Read Online The Mind of Mr Soames by Charles Eric Maine - Free Book Online

question of conditioning behaviour and co-ordinating responses. It operates on a more instinctive and emotional level.’
    ‘Then it seems to me,’ Ann said reflectively, ‘that so far as pure teaching is concerned one can regard Mr Soames as equivalent to a child, but training may present certain difficulties because in fact he isn’t a child.’
    ‘Just so.’
    ‘But... the only fundamental point of difference is in his maturity. I mean...’
    ‘You mean that he is sexually mature, whereas a child isn’t.’
    ‘Well, yes.’
    ‘That was precisely the point I tried to put over to Breuer and Mortimer,’ Conway said wearily, ‘but they just couldn’t see it. They devised a scheme for replacing sex by a notion of abstract gender and surrounding Soames with male nurses for as many years as necessary. That seemed to me to be fundamentally wrong.’
    ‘But Dave, many adult people do in fact spend years of their lives in the company of male nurses.’
    ‘Yes,’ he agreed, ‘and frequently they’re insane. We have a few at the Institute. Chronic paranoiacs, or schizophrenics. Soames is neither. And don’t forget that the unfortunates who end up among male nurses have invariably at some time experienced a normal life.’
    ‘I suppose you’re right,’ she said resignedly. ‘At the same time, I can’t help feeling that this is one of those cases where one can’t work purely on theoretical grounds. I think if I were in charge of the education programme I’d be inclined to proceed on a trial and error basis, and keep adjusting the methods used by experience.’
    ‘Reasonable enough,’ he agreed. ‘At least one must be flexible. As things are, Soames seems to be regarded as a kind of experiment rather than a human being.’
    ‘Well, that’s natural enough, perhaps. After thirty years it must be difficult for Dr Breuer and Dr Mortimer to regard Soames as human at all. They’re nearly twice as old as you are, Dave—and Soames himself for that matter. They probably remember the case from the very beginning...’
    ‘From birth.’
    ‘Why not? I suppose both of them were in their late twenties when Soames was born, and both qualified doctors. No doubt it was reported in detail in the papers at the time and in the medical journals. After a few decades a case tends to become a case history, sort of depersonalised and objective. You can’t really blame them if they regard Soames as something of a specimen.’
    ‘You may be right,’ Conway admitted reluctantly. ‘Perhaps if I were as old as Breuer I might feel the same. Mortimer, too. He’s a competent psychiatrist—a damned sight more competent than I am, when it comes to the point. Maybe he’s right and I’m wrong.’
    ‘Time will show.’
    ‘I suppose so.’ He surveyed the empty glasses with bleak eyes, but before he could ask the inevitable question she had already answered.
    ‘No more, thanks, darling. I think it’s time we got back.’
    He nodded amiably.
    She regarded him questioningly. ‘I was wondering...’
    ‘Well?’
    ‘I’ve never seen this Mr Soames. Do you suppose we could look in on him for just a few seconds?’
    He pursed his lips dubiously. ‘I’m not sure. In view of the male nurse and scorched earth policy...’
    ‘But that hasn’t been put into effect yet.’
    ‘No, but in a day or two—perhaps even tomorrow.’
    ‘Then this might be my last chance for five years.’
    He smiled and surrendered. ‘We can but try, but it will have to be on the QT. I’m in enough trouble with the executive as it is.’
    They left the pub and went out to Conway’s middle-aged car parked in the forecourt.
    ❖
    The nurse was respectful, but faintly disapproving. ‘It’s a little irregular, Dr Conway,’ she said apologetically. ‘Dr Breuer issued special instructions...’
    ‘I’ve spent most of the day talking to Dr Breuer and discussing the programme of treatment for Mr Soames,’ Conway said with a show of impatience. ‘Very