LES VOLEURS ET LES DILIGENCES [holograph poem] by [Richet, Charles Robert] - 1920

[Lebanon], 1920. First Edition. Softcover. Near fine. [ca. 1920] Approximately 8 1/4 x 5 1/8 inches. In French. Faintly ruled paper. Early horizontal fold, minor soiling in upper-right corner. Near fine.

Unpublished holograph poem by Charles Richet, winner of the 1913 Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine, composed en route between Chtaura, Lebanon, and Beirut. The poem is a wistful meditation on the passing of the era of “monks and lances,” the “grand-routes de Castille,” and stagecoach robbers – “les voleurs des diligences.” Brigands, once adventure seekers looting carriages, have become shrewd: they have traded their places in the corners of the woods for offices and can now themselves be seen in the stagecoaches, rubbing their hands together. Charles Robert Richet (1850-1935) is best known for his work in experimental physiology, particularly in the areas of neurochemistry, digestion, and anaphylaxis, the latter for which he won the Nobel Prize. His wide-ranging interests, however, extended far beyond medicine and conventional science. He composed poetry and drama throughout his life and was internationally distinguished as a historian, pacifist, aviation pioneer, and researcher of the paranormal (coining the term, “ectoplasm,” in 1894). Underlying all of these pursuits was a lifelong romantic orientation to the world and a deep humanity, as reflected in the poem here. A transcription and basic English translation are available upon request. DSB XI, pp.425-432.