Chapter Two
“In 1669, Nicolaus Steno said ‘The brain, the masterpiece of creation, is almost unknown to us.’ And for generations this has been so. The ancient Egyptians believed that the brain was just ‘cranial stuffing’ and that the heart was the source of intelligence and thought. Why is it that we say ‘we know it by heart’ when we have memorised something?” Doctor Harrison Gray asked the classroom full of medical students. “Leonardo da Vinci was the first man to look at the brain from an anatomical point of view. I know what you are all thinking – ‘da Vinci was an artist’ – but in actuality, he was one of the most brilliant scientists that man will ever know. And although his studies were for the purpose to find the soul in the brain, his sketches, thoughts and insights have allowed the study of the brain to take a different direction. We are modern day scientists. We do not view the brain as the source of the soul. We know better. The brain, which is still relatively a mystery to us, is the source of all intelligence and thought. As science progresses, we will learn more about the magnificent organ, but for now we must only appreciate how this one object allows us to be who we are. Without it, we would be no better than a lump of coal in the stove.”
Little J was completely mesmerised. Even though she sat in a room filled with thirty men, she felt as though Harrison spoke directly to her. The way he paced up and down in front of them, emphasising his points with his hands, completely impressed her. He was so passionate and knowledgeable about medicine. He knew absolutely everything there was to know about the body and helped them retain information by naming the bones and muscles he was using to walk or stand or talk. He was truly incredible.
She often fantasised about what would happen if she had met him as a woman. She wondered if he would have liked the way she looked and take an interest in courting her. She couldn’t know that it would happen. She didn’t even know if he was married. He hadn’t mentioned a wife, but such a handsome man was surely already taken.
Harrison was very fortunate with his facial features. His face was symmetrical with a strong jaw and a straight nose. His hair was a few shades lighter than brown and had a slight curl to it. With what he did to it each morning, it seemed he just combed it back to keep it from falling in his eyes. His eyes were what bewitched her though. Their brown hues completely dazzled her. They had a way of completely holding one’s attention as he lectured about one part of the body or another. When she’d been closer to him she’d seen that around the pupil was a rim of gold, something so unusual. His skin was quite pale and he wasn’t the most muscular man she’d ever seen, most likely as he spent most of his time indoors studying rather than playing outdoor activities with the other boys as a child. However, he was still quite tall, and had very broad shoulders. His height was what Little J thought would make it obvious that she was a woman. Even though she looked like a man, she still had her height, which could not be changed.
“Many doctors, as you will learn on your travels, favour a particular field of medicine. Some prefer treating children over adults, some prefer broken bones over lacerations. I, myself, am completely biased toward the brain. We will never know all its secrets, however, I will happily spend my life trying to find out.” Harrison returned to the lectern at the front of the classroom and gathered his notes. He then pulled his little, golden pocket watch from his waistcoat and clicked his tongue. “Alright, it is after four,” he said to the class. “Before we meet again I would like all of you to draft a theory for me. I want you to write a theory, twelve inches in length, on what you believe is the brain’s highest function. I swear to God, if I read ‘the brain is our connection to the soul’ or ‘the brain connects the soul and the body’ then I shall set the lot on fire and you will all receive a discredit for the topic.” Harrison smirked at the class and light laughter left the lips of all the young men in the room.
YOU ARE READING
Becoming Jane
RomanceBeing clever in a time where women were taught to sit on their hands has always plagued Jane 'Little J' Alcott. She has always been laughed at and has learned to accept that she will never reach her full potential ... until now. When her brother th...
