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Letter from Walter Reed to Jefferson Randolph Kean, September 6, 1900

 
TO MAJOR J. R. KEAN:
WAR DEPARTMENT,
SURGEON GENERAL'S OFFICE,
ARMY MEDICAL MUSEUM AND LIBRARY,
WASHINGTON.
Will be
in Cuba
before end
of month.

Sept. 6, 1900

My dear Major:

    I have
just seen your last
Cablegram dated Sept. 5,
giving Carroll's condition.
I cannot begin to de-
scribe my mental
distress and depres-
sion over this most
unfortunate turn of
affairs. I have his

 
letter of August 28th, in
which he tells of a trip
to the autopsy room of
Mil. Hosp. no. 1, & the nasty
condition of the interior,
stating that he had de-
clined to do any autopsies
there until it was
thoroughly disinfected. That
must have afforded a
possible chance for
infection. He also told
me that on the 27th of
August he had been
bitten by a mosquito
 
that had previously bitten
several yellow fever pa-
tients! This was carry-
ing out my favorite
theory of an intermediate
host for the y.f. parasite.
We had all determined
to experiment on our-
selves & I should have
taken the same dose
had I been there. Can
it be that this was the
source of his infection?
I write all of this in the
strictest confidence.
And shall await you next
 
cable with the greatest
anxiety. I was so sor-
ry to have missed seeing
you in New York. I wrote
to Mrs. Kean, addressing
my letter 59 Franklin
St. Morris town, N.J. & reques-
ted her to send it on to
you. Did you get it?
Dear me! how troubles
accumulate! & to think
that I am so situated
that I cannot give any
assistance to nursing
poor Carroll in his sickness.

Sincerely, yours,

Reed.