Dr. Watson

“a general practitioner with very limited experience and mediocre qualifications” [DYIN]&nbsp;  &nbsp; We know Watson had a serious medical career before he met Holmes. But what do his qualifications mean? And aside from the brandy, how did his training come in handy? &nbsp; Helen Simpson's "The Medical Career of John H. Watson" in H.W. Bell's &nbsp;provides some insight into what Watson was telling us and what he wasn't. It's just a Trifle.    Have you left us a&nbsp;rating&nbsp;and&nbsp;review&nbsp;on&nbsp;&nbsp;yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.&nbsp;    &nbsp; Links / Notes  This episode:&nbsp;  by H.W. Bell (Amazon) Previous episodes mentioned:      Find us on&nbsp;,&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;and&nbsp; Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on&nbsp;  &nbsp; Sponsor      &nbsp; Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC:&nbsp; Copyright:&nbsp; &nbsp; --   &nbsp; &nbsp;  &nbsp;  &nbsp;

Watson's Medical Career

"much addicted" [TWIS]&nbsp; &nbsp; This month's Masters Class brings us back to a&nbsp;-winning article from&nbsp;The Baker Street Journal. &nbsp; Susan Rice wrote "Watson's Hidden Addiction" for Vol. 47, No. 2 (June 1997) of the&nbsp;BSJ, and it concerned a significant flaw in Watson's character. Perhaps "flaw" is not the right word — let's call it a weakness. She even found a syndrome that would explain it. It's just a Trifle.  &nbsp; Full show notes:&nbsp;  Thank you to our sponsor,&nbsp;The Baker Street Journal. &nbsp; Please support Trifles on Patreon:  &nbsp;

Watson's Hidden Addiction

“he was trying to hide his own identity”&nbsp;[RESI]&nbsp;   Over the years, there have been numerous theories about how Watson (or Mrs. Watson, rather) got his name wrong, substituting “James” for “John.” We covered some of them in&nbsp;. &nbsp; But this is a Masters Class episode in which we pick a masterful piece of Sherlockian scholarship and discuss it. In this case, it's one that may get to the bottom of this issue once and for all: Thomas Cynkin's article “James Watson, M.D.” appeared in Vol. 51, No. 4 of&nbsp;The Baker Street Journal&nbsp;and it's just a Trifle. &nbsp; If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your idea on the air, we'll send you some Sherlockian goodies.  And don't miss a chance at our monthly prize: free back issues of&nbsp;The Baker Street Journal. Every Patreon supporter is eligible to win this random drawing.&nbsp;. &nbsp; Links / Notes  This episode:&nbsp; &nbsp;by Steven Rothman Other episodes mentioned:      Find us on&nbsp;,&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;and&nbsp; Email us at trifles @&nbsp;ihearofsherlock DOT com Support us on&nbsp;&nbsp;and become eligible for our regular giveaways.  &nbsp; Sponsor  &nbsp; Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC:&nbsp; Copyright:&nbsp;

James Watson, M.D.

“over many nations and three separate continents” [SIGN]        

We all know about Mary Morstan from The Sign of Four, of her marriage to Watson, and of Watson's "sad bereavement" after Sherlock Holmes returned from his hiatus in "The Empty House."   

But there is evidence in a number of stories to show that Watson has been married more than once. Evidence from scholars such as Baring-Gould, Bell, Blakeney, Brend, Bristowe (and that's just the B's!), as well as Roberts, Sayers, Simpson, and others. 

But exactly how many marriages were there? You may be startled to hear how many we identify. It's just a Trifle.   

If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your idea on the air, we'll send you some Sherlockian goodies.   

Our Patreon supporters can listen to our shows ad-free and every one of them is eligible for our monthly and quarterly drawings for Baker Street Journals. Join our community of patrons today: https://patreon.com/trifles 

Links / Notes
This episode: https://ihose.co/trifles318
Other episodes mentioned:
  Episode 23 - Married Life with Dr. Watson https://ihose.co/trifles23
  Episode 61 - John Watson, Ladies Man https://ihose.co/trifles61

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Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra 
Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band 
Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

