Цветы для Элджернона
PROGRESS REPORT 13
Straussdealtlargelywiththetheoryandtechniquesofneurosurgery,describingindetailhowpioneerstudiesonthemappingofhormonecontrolcentersenabledhimtoisolateandstimulatethesecenterswhileatthesametimeremovingthehormone-inhibitorproducingportionofthecortex.Heexplainedtheenzyme-blocktheoryandwentontodescribemyphysicalconditionbeforeandaftersurgery.Photographs(Ididn’tknowtheyhadbeentaken)werepassedaroundandcommentedon,andIcouldseebythenodsandsmilesthatmostpeoplethereagreedwithhimthatthe"dull,vacuousfacialexpression"hadbeentransformedintoan"alert,intelligentappearance."Healsodiscussedindetailthepertinentaspectsofourtherapysessions—especiallymychangingattitudestowardfreeassociationonthecouch.
Ihadcomethereaspartofascientificpresentation,andIhadexpectedtobeputonexhibition,buteveryonekepttalkingaboutmeasifIweresomekindofnewlycreatedthingtheywerepresentingtothescientificworld.Nooneinthisroomconsideredmeanindividual—ahumanbeing.Theconstantjuxtapositionof"AlgernonandCharlie,"and"CharlieandAlgernon,"madeitclearthattheythoughtofbothofusasacoupleofexperimentalanimalswhohadnoexistenceoutsidethelaboratory.But,asidefrommyanger,Icouldn’tgetitoutofmymindthatsomethingwaswrong.
Finally,itwasNemur’sturntospeak—tosumitallupastheheadoftheproject—totakethespotlightastheauthorofabrilliantexperiment.
