Medical Conan Doyle-Leucocytes, Bacteria and Phagocytosis Before Metchnikoff

Abstract

In March 1883, Arthur Conan Doyle published an article entitled “Life and death in the blood”, in which he provided a scientific description of the last advances in bacteriology and in leucocytes biology that implied activity of phagocytosis of bacteria in the blood. This discussion immediately suggests Metchnikoff’s theory of phagocytosis. However, Conan Doyle could not have known about this theory, since Metchnikoff’s first article about it was only published in November 1883. Furthermore, Conan Doyle could not have learned of Metchnikoff’s crucial experiment, performed in Messina in late December 1882, by participating in scientific assemblies, since at that time he was permanently practicing in Southsea, where he also received the proofs of his article in January 1883. On the other hand, leucocyte phagocytosis had been previously studied and Conan Doyle undoubtedly knew about these studies, given his specific interest in the subject deriving from his previous work on leukemia. In the manuscript, he specifically mentioned experiments carried out with the hot stage, likely referring to Max Schultze’s functional study performed in 1865. Additional studies, such as those of Joseph Leidy, Alexander Ogston, Karl Roser and George Sternberg among others, may also have influenced Doyle’s article. As in other circumstances, he subsequently used a scientific topic as a creative starting point for literary production.