"Now, Admiral, there are two further points on which I wish enlightenment. The first is the opthalmia which is troubling the patient." "It is nothing to be alarmed about as far as symptoms go, Doctor," replied the Admiral. "It is a rather mild case of irritation, somewhat analogous to granuloma, but rather stubborn. He had an attack several weeks ago and while it did not yield to treatment as readily as I could have wished, it did clear up nicely in a couple of weeks and I was quite surprised at this recurrent attack. His sight is in no danger." "Have you tried to connect this opthalmia with his mental aberrations?" "Why no, Doctor, there is no connection." "Are you sure?" "I am certain. The slight pain which his eyes give him could never have such an effect upon the mind of so able and energetic a man as he is." "Well, we'll let that pass for the moment. The other question is this: has he any form of skin trouble?" * * * * * The Admiral looked up in surprise. "Yes, he has," he admitted. "I had mentioned it to no one, for it really amounts to nothing, but he has a slight attack of some obscure form of dermatitis which I am treating. It is affecting only his face and hands." "Please describe it." "It has taken the form of a brown pigmentation on the hands. On the face it causes a slight itching and subsequent peeling of the affected areas." "In other words, it is acting like sunburn?" "Why, yes, somewhat. It is not that, however, for he has been exposed to the sun very little lately, on account of his eyes." "I notice that he is sleeping in the new solarium which was added last winter to the executive mansion. Can you tell me with what type of glass it is equipped?" "Yes. It is not equipped with glass at all, but with fused quartz." "When did he start to sleep there?" "As soon as it was completed." "And all the time the windows have been of fused quartz?" "No. They were glazed at first, but the glass was removed and the fused quartz substituted at my suggestion about two months ago, just before this trouble started." "Thank you, Admiral. You have given me several things to think about. My ideas are a little too nebulous to share as yet but I think that I can give you one piece of very sound advice. The President is spending a very restless night. If you would remove him from the solarium and get him to lie down in a room which is glazed with ordinary glass, and pull down the shades so that he will be in the dark, I think that he will pass a better night." * * * * * Admiral Clay looked keenly into the piercing black eyes of the Doctor. "I know something of you by reputation, Bird," he said slowly, "and I will follow your advice. Will you tell me why you make this particular suggestion?"