- A man dies of a mysterious tropical disease on which his cousin, his heir, is the sole authority.
- Sherlock Holmes is approached by Mrs. Adelaide Savage who is concerned about her husband, Victor. He is a successful and rich financier by profession but is a poet at heart. He has taken to using opium regularly and has been acting strangely, she believes, as a result. Holmes accepts to look into the case and soon spends a weekend at their country estate. There he finds that Culverton Smith, Savage's cousin, is also in residence. A bookish man, whose only accomplishment is to be known as the principal authority on a very rare tropical poison, Smith's behavior is odd from the outset. Savage is clearly a sick man and when he dies, Holmes surprises Watson - who is certain Smith responsible - by seeming somewhat nonchalant about it all. When Holmes himself becomes deathly ill, apparently with the same affliction that struck Savage, he summons him to Baker Street to close the case.—garykmcd
- Adelaide Savage approaches Sherlock Holmes regarding her husband Victor. He has is drug addict, encouraged and enabled by Mr Culverton Smith. While Holmes is visiting the household, Victor collapses and subsequently dies of a rare tropical disease. Mr Smith inherits Mr Savage's estate upon his death. He also happens to be the foremost expert on the tropical disease Mr Savage died of.—grantss
- Victor (Hugh Bonneville) is a banker from a rich family & is a nephew of Culverton Smith (Jonathan Hyde). Victor's wife Adelaide (Susannah Harker) approaches Holmes to say that she believes Smith is a bad influence on Victor & has driven him to opium addiction, to meet his own ends. Holmes is invited to a dinner party hosted by Victor's wife, where Smith is also invited. Victor falls ill in front of everyone. He dies in the hospital a few days later, from a rare Asian fever, which he apparently got in one of the Chinese dens he frequented for Opium. Post death, most of Victor's wealth goes to Smith, as per his will. Smith is incidentally a doctor, specializing in the treatment of fever that killed Victor.
Holmes (Jeremy Brett) is convinced that Smith is the murderer but has no proof. He openly accuses Smith of having killed Victor to inherit his wealth & promises to put him behind bars. Dr. Watson (Edward Hardwicke) is called to 221B Baker Street to tend Holmes, who is apparently dying of a rare Asian disease contracted while he was on a case at Rotherhithe. Watson is shocked, having heard nothing about his friend's illness. Mrs. Hudson (Rosalie Williams) says that he has neither eaten nor drunk anything in three days.
Upon arriving, Watson finds Holmes in his bed looking very ill and gaunt indeed. Watson is not to come near Holmes, for the illness is highly contagious. Watson examines several objects in Holmes's room while he waits. Holmes has a fit when Watson touches one item, a little black and white ivory box with a sliding lid. Holmes orders him to put it down, explaining that he does not like his things touched.
Holmes tells Watson to turn the gaslight on, but only half-full. He then tells him to fetch Mr. Culverton Smith. He also tells Watson to be sure that he and Smith return to Baker Street separately. Smith is supposedly an expert on the illness that ails Holmes. Also, Holmes explains that Smith does not particularly like him, for Holmes once cast the suspicion for Smith's nephew's murder on him. Outside Holmes's door, Watson meets Inspector Morton (John Labanowski). Upon hearing of Holmes's illness, the inspector's expression somewhat suggests exultation to Watson.
Watson goes to the address, and at first Smith refuses to see him. Watson forces his way in and once he makes it clear to an angry Culverton Smith that Sherlock Holmes is dying and wants to see him, his attitude changes drastically. He seems quite concerned, although for a moment, it seems to Watson that he is pleased. Smith agrees to come, and so Watson excuses himself by saying that he has another appointment. He arrives back at Baker Street before Smith gets there. Holmes is pleased to hear that Smith is coming, and orders Watson to hide behind a decorative screen next to the bed. He does so, and presently, Culverton Smith arrives. His bedside manner seems more taunting than soothing.
Believing that they are alone, Smith is frank, and it soon emerges, to the hiding Watson's horror, that Holmes has been sickened by the same illness that killed Smith's nephew Victor. Believing that Holmes is at death's door and will never get to repeat what he hears, Smith is also frank enough to admit that he murdered his nephew with this disease, which he had been studying. He sees the little ivory box, which Smith sent by post, and which contains a sharp spring infected with the illness. He pockets it, removing the evidence of his crime. He then resolves to stay there and watch Holmes die.
Holmes asks him to turn the gas up full, which he does. He also asks for a match and a cigarette. No sooner have these requests been fulfilled than Inspector Morton comes in - the gaslight was the signal to move in, it turns out. Holmes tells him to arrest Culverton Smith for his nephew's murder. Smith, still as arrogant as ever, points out that his word is as good as Holmes's in court, but then, of course, Watson emerges from behind the screen to present himself as a witness to the conversation. Holmes is not really dying, of course. This has all been a ruse to get Culverton Smith to confess to his nephew's murder. Holmes was not infected by the little box; he has enough enemies to know that he must always examine his mail carefully before he opens it. Starving himself for three days, and a little Vaseline, belladonna, rouge, and beeswax made him a convincing malingerer and the claim of the "disease's" infectious nature was to keep Watson from examining him and discovering the ruse.
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