Knowledge and skills Sherlock Holmes

1 knowledge , skills

1.1 holmesian deduction
1.2 disguises
1.3 agents
1.4 combat

1.4.1 pistols
1.4.2 cane , sword
1.4.3 riding crop
1.4.4 boxing
1.4.5 martial arts
1.4.6 physical strength

knowledge , skills

in first novel, study in scarlet, holmes background presented. in 1881, chemistry student number of eccentric interests, of make him adept @ solving crimes. shortly after meeting holmes, watson assesses detective s abilities:

arthur conan doyle, study in scarlet

subsequent stories reveal watson s assessment incomplete in places , inaccurate in others. @ end of study in scarlet, holmes demonstrates knowledge of latin. despite holmes s supposed ignorance of politics, in scandal in bohemia recognises true identity of count von kramm . speech peppered references bible, shakespeare, , johann wolfgang von goethe, , detective quotes letter gustave flaubert george sand in original french. @ end of case of identity , holmes quotes hafez. in hound of baskervilles, detective recognises works martin knoller , joshua reynolds: excuse admiration of connoisseur .... watson won t allow know of art, mere jealousy since our views upon subject differ . in adventure of bruce-partington plans , watson says in november 1895, holmes lost himself in monograph had undertaken upon polyphonic motets of lassus , considered last word on subject. holmes cryptanalyst, telling watson in adventure of dancing men : familiar forms of secret writing, , myself author of trifling monograph upon subject, in analyse 1 hundred , sixty separate ciphers .

in study in scarlet, holmes claims unaware earth revolves around sun since such information irrelevant work; after hearing fact watson, says try forget it. detective believes mind has finite capacity information storage, , learning useless things reduces 1 s ability learn useful things. later stories move away notion: in second chapter of valley of fear, says, knowledge comes useful detective , , near end of adventure of lion s mane , detective calls himself omnivorous reader strangely retentive memory trifles .

the detective particularly skilled in analysis of physical evidence, including latent prints (such footprints, hoof prints, , bicycle tracks) identify actions @ crime scene (a study in scarlet, adventure of silver blaze , adventure of priory school , hound of baskervilles, boscombe valley mystery ); using tobacco ashes , cigarette butts identify criminals ( adventure of resident patient , hound of baskervilles); comparing typewritten letters expose fraud ( case of identity ); using gunpowder residue expose 2 murderers ( adventure of reigate squire ); comparing bullets 2 crime scenes ( adventure of empty house ); analyzing small pieces of human remains expose 2 murders ( adventure of cardboard box ), , use of fingerprints ( norwood builder ).

holmes demonstrates knowledge of psychology in scandal in bohemia , luring irene adler betraying hid photograph based on premise unmarried woman save valued possession fire. example in adventure of blue carbuncle , holmes obtains information salesman wager: when see man whiskers of cut , pink un protruding out of pocket, can draw him bet .... daresay if had put 100 pounds down in front of him, man not have given me such complete information drawn him idea doing me on wager .

holmesian deduction

poster 1900 play sherlock holmes conan doyle , actor william gillette

holmes s primary intellectual detection method abductive reasoning. holmesian deduction consists of observation-based inferences, such study of cigar ashes. drop of water , writes, logician infer possibility of atlantic or niagara without having seen or heard of 1 or other .

in scandal in bohemia , holmes deduces watson had gotten wet lately , had clumsy , careless servant girl . when watson asks how holmes knows this, detective answers:

it simplicity itself ... eyes tell me on inside of left shoe, firelight strikes it, leather scored 6 parallel cuts. have been caused has carelessly scraped round edges of sole in order remove crusted mud it. hence, see, double deduction had been out in vile weather, , had particularly malignant boot-slitting specimen of london slavey.

in first holmes story, study in scarlet, dr. watson compares holmes c. auguste dupin, edgar allan poe s fictional detective, employed similar methodology. holmes replies: in opinion, dupin inferior fellow... had analytical genius, no doubt; no means such phenomenon poe appears imagine . alluding episode in murders in rue morgue , dupin deduces friend thinking despite having walked in silence quarter of hour, holmes remarks: trick of breaking in on friend s thoughts apropos remark... showy , superficial . nevertheless, holmes later performs same trick on watson in adventure of cardboard box .

