"like a viper's tooth" [DYIN]

Here we are again, ready to tackle the monthly topic of exotic animals. So naturally, we turn to the wiper. Wait, the what?

Suffice it to say that the oddly-identified snake does have a place in the Sherlock Holmes stories, although way down at the East End. Oh, and there's the little matter of a Great War publishing machine. It's just a Trifle.

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Music credits

Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

"It is fortunate for this community that I am not a criminal."[BRUC]

Sherlock Holmes certainly ran with a rough crowd. Burglars, murderers, blackmailers, thieves, spies, kidnappers, and even politicians. Given his store of criminal knowledge, what stopped him from becoming a criminal himself? Wait just a moment; while his cause was justice, his practice wasn't always on the right side of the law. Thanks to a suggestion from Erik Deckers, we're examining the criminality of Sherlock Holmes. It's just a Trifle. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes

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Music credits

• Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra
• Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band
• Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

"a sharp touch of brain-fever" [MUSG] Inspired by two sources of Sherlockian medical scholarship, we decided to discuss brain fever. What was brain fever, medically speaking? And why does it only rear its head in Victorian literature? Was it an actual affliction, or just a literary device? It's just a Trifle. Please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes

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• Did Victorians Really Get Brain Fever? (JSTOR Daily)
• Reference: "Brain Fever" by Stephen Tolins, The Baker Street Journal, Vol. 41, No. 2 (1991)
• Nerve and Knowledge: Doctors, Medicine, and the Sherlockian Canon (BSI Press)

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Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"Apply 221B, Baker Street" [NAVA] Last week, we left you hanging with Vincent Starrett's chapter in his book The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. We couldn't leave it unfinished, so we're back with the second half. And a special treat at the conclusion of the episode—also with a 221B theme. It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes

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• The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes by Vincent Starrett

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Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"I have my eye on a suite in Baker Street" [STUD] There is no question that 221B Baker Street is the most famous address in all of fiction. What makes it interesting is its non-existence at the time of the stories' publications, and legions of fans attempting to determine its actual location afterward. Vincent Starrett was a huge fan of this game. So much so that he dedicated a chapter in his book The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes to it. To celebrate our 221st episode, Scott and Burt read "No. 221B Baker Street" from the book. It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes

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• The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes by Vincent Starrett

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Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"some creature of the weasel and stoat tribe" [CROO] There was a fad in mid-century Victorian England that led to pets becoming more common. But the third week of each month, our episodes focus not on everyday household animals but rare and unusual creatures. In this case, we focus on a member of the family Herpestidae. Namely, the mongoose. Making a few appearances in popular fiction, they're just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes

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• Mongoose (Wikipedia)

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Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"rarefied heights of pure mathematics" [VALL] As we know, James Moriarty was a professor of mathematics. We know little about his academic appointment, other than having to step down from a chair. What we do know is he has two publications to his name. What are they, and what do they tell us about Moriarty's approach to a life of crime. They're just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes

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• The Dynamics of an Asteroid
• The binomial theorem
• Previous episodes:
• • Episode 211: The Three Professors

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Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"I return with an excellent appetite" [BLAC] The Sherlock Holmes stories are a cornucopia of content. A smorgasbord of smarts. A full menu of fulfillment. So it shouldn't be terribly surprising that we find buffets mentioned in the Canon. Perhaps you skipped over the Canonical buffet line. We can't blame you. The references are fleeting, at best. As we say, it's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes

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• Buffet (Wikipedia)
• Richard Doyle's depiction of a station buffet
• Previous food-related episodes:
• • Episode 163 - Vegetarian Restaurants
  • Episode 158 - British Food
  • Episode 104 - Sherlock Holmes's Dining Habits
  • Episode 42 - A Noble Supper
  • Episode 3 - Simpson's

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Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"Our own colours, green and white." [WIST] Yes, the circle was red, the study was scarlet and the pips were orange. But there are so many other colors (or colours) to explore in the Sherlock Holmes stories. Conan Doyle did a masterful job of using color to give us a vivid sense of the settings. But more than that, what does his use of various colors tell us? It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes

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• Episode 10: The Dressing Gown of Many Colors

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Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"It is a nice household," he murmured. "That is the baboon." [SPEC] It seems that Dr. Grimesby Roylott had a bit of a wild side. Killed a man in India. Threw a blacksmith off a small bridge. Had a cheetah and baboon wandering his grounds. You know, as one does. As we looked at the animals in detail, we came across a startling detail about Roylott's menagerie. You might say it's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes

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• Pets Peeved (I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere)
• Cheetah (Wikipedia)
• Victorian London: The London Zoo (Victorian Voices)
• Baboon (Wikipedia)
• How to Survive an Encounter with a Baboon (LiveAbout)

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Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --