Review Article

Physicians as Detectives in Detective Fiction of the 20th Century

Authors: Fred Wurlitzer, MD, FACS

Abstract

Dr. Anderson's article in the October 2002 issue of Southern Medical Journal1 contains notable omissions. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) wrote about Dr. Watson, who assisted Sherlock Holmes in his detective work. Dr. Watson certainly was not incidental to the plots, and quite arguably he was a “physician-detective.” Although Conan Doyle killed off Sherlock in 1893 in “The Final Problem,” the last story in Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, 2 he succumbed to appeals from readers and Collier's Weekly by writing The Return of Sherlock Holmes3 in 1903. Watson also appears in Laurie King's 20th-century series about a teenage girl who works with Sherlock. Adrian Doyle, Conan's son, and John Kickson Carr collaborated to write The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes. 4 Other knockoffs that mention Watson are Nicholas Meyer's The Seven Per-Cent Solution5 and Michael Hardwick's The Revenge of the Hound. 6

This content is limited to qualifying members.

Existing members, please login first

If you have an existing account please login now to access this article or view purchase options.

Purchase only this article ($25)

Create a free account, then purchase this article to download or access it online for 24 hours.

Purchase an SMJ online subscription ($75)

Create a free account, then purchase a subscription to get complete access to all articles for a full year.

Purchase a membership plan (fees vary)

Premium members can access all articles plus recieve many more benefits. View all membership plans and benefit packages.

References

1. Anderson D. Physicians as detectives in detective fiction of the 20th century. South Med J 2002; 95: 1134–1139.
 
2. Doyle AC. Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. London, Harper & Brothers, 1902.
 
3. Doyle AC. The Return of Sherlock Holmes. New York, McClure, Phillips & Co., 1905.
 
4. Doyle AC. Exploits of Sherlock Holmes. New York, Random House, 1954.
 
5. Meyer N. The Seven-Per-Cent Solution. New York, Dutton, 1974.
 
6. Hardwick M. The Revenge of the Hound. New York, Villard Books, 1987.
 
7. Grace CL. The Book of Shadows. New York, St. Martin's Press, 1996.
 
8. Grace CL. Saintly Murders: A Medieval Mystery Featuring Kathryn Swinbrooke. New York, St. Martin's Minotaur, 2001.
 
9. Simenon G. The Little Doctor (J Stewart, transl). New York, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1981.
 
10. Pomidor B. The Anatomy of Murder: A Cal & Plato Marley Mystery. New York, Signet, 1996.
 
11. Pomidor B. Murder by Prescription. New York, Signet, 1995.
 
12. Hendricksen L. With Deadly Intent: A Dr. Amy Prescott Mystery. Boston, Kensington Publishing, 1994.
 
13. Hendricksen L. Grave Secrets. New York, Gemstar eBook Editions, 1994.