2. The Letters

126: Singer to Sigerist, London, 24 April 1924b

My dear Sigerist,

You will like to see enclosed. Of course I shall not come if they do not ask the Germans.¹

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

127: Singer to Sigerist, London, 29 April 1924

My dear Sigerist,

Many thanks for your note of April 26th & enclosed letters. Cumston is a silly old fool. It is all very annoying but I do not really think that it matters a great deal. The Congress won’t do much. I shall not go to it – which is after all so much time saved!

Many thanks for the note about Codex Bernensis A 52.¹ It is certainly the same text as our British Museum. The latter is fairly legible so I don’t want a photograph. But I should like your opinion as to whether it is really XIIth century. If it is it is interesting as an early and unnoticed Latino-arabic text. It might be worth further investigation. Would you have time for it?

Iam hoping to get my proofs to Lier posted to-day.

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

P.S. I enclose a “leader” on Aristotle that I wrote for the British Medical Journal.² You might like to see it.

128: Singer to Sigerist, London, 2 May 1924

My dear Sigerist,

Many thanks for Sanchez de Rivera which I return.¹ I don’t see any reason for quoting it and in this I think you will agree.

Who is doing Berengar of Carpi’s Isagoge?² I have been looking through copies of the book in London lately and I find that, apart from various later editions, there were in fact two issues with different title-pages sent forth by Berengar himself at Bologna in 1522-3.

I have not collated them to see to what extent they differ. This ought to be done, however, before you go to the press. Let me know if you want me to do it.

In the course of my search of early anatomical books I have come across one little one which is I think of unrecognised interest. It is always assumed that Johannes Dryander of Marburg was a mere plagiarist, and so he was. But he did issue an interesting little work at Marburg in 1536, Anatomia capitis humani in Marpurgensi Accademia superiori anno publice exhibita, Marburg 1536.³ This pamphlet is equipped with a rather interesting preface and it borrows to some extent from Berengar. It has original elements. I find that the whole thing can be photographed on fifteen plates and it might be worth considering whether it would not be appropriate to include it as an appendix to the Isagoge.

I have sent off all my plates and legends for Ketham II ⁴ to Hardt who is staying at Com. Breganzona (Ticino), Lucino.⁵

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

129: Singer to Sigerist, London, 5 May 1924

My dear Sigerist,

In case it interests you & in case you still have that Berne Johannitius MS at Zurich I enclose rough notes on the London copy which will be enough for you to determine if they are the same text.¹

I have sent off all my material for the 1493 Fasciculo to Hardt & I expect to have an advance copy to take with me to America.²

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

130: Singer to Sigerist, London, 8 May 1924

CONFIDENTIAL

My dear Sigerist,

Enclosed foolish letter from Cumston. I shall not act until I have official information from Laignel-Lavastine. My impression is that by 1925 the action of the Society will appear so ridiculous that they will have to alter it. As soon as I get officially informed of the action of the Committee I shall write to say that under the circumstances I must decline to attend.

You will of course treat this confidentially for the moment. Better not say anything to Klebs. It will only excite him & will do no good.

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

The line that I propose to take in declining to attend is that it appears to me unfair to the Swiss to place them in this position.

C. S.

131: Singer to Sigerist, London, 13 May 1924

My dear Sigerist,

A line to tell you the very sad news that I shall not be going to America after all. The man with whom I was going is not able to travel and this destroys the whole scheme.

The matter has its consolations as I shall be able to put in a little more time at various works which I have on hand, including the Fasciculo di Medicina.¹

Thanks for the letter of Cumston. I should think in spite of all that has happened, that the French will very likely change their minds before next year.²

Icertainly think it would be better for Klebs not to intervene, but it is impossible to tell him so!

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

132: Singer to Sigerist, London, 18 May 1924

My dear Sigerist,

Last night there arrived the advanced copy (still not quite complete) of the Sudhoff presentation volume. It has not yet got its table of contents, its complete bibliography nor its index.

Would you mind dropping me a line at once whether you still would like my secretary to make an index of proper names?

As regards approaching the Oxford University Press. I do not like to do this until I have the Table of Contents. Of course you cannot expect them to read the entire book and the table of contents give them a short summary of what it contains. I am therefore reluctant to approach them until I receive this.

Would you find out from Seldwyla whether in the event of the Oxford University Press not taking it I have their authority to approach other English firms on the same terms as they have suggested for the Oxford University Press?

