B546 <=> B548 (BTG XXXI Last sojourn to Earth, p. 547)

“’But the analysis?’ I asked him.

“’What’s analysis?’ he replied sarcastically, though also with a kind smile. ‘A thorough analysis of a single powder would cost so much that, with this money, you could buy not only half a hundredweight of this powder, but possibly even open a whole pharmacy with it; so it is understandable that, for three or five kopecks, nobody is likely to be such a fool.

“’Strictly speaking, nowhere is the analysis about which you are thinking ever done.

“’Each town, it goes without saying, has its “analytic-chemists,” and even every municipality has such “specialists” in its service.

“’But what do they amount to and what do they know, these specialist “analytic-chemists?”

“’Perhaps you do not know how these specialists who occupy such responsible posts study, and what they understand? . . . No? . . .

“’Then I shall also tell you about this.

“’For instance, some mama’s darling, a young man, inevitably with a pimpled face – and he is pimpled because his mama considered herself a high-brow and thought it was “indecent” to speak of and to point out certain things to her son, whereupon this son of hers, not yet having formed his own consciousness, did that which was “done” in him, and the results of these “doings” of his, as with all such young people, appeared on his face as pimples, which are very well known even to contemporary medicine . . .

“’Well, my honorable doctor . . .’ it was thus that the pharmacist continued.

.” . . Before, however, continuing, my boy, to tell you further what the kind pharmacist said, I must tell you that when I became a professional physician there, your favorites everywhere called me ‘doctor.’

“I will some time without fail explain to you about that title of theirs, because owing to that hateful word doctor, a very sad and tragic misunderstanding occurred there once to our dear Ahoon.