deductive reasoning allows holmes learn stranger s occupation, such retired marine sergeant in study in scarlet; ship s-carpenter-turned-pawnbroker in red-headed league , , billiard-marker , retired artillery non-commissioned officer in adventure of greek interpreter . studying inanimate objects, makes deductions owners (watson s pocket watch in sign of 4 , hat, pipe, , walking stick in other stories). detective s guiding principle, says in sign of 4 , elsewhere in stories, is: when have eliminated impossible, whatever remains, improbable, must truth .

conan doyle paint holmes fallible (this being central theme of adventure of yellow face ).

disguises

holmes displays strong aptitude acting , disguise. in several stories ( adventure of charles augustus milverton , man twisted lip , adventure of empty house , scandal in bohemia ), gather evidence undercover uses disguises convincing watson fails recognise him. in others ( adventure of dying detective and, again, scandal in bohemia ), holmes feigns injury or illness incriminate guilty. in latter story, watson says, stage lost fine actor ... when [holmes] became specialist in crime .

agents

until watson s arrival @ baker street holmes largely worked alone, employing agents city s underclass; these agents included host of informants, such langdale pike, “human book of reference upon matters of social scandal”, , shinwell johnson, aka “porky” johnson, acted holmes’ “agent in huge criminal underworld of london...”. known of holmes agents group of street children called baker street irregulars . irregulars appear in 3 stories: study in scarlet, sign of four, , adventure of crooked man .

combat

british army (adams) mark iii, differed mark ii in ejector-rod design



webley bulldog



1868 webley ric


pistols

holmes , watson carry pistols them—in watson s case, old service weapon (probably mark iii adams revolver, issued british troops during 1870s). in stories, pistols used (or displayed) on number of occasions. in musgrave ritual holmes described decorating wall of flat patriotic vr (victoria regina) of bullet holes. holmes , watson shoot eponymous hound in hound of baskervilles, , in adventure of empty house holmes pistol-whips colonel sebastian moran. in adventure of solitary cyclist , adventure of black peter , , adventure of dancing men , holmes or watson use pistol capture criminals, , detective uses watson s revolver reconstruct crime in problem of thor bridge . webley bulldog (carried holmes), webley ric, , webley-government ( wg ) army revolver have been associated holmes , watson.

cane , sword

as gentleman, holmes carries stick or cane. described watson expert @ singlestick , uses cane twice weapon. in study in scarlet, watson describes holmes expert swordsman, , in adventure of gloria scott detective practises fencing.

riding crop

in several stories, holmes carries riding crop, threatening thrash swindler in case of identity . hunting crop , holmes knocks pistol john clay s hand in red-headed league , drives off adder in adventure of speckled band . in 6 napoleons , uses crop (described favourite weapon) break open 1 of plaster busts.

boxing

holmes adept bare-knuckle fighter; in sign of four, introduces himself mcmurdo, prize fighter, amateur fought 3 rounds @ alison s rooms on night of benefit 4 years back. mcmurdo remembers: ah, re 1 has wasted gifts, have! might have aimed high if had joined fancy. adventure of gloria scott mentions holmes trained boxer, , in yellow face , watson says: undoubtedly 1 of finest boxers of weight have ever seen .

the detective engages in hand-to-hand combat adversaries (in adventure of solitary cyclist , adventure of naval treaty ) , victorious.

martial arts

in adventure of empty house , holmes tells watson used martial arts fling moriarty death in reichenbach falls: have knowledge ... of baritsu, or japanese system of wrestling, has more once been useful me . baritsu conan doyle s version of bartitsu, combined jujitsu boxing , cane fencing.

physical strength

the detective described (or demonstrated) possessing above-average physical strength. in adventure of speckled band , dr. roylott demonstrates strength bending fire poker in half. watson describes holmes laughing, not quite bulky, if had remained might have shown him grip not more feeble own. spoke picked steel poker and, sudden effort, straightened out again. in yellow face , holmes s chronicler says, few men capable of greater muscular effort.