登陆注册
15419900000002

第2章 THE FIRST(2)

"But you see how important it is," said Sir Richmond, and left his sentence unfinished.

"I'll do what I can for you," said the doctor, and considered swiftly what line of talk he had best follow.

Section 2

"This sense of a coming smash is epidemic," said the doctor.

"It's at the back of all sorts of mental trouble.It is a new state of mind.Before the war it was abnormal--a phase of neurasthenia.Now it is almost the normal state with whole classes of intelligent people.Intelligent, I say.The others always have been casual and adventurous and always will be.Aloss of confidence in the general background of life.So that we seem to float over abysses.""We do," said Sir Richmond.

"And we have nothing but the old habits and ideas acquired in the days of our assurance.There is a discord, a jarring."The doctor pursued his train of thought."A new, raw and dreadful sense of responsibility for the universe.

Accompanied by a realization that the job is overwhelmingly too big for us.""We've got to stand up to the job," said Sir Richmond.

"Anyhow, what else is there to do? We MAY keep things together...."I've got to do my bit.And if only I could hold myself at it, I could beat those fellows.But that's where the devil of it comes in.Never have I been so desirous to work well in my life.And never have I been so slack and weak-willed and inaccurate....Sloppy....Indolent....

VISCIOUS!..."

The doctor was about to speak, but Sir Richmond interrupted him."What's got hold of me? What's got hold of me? I used to work well enough.It's as if my will had come untwisted and was ravelling out into separate strands.I've lost my unity.

I'm not a man but a mob.I've got to recover my vigour.At any cost."Again as the doctor was about to speak the word was taken out of his mouth."And what I think of it, Dr.Martineau, is this: it's fatigue.It's mental and moral fatigue.Too much effort.On too high a level.And too austere.One strains and fags.FLAGS! 'Flags' I meant to say.One strains and flags and then the lower stuff in one, the subconscious stuff, takes control."There was a flavour of popularized psychoanalysis about this, and the doctor drew in the corners of his mouth and gave his head a critical slant."M'm." But this only made Sir Richmond raise his voice and quicken his speech."I want," he said, "a good tonic.A pick-me-up, a stimulating harmless drug of some sort.That's indicated anyhow.To begin with.Something to pull me together, as people say.Bring me up to the scratch again.""I don't like the use of drugs," said the doctor.

The expectation of Sir Richmond's expression changed to disappointment."But that's not reasonable," he cried.

"That's not reasonable.That's superstition.Call a thing a drug and condemn it! Everything is a drug.Everything that affects you.Food stimulates or tranquillizes.Drink.Noise is a stimulant and quiet an opiate.What is life but response to stimulants? Or reaction after them? When I'm exhausted Iwant food.When I'm overactive and sleepless I want tranquillizing.When I'm dispersed I want pulling together.""But we don't know how to use drugs," the doctor objected.

"But you ought to know."

Dr.Martineau fixed his eye on a first floor window sill on the opposite side of Harley Street.His manner suggested a lecturer holding on to his theme.

"A day will come when we shall be able to manipulate drugs--all sorts of drugs--and work them in to our general way of living.I have no prejudice against them at all.A time will come when we shall correct our moods, get down to our reserves of energy by their help, suspend fatigue, put off sleep during long spells of exertion.At some sudden crisis for example.When we shall know enough to know just how far to go with this, that or the other stuff.And how to wash out its after effects....I quite agree with you,--in principle....But that time hasn't come yet....

Decades of research yet....If we tried that sort of thing now, we should be like children playing with poisons and explosives....It's out of the question.""I've been taking a few little things already.Easton Syrup for example.""Strychnine.It carries you for a time and drops you by the way.Has it done you any good--any NETT good? It has--I can see--broken your sleep."The doctor turned round again to his patient and looked up into his troubled face.

"Given physiological trouble I don't mind resorting to a drug.Given structural injury I don't mind surgery.But except for any little mischief your amateur drugging may have done you do not seem to me to be either sick or injured.

You've no trouble either of structure or material.You are--worried--ill in your mind, and otherwise perfectly sound.

It's the current of your thoughts, fermenting.If the trouble is in the mental sphere, why go out of the mental sphere for a treatment? Talk and thought; these are your remedies.Cool deliberate thought.You're unravelled.You say it yourself.

Drugs will only make this or that unravelled strand behave disproportionately.You don't want that.You want to take stock of yourself as a whole--find out where you stand.

"But the Fuel Commission?"

"Is it sitting now?"

"Adjourned till after Whitsuntide.But there's heaps of work to be done.

"Still," he added, "this is my one chance of any treatment."The doctor made a little calculation."Three weeks....

