Marquis　and　of　Rastignac；　he　had　been　in　attendance　on　the　former　for
  some　days　past；　and　was　helping　him　to　answer　the　inquiries　of　the
  three　professors；　occasionally　insisting　somewhat　upon　those　symptoms
  which；　in　his　opinion；　pointed　to　pulmonary　disease。
  〃You　have　been　living　at　a　great　pace；　leading　a　dissipated　life；　no
  doubt；　and　you　have　devoted　yourself　largely　to　intellectual　work？〃
  queried　one　of　the　three　celebrated　authorities；　addressing　Raphael。
  He　was　a　square…headed　man；　with　a　large　frame　and　energetic
  organization；　which　seemed　to　mark　him　out　as　superior　to　his　two
  rivals。
  〃I　made　up　my　mind　to　kill　myself　with　debauchery；　after　spending
  three　years　over　an　extensive　work；　with　which　perhaps　you　may　some
  day　occupy　yourselves；〃　Raphael　replied。
  The　great　doctor　shook　his　head；　and　so　displayed　his　satisfaction。　〃I
  was　sure　of　it；〃　he　seemed　to　say　to　himself。　He　was　the　illustrious
  Brisset；　the　successor　of　Cabanis　and　Bichat；　head　of　the　Organic
  School；　a　doctor　popular　with　believers　in　material　and　positive
  science；　who　see　in　man　a　complete　individual；　subject　solely　to　the
  laws　of　his　own　particular　organization；　and　who　consider　that　his
  normal　condition　and　abnormal　states　of　disease　can　both　be　traced　to
  obvious　causes。
  After　this　reply；　Brisset　looked；　without　speaking；　at　a　middle…sized
  person；　whose　darkly　flushed　countenance　and　glowing　eyes　seemed　to
  belong　to　some　antique　satyr；　and　who；　leaning　his　back　against　the
  corner　of　the　embrasure；　was　studying　Raphael；　without　saying　a　word。
  Doctor　Cameristus；　a　man　of　creeds　and　enthusiasms；　the　head　of　the
  〃Vitalists；〃　a　romantic　champion　of　the　esoteric　doctrines　of　Van
  Helmont；　discerned　a　lofty　informing　principle　in　human　life；　a
  mysterious　and　inexplicable　phenomenon　which　mocks　at　the　scalpel；
  deceives　the　surgeon；　eludes　the　drugs　of　the　pharmacopoeia；　the
  formulae　of　algebra；　the　demonstrations　of　anatomy；　and　derides　all
  our　efforts；　a　sort　of　invisible；　intangible　flame；　which；　obeying
  some　divinely　appointed　law；　will　often　linger　on　in　a　body　in　our
  opinion　devoted　to　death；　while　it　takes　flight　from　an　organization
  well　fitted　for　prolonged　existence。
  A　bitter　smile　hovered　upon　the　lips　of　the　third　doctor；　Maugredie；　a
  man　of　acknowledged　ability；　but　a　Pyrrhonist　and　a　scoffer；　with　the
  scalpel　for　his　one　article　of　faith。　He　would　consider；　as　a
  concession　to　Brisset；　that　a　man　who；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　was
  perfectly　well　was　dead；　and　recognize　with　Cameristus　that　a　man
  might　be　living　on　after　his　apparent　demise。　He　found　something
  sensible　in　every　theory；　and　embraced　none　of　them；　claiming　that　the
  best　of　all　systems　of　medicine　was　to　have　none　at　all；　and　to　stick
  to　facts。　This　Panurge　of　the　Clinical　Schools；　the　king　of　observers；
  the　great　investigator；　a　great　sceptic；　the　man　of　desperate
  expedients；　was　scrutinizing　the　Magic　Skin。
  〃I　should　very　much　like　to　be　a　witness　of　the　coincidence　of　its
  retrenchment　with　your　wish；〃　he　said　to　the　Marquis。
