War Department, Surgeon General’s Office,
Army Medical Museum and Library,
Washington, Sept. 2, 1901.
My dear Gorgas:
Upon returning to town, from a two weeks’ rest in the mountains, I find your very interesting letter of Aug. 26th. Of course, Carroll had already written to me about the unfortunate termination of some of Guiteras’ cases. I was very, very sorry to hear of Guiteras’ bad luck and can appreciate fully his mental distress over this loss of life. Perhaps, after all, the sacrifice of a few will lead to the more effectual protection of the many. I think that we had best look at the matter in this light. That eleven mosquitoes could and did infect six persons, causing the death of three, is indeed, very strong confirmatory evidence of our observations of last fall and winter. I have been particularly anxious to learn of your results at Santiago de las Vegas, hoping to incorporate them in a paper on the prevention of yellow fever, which I hope to read at Buffalo; but since the good news comes that you will be there “in persona vera,” you can give the figures better than anyone else. I will, however, show by chart, the occurrence of yellow fever in Havana during the present year, and would be so glad if you would give me your cases and deaths for August. To Aug. 26th, you report only two cases. Were there any others? I have the cases and deaths for the other months. Is not the record a glorious one? But it would not have been obtained by a less energetic and enthusiastic Health Officer. You, therefore, my dear Gorgas, deserve all manner of praise for your thorough work. I hope that Carroll is meeting with success. Please let me hear from you by return mail, if possible, about your August cases and deaths. A line will do. With kindest regards to Mrs. Gorgas,
Sincerely, your friend,
Reed.
(10)
War Department, Surgeon General’s Office,
Army Medical Museum and Library,
Washington, October 3rd.
My dear Gorgas:
I have been hoping to see you and Mrs. Gorgas in Washington and wondered what you found at Buffalo to keep you so long; but a letter from Carroll just received, mentions your return to Havana. So you have, indeed, given us the “glad go-bye!” Well, as Columbia has just won from Shamrock, I’ll have to forgive you this time! But you mustn’t do so any more, or there will be “trouble on the old man’s mind.”
I trust that you found the yellow-fever situation satisfactory. I wish that I could have known the No. of cases and deaths for September, so that I could have included them in our paper, but it is too late now. Don’t forget to keep me on your exchange list. I had a letter from your brother in answer to one I wrote you for which please give him my best thanks. You were saying, if I remember, that you would like to have your former assistants, Lyster and Shockley, back again. If you haven’t them, and still want somebody, I only mention the fact that Asst. Surgeon Devereux, who has been on duty with Borden at the Genl. Hospital here, leaves in a day or two for Havana, to report for duty, and might suit you very well as an assistant.... Borden says that he has made a very good assistant. You might have your eye open for him. Give my kindest regards to Mrs. Gorgas. Good-bye.
Sincerely, your friend,
Reed.