The death of a professor -- At home in Mauritius -- A medical student in Paris -- Great expectations -- The physics of the circulation : why we don't faint on standing, and why we get bedsores on lying still for too long -- Fame in the making -- Fame and fortune in Britain : a piece of cake -- Broken dreams and promises -- Musical chairs -- Thoughts about the brain -- The disease of devils and demons -- The magnificent maverick -- A new system of medicine -- Scenes from the world of a scientist -- A backward glance and a reckoning.