Dr. Watson's Marriages

“Old woman be damned!”&nbsp;[STUD]&nbsp;    &nbsp;  One of the wonderful things about examining and reexamining the Sherlock Holmes canon is that we can find things that take on special meanings to us. And two different people can interpret the same thing in vastly different ways.&nbsp; &nbsp; Listener Erik Deckers suggested that we find a topic that was interpreted wildly differently by two Sherlockians. So we started out with this doozy of a duel between Rex Stout and Julian Wolff. It's just a Trifle.  &nbsp; If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your idea on the air, we'll send you some Sherlockian goodies. &nbsp; Our Patreon supporters can listen to our shows ad-free and every one of them is eligible for our monthly and quarterly drawings for&nbsp;Baker Street Journals.&nbsp;.    &nbsp; Links / Notes  This episode:&nbsp;   Find us on&nbsp;,&nbsp;,&nbsp;&nbsp;and&nbsp; Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Listen to us ad-free on&nbsp;&nbsp;and become eligible for our regular giveaways.  &nbsp; Sponsor  &nbsp; Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC:&nbsp; Copyright:&nbsp; &nbsp;    &nbsp;   &nbsp;  &nbsp;

Dueling Topics: Watson's Gender

“This terrible secret” [FIVE] 
Dr. Watson was a master of inconsistencies. Or perhaps sloppiness. Or, according to Christopher Morley, intentional obfuscation. With a little chronological detective work, he may have figured it out. 

Just what was Watson's secret, and why was he keeping it? He did it so well that not only did he keep it from his readers, but from Sherlock Holmes himself. It's the lastest Masters Class and it's just a Trifle.  

If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your idea on the air, we'll send you some Sherlockian goodies. &nbsp; Our Patreon supporters can listen to our shows ad-free and every one of them is eligible for our monthly and quarterly drawings for Baker Street Journals. https://patreon.com/trifles

Full show notes:

Dr. Watson's Secret

“a charming coquettish intimacy” [3GAB]  
The final installment in this season's Masters Class is another Christopher Morley essay, "Watson à la Mode," from Vol. 1 No. 1 of The Baker Street Journal (1946). 

We discuss Morley's keen analysis of Watson's eye for fashion and an extraordinary conclusion about his marriages. It's just a Trifle.  

Oh, and we've issued a challenge to Trifles Patreon supporters, due before the next issue drops. A prize awaits! 

If you have a suggestion for a Trifles episode, let us know at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your idea on the air, we'll send you some Sherlockian goodies. 

Our Patreon supporters can listen to our shows ad-free and every one of them is eligible for our monthly and quarterly drawings for Baker Street Journals. https://patreon.com/trifles

Full show notes:
https://www.sherlockholmespodcast.com/2023/12/episode-364-watson-la-mode.html

Watson à la Mode

The opening lines of A Study in Scarlet are rich with details about Dr. Watson's past. His medical degree, his army service, even his injury. He recalls how he came to London without knowing anyone in the city and proceeded to blow through his cash reserves.

Just how far could one get on 11s. 6p. per day in 1881? And how fortunate we are that Watson couldn't keep to his budget. For his cash situation is what required him to find a flatmate...

Music credits:
Performers	Uncredited violinist
	US Marine Chamber Orchestra
Publisher Info.	Washington, DC: United States Marine Band.
Copyright	Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

Sherlock Holmes: Trifles

Watson in the City

"what's amiss with the names?" [VALL]&nbsp; &nbsp; One of the most puzzling passages in the Sherlock Holmes stories is when Mrs. Watson referred to her husband, the good Doctor, as "James." However, we know that his given name is John. What could be afoot here? Was it a typo? An impostor? A slip of the tongue? We review some of the longstanding theories and even provide a few of our own to see if we might get to the bottom of this mystery. Links  "The Adventure of the Man with the Twisted Lip"  Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Sources by Donald A. Redmond   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band. Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 &nbsp; &nbsp;

John, James and Mary

"not long after my marriage" [ENGR]&nbsp;  In this episode, we look at how married life was treating Dr. Watson in "The Adventure of the Boscombe Valley Mystery." William S. Baring-Gould placed this at June 6 or June 8, 1889. It was published as the fourth short story in the collection known as The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. In the opening scene, Holmes sends for the recently married Watson to accompany him on a case, and Mary Watson, far from nagging her husband about his penchant for dashing off with his friend, actually urges Watson to go. Watson gives her a charming compliment in return by alluding to their romantic meeting in The Sign of Four. The affectionate circle is completed when Holmes gives Watson very gracious thanks for agreeing to come along on the trip.&nbsp; &nbsp; What are we to make of Watson's home life? Is he simply using a literary technique by making his marriage seem able to weather the storm of Holmes? Or was Mary genuinely understanding of the push-pull relationship between the doctor and the detective? &nbsp; A tribute to the late Peter Sallis, an appearance by Felix Unger and Oscar Madison, and more surprises await. &nbsp; Links   Remembering Peter Sallis "A Married Man" IHOSE Episode 26: A Musical Stroll Down Baker Street The Odd Couple   &nbsp;  Music credits    Performers:&nbsp;Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra   Publisher Info.:&nbsp;Washington, DC:&nbsp;United States Marine Band.   Copyright:&nbsp;Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

