Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, is a globally recognized name. His character’s influence is immense, inspiring numerous stories and characters. However, Doyle’s life was multifaceted, extending beyond Holmes and his exploration of spiritualism.
He was a medical man, historian, sailor, and much more. Doyle wished to be recognized for his diverse accomplishments, not just for the creation of the famous detective.
A Knight of the Boer
The act of knighting individuals for artistic contributions is a topic of debate. However, Doyle’s knighthood wasn’t for Sherlock Holmes or his literary works. It had nothing to do with medicine, history, or spiritualism.
Doyle was knighted for his service to the British government during the Second Boer War (1899–1902) in South Africa. He worked in a field hospital and published a pamphlet supporting the Boer War. [1]
The Jesuits Made Me Do It
Doyle’s interest in Spiritualism is well-known. He participated in séances and sought to prove psychic powers. While the deaths of family members may have spurred his research, Doyle’s disillusionment with religion began earlier.
At nine, he was sent to a strict Jesuit boarding school known for harsh punishments. By adulthood, he had abandoned religion. This experience significantly impacted him. [2]
One Drink Too Many
Doyle’s biography reveals a life marked by unhappy periods, often navigated through letters to his mother. His troubles began early; at nine, family issues led to him being sent to boarding school to protect him from his father.
His father, Charles Altamont Doyle, was an alcoholic unable to maintain employment or support his family. Although Doyle didn’t report physical abuse, he supported his father’s committal later in life. His Holmes novels reflect his negative views on drunks, often depicting them as abusive. [3]
An Eye-Opening Profession
Besides being a writer and researcher, Doyle was an accomplished ophthalmologist, specializing in eye surgery and sensitive procedures. His medical expertise informed his writings, though his time was much different than today’s.
As a medical student, he gained extensive surgical knowledge and spent seven months as a ship’s surgeon on a whaling vessel. This experience inspired his stories featuring sailors and ocean adventures. In 1891, he began practicing medicine in London. He wrote and researched on the side. [4]
A Pretty Clueless Life
Despite creating Sherlock Holmes, Doyle wasn’t known for Holmes’s observational skills. Among his friends, he was less observant than most. While he occasionally helped the police, his success was limited.
He admitted to attempting to solve a police case, only guessing that the suspect was left-handed with nails in his boots. His detective hobby was more aspirational than practical. [5]
That Phrenology Feeling
Phrenology, now debunked, claimed that skull shape revealed intelligence and personality. It was a racist pseudoscience. Doyle unfortunately believed in phrenology.
Phrenology appeared in his stories as fact. However, phrenology was discredited before Doyle’s time. A modern medical man promoting such pseudoscience would be controversial. [6]
A (Pseudo) Scientific Interest
Doyle aimed to be at the forefront of global developments. He was fascinated by new ideas. Like with phrenology, he was susceptible to pseudoscientific beliefs. These beliefs infiltrated his logical detective stories.
In “The Adventure of the Creeping Man,” a serum from monkey blood causes a man to act like a monkey. “The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire” features ineffective blood-sucking as a plot point. [7]
The Racism of the Times
Doyle faced accusations of racism, citing elements in his stories and actions. His support of the Boer War, phrenology, and depictions of non-British people as grotesque are often mentioned. Defenses often point to his alignment with societal norms and the racism of the time.
In “The Adventure of the Three Gables,” Holmes uses racially charged insults against a black boxer, Steve Dixie, and does nothing when a policeman uses a racial slur. Some suggest the story may have been ghostwritten, citing “The Yellow Face” as evidence of his racial empathy. [8]
A Dark and Bloody Connection
Doyle was a historian, researcher, spiritualist, sailor, surgeon, detective, novelist, and apologist. Some believe he was also secretly Jack the Ripper.
His time on a whaling vessel and his upbringing influenced this theory. Similarities between the Ripper’s letters and Doyle’s writing, as well as allusions to the murders in his stories, fuel the speculation. [9]
Sherlock Holmes and the Future of Crime
Doyle regretted Holmes overshadowing his other pursuits. However, Holmes’s methods significantly impacted criminal justice. Holmes used chemistry, ballistics, and forensic evidence to solve crimes.
His methods inspired Edmund Lochard to create the first forensics lab. Modern detective stories are based on crime-solving methods and the stories of Sherlock Holmes. [10]
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s life was full of surprises. From his service as a knight to his dabbling in now debunked pseudoscience, he had a life as interesting as his fictional characters.
What’s your favorite Sherlock Holmes story? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
