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A Pocketful of Rye

I recently finished reading A Pocketful of Rye, a murder mystery by Agatha Christie, which includes the Miss Marple character. This was my second or third time reading the book, as I’m an avid fan of Christie. On this reading, I learned something new, with the help of an internet search.

In the book, published in 1953, one of the characters is suspected of having the condition called “General Paralysis of the Insane”. The word “Paresis” can also be used instead of “Paralysis.” Perhaps I never thought about what that could mean, on previous readings, but this time I did a search of it on the internet.

What I discovered was a bit mind-blowing. It’s something you might want to research. In the book, the symptoms highlighted were delusions of grandeur, reckless behavior, and poor business decisions. But the disease can progress to frighteningly debilitating effects.

The medical world at one time did not know the causes of the illness, which can be confused with other illnesses. However, after a while, it was discovered and gradually accepted that one cause could be syphilis, a venereal disease, caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum. Later, it was discovered that penicillin could be a cure.

Now, I don’t know if in the book, Christie intended to imply that the character in question had syphilis, but the study of this gave me cause to be grateful that it became curable.

During my youth, antibiotics like penicillin and beyond were a given. Just imagine a world without them. I’ve had quite a few infections eliminated by antibiotics.

Granted, today antibiotics have their own issues, such as overuse. They can upset the balance of your gut bacteria. I have developed the habit of consuming a tablespoon of yogurt everyday, especially since needing antibiotics at times. However, it’s hard to dispute that there’s some value, sometimes great value, in having antibiotics available.