It's scarcely time enough to begin."

"You're certain that no regimen of carefully planned and chosen tonics--""Dismiss the idea.Dismiss it." He decided to take a plunge.

"I've just been thinking of a little holiday for myself.But I'd like to see you through this.And if I am to see you through, there ought to be some sort of beginning now.In this three weeks.Suppose...."Sir Richmond leapt to his thought."I'm free to go anywhere.""Golf would drive a man of your composition mad?""It would."

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 神级男护士

    神级男护士

    在一次千年渡劫中,蒋飞遭奸人暗算,坠落重生到一个妇幼科男护士身上,重生到了家族灾难降临的前一年:那一年,初恋女神和前世妻子婀娜多姿,那一年,羞涩小护士,极品女医生,美女蛇老师柔情似水,那一年,妩媚女杀手,绝色女明星,冷傲女总裁含苞怒放……
  • 独眼喰王

    独眼喰王

    自从金木被有马打败并失忆以后,他便被CCG抓去改造了,成为了一个名为佐佐木緋世,一个冷漠无比的人,再一次意外的执行任务途中,强大的喰种打败了有马,有马告诉了金木事情的来龙去脉,结果,金木爆发了,4条尾巴变为了8条,开始帮助自己的同类。
  • 快穿:男神,求倒追!

    快穿:男神,求倒追!

    【系统温馨提示:超甜宠文!神级虐狗!请在男朋友的陪同下翻阅!】什么?外星男友被劫持了!苏唯淡淡表示,抢回来。可是事实上,她只能咬咬牙跟人家谈条件争取让男票早点回来!为了救得美人归,她开始了各种奇葩的任务。#吸血鬼##中二少年##拯救同性恋的男主#……
  • 穿越之慕家嫡女

    穿越之慕家嫡女

    她本是一名特工,却穿越到古代,成为慕家任人欺负的嫡女,这种耻辱,想必这位特工是不可忍受的,所以她的复仇才刚刚开始。不过,在她的生命中有一位真命天子。
  • 罗浮道教史略

    罗浮道教史略

    本书介绍了罗浮道教的历史发展,收录了罗浮道教诗词楹联,对罗浮道教两千年来的历史作了史料性的梳理,为中国道教史增添了一道风景。
  • 鳐人

    鳐人

    菲桐和叶琪是一对生活在都市的恋人,在现实生活的压力和美好生活的幻想之间,他们和他们的朋友都在努力奋斗,为立足这个都市而打拼,其中也拷问了世态百相,也给予了现实极大的忧虑感。这是一部现实和幻想交织的现实主义小说,希望用唯美的文笔去揭示年轻人内心的美好和现实的无奈。
  • 女人,宠你上瘾

    女人,宠你上瘾

    你爱过一个人?你懂那种爱而不得得而不爱的感觉吗?朴暖兮懂。当边伯贤三年不告而别时,她的心宛如刀割。即使想过挣扎,有过绝望。可是,她从来没有放弃。边伯贤,是她的命。是她的梦。她的……信仰。——朴暖兮朴暖兮,是我这辈子最重要的人。她懂我的所有黑暗所有残忍所有我的一切。即便她不了解我三年的不告而别。但是没关系。她只要好好地在我身边陪着我好了。其他的,关于她和我之间的阻碍。我来解决。哪怕最后什么都得不到。我也要她——边伯贤
  • 校园之超级老师

    校园之超级老师

    一部能让仙界无数强者抢破脑袋的书籍他拿给学生当课外书看。一件能让仙界甚至是神界所争夺的武器,他对学生说:“学生们,今天发福利了。这些东西你们随便挑,回家当玩具玩!”一瓶能让人间无数大佬疯狂的弹药他给学生随便吃,他对学生们说:“学生们,今天我带你们统一人间,百年后还要统一仙界,万年后还要统一神界!”他是一个传奇,他能为自己的女人放弃整个世界,他也能为自己的女人灭掉整个世界!他也能为了自己的学生与整个世界为敌!注:此书类型选错,应该是玄幻一类的,望各位大大不要建议。
  • 神朝帝国

    神朝帝国

    在我的王朝,是龙你爬着,是蛇你卷着,是神也给我靠边站着。天上地下唯我独尊。
  • 丛林基地再生

    丛林基地再生

    阳楽身为一个宅男在危机中穿越到了丛林世界,在这个以种族战争为主题的世界中,阳楽会靠着基地系统攀登高峰吗,基地系统的由来又是怎么的呢?ps:谢谢柒椿封面设计ps2:请大家支持正版来创世看书。(新人写书不容易啊~~)