  〃Where　is　the　use？〃　cried　Brisset。
  〃Where　is　the　use？〃　echoed　Cameristus。
  〃Ah；　you　are　both　of　the　same　mind；〃　replied　Maugredie。
  〃The　contraction　is　perfectly　simple；〃　Brisset　went　on。
  〃It　is　supernatural；〃　remarked　Cameristus。
  〃In　short；〃　Maugredie　made　answer；　with　affected　solemnity；　and
  handing　the　piece　of　skin　to　Raphael　as　he　spoke；　〃the　shriveling
  faculty　of　the　skin　is　a　fact　inexplicable；　and　yet　quite　natural；
  which；　ever　since　the　world　began；　has　been　the　despair　of　medicine
  and　of　pretty　women。〃
  All　Valentin's　observation　could　discover　no　trace　of　a　feeling　for
  his　troubles　in　any　of　the　three　doctors。　The　three　received　every
  answer　in　silence；　scanned　him　unconcernedly；　and　interrogated　him
  unsympathetically。　Politeness　did　not　conceal　their　indifference；
  whether　deliberation　or　certainty　was　the　cause；　their　words　at　any
  rate　came　so　seldom　and　so　languidly；　that　at　times　Raphael　thought
  that　their　attention　was　wandering。　From　time　to　time　Brisset；　the
  sole　speaker；　remarked；　〃Good！　just　so！〃　as　Bianchon　pointed　out　the
  existence　of　each　desperate　symptom。　Cameristus　seemed　to　be　deep　in
  meditation；　Maugredie　looked　like　a　comic　author；　studying　two　queer
  characters　with　a　view　to　reproducing　them　faithfully　upon　the　stage。
  There　was　deep；　unconcealed　distress；　and　grave　compassion　in　Horace
  Bianchon's　face。　He　had　been　a　doctor　for　too　short　a　time　to　be
  untouched　by　suffering　and　unmoved　by　a　deathbed；　he　had　not　learned
  to　keep　back　the　sympathetic　tears　that　obscure　a　man's　clear　vision
  and　prevent　him　from　seizing　like　the　general　of　an　army；　upon　the
  auspicious　moment　for　victory；　in　utter　disregard　of　the　groans　of
  dying　men。
  After　spending　about　half　an　hour　over　taking　in　some　sort　the　measure
  of　the　patient　and　the　complaint；　much　as　a　tailor　measures　a　young
  man　for　a　coat　when　he　orders　his　wedding　outfit；　the　authorities
  uttered　several　commonplaces；　and　even　talked　of　politics。　Then　they
  decided　to　go　into　Raphael's　study　to　exchange　their　ideas　and　frame
  their　verdict。
  〃May　I　not　be　present　during　the　discussion；　gentlemen？〃　Valentin　had
  asked　them；　but　Brisset　and　Maugredie　protested　against　this；　and；　in
  spite　of　their　patient's　entreaties；　declined　altogether　to　deliberate
  in　his　presence。
  Raphael　gave　way　before　their　custom；　thinking　that　he　could　slip　into
  a　passage　adjoining；　whence　he　could　easily　overhear　the　medical
  conference　in　which　the　three　professors　were　about　to　engage。
  〃Permit　me；　gentlemen；〃　said　Brisset；　as　they　entered；　〃to　give　you　my
  own　opinion　at　once。　I　neither　wish　to　force　it　upon　you　nor　to　have
  it　discussed。　In　the　first　place；　it　is　unbiased；　concise；　and　based
  on　an　exact　similarity　that　exists　between　one　of　my　own　patients　and
  the　subject　that　we　have　been　called　in　to　examine；　and；　moreover；　I
  am　expected　at　my　hospital。　The　importance　of　the　case　that　demands　my
  presence　there　will　excuse　me　for　speaking　the　first　word。　The　subject
  with　which　we　are　concerned　has　been　exhausted　in　an　equal　degree　by
