Would like very much to see you, Durham and Carroll down this summer, that is if you did not object to coming.
Dr. Gaylor, of the New York Pathological Laboratory, wants to take a whack at yellow fever, after his success at cancer. He asked me to let him know when I could get him some more autopsies of yellow fever, and he would come down at once.
We have things nicely fixed at Las Animas now; and I think we would do good work if we only had yellow fever; but of course we can do nothing if we don’t have.
Mrs. Gorgas has just returned from the “States” and joins me in kindest regards. I got weak in the knees and was afraid to keep our small girl down here, even though we had no infected mosquitoes.
Very truly yours,
W. C. Gorgas.
(3)
War Department, Surgeon General’s Office,
Army Medical Museum and Library,
Washington, May 23, 1901.
My dear Gorgas:
I had only just penned you a short note, inquiring into the yellow-fever situation, when here comes your most welcome and interesting letter of May 15th. I was so much interested in Guiteras’ results. One positive case in nine inoculations is better than we had at first. We only succeeded with our tenth individual. Of course, you were biting often with non-contaminated mosquitoes, as your fever cases were doubtful. Cases 3 and 6 should have failed. I expect better results from your May-infected mosquitoes. I see that Finlay and Guiteras continue to harp on the harmlessness of a single mosquito’s bite, drawing the conclusion that ordinarily y. f. is due to multiple bites. After some poor devil dies, they may change their minds. Carroll’s severe illness was due to a single insect and poor Lazear died from a single bite. Why are not malarial fevers generally double or multiple infections? We know that the opposite—single infections, as shown by one group of parasites—is the rule.... What’s the need for us to return, if you have no y. f.? Havana should get a more accommodating Chief Sanitary Officer! Hurry up your new infections.
Again thanking you for your letter and the copy of G.’s report, and with best regards to your wife, believe me,