Married Life with Dr. Watson

"Now Watson, the fair sex is your department." [SECO]
John Watson knew women; Holmes tells us so. And Watson certainly tells us so, in his admiration of Mary Morstan as well as his description of some of the leading ladies of the Canon. He also told us outright in The Sign of Four that he's managed to get around:  "In an experience of women which extends over many nations and three separate continents..."  
But three? We know for certain he's been to Europe an Asia. But which of the other five might be the one to round out Watson's travels? We investigate the lively love life of Dr. John H. Watson, MD.

John Watson, Ladies Man

"the good doctor took us to the yew alley" [HOUN]&nbsp;&nbsp;   &nbsp; &nbsp; John H. Watson, M.D., late of the Army Medical Department, had a number of medical practices throughout the Sherlock Holmes stories. He waffled between being a flat-sharing colleague of Holmes and a doctor with his own thriving practice. &nbsp; From Paddington to Queen Anne Street, we follow Watson's rise. But what of his methods? Did he dispense reasonable medical care of the age? Or was he too far removed from the practice of medicine by the time he took on his own practice in the mid- to late-Eighties?&nbsp;   &nbsp;&nbsp;Have you&nbsp;left us a&nbsp;rating&nbsp;and&nbsp;review&nbsp;on the podcast player of your choice yet? Every review helps more people find the show.&nbsp;  &nbsp;  And please consider supporting our efforts through&nbsp;Patreon&nbsp;or&nbsp; PayPal.   &nbsp;  Links / Notes  This episode:&nbsp;ihose.co/trifles87  &nbsp; &nbsp; Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC:&nbsp;United States Marine Band Copyright:&nbsp;Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

The Good Doctor

“a member of an aristocratic club” [BERY]&nbsp; &nbsp; From golf clubs to gentlemen's clubs...&nbsp; Ask any Sherlockian to name a club in the Canon and they'll invariably say the Diogenes Club (that's right after Tonga's club. You don't have to be a Penang lawyer to get that one.). And there were a number of fictional clubs as well.&nbsp; But one club that gets just a passing mention is Watson's club. Which one was it? Speculation abounds, so we gave it a shot. It's just a trifle.&nbsp;    Have you left us a&nbsp;rating&nbsp;and&nbsp;review&nbsp;on&nbsp;Apple Podcasts&nbsp;yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.&nbsp;&nbsp; We're available everywhere you listen to podcasts, including&nbsp;Apple Podcasts,&nbsp;Google Podcasts,&nbsp;Spotify,&nbsp;SoundCloud, and&nbsp;RadioPublic.  And please consider&nbsp;supporting&nbsp;our efforts through&nbsp;Patreon&nbsp;or&nbsp;PayPal.     &nbsp;   Links / Notes  This episode:&nbsp;ihose.co/trifles130  The Gentlemen's Clubs of London (Amazon)  List of gentlemen's clubs in London (Wikipedia) Get your own&nbsp;"Signs of Four" merchandise&nbsp;from our store.&nbsp;Over 20 designs to choose from on mugs and a variety of colored t-shirts. Special Summer sale happening now -&nbsp;25% off!   &nbsp;  Sponsor   The Baker Street Journal    &nbsp;  Music credits  Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC:&nbsp;United States Marine Band Copyright:&nbsp;Creative Commons Attribution 3.0  &nbsp;   --  &nbsp;

