“You will not apply my precept,” he said, shaking his head. “How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?” 

The Sign of the Four, ch. 6 (1890)

Sherlock Holmes in The Sign of the Four (Doubleday p. 111)

Growing up I always loved to read or watch my favorite detective, Sherlock Holmes.  I am not sure why but it was waiting at the end for Sherlock to uncover the criminal. It may be the fact that he used the tool of deduction.

Another man, my favorite lawyer, that also used the tool of deduction was Perry Mason.  I love watching the black and white re-runs starring Raymond Burr.  The scripts were basically true to the books of Perry Mason, the writer was Erle Stanley Gardner

It is also true about what I use to do, Pastors, clergy, also use the tool of deduction when assembling sermons.

I still use deduction in my every day life.  I suffer from migraines because of an allergy to tree nuts.  I do not experience much lately for I have had to carefully look and read labels.  When I do experience one I will go back in my memory and go over everything that I ate prior to that migraine.

Close to two years ago I was started on a new medication.  I started taking the medication as directed. Soon I was battling a full out stay in bed migraine.  This continued day in and day out.  Taking Tylenol 3 didn’t give me any relief.  One day my best friend started to think, he commented that the migraine started around the same time I started the new medication.  I immediately called to schedule an appointment with my specialist.  I met with him explaining my suffering of the migraine.  I told him that I thought I was allergic to the medication.  He said give me a couple of days then come back and see me. He stopped the medication, issued a prescription for a new one.  Sure enough within twenty-four hours the migraine had ceased.

So, I now never jump to one conclusion without giving all options a hearing!