infallibly deadly, and it is horribly contagious."

He spoke now with a feverish energy, the long hands twitching and
jerking as he motioned me away.

"Contagious by touch, Watson--that's it, by touch. Keep your distance
and all is well."

"Good heavens, Holmes! Do you suppose that such a consideration weighs
with me of an instant? It would not affect me in the case of a
stranger. Do you imagine it would prevent me from doing my duty to so
old a friend?"

Again I advanced, but he repulsed me with a look of furious anger.

"If you will stand there I will talk. If you do not you must leave the
room."

I have so deep a respect for the extraordinary qualities of Holmes that
I have always deferred to his wishes, even when I least understood
them. But now all my professional instincts were aroused. Let him be
my master elsewhere, I at least was his in a sick room.

"Holmes," said I, "you are not yourself. A sick man is but a child,
and so I will treat you. Whether you like it or not, I will examine
your symptoms and treat you for them."

He looked at me with venomous eyes.

"If I am to have a doctor whether I will or not, let me at least have
someone in whom I have confidence," said he.

"Then you have none in me?"

"In your friendship, certainly. But facts are facts, Watson, and,
after all, you are only a general practitioner with very limited
experience and mediocre qualifications. It is painful to have to say
these things, but you leave me no choice."

I was bitterly hurt.

"Such a remark is unworthy of you, Holmes. It shows me very clearly
the state of your own nerves. But if you have no confidence in me I
would not intrude my services. Let me bring Sir Jasper Meek or Penrose
Fisher, or any of the best men in London. But someone you MUST have,
and that is final. If you think that I am going to stand here and see
you die without either helping you myself or bringing anyone else to
help you, then you have mistaken your man."

"You mean well, Watson," said the sick man with something between a sob
and a groan. "Shall I demonstrate your own ignorance? What do you
know, pray, of Tapanuli fever? What do you know of the black Formosa
corruption?"

"I have never heard of either."

"There are many problems of disease, many strange pathological
possibilities, in the East, Watson." He paused after each sentence to
collect his failing strength. "I have learned so much during some
recent resea