Once obsessed, an HPL fan knows no bounds. One of my treasures is my copy of The Young Chemist, John Howard Appleton, Silver Burdett & Co, 8th ed., 1889!
"In 1899 a new interest of mine began to gain ascendency... a love of chemistry ... a friend of ours is Prof. John Howard Appleton, the venerable professor of chemistry at Brown {University} & author of many books on the subject." [1, p. 71]
"The science of chemistry first captivated me in the Year of Our Lord 1898 ... in ... Webster's Dictionary ... chemical appartus especially attracted me ... being a "spoiled" child I had but ask ... I was given a cellar room ... some simple apparatus & a copy of "The Young Chemist" - a beginner's manual by Prof. Howard Appleton of Brown - a personal acquaintance." [2, p. 38]
Well, one day I was reading his and Hazel Heald's [3] story Winged Death. This is usually panned by all critics, but happens to be a favorite of mine - about a tse tse fly of all things.
I came across "...both chemicals - hydrochloric acid and manganese dioxide - on the table all ready to mix...". Hmm, I say to myself, Chris! you've seen that somewhere. Indeed. When I flipped open Appleton's book, there it was, virtually word for word. The story was written between 1932-1933 and mostly by HPL. At age 43, Lovecraft still either had his little, precious book, or had recalled it after decades. Truly, HPL was a remarkable man.
1 {Nov 16, 1916} H. P. Lovecraft: Letters to Rheinheart Kleiner, op.cit.
2 {Aug 29, 1918} H. P. Lovecraft" Letters to Alfred Galpin, op. cit.
3 Winged Death, c. 1933, Hazel Heald, H. P. Lovecraft: The Horror in the Museum and other revisions, Carroll & Graff, 2002, pp. 146-167.
Note: If you like Gilbert and Sullivan, and like it mangled, read my latest parody ... Member of the Menagerie by Giblet and Skeleton - Here!
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