Watson's Club

“I travelled in my youth” [TWIS]&nbsp; We know little about Dr. Watson's life, aside from what he managed to tell us. Yes, he was in the Army's medical department. Yes, he was wounded. And he needed to find a flatmate to be able to afford London on his pension. But what about beyond that? Sherlock Holmes was able to make some inferences from a watch that Watson's brother bequeathed to him. There are a few other clues here and there to give us a scent to pick up. And Robert Katz, BSI joins us to begin to weave those threads together. It's just a trifle. &nbsp;    Have you left us a&nbsp;rating&nbsp;and&nbsp;review&nbsp;on&nbsp;Apple Podcasts&nbsp;yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.&nbsp; We're available everywhere you listen to podcasts, including&nbsp;Apple Podcasts,&nbsp;Google Podcasts,&nbsp;Spotify,&nbsp;SoundCloud, and&nbsp;RadioPublic. And please consider&nbsp;supporting&nbsp;our efforts through&nbsp;Patreon&nbsp;or&nbsp;PayPal.   &nbsp;   &nbsp;   Links / Notes  This episode:&nbsp;ihose.co/trifles135 Get your own&nbsp;"Signs of Four" merchandise&nbsp;from our store.&nbsp;Over 20 designs to choose from on mugs and a variety of colored t-shirts. Special Summer sale happening now -&nbsp;25% off with code SUMMER.   &nbsp;  Sponsor   The Baker Street Journal    &nbsp;  Music credits  Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC:&nbsp;United States Marine Band Copyright:&nbsp;Creative Commons Attribution 3.0  &nbsp;   --  &nbsp;

John Watson's Youth - Part 1

“you were on the battlefield” [BLAN]&nbsp; In the last episode, Robert Katz, BSI began to take us through his theory of where Dr. Watson spent his early years. He used the facts given to us by Watson himself, combined with the reasoning of Sherlock Holmes to arrive at some conclusions. This week, he brings us the other half of the story: after Watson moved from Australia to America, he tells us about the connection with Henry Ward Beecher and Watson's heroics on U.S. soil. It's just a trifle. &nbsp;    Have you left us a&nbsp;rating&nbsp;and&nbsp;review&nbsp;on&nbsp;Apple Podcasts&nbsp;yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.&nbsp; We're available everywhere you listen to podcasts, including&nbsp;Apple Podcasts,&nbsp;Google Podcasts,&nbsp;Spotify,&nbsp;SoundCloud, and&nbsp;RadioPublic.   And please consider&nbsp;supporting&nbsp;our efforts through&nbsp;Patreon&nbsp;or&nbsp;PayPal.     &nbsp; Links / Notes  This episode:&nbsp;ihose.co/trifles136 Get your own&nbsp;"Signs of Four" merchandise&nbsp;from our store.&nbsp;Over 20 designs to choose from on mugs and a variety of colored t-shirts. Special Summer sale happening now -&nbsp;25% off with code SUMMER.   &nbsp;  Sponsor   The Baker Street Journal    &nbsp;  Music credits  Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC:&nbsp;United States Marine Band Copyright:&nbsp;Creative Commons Attribution 3.0  &nbsp;   --  &nbsp;

John Watson's Youth - Part 2

“the only selfish action which I can recall in our association” [BLAN]&nbsp;&nbsp; Sherlock Holmes was a loner. An independent consultant. An automaton. But he also shared rooms with Dr. Watson off and on for over 20 years. When Watson went off and got married, how did this affect Holmes, really? And Watson had&nbsp;how many&nbsp;wives? It's just a trifle.   Have you left us a&nbsp;rating&nbsp;and&nbsp;review&nbsp;on&nbsp;Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.&nbsp;   We're available everywhere you listen to podcasts, including&nbsp;Apple Podcasts,&nbsp;Google Podcasts,&nbsp;Spotify,&nbsp;SoundCloud, and&nbsp;RadioPublic.      And please consider supporting&nbsp;our efforts through&nbsp;Patreon&nbsp;or&nbsp;PayPal.     &nbsp;  Links / Notes  This episode:&nbsp;ihose.co/trifles153  Baker Street Elementary&nbsp;– One Is the Loneliest Number Get your own&nbsp;"Signs of Four" merchandise&nbsp;from our store.&nbsp;Over 20 designs to choose from on mugs and a variety of colored t-shirts.&nbsp;HURRY!&nbsp;Get your holiday orders in now. This store closes at the end of 2019.   &nbsp;  Sponsor   The Baker Street Journal    &nbsp;  Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC:&nbsp;United States Marine Band Copyright:&nbsp;Creative Commons Attribution 3.0  &nbsp;

