Text 4. Did Sherlock Holmes exist?

One evening about the turn of the 19th century several guests sat around a dinner table discussing famous murders and unsolved crimes. One of the guests, Dr. Joseph Bell, a famous Edinburgh surgeon and university professor, surprised the others with his unusual deductive abilities.

“The trouble with most people", he said, "is that they see, but do not observe. Any really good detective ought to be able to tell, before a stranger has sat down, his occupation, habits, and past history through rapid observation and deduction. Glance at a man and you find his nationality written on his face, his means of living hands, and the rest of the story in his gait, manners, tattoo marks, and clothes."

One of the guests remarked jokingly, "Why, Dr. Bell might almost be Sherlock Holmes".

“My dear sir, I am Sherlock Holmes."

Dr. Bell was not joking. He was, indeed, the original Sherlock Holmes, the prototype for the famous Conan Doyle’s creation.

As you might know, Arthur Conan Doyle studied to be a doctor at the University of Edinburgh. While at University Doyle was greatly influenced by Joseph Bell, one of his professors.

A product of five generations of surgeons, Dr. Bell was famous for his keen powers of observation and deduction. He could diagnose a patient's disease just by observing him...

Dr. Bell 's lectures always filled the hall. The students him and thought him a magician. Bell never failed to surprise them...

Dr. Bell 's detecting genius was known to the police. As on amateur detective, without official status, Dr. Bell worked hand in hand with Sir Henry Littlejohn, Edinburgh police surgeon and helped to solve many complicated crimes.

When Arthur Conan Doyle decided to write his first detective story he remembered Dr. Bell and his unusual powers of observation and deduction...

Dr. Bell liked A. Conan Doyle's detective I that populated his ideas.

Answer the following questions:

1. What was Dr. Doyle's occupation?

2. When did Dr. Bell live?

3. What was Dr. Bell famous for?

4. How did Arthur Conan Doyle know Dr. Bell?

5. How could Dr. Bell diagnose a patient's disease?

6. Why did many students attend Dr. Bell's lectures?

7. Did Edinburgh police use Dr. Bell's unusual powers?

8. Did Dr. Bell know A. Conan Doyle's stories?