There still remains an outstanding point. Owing to the peculiarities of the English market June and July are very bad times for publication. If books are brought out at this period it means that reviews appear in August or September when people are away on their holidays and do not read the papers. The best time for publication is about the middle of September, and as the book has waited so long I suggest that in spite of my reluctance for further delay, we bring out the English edition at that date. For this purpose, however, it must be in the publishers’ hands in June or at the very latest in July. (In England publication is a definite ceremony that takes place on an arranged day).

If it does not inconvenience the printer nor delay the book I suggest the enclosed corrections in our article on Salerno.¹

Yours ever

Charles Singer

133: Singer to Sigerist, London, 19 May 1924

My dear Sigerist,

Herewith title-page, Table of Contents and List of Illustrations for the Sudhoff volume.

Miss Anderson is making an index of proper names.¹ It will be ready in a day or two. Unless I hear to the contrary from you I shall not approach the Oxford University Press until I get a printed copy of the new title-page, Table of Contents and List of Illustrations.

Iam still definitely in favour of publishing early in September.

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

134: Singer to Sigerist, London, 5 June 1924

My dear Sigerist,

Many thanks for your note on the Berne Manuscript.

Ishould have sent you the index of names for the Sudhoff Volume long ago, but unfortunately my secretary has had a breakdown without finishing the work, and I am finishing it myself. You shall have it as soon as it is done.

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

135: Singer to Sigerist, London, 10 June 1924

My dear Sigerist,

Cumston is in London & has been sending me letters suggesting that as I am in favour of inviting Germans to the Congress at Geneva I should resign my Vice-Presidency.¹ The fact that Cumston wants me to resign is, of course, a very good reason for not resigning. So I shall not do so for the present but shall wait to see what happens. If I once resign I cannot do anything more & it seems to me better that I should remain for the present. You will agree, I am sure.

Iam unfortunate with the Index of names of the Festschrift. Miss Anderson is ill & Miss Moulder is on her holiday. I will try to get it done but I think it would not matter if there were no index.²

The title page is satisfactory. Now that I have it I can see what can be done about an English publisher. I am seeing one or two tomorrow.

We go away next Monday June 16th until July 17th to Cornwall. Miss Moulder is coming with us & is bringing a type writer so that I shall be able to work. I am taking the translation of Copernicus with me but expect proofs of the Monumenta & of the Syphilis tractates also.³

The enclosed syllabus of a new degree at London University will interest you.⁴ I[t] is intended particularly for those who are teaching science & will be given only as a secondary degree to those who have already taken a degree in science.

The drawing up of this syllabus & making arrangements for teaching that it has involved has made great demands on my time this term.

Our little girl gets on beautifully. We have not yet a little boy but are looking hard for one!

Iwish we could come to Switzerland this year. But it is impossible on account of the little one.

With best regards to you both from us both

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

My address will be

Wallah Dune

Constantine Bay

Near Padstow

North Cornwall

P.S. That old fool Cumston is getting angrier & angrier with me! With any luck we shall get some fun out of him; I think if only I can keep him as angry as this he is sure to do something outrageous!!

136: Singer to Sigerist, London, 11 June 1924

My dear Sigerist,

A word of warning. If Cumston or anybody else writes to you about whether I am coming to Geneva to the Congress in 1925 don’t answer or at least say that you cannot speak for me.

The situation is this. Old Cumston keeps on writing to me to ask will I come to Geneva, may be remove my name from the list of Vice Presidents & so on.

To each letter I send the same reply “Dr. Cumston has no authority from Dr. Singer to remove his name from the list of Vice Presidents”.

At each letter he gets angrier & angrier & sillier & sillier. If only we give him time he will very likely do something that will make the meeting at Geneva impossible. So mind you don’t spoil it by letting him or anyone else know you have heard from me!

Ido not write to Klebs as I feel sure he would not understand & would do something to spoil it.¹

Now about the Sudhoff volume of Essays. I am still in some hope that the Oxford University Press will take it. But they think – and I quite agree with them – that no index is necessary. It will make the book a little cheaper for Seldwyla to produce & won’t make the least difference to the sales. Do agree.

Ireturn the title page etc[.] which is quite satisfactory. There are only two minute corrections. One is that Rolleston has just been made a baronet, i.e. his title becomes hereditary. Of course this seems to you (and is) a silly business but Rolleston is such a good, kind, generous, liberal[-]minded fellow that one can only be pleased at any honour that comes to him. The way the title is usually written is

Sir Humphry Rolleston Bart.

