Creature of Mad Enthusiasms

I believe that - to the extent Holmes does in fact express any distaste for women, which is a lot less frequently than Watson implies - part of it is down to circumstances. Given that when Holmes and Watson meet the Married Women's Property Act was yet to become law (therefore all a woman's property on marriage automatically became that of her husband unless it had been carefully protected by settlements drawn up at the instigation of her - almost invariably male - guardians by her definitely male lawyers (not until the Sex Discrimination (Removal of Disabilities) Act 1922 were women entitled to qualify as lawyers in England and Wales) women had to be pretty devious to operate anything half-way resembling a normal life.