Sherlock Holmes: Trifles

“a general practitioner with very limited experience and mediocre qualifications” [DYIN]    We know Watson had a serious medical career before he met Holmes. But what do his qualifications mean? And aside from the brandy, how did his training come in handy?   Helen Simpson's "The Medical Career of John H. Watson" in H.W. Bell's Baker Street Studies provides some insight into what Watson was telling us and what he wasn't. It's just a Trifle. Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.    Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles244 Baker Street Studies by H.W. Bell (Amazon) Previous episodes mentioned: Episode 87: The Good Doctor Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon   Sponsor The BSI Press   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United Stat

“some arm-chair lounger who evolves” [STUD]  From a humble beginning to the heights of international fame and importance, the career of Sherlock Holmes was a rocket ride. And his personal relationships took an opposite ride.   This is the third and final entry in this series on the evolution of Sherlock Holmes. And it's anything but a Trifle.   Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.  Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles243 Episode 237: The Evolution of Sherlock Holmes, Part 1 Episode 239: The Evolution of Sherlock Holmes, Part 2 Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0   --      

“Why does fate play such tricks with poor, helpless worms?” [BOSC]   On the third episode of every month in Season 5, we explore exotic animals in the Sherlock Holmes canon. This month's animal is a rare one: worms.   While you may be thinking the only reference is the remarkable worm unknown to science that left Isadora Persano stark staring mad, there are a few others. But just a Trifle more.   Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.    Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles242 Poor Helpless Worms I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Episode 158: The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Cre

“window-breaking Furies” [VALL]   Windows are everywhere in the Sherlock Holmes stories. But in certain cases, they form an essential part of the plot. In some cases, it may be transparent. In others, not so much. Whether they're decorative, a passage of one form or another, or are broken in the course of a crime, some windows serve a purpose in the Canon. It's just a Trifle.   Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles241 Mullioned windows Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0   --        

“It is full of old houses which are named after the men who built them centuries ago.” [SUSS]   Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a master storyteller. He gave us memorable characters and plots that painted a picture over the course of the entire Canon. But more than plot or characters, place played an outsized role. What does the geography in the Sherlock Holmes stories tell us? It's just a Trifle. And for our Patreon supports, we have another bonus clip. For as little as $1 a month, you can join this growing group of insiders.   Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles240 Triangle Shirtwaist Fire A Quick Succession of Subjects David Hammer Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0   --    

“evolved from his own inner consciousness” [BOSC]  In Episode 237, we looked at how Holmes's personality traits changed over the course of his career. We're back for another look using four separate stories, each 10 years apart. What can the Canon tell us about the ways Holmes's interests, tastes, enthusiasms, relationships, reputation, and more changed during his long career? It's just a Trifle.   Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.    Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles239 Other episodes mentioned: Episode 224: The Crimes of Sherlock Holmes Episode 237: The Evolution of Sherlock Holmes Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Co

“Cyanea! Cyanea!” [LION]   In the third week of every month in our fifth season, Trifles looks at exotic animals. We turn to the sea this time, examining jellyfish. And this episode brought us into contact with an old publication: the Catalogue of an Exhibition Held at Abbey House, Baker Street, London, May–September 1951. For those intimately familiar with the Sherlock Holmes stories, there is only one story in which we find a jellyfish. For those not familiar, spoiler alert. It is just a Trifle. And don't forget to check out the bonus audio content if you're a Patreon supporter. If you're not, what a great excuse to join us!   Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles238 Jellyfish (Wikipedia) Lion's mane jellyfish washed up on shore in Maine (Twitter) Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon   Sponsor The BSI Press   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington,

“Let me show you the evolution of this case” [WIST]   In our last episode, we discussed the subtle yet undeniable change in the nature of the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and Inspector Lestrade. But what about the evolution of Holmes himself? What aspects of his character changed over the course of his career, from a 20-something during his first case at university to his final case four decades later? What remained the same? It's just a Trifle.    Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles237 Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0   --    

"That you, Lestrade?" [EMPT] One might say that Sherlock Holmes and Inspector G. Lestrade had a contentious relationship. While this may be the popular stereotype between the two professionals, a long-term assessment doesn't bear this out. Listener Ron Lies has shared a paper of his that takes us through the Holmes-Lestrade relationship chronologically, and things may be a little different than they appear. It's just a Trifle. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles236 Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The Baker Street Journal Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

“Altogether there are eight maids” [MUSG]   Two stories. Two jewels. Two lady's maids. And two strikingly similar circumstances. In "The Blue Carbuncle" and "The Six Napoleons," published just 11 years apart, we can find some remarkable parallels that result in the disappearance of minor players who were involved in critical plot points. It's just a Trifle.   Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/trifles  And leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.   Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles234 "Two Maids A-Milking" by William Hyder, The Baker Street Journal, Vol. 70, No. 4 "The Twelve Gifts of Christmas" by Allan Sherman   Sponsor The BSI Press   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0   --      

