), his baptism entry in the register of St Mary's
degree in 1885 (a Doctor of Medicine – the equivalent of Cathedral, Edinburgh, gives "Arthur Ignatius Conan" as his given names
and "Doyle" as his surname. Although he was knighted as Doyle, not under
an American PhD) with a dissertation on tabes dorsalis, the compound Conan Doyle, the actual use of a compound surname is
demonstrated by the fact that his second wife was known as Jean Conan
Doyle rather than as Jean Doyle.

SCC Quarterly | Volume 4 | Issue 2