Also one other correction The Title of Withington’s paper is

Roger Bacon “On the Errors of Physicians” (note inverted commas and capital O. yours ever,

Charles Singer

Address from now on

Wallah Dune

Constantine Bay

Near Padstow

North Cornwall

137: Singer to Sigerist, Constantine Bay, Cornwall, 23 June 1924

My dear Sigerist,

After a long correspondence with Cumston I have elicited the following remark from him

“As President of the Congress I appointed the Vice-President & the vice-presidents of honour. They are all of my making & choice, & I am personally responsible for them”.

That is he does not claim to have any Swiss Committee. It is for the Swiss to see that he makes no such claim. If he does make any such claim or if you can produce any evidence that he has made such a claim let me know at once giving me documentary evidence for it. If once I can get this I will see if the attention of the Swiss Ambassador in England can be called to it.

The line I have taken & will continue to take is entirely that of the relation of England to Switzerland. England is & always has been at peace with the Swiss. We have no right to [....] force on the Swiss a departure from neutrality.¹

Is there in Geneva any one I could write to?

As soon as I get home I will have the whole correspondence typed and forwarded to you but in the meantime regard all this as strictly private. Above all don’t say anything to Klebs who is sure to do the wrong thing.

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

Has Cumston behind him any Swiss Society?

138: Singer to Sigerist, Constantine Bay, 25 June 1924

My dear Sigerist,

A point occurs to me in connexion with my article in the Sudhoff Festschrift.

In the Bibliography I did not mention Capparoni’s book.¹ It is a mad book & not worth mentioning. Moreover when I had the proofs it was not yet out. Nevertheless I don’t want to have too many quarrels at the same time & therefore I don’t want to offend Capparoni as I surely would.

Would you therefore tell Seldwyla to do as follows at my expense. Print the name & title of Capparoni’s book on separate slips & stick them on at the end of my bibliography. They can be made nearly as good as though originally printed so, and fortunately there is plenty of room on the page.

Would you be good enough to ask Seldwyla to send me an estimate of the cost of doing this. I expect you have a copy of Capparoni’s book & can give him the exact title arranged like my other bibliographical entries.

Ithink it is just possible that I might come to Switzerland for one week in September. If I did would you come for a few days walk with me, meeting me perhaps somewhere nearer than Zurich? It would be a good thing if we could have a talk together.

I have any number of students for the new course to begin in October of which I sent you the syllabus.² I think there will be at least twenty & there may be as many as forty.

I have had a line from Brunn of Rostock who is coming to London in a few weeks. I am looking forward to meeting him.³

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

139: Singer to Sigerist, Constantine Bay, 29 June 1924

My dear Sigerist,

Iexpect that by now you are comfortably settled at Beatenberg.¹

Since I last wrote to you something has happened that has materially altered our plans for the summer. We came down here with our little girl, a nurse, another maid & the little boy of my friend Prof. J. F. Dobson the Greek scholar.² While down here it was our idea to leave the children occasionally & to take long walks together sometimes being away for the night. This is the kind of holiday that suits us both best & we are particularly fond of the wild & desolate country of Cornwall.

Gradually, however, we have come to realize that our nurse is not reliable. This means that we cannot both leave the children for more than a few hours – indeed we are not quite happy doing even that. So we must revise altogether our ideas of a holiday.

I have a very hard term beginning next October & I feel I must get away from such worries for a week or two. My wife is also anxious that I should do so.

One of the things that crossed our minds is that I should come to Switzerland for a fortnight in July. What I like most is walking & I am not sure whether you are quite fit for it or whether you yourself are able to leave your family for any time.

Another thing that occurred to me is to bring some English friend or one of my nieces to Switzerland & walk with them, visiting you en route. Of course I should not come to Switzerland without at least visiting you.

Ishould be so much obliged if you would write me quite frankly what you feel about it & equally frankly – what is more important – what your wife feels about it.

Ithink you will laugh when you see the Cumston correspondence. It is really too long – & too silly – to copy out. But when my secretary gets back from her holiday you shall have the whole dossier.

Write to me direct to this Cornish address.

With best wishes from all to all.

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

Ifear I do not see much chance of my wife getting away[.] Even when the nurse is changed she could hardly leave the child for a few weeks. Her holiday must, I fear be deferred till Christmas.

140: Singer to Sigerist, Constantine Bay, 12 July 1924

My dear Sigerist,

Many thanks for your letters. We are still not quite settled about our movements but it is almost certain that I shall be coming to Switzerland. It is possible that my wife will be coming with me after all.

We shall certainly visit you though we want to spend our time walking. We return home on July 17 & I will then write to you about our movements.