Minus Watson, Part 1

“I was alone.” [BLAN]&nbsp;&nbsp; Sherlock Holmes was occasionally without his Boswell. Watson was married at least twice&nbsp;– some scholars even claim there was a third Mrs. Watson. Was Holmes truly affected by Watson's absence? There is a subtle time lapse that may give away how Holmes dealt with a matrimonial Watson. And a look at how Holmes dealt with solitude earlier in his life.&nbsp;It's just a trifle. &nbsp;   Have you left us a&nbsp;rating&nbsp;and&nbsp;review&nbsp;on&nbsp;Apple Podcasts&nbsp;yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.&nbsp;  We're available everywhere you listen to podcasts, including  Apple Podcasts,&nbsp;Google Podcasts,&nbsp;Spotify,&nbsp;SoundCloud, and&nbsp;RadioPublic. &nbsp;  And please consider&nbsp;supporting&nbsp;our efforts through&nbsp;Patreon&nbsp;or&nbsp;PayPal.  &nbsp;  Links / Notes  This episode:&nbsp;ihose.co/trifles154 Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street: A Life of the World's First Consulting Detective&nbsp;by William S. Baring-Gould Get your own&nbsp;"Signs of Four" merchandise&nbsp;from our store.&nbsp;Over 20 designs to choose from on mugs and a variety of colored t-shirts.&nbsp;HURRY!&nbsp;Get your holiday orders in now. This store closes at the end of 2019.   &nbsp;  Sponsor   The Baker Street Journal    &nbsp;  Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC:&nbsp;United States Marine Band Copyright:&nbsp;Creative Commons Attribution 3.0  &nbsp;   --   &nbsp;

Minus Watson, Part 2

“Watson, the fair sex is your department” [SECO]&nbsp;&nbsp; There was a scandal in Sherlockian circles in the early 1940s. Author Rex Stout, BSI ("The Boscombe Valley Mystery"), creator of Nero Wolfe, after careful research, determined that Watson was a woman. He presented his facts in the&nbsp;Saturday Review of Literature&nbsp;and let them sit. They didn't sit well with all Sherlockians, and Julian Wolff, BSI ("The Red-Headed League") took up his pen to offer a retort in "That Was No Lady." Both essays appeared in Edgar W. Smith's&nbsp;, and we discussed them in our monthly feature "Mr. Sherlock Holmes the Theorist" episode. It's just a Trifle.&nbsp; &nbsp;  Have you left us a rating&nbsp;and&nbsp;review&nbsp;on&nbsp;&nbsp;yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.&nbsp; We're available everywhere you listen to podcasts, including ,&nbsp;,&nbsp;,&nbsp;, and&nbsp;.    And please consider supporting&nbsp;our efforts through&nbsp;&nbsp;or&nbsp;.       &nbsp;   Links / Notes  This episode:&nbsp;    &nbsp; Sponsor       &nbsp;  Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC:&nbsp; Copyright:&nbsp;  &nbsp;   --   &nbsp;

Watson Was a Woman

“Your hand stole towards your own old wound” [CARD]&nbsp; Watson returns from Afghanistan, recovering from a wound in the shoulder and the aftereffects of disease. But we later discover that he had a leg wound as well.&nbsp; Could it be the delirium that caused him to misstate his injuries? Or was there another reason for his error? Two old pieces of Sherlockian scholarship&nbsp;– one from the 1940s and another from the 1950s&nbsp;– each have a different theory. Which is correct? It's just a Trifle. &nbsp;   Have you left us a&nbsp;rating&nbsp;and&nbsp;review&nbsp;on&nbsp;&nbsp;yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.&nbsp;  Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts:   &nbsp;  &nbsp;  And please consider&nbsp;supporting&nbsp;our efforts through&nbsp;&nbsp;or&nbsp;.     &nbsp;   Links / Notes  This episode:&nbsp;    &nbsp; Sponsor       &nbsp;  Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC:&nbsp; Copyright:&nbsp;  &nbsp;   --   &nbsp;

The Mystery of Watson's Second Wound

“This is unworthy of you, Holmes” [SIGN]&nbsp; Sherlock Holmes wasn't an easy man to live with. Still, it's impressive that Watson didn't unload on him more frequently. Or perhaps he did and just didn't report it...  What is it about Holmes's personality that made him caustic? And about Watson's that allowed him to endure it. It's just a Trifle. &nbsp;    Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Have you left us a&nbsp;rating&nbsp;and&nbsp;review&nbsp;on&nbsp;&nbsp;yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.&nbsp;  And please consider&nbsp;supporting&nbsp;our efforts through&nbsp;&nbsp;or&nbsp;.     &nbsp;     &nbsp;  Links / Notes  This episode:&nbsp; Also mentioned:&nbsp;  &nbsp; Sponsor      &nbsp; Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC:&nbsp; Copyright:&nbsp; &nbsp; -- &nbsp;

Watson's Patience

A weekly program about details in the Sherlock Holmes stories.