Skip to main content

  • Walter E. Dandy Letter 04/26/1914

    The Johns Hopkins Hospital

    Baltimore, Md.

    April 26, 1914

    Dear Mother and Father,

    Spring is here but so far I have pretty well evaded spring fever and hope I can keep up hard work for a while longer. I can't afford to take time off for a vacation now, everything looks so propitious. Am doing experimental work when I have time. Have now 5 dogs with pineals taken out in operations and all are doing well. I am quite proud of the operations' success as you may remember how they all died when I tried previously when you were here. Now all of them live and, though it is a very difficult procedure, I have had only one die from the operation. I must get them done soon so as to beat the Philadelphia man again. I have my doubts about him getting it out, but I won't take any chances. I went out to find dogs yesterday and got 5 just the right age.

    I called to see Mr. Selby but he wasn't home. His green shutters are still there. The whole end of town east of the hospital has improved very markedly. The streets are paved and there are many rows of new houses. Didn't get to Patterson Park.

    I guess you saw where MoPac made a big drop of 6 points in one day. It will come back again though.

    Well I hardly know what to say. It would probably be better to avoid the hot summer. I know you would work and swelter and I wouldn't see enough of you to make it worth while. However, when I find out something definite and if it is to stay here, I will look in the suburbs and see if there is anything that would satisfy us.

    Am glad you are in such good health. I am also and weigh 159, so work isn't hurting me any. I don't need many clothes, so I won't get any more until fall when I will need another.

    It looks like a war with Mexico. The Hopkins doctors who are in the army have been called to the front but they don't have to go unless they want to. Dr. Finney, Halsted, Bloodgood, Thayer, etc. are among them. Dr. Thayer and Dr. Barker will not be professors of medicine any more when the full time begins. They could not afford to accept a $10,000 position and give up private practice. You figured it right about Dr. Finney and Dr. Bloodgood if what we expect turns out to be right. But who can tell what will happen. Dr. Halsted comes back this week or next, but he probably won't give out any definite information about positions until June 1 when he sails for Germany again. He was on the Macedonia and sails next time on the Aquitania; they can get to Germany in 5½ days that way which is going pretty fast.

    Well, I can't think of any more news to tell you. I had run out of the money before the last you sent me so it came in just right. I think you ought to take a trip to Paris and Germany before you come back.

    Your loving son, Walter

We use cookies to improve the performance of our site, to analyze the traffic to our site, and to personalize your experience of the site. You can control cookies through your browser settings. Please find more information on the cookies used on our site. Privacy Policy

×