The University of Minneapolis
The Medical School
MinneapolisDepartment of Physiology
Tuesday April 23rd.
Dear Miss Turner -
I guess probably you'll think that my right hand must have been paralyzed or something. It's "or something." I guess I wrote you a note while I was in the hospital the first time. Well in the course of human events I left the hospital and made up my work and then I went back and had my tonsils out. The surgeon said it was high time that they were taken. One in particular was absolutely rotten & filled with pus. I was out two weeks with that and I had no sooner returned than Dr. Lyon had to give up because of an infection in both his middle ears. He has been out for two weeks now. He is feeling a little better but he is as deaf as a post and they are watching carefully for a mastoid involvement. All of this is by way of explaining why I haven't done anything about those lantern slides. I think he will feel well enough pretty soon so that I can talk to him about it. I suppose by the time they arrive, your need will have passed for this year! I'm more than sorry that it has been this way. I feel lots better myself but Dr. Rizer told me Saturday that I would have to rest. I can't stop entirely now but I can cut out extras which I am doing. It seems so funny toave to consider what I can or can not do. I'm not really sick at all only he says my resistance is way below par and my blood is [sic] and there are one or two virulent infections which are causing a lot of trouble in the city and he doesn't want me to pick up any of them.
I don't know exactly what I shall do this summer. I'll have a vacation part of the time anyway and I think I'll go home.
I hear that Lucy Smith is to be married in the summer and that Elizabeth is to take her place. What is Chrissy going to do? Is [...] coming back? Grammatically speaking "coming" is incorrect I know but somehow I feel as if I were there - Is Mary going to Rush Medical? Please give my love to Mary and all the rest. I've been very bad about writing, I know but it hasn't been from lack of thought of you all. How is Dr. Clapp?
I am taking Bacteriology and pharmacology this semester did I tell you? And I'm assisting in Physiologic Chemistry and Physiology. Everything is fine but pharmacology and that isn't as good as it might be. Still it is worth something. My research is still in the future. There has been one delay after another about the apparatus, unavoidable and discouraging.
Did you tell me you knew Dr. Pettibone at Harvard? Chauncey J. Vallette Pettibone? I couldn't understand at first why he was a physiological chemist or why he was here. There is no doubt about the fact that he knows his subject and the course he gives the medics is one of the best they get. What is more the boys sincerely respect and admire and like him. I was very curious about it so I just inquired of some of the students last semester what sort of a course it was &c &c. Everyone spoke very highly of it and of him and they are critical the Lord knows. He is absolutely punctilious as far as manners and courtesy and a mighty nice person to work with. But he is a paradox for a'that! He loves to sing and he does it well and he has a little dog which he pets like a child. I'm telling you all this for I thought you would be interested. I have a dim recollection that you commented on him before I came out here.
I had a letter from Dr. Pike a while ago in which he told me you had been in New York during the Easter vacation. He seems to be pretty busy with the work he is doing on the nervous system and shock.
I expect spring is really with you. How I wish I might be there to enjoy it. I must admit however that I have been very happily disappointed in our spring. It has been lovely - it's still sort of cold but the trees are quite far out, and there are lots of birds. I have skipped off to the oak woods once or twice but there are houses around and it is not the same as the New England country.
I have a million things to do now so I guess I must be at it. I had a letter from Blinn about a week ago. He says he has been in the front line trenches for a long time. He has done wonderfully well over there. After he left the special infantry officers training school, he was assigned to a Massachusetts regiment as Instructor and he did it so well that the colonel asked that he be permanently assigned to the regiment and he was made aide-de-camp to the colonel. Binn says that in spite of everything it is the most satisfactory life he has ever known.
How is your mother won't you give her my love? I'll try to hurry up those slides.
Much love to you -
Anna