A Study In Scarlet-Chapter 2

Chapter 2 THE SCIENCE OF DEDUCTION

18. How difficult was Holmes to live with?

19. How does Watson describe Holmes’ physical appearance?

20. What basic knowledge of things is Holmes lacking according to Watson?

21. Do you think Holmes didn’t know the things that Watson questioned him on, or was Holmes testing Watson’s naivete’?

22. Watson lists Holmes’ strengths and weaknesses. How accurate do you think he was in assessing Holmes’ abilities?

Sherlock Holmes–his limits

1. Knowledge of Literature

Nil

2. Philosophy

Nil

3. Astronomy

Nil

4. Politics

Feeble

5. Botany

Variable. Well up in belladonna,
opium, and poisons generally.
Knows nothing of practical gardening.

6. Knowledge of Geology

Practical, but limited.
Tells at a glance different soils from each other.
After walks has shown me splashes upon his trousers,
and told me by their color and consistence in
what part of London he had received them.

7. Knowledge of Chemistry

Profound

8. Anatomy

Accurate, but unsystematic.

9. Sensational Literature

Immense. He appears to know every detail of
every horror perpetrated in the century.

10. Plays the violin well

11. Is an expert singlestick player, boxer, and swordsman

12. Has a good practical knowledge of British law

23. What was the article “The Book of Life” about and who wrote it?

24. What did Holmes say was his profession?

25. How did he know that Watson had been in Afghanistan?

26. What were Holmes thoughts on

Poe’s Dupin and Gaboriau’s LeCoq?

27. Who did Holmes say the man was who Watson saw from the window of 221B carrying a letter? Was he correct?

28. What were the clues that Holmes said assured him of the identity of the messenger?