Ishall, of course, send off the proofs of Ketham II before I leave England.¹

Yours ever

Charles Singer

We are deluged with students for the new History & Principles of Science Course at London University. It is evident that we shall not be able to take them all. We can hardly have a class of more than 40. It looks most hopeful.

141: Singer to Sigerist, London, 7 August 1924 (postcard)¹

Would it be better for us to get out at Thun² or at Beatenberg on August 20th? Perhaps you would let me have a line on this point.

C. S.

142: Singer to Sigerist, London, 12 August 1924 (postcard)

Many thanks for your letter of August 10[.] We shall be two men and shall be coming right through from Boulogne. We shall arrive as you say at 10:44 a.m. at Beatenberg on August 20 & shall stay till August 22.

Greatly looking forward to seeing you.

Your

Charles Singer

Please engage rooms for us

143: Singer to Sigerist, London, 26 August 1924

My dear Sigerist,

Igot back here comfortably and to time. It is of course a very great disappointment to me that I did not continue my trip in Switzerland, though under the circumstances I feel much happier in my mind at being in my own home.

Iam very much obliged to your wife and yourself for all your kindness. Please thank her very heartily for me and tell her what a pleasure it was to see you both. I wish I could have been easier in my mind.

Tell her too with my compliments that tobacco is a poisonous drug and that you are smoking too much! Please take this as a piece of friendly advice from a brother medical historian.

You will be immensely entertained at the turn things have taken with the International Society.¹ The morning after I got back I got from Tricot letters of which I enclose copies.² From them it is obvious that he has had some row with Cumston. The row doubtless is on the question of Cumston usurping the authority to appoint officers!

Under the circumstances I thought it best not to send the letter of which I showed you a copy in spite of the temptation to make a joke – which is always hard for me to resist and especially where Tricot is concerned!

Ienclose a copy of the reply which I have in fact sent.

Iwrote yesterday to my friend, J. de M. Johnson, Secretary to the Oxford University Press to say that he must spend a night with me in London and that we must discuss together the whole question of the possibilities of Lier. I will let you know what happens.

With best regards and again many thanks,

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

I have to-day ordered your photos from the British Museum.

144: Singer to Sigerist, London, 29 August 1924

My dear Sigerist,

If you have not sent off the proofs please do so as soon as possible.¹ Term will soon be upon us and I shall not be able to attend to them. I could have done a good deal during the last few days.

I have an appointment with the Oxford University Press this afternoon to talk things over with them. It is rather a pity that I have not eI ther the proofs or the advanced copy with me.

I have arranged for all the British Museum photographs to be taken for you, and they will arrive here next Tuesday. I have told them that they are to be put down to my account as I get a discount and I can send you on the bill.

There are a few remarks to make about them.

Additional 17062 should be written Additional 17063. In it there are two figures of Dracontea and I have included them both.²

Additional 21115. is the sister manuscript of 17063 and has also two figures of Dracontea. I have included them also.

Additional 8928 is a very important manuscript to which not enough attention has been given. The figures, however, are extremely faint. I have included Vettonica according to your direction. I could find better figures in this MS if you wish.

Harley 5294 calls for no remark.

Cotton Vit. C.III is a very difficult manuscript to deal with. It is in Anglo-Saxon and one has to translate the Anglo-Saxon terms in order to get the plant. Asfodelus, however, presents no special difficulty in this MS. Paeonia and Peristereon are practically destroyed by fire. The manuscript, as I daresay you know, was partially burnt in the eighteenth century and it happens that the page containing these figures has suffered very greatly. I have therefore included Dracontea, and have not sent you the other two, though I will do so if I hear from you that you still wish for them.

I have in fact a very large number of figures of Cotton Vit. C.III which I have studied more closely perhaps than many other manuscript, and I could lend these to you if you wish.

As regards Ashmole 1431. It is tiresome, slow and expensive at present getting photographs from Oxford. If you want that exact page Vettonica f.3v I think probably you would get it quicker by writing yourself. The Librarian is very fussy and if I get it for you and he comes to hear of it he will be angry with me! I enclose, however, an application form for photographs.

I have in fact ransacked the Bodleian and have taken photographs of all I wanted before I left Oxford, among them Ashmole 1431. These I enclose. They include a coloured figure of Paeonia and of Solago minor and 10 pages of in rotograph. Perhaps you would be good enough to let me have them back when you have finished with them.

Ireturn the photographs of the Monte Cassino manuscript. It is certainly very close to Cotton. Vit. C.III, especially as regards the mandrake figure. I find my man has not had time to re-photograph these. When you can spare them would you be so very kind as to let me have them and I will only keep them for one day.

