"Charles L. Harness - The Rose" - читать интересную книгу автора (Harness Charles L)

"Granted. But a time-sensitive pineal still doesn't explain the pain in Ruy's hump. Nor the hump itself, for
that matter."

"What," said Bell, "makes you think the hump is anything more than what it seemsтАФa spinal disease
characterized by a growth of laminated tissue?"

"It's not that simple, and you know it. You're familiar with 'phantom limb' cases, such as where the
amputee retains an illusion of sensation or pain in the amputated hand or foot?"

He nodded.

She continued: "But you know, of course, that amputation isn't an absolute prerequisite to a 'phantom'. A
child born armless may experience phantom limb sensations for years. Suppose such a child were thrust
into some improbable armless society, and their psychiatrists tried to cast his sensory pattern into their
own mold. How could the child explain to them the miracle of arms, hands, fingersтАФthings of which he
had occasional sensory intimations, but had never seen, and could hardly imagine? Ruy's case is
analogous. He is four-limbed and presumably springs from normal stock. Hence the phantom sensations
in his hump point toward a potential organтАФa foreshadowing of the future, rather than toward
memories of a limb once possessed. To use a brutish example, Ruy is like the tadpole rather than the
snake. The snake had his legs briefly, during the evolutionary recapitulation of his embryo. The tadpole
has yet to shed his tail and develop legs. But one might assume that each has some faint phantom sensoria
of legs."

Bell appeared to consider this. "That still doesn't account for Ruy's pain. I wouldn't think the process of
growing a tail would be painful for a tadpole, nor a phantom limb for RuyтАФif it's inherent in his physical
structure. But be that as it may, from all indications he is still going to be in considerable pain when that
narcotic wears off. What are you going to do for him then? Section the ganglia leading to his hump?"

"Certainly not. Then he would never be able to grow that extra organ. Anyhow, even in normal phantom
limb cases, cutting nerve tissue doesn't help. Excision of neuromas from limb stumps brings only
temporary reliefтАФand may actually aggravate a case of hyperaesthesia. No, phantom pain sensations are
central rather than peripheral. However, as a temporary analgesic, I shall try a two per cent solution of
novocaine near the proper thoracic ganglia." She looked at her watch. "We'd better be getting back to
him."

Chapter Eight
Anna withdrew the syringe needle from the man's side and rubbed the last puncture with an alcoholic
swab.

"How do you feel, Ruy?" asked Bell.

The woman stooped beside the sterile linens and looked at the face of the prone man. "He doesn't," she
said uneasily. "He's out cold again."

"Really?" Bell bent over beside her and reached for the man's pulse. "But it was only two per cent
novocaine. Most remarkable."

"I'll order a counter-stimulant," said Anna nervously. "I don't like this."