"The Adventure of the Resident Patient", one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is one of 12 stories in the cycle collected as The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. The story was originally published in The Strand Magazine in the United Kingdom and Harper's Weekly in the United States in August 1893.

Doyle ranked "The Adventure of the Resident Patient" eighteenth in a list of his nineteen favourite Sherlock Holmes stories.

Synopsis
Holmes and Watson are consulted by Dr. Percy Trevelyan, a young general practitioner whose specialty is neurological disorders.  Two years prior, having been a brilliant student but lacking the money to set up in practice, Trevelyan agreed to a strange business proposition put forward by a Mr. Blessington. Blessington bought a house in Brook Street, furnished it, paid servants, and purchased everything Dr. Trevelyan could need; all Trevelyan had to do was set up a consulting room; every evening Blessington would be checking the days accounts and then turn over 5 shillings and 3 pence for every guinea Trevelyan had earned. The Doctor would keep the 1/4 of what he earned and Blessington would put the rest in a strong box. Another unusual condition is having Blessington to live in the house as a permanent resident patient due to his heart trouble. The investment has made Blessington rich, and Trevelyan has become a well-known, respected doctor.

However, some months ago, Blessington panicked after claiming to have read a newspaper article about a nearby burglary; he insisted upon stronger locks and other stringent security measures, and also refused to leave the house for several weeks, only recently resuming his habit of taking his evening walk. Secondly, the evening before Trevelyan's visit to Holmes, an elderly Russian nobleman and his son consulted the doctor, due to the father's complaint of catalepsy. The son remained in the waiting room while the father spoke to the doctor - however, the old gentleman suffered a cataleptic attack while in the consulting room. Trevelyan spent several minutes looking for some amyl nitrite, but both father and son were gone when he returned with it. They visited again the next evening, apologizing for mistakenly believing the consultation was over the day before. Trevelyan again consulted the father while the son waited outside. After the pair left, Blessington returned from his walk, found footprints in his room, and entered into a state of panic again, insisting Trevelyan go and fetch Holmes to his aid.

Holmes and Watson return to Brook Street with the doctor, but Blessington refuses to admit to Holmes why he is obviously afraid for his life, or why there are men after him. He instead tries to pretend he is afraid they are unknown burglars, coming after the fortune he keeps in the chest at the foot of his bed (not trusting bankers). Holmes eventually leaves in disgust, advising Blessington that he cannot help him unless he tells the truth. However, Holmes has been able, by studying the footprints, to confirm the doctor's story and eliminate him as a suspect. It was the nobleman's son who twice entered the room, first while his father (most likely) pretended to have a cataleptic seizure the day before, then a second time while the doctor was kept busy consulting the father, leaving wet footprints since it was rather rainy outside that second day. However, Blessington had been out walking both times, inadvertently frustrating his enemies.

The next morning, Holmes and Watson return to Brook Street at a summons from Trevelyan.  Blessington has been found dead, having apparently hanged himself during the night. Holmes and Inspector Lanner of Scotland Yard examine the scene; Holmes is able to find convincing evidence (different brands of cigars/ash, footprints, tools left behind) that three intruders were in the house that night. Two of them are the supposed "Russian nobleman" and his son; the third is unknown. Signs indicate the trio were admitted into the house by a confederate, most likely the newly hired page. They then held a sort of mock-judicial proceeding against Blessington, "condemned" him, hung him, and retreated, the confederate barring the door behind them.

Taking a photograph of Blessington, Holmes leaves to consult Scotland Yard's files, and returns with the news that he has identified Blessington as Sutton, one of the five members of the Worthingdon Bank Gang. The others were Cartwright, Biddle, Hayward, and Moffat. After the gang had committed a massive robbery in 1875, Sutton betrayed his four comrades to the police to escape arrest himself. Cartwright was hanged for murdering the bank's caretaker, and the other three got lengthy prison terms of 15 years apeice. Sutton changed his name to Blessington and moved in with Dr. Trevelyan to hide from them; his first panic had been when he read of their unexpectedly early release from prison. As he feared, they eventually hunted him down and murdered him, to avenge Cartwright. Sutton had been unable to tell Holmes the truth of the matter without admitting his own identity, something he was too frightened and ashamed to do.

