The Adventure of the Manufactured Miracle (The Midwinter Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes Book 1) by Craig Janacek Page A
Authors: Craig Janacek
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with jade in your jewelry, several pieces of which I noted upon your desk. The most common source of jade is from China, and the ancient dynasties were famous for their jade works.”
Vaughan nodded in mute confirmation.
“But not all of your books on China are concerning its arts and treasures,” Holmes continued. “Your shelves also contain a work entitled the Compendium of Materia Medicam , which is the most comprehensive tome ever written about the history of traditional Chinese medicine. I must admit, Mr. Vaughan, that I still did not understand the importance of this connection until I recalled your maid’s description of the note you wrote and how you received a reply in return. A reply written upon an unusually thin sheet of paper. I finally reached out to several prominent Chinese apothecaries in Limehouse, and I see that my queries have borne fruit.” He held up the pale green envelope passed to him from Wiggins.
“Shall I open it, Mr. Vaughan?”
Inspector Lestrade, Dr. Lowe, and I all turned to our host, confused by what Holmes was asking of him.
“There is no need,” Vaughan replied, his voice tinged with a new hoarseness.
“Indeed, for I know the answer as well as you. Certain patients with diseases of the blood that manifest as bruising, purple spots on the skin, and bleeding of the mucous membranes, can be successfully treated with the use of arsenic, including rare forms of leukemia. This wondrous property was first discovered by the Chinese, and even now is poorly understood by even the greatest physicians in England. However, as you must have learned in the note that you burned, the dose required to affect a permanent improvement is rather large. So large that it could just as easily kill the man who ingested it as help him.”
“What?” exclaimed the inspector. “Are you saying, Holmes, that Vaughan poisoned himself and the others?”
“That is exactly what I am saying, Lestrade. Dr. Lowe is innocent of the crime of poisoning. While Dr. Lowe was downstairs fetching the glasses of Scotch whisky, Mr. Vaughn pilfered his bottle of Fowler’s solution from his medical bag. However, recall that when we first looked in on Mr. Vaughan he was highly feverish. I suspect that he was hallucinating when he accidentally poured the bottle into the ewer instead of into his goblet alone. The bottle clearly fell from his hand and rolled behind the Chinese screen. The deaths of Reverend Arden and Mrs. Molyneux were nothing more than a terrible accident.” He turned his aquiline gaze upon Vaughan.
Lestrade collapsed back into his chair as he appeared to contemplate this stunning turn of events. He finally rallied. “Is this so, Mr. Vaughan? Do you admit to taking the Fowler’s solution from Dr. Lowe?”
Vaughan had been following Holmes’ train of logic with wide eyes, and stared at Holmes for another moment before answering the inspector. “Yes, sir. I do recall taking the bottle. Dr. Lowe could not have administered the poison.”
Lestrade contemplated this for a moment, and then motioned to one of his constables. “We best take Mr. Vaughan into custody, then. Manslaughter, at least, I suppose.”
Holmes shook his head. “That will be a waste of your time, Lestrade. Do you not recall the Bradford Sweets case?” From the blank look upon the inspector’s face, the answer was clear, therefore Holmes continued. “In 1858, peppermint lozenges accidentally made with a high concentration of arsenic were sold in the Bradford central market. Over two hundred people were sickened and approximately twenty died. Even the laws regulating foodstuffs were altered in response to this terrible case. But all three men who contributed to the inclusion of the arsenic into the sweets were eventually acquitted. I am certain that any barrister retained for Mr. Vaughan’s defense will cite this precedent and ensure his swift release.”
“So I am just to let them both go?”
Holmes nodded. “That would be my
Vaughan nodded in mute confirmation.
“But not all of your books on China are concerning its arts and treasures,” Holmes continued. “Your shelves also contain a work entitled the Compendium of Materia Medicam , which is the most comprehensive tome ever written about the history of traditional Chinese medicine. I must admit, Mr. Vaughan, that I still did not understand the importance of this connection until I recalled your maid’s description of the note you wrote and how you received a reply in return. A reply written upon an unusually thin sheet of paper. I finally reached out to several prominent Chinese apothecaries in Limehouse, and I see that my queries have borne fruit.” He held up the pale green envelope passed to him from Wiggins.
“Shall I open it, Mr. Vaughan?”
Inspector Lestrade, Dr. Lowe, and I all turned to our host, confused by what Holmes was asking of him.
“There is no need,” Vaughan replied, his voice tinged with a new hoarseness.
“Indeed, for I know the answer as well as you. Certain patients with diseases of the blood that manifest as bruising, purple spots on the skin, and bleeding of the mucous membranes, can be successfully treated with the use of arsenic, including rare forms of leukemia. This wondrous property was first discovered by the Chinese, and even now is poorly understood by even the greatest physicians in England. However, as you must have learned in the note that you burned, the dose required to affect a permanent improvement is rather large. So large that it could just as easily kill the man who ingested it as help him.”
“What?” exclaimed the inspector. “Are you saying, Holmes, that Vaughan poisoned himself and the others?”
“That is exactly what I am saying, Lestrade. Dr. Lowe is innocent of the crime of poisoning. While Dr. Lowe was downstairs fetching the glasses of Scotch whisky, Mr. Vaughn pilfered his bottle of Fowler’s solution from his medical bag. However, recall that when we first looked in on Mr. Vaughan he was highly feverish. I suspect that he was hallucinating when he accidentally poured the bottle into the ewer instead of into his goblet alone. The bottle clearly fell from his hand and rolled behind the Chinese screen. The deaths of Reverend Arden and Mrs. Molyneux were nothing more than a terrible accident.” He turned his aquiline gaze upon Vaughan.
Lestrade collapsed back into his chair as he appeared to contemplate this stunning turn of events. He finally rallied. “Is this so, Mr. Vaughan? Do you admit to taking the Fowler’s solution from Dr. Lowe?”
Vaughan had been following Holmes’ train of logic with wide eyes, and stared at Holmes for another moment before answering the inspector. “Yes, sir. I do recall taking the bottle. Dr. Lowe could not have administered the poison.”
Lestrade contemplated this for a moment, and then motioned to one of his constables. “We best take Mr. Vaughan into custody, then. Manslaughter, at least, I suppose.”
Holmes shook his head. “That will be a waste of your time, Lestrade. Do you not recall the Bradford Sweets case?” From the blank look upon the inspector’s face, the answer was clear, therefore Holmes continued. “In 1858, peppermint lozenges accidentally made with a high concentration of arsenic were sold in the Bradford central market. Over two hundred people were sickened and approximately twenty died. Even the laws regulating foodstuffs were altered in response to this terrible case. But all three men who contributed to the inclusion of the arsenic into the sweets were eventually acquitted. I am certain that any barrister retained for Mr. Vaughan’s defense will cite this precedent and ensure his swift release.”
“So I am just to let them both go?”
Holmes nodded. “That would be my
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