by H G Wells

Certainly, if ever man found guinea when looking for pin, my good friend Professor Gibberne heard before of investigators overshooting the mark, but never quite extent that he He has really, at any rate, without any touch of exaggeration phrase, found something to revolutionise human life when simply seeking an all-round nervous stimulant to bring languid people stresses pushful days tasted the stuff now , and do better than describe the effect the thing had on me astonishing experiences in store for all in search of new sensations will become apparent enough

Professor Gibberne, people know, is my neighbour in Folkestone Unless my memory plays me trick, his portrait at various ages has already appeared Strand Magazine_--think late in 1899 but unable to look it up because lent that volume to someone who has never sent it back The reader may, perhaps, recall the high forehead singularly long black eyebrows that give such Mephistophelean touch face He occupies one pleasant little detached houses mixed style that western end Upper Sandgate Road so interesting His one Flemish gables Moorish portico, and little room mullioned bay window that he works when down here, and of an evening so often smoked and talked together mighty jester, but, besides, he likes about his work; one men who find help and stimulus in talking, and so the conception New Accelerator right up from very early stage , the greater portion experimental work done in Folkestone, but in Gower Street, fine new laboratory next hospital that he the first to use

As knows, or as all intelligent people know, the special department Gibberne has gained so great and deserved reputation among physiologists action of drugs nervous system Upon soporifics, sedatives, and anaesthetics , told, unequalled also chemist of considerable eminence, and I suppose subtle and complex jungle of riddles that centres ganglion cell axis fibre little cleared places making, little glades of illumination, that, until he sees fit his results, are still inaccessible to living man And last few years he particularly assiduous question of nervous stimulants, and already, discovery New Accelerator, very successful Medical science thank him for three distinct and absolutely safe invigorators of unrivalled value to practising men In cases of exhaustion the preparation known as Gibberne's B Syrup has, I suppose, saved more lives already than any lifeboat round the coast

"But none little things begin to satisfy me yet," me nearly year ago "Either they increase the central energy without affecting the nerves, or they simply increase the available energy by lowering the nervous conductivity; and all are unequal and local in their operation One wakes up the heart and viscera and leaves the brain stupefied, one gets brain champagne fashion, and does nothing good solar plexus, and what --and what, 's an earthly possibility, I mean --is stimulant that stimulates all round, that wakes you up for time crown of your head tip of your great toe, and makes you go two--or even three--to everybody else's one Eh ? That's the thing I'm after "

"It would tire man,"

"Not doubt of it And you'd eat double or treble--and all that But just think what the thing would mean Imagine yourself with little phial like this"--he held up little bottle of green glass and marked his points with it--"and precious phial power twice as fast, move twice as quickly, do work in given time as otherwise do "

"But is such thing possible ? "

"I believe so isn't, I've wasted for year These various preparations hypophosphites, for example, seem to show that something sort . Even and half times as fast it would do "

"It would do,"

" were statesman in corner, for example, time rushing up against you, something urgent , eh ? "

" dose his private secretary,"

"And gain--double time And think if you_, for example, wanted to finish book "

"Usually," , " I'd never begun 'em "

"Or doctor, driven to death, wants to sit down and think out case Or barrister--or man cramming for an examination "

"Worth guinea drop," said I, "and more--to men like that "

"And in duel, again," said Gibberne, "where it all depends quickness in pulling the trigger "

"Or in fencing," I echoed

" ," said Gibberne, "if I get it as an all-round thing, really no harm at all--except perhaps to an infinitesimal degree it brings you nearer old age just have lived twice to other people's once--"

"I suppose," I meditated, "in duel--it fair ? "

"That's question seconds," said Gibberne

I harked back further "And you really think such thing is_ possible ? "

"As possible," said Gibberne, and glanced at something that went throbbing window, "as motor-bus As matter of fact--"

He paused and smiled at me deeply, and tapped slowly edge desk green phial " the stuff . Already I've got something coming " The nervous smile upon his face betrayed the gravity revelation He rarely talked actual experimental work unless things were very near the end "And it , it --I shouldn't be surprised--it may even thing at greater rate than twice "

" rather big thing," I hazarded

" , , rather big thing "

But I don't think he quite knew what big thing , for all that

I remember we had several talks stuff "The New Accelerator" it, tone grew more confident on each occasion Sometimes he talked nervously of unexpected physiological results its use , and then get little unhappy; at others frankly mercenary, and we debated long and anxiously how the preparation turned to commercial account "It's good thing," said Gibberne, "a tremendous thing I'm giving the world something, and it only reasonable expect the world The dignity of science is all , but somehow the monopoly stuff for, say, ten years I don't see why all the fun in life should go dealers in ham "

My own interest coming drug certainly wane time always had queer little twist towards metaphysics in my mind always been given to paradoxes about space and time, and it seemed that Gibberne was really preparing no absolute acceleration of life Suppose man repeatedly dosed preparation: live an active and record life indeed, but an adult at eleven, middle-aged at twenty-five, and by thirty well road to senile decay It seemed that Gibberne was only going for who took his drug exactly what Nature Jews and Orientals, men in their teens and aged by fifty, and quicker in thought and act than all the time The marvel of drugs has always been great to my mind; madden man, calm man, make him incredibly strong and alert or helpless log, quicken this passion and allay that, all of drugs, and here was new miracle added strange armoury of phials the doctors use ! But Gibberne was far too eager upon his technical points to enter very keenly into my aspect question

It 7th or 8th of August when me the distillation decide his failure or success for time was going forward talked, and 10th that me the thing New Accelerator tangible reality I met him as going up the Sandgate Hill towards Folkestone-- going my hair cut, and hurrying down to meet me--I suppose coming to my house me at once success I remember that his eyes were unusually bright face flushed, and I noted even then the swift alacrity step

"It's done," he cried, and gripped my hand, speaking very fast; "it's more than done Come my house "

"Really ? "

"Really ! " he shouted "Incredibly ! Come up "

"And it does--twice ? "