Crosby Hall,
Cheyne Walk,
London S.W. 3.Dear Abby Turner,
Where does time go? Here I've been in London for almost two months and it seems like two weeks. I think I wrote you from Cambridge but will risk telling you over again that I worked there for a month with Dr. Thomas Moore on the colorimetric determination of vitamin A and enjoyed the man, the work and the town very much indeed. Dr. Harris was very cordial, and made me feel very welcome. The laboratory itself is on the outskirts of Cambridge, but is a part of the Biochemical Department of the University. Had I not been coming to the Lister Institute, I should have stayed on there very happily.
I come to London the second week in October, got settled and read intensively until I had another attack of inflamation [sic] of my eye - this time the left eye. I immediately went to the best occulist here, and to my amazement was told that I did not have iritis or any indication that I had ever had it, but did have a catarrhal condition of the sclera. The medicine (eye drops) I received relieved it in less than twenty-four hours, and I've had no recurrence of it. I do use the medicine and have new glasses.
You can imagine my relief. I felt as though I'd received a new lease of life when I left the occulist. I've been able to read at any time since and so could go on with the plan of work. This consists of feeding experiments supplemented by careful autopsy and weighing of organs and eventually by histological study of several organs. I'm also doing nitrogen determinations of intake and excreta, assisted by one of the biochemists. It is too early to have any results as yet as the first experiments are still in progress. These I'll complete in December. Then I'm profiting by the wise and enjoyable example you set me this summer, and am taking a vacation. I'm returning to Switzerland to see the sun! You know it really seldom gets through the haze here; Last week, according to the startlingly frank London Times, we had ten minutes of sunshine: After that I'll return here for the rest of the year, continuing with the same problem. I forgot I had not told you it is the effect of vitamin A deficiency on various organs as determined by weight determinations and histological study of A deficient as compared with controls on a normal diet. I'll tell you more in detail when I see you - if not before.
By night, and occasionally by day I'm seeing and enjoying the attractions of London. Kew was still lovely when I returned as was Hampton Court: I've visited the Law Courts, the National Gallery, seen many parts of the city and many of its shows. I had a wonderful view of the Lord Mayor's Show, and by chance also saw his journey to be installed on the Saturday preceding the "Show". The latter is really a parade of city representatives and national troops, as well as trade organizations. At the end is the retiring and the incoming Lord Mayor, each in an ancient coach drawn by brightly caparisoned horses and with coachmen and footman. The new Lord Mayor's coach looks like that of Cinderella and is preceded and followed by gay horsemen in ancient but beautiful costumes.
At the Armistice Day Service I had the rare privilege of going with Dr. Chick to her cousin's office in the Labor Ministry Building, and sat facing the Cenotaph, directly opposite the Queen, herself. It was a most impressive service, of which the two minutes silence is the part I shall never forget. Starting after a prayer by the Bishop of London, with the Prince of Wales, representatives of the United Kingdom placed wreathes on the Cenotaph. Then all stood at attention - all includes representatives of all the services in uniform, ex-service men, and thousands and thousands of people who filled the streets for blocks - when Big Ben struck eleven, and kept silent for two minutes. Not a sound broke the silence, in that area, nor in most of London. After it the Last Post and the Reveille were sounded, then representatives of all the services and finally relatives marched to the Cenostaph bringing floral tributes until it was covered and the space on each side of it. All day long a queen filed past it, bringing or looking at the flowers. At every square in London similar services were held, and the tributes brought to the memorials in these squares.
The music here is a constant source of pleasure. I've heard the Elijah in Albert Hall, Bach music by several big Choirs - one at St. Margaret's, and have been again to the Temple to hear that fine Choir. The Sunday I heard them, there was a double Choir - of men and boys and they sang in the rear of the Church in the old circular part. I also heard fine music at Cambridge at Kings the last Sunday I was there. Now there is Christmas music to be heard in abundance in the next three weeks.
As for theatres I've seen "The Good Companions", "Elizabeth of England", ["]Mid-summer Night's Dream", the "Anatomist", and we'll see the "Barretts of Wimpole Street" to-morrow. This is the last week for the latter. I liked all except the Anatomist. That was a gruesome thing with too little to redeem the horror of a second scene. The success of Autumn Crocus is as great as ever. Just Saturday people were sitting in camp chairs in a line on the side walk waiting for pit seats. That was a delightful performance. There is a new leading lady in it, as the one we saw is now in America I believe. "Cavalcade" is said to be very unusual with fine settings and costumes and I plan to see it after Christmas.
I heard from Frau Professor Gerges that Maya looked very well on her return from Italy though the sugar percentage is still very high. She sounded more optimistic than when we left. I've used my last scrap of paper so must stop.
With love,
Myra Sampson.[Myra Sampson was a professor of zoology at Smith College from 1909 to 1955.]