  intellectual　laborswhat　did　he　set　about；　Horace？〃　he　asked　of　the
  young　doctor。
  〃A　'Theory　of　the　Will；'　〃
  〃The　devil！　but　that's　a　big　subject。　He　is　exhausted；　I　say；　by　too
  much　brain…work；　by　irregular　courses；　and　by　the　repeated　use　of　too
  powerful　stimulants。　Violent　exertion　of　body　and　mind　has　demoralized
  the　whole　system。　It　is　easy；　gentlemen；　to　recognize　in　the　symptoms
  of　the　face　and　body　generally　intense　irritation　of　the　stomach；　an
  affection　of　the　great　sympathetic　nerve；　acute　sensibility　of　the
  epigastric　region；　and　contraction　of　the　right　and　left
  hypochondriac。　You　have　noticed；　too；　the　large　size　and　prominence　of
  the　liver。　M。　Bianchon　has；　besides；　constantly　watched　the　patient；
  and　he　tells　us　that　digestion　is　troublesome　and　difficult。　Strictly
  speaking；　there　is　no　stomach　left；　and　so　the　man　has　disappeared。
  The　brain　is　atrophied　because　the　man　digests　no　longer。　The
  progressive　deterioration　wrought　in　the　epigastric　region；　the　seat
  of　vitality；　has　vitiated　the　whole　system。　Thence；　by　continuous
  fevered　vibrations；　the　disorder　has　reached　the　brain　by　means　of　the
  nervous　plexus；　hence　the　excessive　irritation　in　that　organ。　There　is
  monomania。　The　patient　is　burdened　with　a　fixed　idea。　That　piece　of
  skin　really　contracts；　to　his　way　of　thinking；　very　likely　it　always
  has　been　as　we　have　seen　it；　but　whether　it　contracts　or　no；　that
  thing　is　for　him　just　like　the　fly　that　some　Grand　Vizier　or　other　had
  on　his　nose。　If　you　put　leeches　at　once　on　the　epigastrium；　and　reduce
  the　irritation　in　that　part；　which　is　the　very　seat　of　man's　life；　and
  if　you　diet　the　patient；　the　monomania　will　leave　him。　I　will　say　no
  more　to　Dr。　Bianchon；　he　should　be　able　to　grasp　the　whole　treatment
  as　well　as　the　details。　There　may　be；　perhaps；　some　complication　of
  the　diseasethe　bronchial　tubes；　possibly；　may　be　also　inflamed；　but
  I　believe　that　treatment　for　the　intestinal　organs　is　very　much　more
  important　and　necessary；　and　more　urgently　required　than　for　the
  lungs。　Persistent　study　of　abstract　matters；　and　certain　violent
  passions；　have　induced　serious　disorders　in　that　vital　mechanism。
  However；　we　are　in　time　to　set　these　conditions　right。　Nothing　is　too
  seriously　affected。　You　will　easily　get　your　friend　round　again；〃　he
  remarked　to　Bianchon。
  〃Our　learned　colleague　is　taking　the　effect　for　the　cause；〃　Cameristus
  replied。　〃Yes；　the　changes　that　he　has　observed　so　keenly　certainly
  exist　in　the　patient；　but　it　is　not　the　stomach　that；　by　degrees；　has
  set　up　nervous　action　in　the　system；　and　so　affected　the　brain；　like　a
  hole　in　a　window　pane　spreading　cracks　round　about　it。　It　took　a　blow
  of　some　kind　to　make　a　hole　in　the　window；　who　gave　the　blow？　Do　we
  know　that？　Have　we　investigated　the　patient's　case　sufficiently？　Are
  we　acquainted　with　all　the　events　of　his　life？
  〃The　vital　principle；　gentlemen；〃　he　continued；　〃the　Archeus　of　Van
  Helmont；　is　affected　in　his　casethe　very　essence　and　centre　of　life
  is　attacked。　The　divine　spark；　the　transitory　intelligence　which　holds
  the　organism　together；　which