Lanner arrests the page and instigates a search, but Biddle, Hayward, and Moffat escape the country. The case against the page breaks down for lack of evidence, and the three murderers are suspected to have died in the wreck of the ship Nora Creina off the Portuguese coast.

Publication history
"The Adventure of the Resident Patient" was published in the UK in The Strand Magazine in August 1893, and in the US in Harper's Weekly on 12 August 1893. It was also published in the US edition of The Strand Magazine in September 1893. The story was published with seven illustrations by Sidney Paget in the Strand, and with two illustrations by W. H. Hyde in Harper's Weekly. It was included in  The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, which was published in December 1893 in the UK and February 1894 in the US.

In many editions, the story starts with the Holmes "mind-reading" scene from "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box", which was added to this story after Doyle decided the latter story should not be included in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.

Adaptations

Film and television
The story was adapted as a 1921 silent short film as part of the Stoll film series. It starred Eille Norwood as Holmes and Hubert Willis as Watson, and featured Judd Green as Blessington.

The Granada television adaptation of the canon starring Jeremy Brett featured an episode based on this story.

The ninth episode of Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century is based on this story.

Radio

Edith Meiser adapted the story as an episode of the American radio series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes which aired on 12 January 1931, with Richard Gordon as Sherlock Holmes and Leigh Lovell as Dr. Watson. A remake of the script was broadcast on 14 March 1936 (with Gordon as Holmes and Harry West as Watson).

Edith Meiser also adapted the story as an episode of the American radio series The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, with Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Watson, that was broadcast on 23 February 1941.

Michael Hardwick dramatised the story as a BBC Light Programme radio adaptation that aired in 1961, as part of the 1952–1969 radio series starring Carleton Hobbs as Holmes and Norman Shelley as Watson, with Hamilton Dyce as Trevelyan.

"The Resident Patient" was dramatised for BBC Radio 4 in 1992 by Peter Ling as part of the 1989–1998 radio series starring Clive Merrison as Holmes and Michael Williams as Watson. It featured Robert Lang as Blessington, Adjoa Andoh as Maria, and David Kossoff as Count Orlovsky.

The story was adapted as an episode of The Classic Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, a series on the American radio show Imagination Theatre, starring John Patrick Lowrie as Holmes and Lawrence Albert as Watson. The episode aired in 2009.

References
Notes

Sources

External links

 

Resident Patient, The Adventure of the
1893 short stories
Works originally published in The Strand Magazine
Works originally published in Harper's Weekly
《장기 입원 환자》(The Resident Patient)는 영국 작가인 아서 코난 도일의 56개 셜록 홈즈의 단편 소설 중 하나이며, 단편집 《셜록 홈즈의 회상록》에 수록되어 있다.

줄거리 

의사인 퍼시 트레블리언이 홈즈에게 예사롭지 않은 사건을 의뢰한다. 똑똑한 학생이었지만 가난했던 트레블리언은 예사롭지 않은 사업 협정을 체결한다. 투자자라고 자처하는 블레싱턴은 병원의 모든 비용을 지불하고 대신 수입의 3/4을 갖기로 했다. 또한 2층에 거처하는 조건도 달았다. 블레싱턴은 건강상태가 좋지 않았고 항상 의사가 가까이 있는 것이 필요했기 때문에 이런 거래가 이루어진 것이다.

모든 것이 순조롭게 진행되었다. 그러던 어느 날 블레싱턴에게 어떤 일이 발생했다. 강도 기사를 읽은 후 그는 몹시 흥분했다.

그로부터 얼마 후, 러시아 귀족인 강직증 환자가 찾아왔다. 블레싱턴이 그의 일과인 산책 시간에 러시아 환자의 아들이 데리고 온 것이다. 아들은 의사가 환자를 진찰하는 동안 대기실에서 기다리겠다고 했다. 진찰중 환자가 의식을 잃어 몸이 경직되었다. 트레블리언은 호흡에 도움이 되는 아질산염을 찾아서 돌아와보니 환자와 아들은 가고 없었다.

