It always bemused Watson that despite all the tobacco that Sherlock Holmes consumed -- and strong tobacco at that -- that he still retained an athlete's wind. It made no sense but then, Holmes often set his own rules. Why shouldn't he manage to avoid smoker's cough or emphysema?
But not even Sherlock Holmes could dodge everything. Not quite a decade after his retirement he began tiring and losing weight from his already-spare frame. Then came blood in his urine and eventually, after reluctantly undergoing several tests, came the diagnosis of kidney cancer.
Yes, smoking actually does increase the risk of developing kidney cancer, especially in men. (Ah, the things you learn in the insurance business.) Fortunately once the smoker quits the risk drops but do you really think Holmes retired from tobacco when he retired from detecting?