chapter 72
The interrogation room at Scotland Yard was filled with an oppressive atmosphere. Arthur leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the iron bars of the window, the only source of light in the otherwise bleak space.
Across from him, a makeshift medical bed constructed from wooden planks held a small, lifeless body. Several doctors, their foreheads beaded with sweat, meticulously stitched and repaired the corpse.
The police officers assigned to monitor the scene stood behind Arthur, their Adam’s apples bobbing nervously. Even seasoned officers, accustomed to the grime and gore of their profession, found this scene unsettling. Some averted their eyes, while others furrowed their brows and closed their eyelids.
After an eternity, the doctors let out a collective sigh of relief. They wiped the sweat from their foreheads, then pursed their lips, glancing at Arthur before reporting respectfully.
“Mr. Hastings, the body has been sutured.”
Arthur remained silent, his gaze unwavering. “I hear that every medical school in England requires its students to recite the Hippocratic Oath upon admission. Do you remember what it says?”
The doctors exchanged uneasy glances, their heads drooping. “We…we remember, of course.”
“Recite it for me.”
Silence descended upon the room for a long moment before one of the doctors finally spoke. “I swear by Apollo the Physician, Asclepius, Hygieia, Panacea, and all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will fulfill this oath and this covenant to the best of my ability and judgment.
I will hold him who has taught me this art as equal to my parents and to live my life in partnership with him, and if he is in need I will provide for him as for my own children; I will consider his offspring as my own brothers and teach them this art, if they desire to learn it, without fee or covenant. I will impart a knowledge of this art to my own sons and to the sons of my teacher, and to disciples bound by a covenant and oath, but to no others.
I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and judgment and never do anything to injure or wrong them. I will not give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I suggest such a course. Similarly, I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. I will keep pure and holy both my life and my art. I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest.
I will leave this operation to practitioners of this art. In every house where I come I will enter only for the good of my patients, keeping myself far from all intentional wrong-doing and corruption.
I will not use my knowledge to the detriment of any, or to the injury or wrong of any person, man or woman. Whatever, in connection with my professional practice, or not in connection with it, I see or hear, in the life of men, which ought not to be spoken abroad, I will not divulge, as reckoning that all such should be kept secret. While I continue to keep this oath unviolated, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and the practice of the art, respected by all men, in all time to come. But if I transgress and violate this oath, may the reverse be my lot.”
Arthur nodded. “You should be thankful that you swore your oath to Apollo, Asclepius, and Hygieia. If you had sworn your oath to the Devil, you would be in hell right now!”
One of the doctors, unable to contain his anxiety, stepped forward. “Mr. Hastings, we simply purchased the body. We are aware that the source was illegitimate, but the bodies obtained through legal channels are insufficient to meet the demands of our daily teaching needs, let alone scientific research.
Since the Burke case in Edinburgh in 1828, we have established certain informal agreements within the industry. We typically only deal with familiar grave robbers. The bodies they provide are mostly from churchyards. We had no idea they had taken up a career in murder!”
“If we were truly involved in a murder, how could we possibly cooperate with the police investigation? We have provided the police with the facial features and detailed information of the body seller as requested. You can easily determine the truth.
We anatomists have done nothing wrong. It is simply that the officials and the public of this country are completely ignorant of social reality. The law is meant to punish those who dare to defy the public interest, but dissection contributes to the public good and should not be restricted.”
Arthur listened patiently. “I understand that your words are not entirely without merit. That’s why you are still alive and standing here. If I had evidence of your involvement in murder, I wouldn’t be so polite.”
He gestured towards the officers behind him. “Do you know why Scotland Yard assigned these officers to be here? You think they are here to protect me? No, they are here to protect you. If no one was present, I fear I might be tempted to cut you all down with a knife!
Whether your dissections are truly for the public good or for personal gain, whether these actions are ethical or not, the House of Commons has established a special Anatomical Ethics Investigation Committee. Their findings will carry more professional weight than my personal opinion.”
Turning to the officers, Arthur instructed, “The families of the victims in the body theft case are extremely distraught. Order all police districts to have doctors complete the suturing of the bodies as soon as possible. The sooner the bodies are returned to the families, the better.
Several public gatherings have already taken place in front of the Supreme Court and the Parliament building this morning. The Home Office has demanded that we quell the situation quickly. For those murderers whose guilt has been established with sufficient evidence, they should be tried and sentenced as soon as possible.
All procedures for the trial and punishment of murderers should follow the example of the Burke case in Edinburgh. After the execution of the criminals by hanging at Tyburn, their bodies should be displayed for three days before being handed over to Thomas Wakley, a member of the House of Commons and a medical expert, for public dissection to appease public outrage.”
Arthur turned back to the doctors. “Speaking of Mr. Wakley, you should all have heard of him, right?”
The doctors broke out in a cold sweat. “Of…of course. The founder of The Lancet. He is quite…divisive among us.”
Arthur nodded. “For those doctors who truly have a clear conscience, I have good news. For those who claim to be working for the advancement of science but are actually driven by selfish motives, I have bad news.
Mr. Wakley has a strong sense of medical ethics. His initial motivation for founding The Lancet was to publish medical knowledge, break the monopoly of certain medical groups, and combat their practice of profiting from lectures at major city hospitals.
Therefore, Parliament has specifically authorized him to oversee all the organizational and investigative work of this Anatomical Ethics Investigation Committee. If you truly have nothing to hide, then you should have no fear of Mr. Wakley’s fair investigation.”
The expressions of the doctors shifted dramatically. Some remained composed, while others exchanged nervous glances.
Arthur glanced at them, but before he could speak, the door to the interrogation room swung open. Officer Field burst in, his face beaming with excitement. “Sir! We have identified the exact location of the Saint Giles’s murder suspects!”
Arthur immediately rose to his feet, his voice laced with urgency. “Have you caught them?”
Field replied, “This afternoon, based on the information we gathered, we raided their residence and apprehended two individuals. One other suspect claimed to have gone back to his hometown in the countryside near London to visit relatives a couple of days ago. We have dispatched officers to the location and are confident that we will apprehend him soon.”
As he spoke, Field handed Arthur a file tucked under his arm. It contained a detailed case analysis, complete with the social relationships, addresses, professional experience, and places of birth of the three suspects.
Arthur flipped through the file, then suddenly looked up, taking a deep breath. He saw Agareus, perched on the chandelier above, swaying back and forth.
The red demon grinned maliciously. “Visiting relatives? That idiot still dares to visit relatives! If he hadn’t gone, he would have just been hanged and his body dissected. But now that he’s gone to visit, his soul won’t be spared. Arthur, chase after him and devour him!”
Arthur winced, rubbing his stiff neck. He stood up and walked towards the door of the interrogation room.
Field, bewildered, asked, “Sir, where are you going?”
Arthur loosened his collar and pointed to the small, milky white coffin he had prepared for Robin, which was placed in the corner of the interrogation room. “Let the little girl sleep. It’s not easy to return a body to the family. If you say the wrong thing, it could easily trigger public anxiety and unrest. So, I’ll personally return her body to her parents.”
(End of Chapter)