Doctor

THE ARCHES OF THE YEARS--Halliday Sutherland--Morrow ($2.75).

"Once, as quite a young child going out for a walk with my nurse, I shouted: 'Three cheers for the Holy Ghost.' "

This should indicate that Autobiographer Sutherland is no run-of-the-mill medico and the rest of his reminiscences, though often tantalizingly reticent, fulfill this youthful promise. He tells of so many odd things that have happened to him that an insatiable reader is left with the feeling there must have been many more.

After taking his degree at the University of Edinburgh, young Dr. Sutherland went to Spain to assist his uncle, who had a practice at Huelva. There he saw many a bullfight, became cronies with El Litri, veteran matador. Twice Sutherland "played" a bull in a tentadero (practice fight). The first time, after two successful passes, the bull got him, might have killed him if El Litri had not bounded to his rescue.

Back in Scotland, Sutherland practiced for a time at asylums. At one of these was an old gentleman who had voluntarily taken refuge there. On Sutherland's first call the old man spotted him right away. "How long have you been here? A week! No honest man would answer in that way. He would say 'One week,' or he might say seven days, but not 'A week.' By God. you are not the first of your breed to sneak in here, and you can't deceive me; I knew you at a glance. You're a Jesuit. Get out, you scoundrel, before I do you an injury. Report to those who sent you that I can detect a Jesuit at sight, however disguised." Once, suspecting a wife of slowly poisoning her husband but having no proof, Sutherland told her that her husband's food was not agreeing with him. He thinks she took the hint. (Author Hugh Walpole has this story in his last book, All Souls' Night.)

In the War Dr. Sutherland served as ship's doctor on board the Empress of Britain, commissioned as an armed merchant-cruiser, served at other posts on sea and ashore. One night standing with the skipper on the bridge of a new destroyer, taking her speed trials in a full gale, he saw something bob past on the crest of a wave. "It had a lifebelt round its body, the face was that of a skeleton, but the scalp was intact and the sodden tresses of hair were black and very long.

" 'Did you see it?' I asked.

" 'Five minutes ago.'

" 'Not going to take it on board?'

"'Christ, no! It would demoralize the men.' After a pause he added: 'The Lusitania.' "

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