Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 228 "Deductive Method"!
Holmes seemed to enjoy my reaction: "Observation, with a certain continuity, my dear Watson. Note that while your hands bear the marks of the past year—rough skin and old scars—I see no very fresh scratches."

This means you haven't been standing at the operating table as the lead surgeon or assistant for at least a few weeks. How could a skilled, young surgeon in their prime, working at a top-tier hospital or a busy private clinic, possibly be so 'leisurely'?

Then Holmes sniffed again: "In addition, I don't know if you have noticed, but your clothes, especially the cuffs and front of your coat, have a very, very faint, sweet but bitter smell."

I raised my arm and sniffed, but I couldn't smell anything.

Holmes explained, "No need to bother. It's difficult for an average person's sense of smell to detect, but I'm particularly sensitive to these kinds of scents. Besides, you're already immersed in it, so it's normal that you can't smell it—"

That was the smell of tincture of opium, extremely faint, but unmistakable.

I was taken aback: "Opioids? I didn't take any..."

Holmes said definitively, “Of course not. If you used it regularly, you wouldn’t look so energetic. Opioid addicts are typically lethargic, haggard, and delirious.”

So, where does this smell come from? It can only come from your frequent contact with it—not as a user, but as a distributor or dispenser.

His tone began to sneer: "In London clinics these days—especially those impatient and incompetent second-rate clinics—opium has become almost a panacea. Pain reliever, sedative, cough suppressant, diarrhea stopper, even to put a fussy child to sleep..."

Some quack doctors, to save time and appease patients, will prescribe a bottle to almost everyone who complains. I suspect that the clinic you're in might not be doing well, and the owner prefers to use this 'efficient' method to retain patients.

As an assistant, you inevitably come into frequent contact with and prepare it, and over time, your clothes will be tainted with this lingering smell. Isn't it a regrettable downfall that a brilliant young surgeon is wasting his time in a second-rate clinic that relies on tincture to stay afloat?
London, and indeed the whole of Britain, is unwittingly indulging in this 'convenient relief.' Doctors use it to appease patients, and patients rely on it to escape pain. It masks symptoms but never eradicates the root cause.

This is a slow poison, Watson. We laugh at the Qing people for being destroyed by opium, yet we turn a blind eye to the growing opium dependence around us. This is a 'curse of civilization.' We will use our medicine and industry to brew ourselves the bitterest poison.”

I was speechless, and a thin layer of sweat even seeped out on my back.

In those few short minutes, I felt as if I had been thoroughly dissected from head to toe by this person I had only known for a short time. All my hidden experiences and current situation were laid bare. This ability was both terrifying and incredibly fascinating.

"This is...this is incredible!" I finally found my voice. "Mr. Holmes, everything you deduced is absolutely correct!"

Holmes waved his hand casually, as if everything that had just happened was insignificant: "This is just a small example of applying my 'deductive method.' When we have eliminated all the impossible possibilities, what remains, however improbable, must be the truth. And the process of elimination relies on careful observation of details and logical deduction."

Lionel put down his pen and gently blew the ink off the paper.

This rewrite undoubtedly makes the reasoning process much more solid.

From "housewife's hands" to lime water disinfection and the tiny cuts from a scalpel, from the smell of tincture of opium to its misuse as a drug background...

This version of Sherlock Holmes provides more specific observations that are relevant to the historical context at each step, avoiding arbitrary intervention based on "intuition."

These details were mostly observed by Lionel during his hospitalization in London; the tincture of opium came from a deep impression gained from his conversation with Dr. Bell.

Lionel was quite interested in the medical methods and limitations of the time.

After all, he didn't want to be bled, force-fed feces soup, have his scalp scalded, or have a pair of dirty hands stick into his stomach to search for his appendix and spleen after he got sick.

If he could remain lucid, he would insist on watching the doctor wash his hands and disinfecting the entire operating room with acetic acid, no matter the cost. However, this one instance of reasoning wasn't enough!

Lionel pondered—after Watson's initial shock, he should develop a stronger interest in this "deductive method," perhaps even with a hint of skepticism—

Perhaps there was an element of luck involved in just one successful deduction?
Holmes seemed to read my mind: "Watson, it seems you're quite interested in my little trick."

I was quite excited: "This is no small trick, Mr. Holmes! This is simply... magic!"

Holmes corrected me: "It's deductive reasoning, not magic! Logic is to reason what a telescope is to an astronomer and a microscope is to a biologist, enabling us to see the essence of things."

I still find it hard to believe, or rather, I'm unwilling to believe that someone's observation could be so keen: "But, Mr. Holmes, please forgive my intrusion, perhaps... perhaps there was some coincidence in my deduction just now? Or perhaps you obtained it through some other means I don't know..."

Holmes laughed: "Doubt is the first step in the scientific spirit, Watson. Very good, you are better than most people who just exclaim 'That's amazing' and then stop. This proves that although you are young, you do have the potential to become an excellent doctor."

So, to prove to you that this is not a coincidence, nor that I did any prior investigation—please give me any item you have with you, anything will do.

Ideally, it should be something you carry around and have used for a while. Let me try and see what I can glean from it.

I instinctively reached into my pocket and touched a cold metal object—my pocket watch. It was an old item my father gave me when I came to London to study medical school, and I almost never let it out of my sight.

I took out my pocket watch and examined it carefully: the silver case was somewhat worn, the cover was smooth, there were no engravings or markings on it, nor any photographs, and the watch chain was just an ordinary silver chain.

"Here you go." I handed the pocket watch to Holmes without giving any further explanation. I wanted to see what else he could say this time.

Holmes took the pocket watch, gently stroking the case with his fingertips as if sensing its history; then he walked under the lamp and examined it closely.

Time ticked by, and I held my breath, watching Holmes's every subtle expression.

Finally, Holmes held the pocket watch in his palm, raised his head, closed his eyes, as if integrating all the information in his mind.

A moment later, he opened his eyes: “A very interesting item, Watson. It tells me far more about your family than about you.”

I started to feel a little panicked.

Holmes mentioned "family stories," but I didn't mention that it was an heirloom from my father.

Lionel did not directly copy the original "A Study in Scarlet" for this part of the reasoning, but rather drew inspiration from "The Sign of Four".

The Sign of Four contains a scene where a person makes deductions about life based on a pocket watch, and the later Sherlock Holmes film with Benedict Cumberbatch paid homage to it.

In Sherlock Holmes, Holmes deciphered Watson's turbulent life using only Watson's brother's cell phone.

Lionel decides to bring forward the "pocket watch deduction," but will make certain adjustments based on the new "Watson" setting.

(End of this chapter)