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Certainly,ifeveramanfoundaguineawhenhewaslookingforapinitismygoodfriendProfessorGibberne。Ihaveheardbeforeofinvestigatorsovershootingthemark,butneverquitetotheextentthathehasdone。Hehasreally,thistimeatanyrate,withoutanytouchofexaggerationinthephrase,foundsomethingtorevolutionisehumanlife。Andthatwhenhewassimplyseekinganall-roundnervousstimulanttobringlanguidpeopleuptothestressesofthesepushfuldays。Ihavetastedthestuffnowseveraltimes,andIcannotdobetterthandescribetheeffectthethinghadonme。Thatthereareastonishingexperiencesinstoreforallinsearchofnewsensationswillbecomeapparentenough。
ProfessorGibberne,asmanypeopleknow,ismyneighbourinFolkestone。
Unlessmymemoryplaysmeatrick,hisportraitatvariousageshasalreadyappearedinTheStrandMagazine——Ithinklatein1899;
butIamunabletolookitupbecauseIhavelentthatvolumetosomeonewhohasneversentitback。Thereadermay,perhaps,recallthehighforeheadandthesingularlylongblackeyebrowsthatgivesuchaMephistopheliantouchtohisface。HeoccupiesoneofthosepleasantlittledetachedhousesinthemixedstylethatmakethewesternendoftheUpperSandgateRoadsointeresting。
HisistheonewiththeFlemishgablesandtheMoorishportico,anditisinthelittleroomwiththemullionedbaywindowthatheworkswhenheisdownhere,andinwhichofaneveningwehavesooftensmokedandtalkedtogether。Heisamightyjester,but,besides,helikestotalktomeabouthiswork;heisoneofthosemenwhofindahelpandstimulusintalking,andsoIhavebeenabletofollowtheconceptionoftheNewAcceleratorrightupfromaveryearlystage。Ofcourse,thegreaterportionofhisexperimentalworkisnotdoneinFolkestone,butinGowerStreet,inthefinenewlaboratorynexttothehospitalthathehasbeenthefirsttouse。
Aseveryoneknows,oratleastasallintelligentpeopleknow,thespecialdepartmentinwhichGibbernehasgainedsogreatanddeservedareputationamongphysiologistsistheactionofdrugsuponthenervoussystem。Uponsoporifics,sedatives,andanaestheticsheis,Iamtold,unequalled。Heisalsoachemistofconsiderableeminence,andIsupposeinthesubtleandcomplexjungleofriddlesthatcentresabouttheganglioncellandtheaxisfibretherearelittleclearedplacesofhismaking,littlegladesofillumination,that,untilheseesfittopublishhisresults,arestillinaccessibletoeveryotherlivingman。Andinthelastfewyearshehasbeenparticularlyassiduousuponthisquestionofnervousstimulants,andalready,beforethediscoveryoftheNewAccelerator,verysuccessfulwiththem。Medicalsciencehastothankhimforatleastthreedistinctandabsolutelysafeinvigoratorsofunrivalledvaluetopractisingmen。IncasesofexhaustionthepreparationknownasGibberne’sBSyruphas,Isuppose,savedmorelivesalreadythananylifeboatroundthecoast。
“Butnoneoftheselittlethingsbegintosatisfymeyet,“hetoldmenearlyayearago。“Eithertheyincreasethecentralenergywithoutaf