“some secret society, some implacable organization” [VALL]  We know the Mafia, the KKK, and other named secret societies permeate the Sherlock Holmes stories. They add to the mystery and mystique of the plots. But what were some of the lesser-known secret societies? And were they really that secret? It's just a Trifle. Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.    Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles234 Vehmgericht Carbonari   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0   --    

“the direct nature of the experiment” [BRUC]   It's the third week of the month, and that means it's time for our Exotic Animals feature! When you hear "rat" anywhere near the Sherlock Holmes stories, there are three possible conclusions: the Giant Rat of Sumatra, Ballarat, or... Lab rats, which is our topic of discussion. While lab rats aren't literally mentioned in the Canon, there are some figurative ones. What were they? We look at those, plus the history of animal experimentation in medicine. It's just a Trifle.  Oh, and check this out: we have a bonus audio track just for our Patreon supporters. Become one today to unlock it. Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.      Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles232 "Animal Testing and Medicine," by Rachel Hajar, M.D., Heart Views, Jan-Mar 2011, via National Library of Medicine   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Music credits P

“The best possible” [NOBL]   In Episode 231, we left you with a bit of a cliffhanger. The show was filled with answers to questions from listeners, and one asked about our favorite Sherlock Holmes stories.  Rather than boring you with only our personal preferences, we got into a history of the best Sherlock Holmes stories, first as judged by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself, and later by multitudes of Sherlockians. It's just a Trifle.  Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.   Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles232 Randall Stock's The Best of Sherlock Holmes site Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's list of 12 best Sherlock Holmes stories (LitHub) Poll of the best Sherlock Holmes stories as run in The Baker Street Journal   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chambe

“they are pretty sure to ask questions anyhow, so it would be as well to have answers” [RETI]   We're doing something a little different for this episode. There are certain elements about the Sherlock Holmes stories that are just too trifling out of which to create an entire episode. So we turned to you. We're answering questions that you have submitted, hopefully providing more clarity than less. If this works well, we'll do it again. It's just a Trifle.  Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.   Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles231 "John Barrington Cowles" by Arthur Conan Doyle Schlock Holmes: The Complete Bagel Street Saga by Robert L. Fish I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Episode 181: The Daily Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes quotes) The full I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere archive: ihose.co/ihoseshows   Sponsor

“That is very fortunate” [SCAN]   Sherlock Holmes didn't believe in superstition, the supernatural, or random guesses. He was a detective who dealt in facts and data. And yet, the canon of Sherlock Holmes stories is littered with coincidences (happy or otherwise) and instances of luck. How did these play into the stories and Holmes's ability to solve them? It's just a Trifle.    Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles230  Scott's presentation to the Sherlockians of Baltimore (YouTube)   Sponsor The BSI Press   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0   --            

“the whole story concerning the politician, the lighthouse, and the trained cormorant” [VEIL]   There is one scant mention of a cormorant in the Sherlock Holmes stories — in one of Watson's enticing throwaway lines of a case which we'll never read. In "The Veiled Lodger," he tells us about the case involving a trained cormorant that might be revealed to the public. But what is a cormorant? Can it really be trained? It's the third week of the month, and that means we discuss exotic animals in the Canon. It's just a Trifle.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or  PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles229 Stunning images of Chinese fishermen using cormorants to catch fish (The Atlantic) More photos of cormorants catching fish (Arkin Space) Not mentioned in the episode, but The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes on Radio 4 featured this untold tale.    Sponsor The BSJ   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher In

“I stooped to the eyepiece and focussed for my vision.” [SHOS]  Given Arthur Conan Doyle's training in the field of eye medicine, it's no surprise that we find a number of Sherlock Holmes characters who wear glasses. In fact, an entire story is named after a set of eyewear. Who were some of the bespectacled band in the Sherlock Holmes stories? It's just a Trifle.   Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles228 What Did Victorians Make of Spectacles? (Wellcome Library Blog via Wayback Machine) Arthur Conan Doyle's medical career (Wikipedia) "The Bespectacled Band" (I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere) Trifles Episode 46 - A History of Pince-Nez   Sponsor The eBSJ   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0  

“the sending of general messages” [VALL]    Sherlock Holmes was an inveterate message sender and receiver. The many notes, letters, telegrams, cryptogram, and other forms of communication that passed by his view made for key clues in some cases. We wondered how things might have turned out differently in certain cases if the frequency of messages were different. And how, in certain cases, Holmes duped the messengers. It's just a Trifle.    Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles    Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles227   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribut

“I am a poor man” [PRIO]   Time and again, we find people in the Sherlock Holmes stories who are having money problems. As in money problems drastic enough to cause them to make unfortunate decisions. Who were some of these people, and what hard choices did they make? We have a few of them; it's just a Trifle.    Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles226   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0   --    

"like a viper’s tooth" [DYIN] Here we are again, ready to tackle the monthly topic of exotic animals. So naturally, we turn to the wiper. Wait, the what? Suffice it to say that the oddly-identified snake does have a place in the Sherlock Holmes stories, although way down at the East End. Oh, and there's the little matter of a Great War publishing machine. It's just a Trifle. Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/trifles   Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles225 Sponsor The BSI Press Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0