In the book "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" Sherlock Holmes believed that "doctor's make the greatest criminals." Holmes himself said: "When a doctor does go wrong he is the first of criminals. He has nerve and he has knowledge." I agree to Holmes' statement because doctors know of all sorts of medications and poisons that could be used to kill somebody. If they are using a knife or weapon, they would know the vital areas of the human body and doctors are notoriously perfectionists; they make it their business to be careful with even the simplest of steps in practice. Doctors would be "great" because they would take that attention to detail with them and be careful and persistent in the actions, and are trusted in the community.
It is a doctors job to know a lot about all sorts of medications and poisons that could be used to harm and inflect pain on someone. At that time, it was possible using the chemicals a doctor had access to to make a poison that was undetectable in the corpse. Some poisons were untraceable; detectives could not identify what had killed somebody even if poison had been the cause of death, thus making poison the deadliest weapon around that time period--doctors knowing the most about such substances. To be a doctor you must study all vital areas of the human body. If doctors wanted to kill someone with a knife or blunt object they would know the most beneficial places to strike the human body. It was suspected that "Jack the Ripper," a notorious murderer, had medical training because of the precision in which some of the organs were removed from his victims. Around that time period, if you were doctor you would of made the perfect criminal.
Doctors are very discreet and precise in their actions--for example, if they were doing surgery on a patient and working with vital organs, one centimeter could mean the difference between death and survival. Being a doctor, you almost have to be a perfectionist, making sure you get every single little detail perfect, no matter what your practice is as a doctor. Most criminals around Sherlock Holme's time period were not very smart and would leave vital clues behind during the scene of a crime. However, when Sherlock Holmes was investigating the scene of a crime committed by a Doctor there would be few, if not any clues at all. Doctors obtain their title, "doctor," through hard work, diligence, patience and years of study, and doctors typically have a moderate or high IQs-- all traits that would help a criminal.
When studying, doctors have to pay attention to every little detail and when committing a crime, the criminal has to pay attention to every little clue that he could possible leave behind. Such observation of scenario, something which doctors are prevalent in doing, is also another trait that would help a criminal get away with a crime. Doctors are also high ranking on the social latter, during Sherlock Holme's time and even until today. Patience usually trusted doctors enough to do risky forms of therapy, either physical or involving medication, that would put the patience life at risk. In fact , "during the 18th century medical sciences were not as advanced in scientific knowledge because the body and its functions were still a mystery" (history1700s.com). For example, doctors around Sherlock Holmes' time period did not sterilize their hands or instruments, a method of disinfection used today, yet people had the faith and trust in them. Doctors were also socially accepted as "superior" or "smart" people and around that time period would almost certainly never be questioned of a crime.
Sherlock Holme's conclusion that doctors were the greatest criminals was spot-on. Medicine and sciences during times of Holmes were not as advanced as todays, making it easy for a doctor with enough knowledge to become an almost untraceable criminal. Doctors work with chemicals only accessible by doctors, and can create poisons to inflect on their victims. With a high IQ, precision and other traits that doctors usually possess, it is clearly evident that they would make the greatest criminals.
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