놀랍게도 그 두 사람을 그 다음날 저녁 다시 찾아왔다. 아들이 말하길 아버지가 대기실로 걸어나와서 진찰이 끝난줄 알았다는 것이다. 그래서 아버지를 모시고 집으로 돌아왔고 그 후에 뭔가 일이 있어난줄 알았다고 했다. 트레블리언은 다시 환자를 진찰하고 그들이 돌아간 후, 블레싱턴이 정신을 잃었다. 누군가가 그의 방에 침입했었다. 방바닥에는 발자국이 있었다. 그것은 틀림없이 러시아 환자의 아들일 것이다. 그런데 무엇때문에 그 방에 들어갔을까? 훼손되거나 도난당한 물건은 없었다.

트레블리언의 얘기를 듣던 홈즈는 현장에성 직접 조사하기로 했다. 홈즈는 왜 블레싱턴이 피해망상이 되었는지 바로 밝혀냈다. 블레싱턴은 홈즈와 왓슨, 트레블리언에게 권총을 겨누었지만 트레블리언은 도움을 주러 왔다고 안심시켰다.

홈즈는 블레싱턴에게 그들이 누구이고 왜 괴롭히는지 질문했다. 블리싱턴은 첫번 째 질문에는 답할 수 없다고 신경질적으로 대답했지만 두번 째 질문에는 그의 모든 재산이 자신의 침실의 상자에 있기 때문이라고 답했다. 그는 은행을 믿지 않기 때문에 자신의 방에 돈을 보관한다고 했다. 홈즈는 블리싱틴이 무언가 숨기고 있다는걸 알고 사실을 다 말하지 않으면 도와줄 수 없다고 말하고 떠난다.

돌아오는 길에 홈즈는 왓슨에게 사건의 개요를 말해준다. 홈즈는 두 사람, 또는 그 이상의 사람이 블레싱턴을 제거하려 했다는걸 알았다. 강직증은 가짜였고, 블레싱턴의 방에 접근하는 것을 트레블리언이 알아차리지 못하게 하려는 의도였다. 그들은 방을 뒤졌지만 물건을 훔치지는 않았다. 그들은 대기실에 손님이 없는 저녁에 약속을 잡았다. 홈즈는 블레싱턴이 몸숨의 위협을 느낀다는 것을 보고 블레싱턴은 그들이 누구인지 알고있다고 생각했다. 또한 그들이 두번 방문했을 때 블레싱턴은 모두 방에 없었다. 그들은 블레싱턴의 생활습관에 익숙하지 못하다는 증거였다.

그 다음날 아침 블레싱턴이 목매 자살했다는 소식이 전해졌다. 트레블리언은 홈즈를 데려오기 위해 베이커가로 마차를 보냈다. 홈즈와 왓슨이 도착했을 때, 블레싱턴은 아직도 그의 침실 천정에 매달려 있었고, 레너 경위가 그곳에 있었다. 그는 자살로 확신했다. 하지만 홈즈는 다르게 생각했다. 시가와 다른 물증을 통해 그곳에 블리턴외 3명이 더 있었다고 추리했다. 블레싱턴을 처리하러 온 사람들은 유죄평결과 사형선고를 내리고 집행을 한 것이다.

경찰 조사에 의해 세부적인 내용이 밝혀졌다. 4명은 한때 은행을 턴 범죄조직의 일원이었다. 블레싱턴의 본명은 서튼이었고, 다른 세 사람은 비들, 헤이워드, 그리고 모펫이었다. 1875년 은행을 털어 7,000파운드를 강탈한 후, 블레싱턴(서튼)은 밀고자로 변신했고, 그 결과 다른 세 사람은 각각 15년의 징역을 살았다. 그들의 조기 출감소식으로 촉발된 블레싱턴의 편집증은 매우 절실한 공포였다. 살인자들은 복수의 처형 방식으로 교수형을 택했다.

결국 이 사건은 증거 불충분으로 종결됐다. 그 후 세 사람에 대한 소식은 다시 듣지 못했지만, 그들의 배가 난파되어 죽은 것 같았다.

그 밖의 이야기 
《장기 입원 환자》의 살인자들의 운명은 《다섯 개의 오렌지 씨앗》의 오펜쇼의 살인자와 비슷하다. 그들도 역시 난파로 사라졌다.

이 작품은 1881년의 이야기이며, 1881년은 홈즈와 왓슨이 만나 베이커 가로 들어간 해이다.

단편 추리 소설
영국 소설
1893년 단편소설
아서 코난 도일의 셜록 홈즈 단편소설