Hallamar’s face suddenly changed from an expression of sympathetic interest to one of surprise and polite incredulity. “Pain?” he repeated, “not as the result of spinal paralysis?”
“Yes,” Herriard replied, “so he tells me. He suffers terrible paroxysms of pain at times. Why, is that a rare symptom?”
“Unheard of,” the Professor answered, beginning now to regard Herriard as a witness, whose testimony was too inexact and irresponsible to be accepted. “Certainly,” he added reflectively, “the pain you speak of may result from some other cause, some lesion in a part of the body unaffected by the spinal shock. Your friend was perhaps hurt elsewhere in the accident?”
“No,” Herriard replied. “I am pretty sure of that. At least the doctors said so at the time.”
“H’m!” Hallamar could not understand it, but was scarcely inclined to accept the symptoms on hearsay, “The pain your friend complains of is in the head perhaps?” he suggested, interested in spite of the untrustworthiness of the report.
“The head! No, the back,” Herriard corrected. “He told me so.”
The Professor shook his head. “It could not be.”
“A man,” Herriard objected, “be he ever so shattered and paralyzed, would scarcely mistake a pain in the head for one in the back, would he?”
Hallamar evidently thought it not worth while to pursue the argument.
“Hardly,” he agreed. “Still in the absence of any other injury a headache is all that we could prognose.” Then, in answer to the other’s perplexed expression, he added, “You see Mr. Herriard, it is a very simple and safe assertion to make. Shock and injury to the spine produce paralysis of the nerve ganglions and consequent loss of sensation; and where there is no sensation there can be no pain. The telegraph wires, so to speak, between the brain and the supposed seat of pain are severed; how then can the sensation of pain be communicated? You must have misunderstood your friend. Well, this is an unprofitable discussion. If you would like me to see the case I have still a few days more in England, and if a cure by my treatment seemed likely I might even arrange to extend my stay.”