Others, more skilfully drawn up, clearly specified the nature of the complaint; and some of the doctors' signatures were even certified by the mayors of the localities where they resided.

Nevertheless doubts remained, innumerable and not to be surmounted.

Who were these doctors?
Who could tell if they possessed sufficient scientific authority to write as they did?
With all respect to the medical profession, were there not innumerable doctors whose attainments were very limited?
And, besides, might not these have been influenced by circumstances that one knew nothing of, in some cases by considerations of a personal character?
One was tempted to ask for an inquiry respecting each of these medical men.
Since everything was based on the documents supplied by the patients, these documents ought to have been most carefully controlled; for there could be no proof of any miracle if the absolute certainty of the alleged ailments had not been demonstrated by stringent examination.
* The reader will doubtless have understood that the Parisian journalist is none other than M.Zola himself--Trans.
Very red and covered with perspiration, Doctor Bonamy waved his arms.
"But that is the course we follow, that is the course we follow!" said he.

"As soon as it seems to us that a case of cure cannot be explained by natural means, we institute a minute inquiry, we request the person who has been cured to return here for further examination.

And as you can see, we surround ourselves with all means of enlightenment.