4341 Baltimore Avenue
Philadelphia, Penn.October 29, 1920.
Dear Miss Turner,
Do you know what's on my mind right now? Physiology, of course, for I'm writing up the experiments we did last time on the effect of constant and induction currents on a muscle. I'm going to take a few minutes off, tho, to say "hello" for this year, and to tell you a little bit about how splendid the course was that you gave us senior year. So far our experiments have been almost the exact duplicates of those I did two years ago, and you can't know how much of a thrill I felt when we prepared our first gastrocnemius. If they'd let you spend a little more time on the course at college, it would equal any medical physiology course.
Medical school is almost too ideal to be real this year. We have Pharmecology, Pathology, Physical Diagnosis, - and Physiology. And it's a whiz of a physiology course! As you probably know, Dr. Riker (or Reichert (?)) retired last year, and altho no new head of the department has been appointed, we have as good a man as I'd want. His name is Dr. Ludholtz. He's a comparatively young man, and maybe he hasn't written enough books or something to be made the Professor here, but few men can surpass him lecturing. It's the first course that's made me feel as tho I were back at Holyoke. He has the Holyoke zoology and physiology attitude of making everything seem tremendously interesting and vital. And in addition he tries to make us really think thru things and absorb them. As he said, he's not going into the metaphysical world and asking why things happen, but he does want us to study the "howness" of things, and see the fitness of everything in our bodies.
The other day he was lecturing on the excess of some kinds of apparatus in the body, and immediately there popped into my mind "the factor of safety theory." I always liked that idea and it has stuck pretty hard. He told us about it, but he doesn't believe in that interpretation very thoroughly. In going to tell us his views, he described instead of a bridge with a factor of safety, an electric plant at noon time with half the dynamos lying idle. He said that if you asked the engineer what they were for it wouldn't be for safety, but he would tell you that they were there to carry "the peak of the load" at night when everyone demanded the electricity. In the same way the excess of lung tissue, etc. isn't there in case of breakdown, but it's there to answer the maximum requirement of the body for oxygen supply. I'm afraid that I'm not making the distinction nearly as clear as he did. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if you had given us this very idea, too, but I was so fascinated by the "factor of safety", that it alone stayed with me. Anyway Dr. Ludholtz is a whole lot like you in his methods of attack, and I'm enjoying every minute of the course.
The laboratory course is fine, too. In the first place, we have unusually good apparatus, each two students having charge of over $1,000 worth. As far as that goes tho, the apparatus at college was splendid. It's really the same here fundamentally with a few fancy things added on to make experiments seem more complicated. One nice thing is a tracing frame, the kind with two drums and a space between, so that the record can be about two yards long. It saves changing levels and records so often. Then we have one assistant to about fifteen students so that we don't get altogether lost in doing new things.
I mustn't tire you with so much talking, but I do want you to know how much worthwhile medicine is, especially at Penn. I was afraid that Physiology would be dry after the kind of a course you gave us, but I'm not one bit disappointed. Please, when girls ask you about medical schools, don't send them all to Johns Hopkins, unless they want to do research. Penn. is grand. When I decided to come it was because Howard was here and it was near home, but now I'd come for the school itself.
I'm wondering what you're doing in Biology Club. If I get up there some week end, I hope it will be the time of a meeting. Are you thinking of coming Philadelphiaward this winter? 'Cause if you are, I do hope you'll find a little time to visit with me.
I'm wanting to thank you more than I can say for giving me such a good start, not only in physiology, but in thinking a tiny bit for myself. My note book calls me. Good-night, and many wishes for the best year of Phys. you've had.
Your friend,
Freasie.