The chief guest of the Lieutenant-Governor this evening was one Dr.
Châtelard, a French savant of world-wide reputation, author of "La
Psychologie Féminine des Races." Scientist—he had begun his career as a
doctor, had specialised in nervous complaints, narrowed his circle again
to _les néuroses des femmes_; and, after establishing a school of his
own, had gradually (though scarcely past the middle life) retired from
active practice and confined himself to studying, teaching, and writing.
The first volume of his "Psychologie"—under the distinctive heading "La
femme Latine"—had created a sensation not only in the scientific world,
where the author’s really valuable contributions to observation and
treatment could not fail to be recognised, but also among that self-same
irresponsible yet charming class which formed the subject-matter of his
investigation. Here, indeed, the physician’s light turn of wit, the
palpitating examples he cited, with a discreet use of asterisks, set up
a great flutter. _Madame la Marquise_ was charmed when she recognised,
or believed to recognise, _cette chère Comtesse_ in a singularly
eccentric case. Friends hunted for each other eagerly through the
delicately veiled pages. Now and again a fair whilom patient would
plume herself upon the belief that no other identity but her own could
fit that of _Madame D——, cette exquise sensitive_. (M. Châtelard clung
to style while he revolutionised science.) It is no wonder, perhaps,
that the book should have had a greater vogue than the last scandalous
novel. A second volume, "L’Orientale," was in course of conception.
Indeed, it was the occasion of that tour in the East which brought M.
Châtelard to India and, incidentally, under Sir Arthur Gerardine’s roof.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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