Skip to main content

  • Walter E. Dandy Letter 09/26/1914

    The Johns Hopkins Hospital

    Baltimore, Md.

    September 26, 1914

    Dear Mother and Father,

    Received your letter yesterday and was glad to know you intend to come as soon as possible. I do think that is best and it is about what I advised in my letter which you have probably just received. If you cable me I will have time to look out for the proper kind of a place.

    I would like to get a nice suburban place but that will probably depend on what Dr. Halsted decides when he comes back about October 5. I still have a faint hope that he may yet decide to give me brain surgery. Heuer was very anxious to have me stay and said he did not prefer brain surgery but would rather have abdominal surgery and maybe we could work a scheme whereby I could get the neurological surgery. He said he would broach the Professor on the subject but there is no telling what he will say. If he knows I may leave he may be bitter. Heuer told me confidentially that he at one time considered putting me in as resident over McClure, but thought I would be a better man if I waited longer.

    I have a lot of good news for him when he comes and hope it may influence a favorable decision. I have had some most wonderful results. Yesterday I operated on a man from Puerto Rico who was kicked in the head by a mule and operated on in Puerto Rico. Very severe convulsions came on and for the past 20 days he has been unable to speak a word. I operated on him, found a terrible looking brain, all adherent to the scalp because of the previous operator's poor work. I took out his bone plate transplanted a piece of fascia from his leg to cover the area which was so adherent (as big as the palm of one's hand). When he awoke from the ether he was talking for the first time in 20 days. That is the first time I have had the opportunity of making the dumb talk.

    My successes are due of course only to the Master above for whom I am the fortunate agent and they are the result of the prayers which you are constantly making.

    Another case was that boy of whom I sent you the newspaper clipping. He was having 50-60 convulsions a day and is now perfectly fine. His father and mother are the happiest people you can imagine. He couldn't thank me enough. He thinks it is the most wonderful thing in the world. He had tried everything and in desperation came to Hopkins expecting, as his physicians had warned him, to sacrifice his child on the altar of surgery. He has boosted me all over town. Many people are telling me about it. His wife said I was the greatest doctor in the world and they had implicit confidence in what I said. I think they thought I was rather young but they didn't say it exactly so.

    One old woman of 70 came with the terrible tic douloureux and had been warned that the operation was the most delicate in surgery. When she saw me she said, but you are too young to do such a big operation. I really believe I am younger than any other surgeon who has done such big operations.

    The spinal cord (Irish) man is going home tomorrow perfectly well. I have another great triumph to present to Dr. Halsted in experimental work when he comes back. This will please him more than anything else.

    I have a new method of getting out the pineal body. I was trying with unlimited patience which it requires to get them out and they often proved too much. They were too long (3-4 hours), too painstaking. I came home rather discouraged. I went to bed and knew there must be a better way. I figured and finally figured it out, went to the Hunterion the next day and it worked like a charm. Didn't take more than 1/3 to 1/2 of the time and was very easy and much more satisfactory. I had to go through the cavities of the brain hitherto unexplored.

    I am now anxious to get hold of a pineal tumor in a human. But I don't like to _________ and turn them over to Heuer. Maybe Dr. Halsted will change his mind and turn it over to me. I think by merit alone I should deserve it and I believe it will come. Then I would defer trying Chicago. I am sure in five years I will get it but I can't wait so long as that.

    I tried on my two new suits. They are beautiful. The weather is fine. I am taking two weeks off except for brain surgery and doing only that, experimental work and writing. There is a new Professor of Medicine here now in place of Dr. Barker. The man who could not speak was one of his first patients.

    Well I think this is lots of news about myself, the kind which pleases you especially well. Maybe you will be starting back before the next one reaches you. I think I have exhausted my own information and am therefore ready to close.

    Your loving son, Walter

    P.S.I sent clipping to the Sedalia Democrat.

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

×