#haemoglobin

If HAEMOGLOBIN represents blood, it could very well be a metaphor tor ‘information’, same as in Dracula BBC (Mofttiss often use the same MO in their creations). Toby traces down the scent of that blood drop to a meat market. The blood carries informations about three different substances but then the scent gets lost in a puddle of blood. A tiny information is now lost inside a pool of informations. Like a tree in a forest, as John puts it. Very similar to a single note on a piece of paper, hidden inside a book that stands among many others on a shelve in a bookcase. The perfect metaphor for ‘one specific data buried deep inside a mind palace’. 

CAFFEINE:  is the world’s most widely consumed, legal psychoactive drug. It is not only contained in coffee beans but also in tea leaves. Caffeine stands for both: coffee & tea. The best know effect of caffeine is the reduction of fatigue and drowsiness. It improves reaction time, wakefulness, concentration, and motor coordination and can delay or prevent sleep.

WHISKEY:  the alcohol content varies between 40-65%. Like caffeine, alcohol is also a very potent psychoactive drug. A legal one in many parts of the world. It suppresses the activity of the central nervous system. Small doses produce a mood lift, euphoria, relaxation and sedation. Anxiety decreases, sociability increases. The consume of alcohol leads to an impairment of cognitive, memory, motor and sensory function. The spelling of the word ‘whiskey’ in this scene is interesting. It’s not the english variation but the one commonly used in Ireland & USA. 

A fourth scent on the trail ...

While taking screenshots for this post, I came across this additional ‘scent’ also detected by Toby. I haven’t noticed that one before and I can’t remember any discussion about it. As this particular ‘scent’ appears side by side with haemoglobin, caffeine and whiskey one can assue that it is most likely of the same importance. But what might  H: GROUP A-VE  stand for? 

H=HAMISH?  In this context, an ‘H-GROUP’ could sum up either all the mirrors for John or stand for John’s ‘hidden’ middle name Hamish. That’s the scottish form of James, short Jim. A link to Jim Moriarty? Not an impossibility, especially in this scene, because Sherlock and Toby try to track down the person who smashes Thatcher busts. That person will turn out to be Ajay, a character whom I strongly associate with Jim Moriarty. Moreover, Sherlock expects that none other than Jim Moriarty is behind the Thatcher bust smashing.

H=HYDROGEN? The chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen gas is highly flammable and can form explosive mixtures with air (Hindenburg airship). It is the most abundant chemical element in the universe. A lot of explosions happen in Sherlock BBC (’explosives, tha’s more me’). A poster of the periodic table hangs on a wall in Sherlock’s bedroom.

GROUP:  In chemistry a ‘group’ is also known as ‘family’ (X). A large part of Sherlock BBC circles round the topic of ‘family’ (’we are/were family’...‘families fall out’ ...’I’m not familiar with the concept of happy families’). Are the characters inside the scent-bubble on the pic below meant to be such a ‘group’ ... a ‘family’? 

A-VE:  I have not the slightest idea what this could mean.

Inspiration for this post were the 'chemistry’ additions on Still at the centre of the web which led to the discovery of the fourth ‘scent’. “Never stop at three”?  :)))