Pipistrello's Commonplace Book

  INGREDIENTS LISTS: "D" Decorators' Paste Rye Meal                           4 parts Fine Whiting                     2 Casein                               1 Powdered Alum             0.5 Deodorant Pencil Zinc Phenolsulfonate       10 parts Zinc Oleate                      10 Aluminium Palmitate      7.5  Absorption Base              30 Ceresin                             30 Titanium Dioxide             15 Developer for Radiographic Film Metol                  ...

People actually desire whatever can facilitate communicating with each other; and this seems to be goodness, honour, and serenity, or something else quite similar. For this reason one must never say or do anything that gives the impression that one has little affection or appreciation of others. This is exhibited by the very impolite tendency of many people to fall asleep in the middle of a pleasant group sitting together in conversation. Giovanni Della Casa, Galateo, or, The Rules of Polite Behaviour , 1558

The discretion and high sense of professional honour which have always distinguished my friend are still at work in the choice of these memoirs, and no confidence will be abused. I deprecate, however, in the strongest way the attempts which have been made lately to get and to destroy these papers. The source of these outrages is known, and if they are repeated I have Mr Holmes's authority for saying that the whole story concerning the politician, the lighthouse and the trained cormorant will be given to the public. There is at least one reader who will understand.  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 'The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger', The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes , 1927