Iget glowing postcards from Dobson who is enjoying himself immensely.

With best regards to you all and love to the children.

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

145: Singer to Sigerist, London, 30 August 1924a

My dear Sigerist,

(1) I was at the Oxford University Press yesterday. I was much disturbed to find that, in spite of all that I have said, Seldwyla have still not delivered the Sudhoff Festschrift. This means that the book cannot now get into the September catalogue & there may be difficulties in publishing it before Christmas. In any event it means that the book has missed the best market. Can you wire Seldwyla to send copies of the Festschrift instantly. The matter is made worse by the fact that the official who has charge of this book is getting married this week! I think Seldwyla’s delays are really too bad.

(2) I am sorry not to have the proofs of the Fasciculo to hand.¹ Evidently they have been delayed en route. My difficulty is that as soon as term begins I shall be unable to work at them. I hope that they will arrive during the next day or two.

(3) As regards Sudhoff’s Syphilis tracts.² I have received the proofs from you this morning but unfortunately not my original corrections. As the thing stands in this proof it contains a long excursus on Widmann³ buried in the section on Grünpeck. Sudhoff’s reasons for this burying it seem to me inadequate. His point about the date & proper position of Widmann can be brought out in another & less clumsy way. I had endeavoured to do this in my last draft but Sudhoff has altered my arrangement.

(4) The Oxford University Press are willing to hand over to Lier the entire collection of clichées of Vol I of my studies without any charge. I shall forward a copy of the work to Hardt & tell him this.

(5) I got off your Monte Cassino photos last week. The British Museum MSS are being photographed for you & will follow in a day or two. Poor old Dobson is having dreadful weather. At one place he was snowed up!

With best regards to all

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

146: Singer to Sigerist, London, 30 August 1924b (telegram)

BITTE SCHICKEN SIE MIR KETHAM PROBEBOGEN¹

SINGER

147: Singer to Sigerist, London, 31 August 1924 (postcard)

Add. 17063

Add. 21115

Ashmole 1431

One without the Sextus Placitus text.

Cotton Vet. CIII contains it in Anglo-Saxon translation.

Are there any other English MSS on which you would like this question answered?¹

Charles Singer

148: Singer to Sigerist, London, 1 September 1924

My dear Sigerist,

Herewith corrected proofs of the Sudhoff work.¹

Note firstly the alteration in title, which I am sure is a good move from the point of view of the English public, for which the work is intended. This alteration would be made both on the title page of the book and in the advertisement.

I have your letter from the Beatenberg² of August 29th, explaining the count Rudolf von Hohenburg referred to on page 5. of the proofs.³ I quite understand what Sudhoff meant to say and I had altered it in that sense in one of the proofs, but he altered it back again. As it now stands in my proof, it is perfectly correct. It is a fact, which I have verified, that both of the 1472 editions of the German “Ordnung der Gesundheit” contain the dedication to Count Rudolf Hohenburg and his wife. Having reached that point and stated it, the passage then turns to previous history.

There in [is?] one rather radical change which I had made in a previous version of the proof, which Sudhoff or the printer have put back again. In viewing the matter from the point of view of the English reader, the last paragraphs of page 13 of the proofs, the whole of page 14 and the first paragraphs of page 15 should be removed bodily and inserted as indicated on page 20. I have tried to indicate this by cutting out these sections, fitting them together, numbering them in red as 1, 2, & 3 and indicating on page 20. where they are to be inserted. No violence will be done by this to Sudhoff’s sense because [....] the last paragraph of page 13. He there states specifically that the work of Widmann should be considered along with Grünpeck. The reader has therefore only to turn to the page indicated to understand what has happened. Thus the symmetry of the article will be observed and Sudhoff’s meaning also brought out.

As regards the Table of Contents, a difficulty arises in that the contents of the Introduction is not in fact, identical with the contents of the facsimile. I think the simplest way out of this, is to have two tables of contents. Firstly, a table of contents of the book as a whole with references to the Facsimile covered by the one word Facsimile. Secondly, at the end of Introduction, a detailed Table of Contents to the Facsimile itself. I should say that in English books, the Table of Contents invariably precedes a work and never follows it. In this the English usage differs from the Continental.

Ibother you with these points as my imperfect German may not make it clear to the printers that the sections from page 13 to 15 must be shifted. Will you also tell them that although I sent them the Table of Contents of the work as a whole, proofs of it have not reached me.

Best regards,

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

149: Singer to Sigerist, London, 5 September 1924

My dear Sigerist,

Herewith the photographs. They cost £3 and I have paid for them at once as I get a reduction in this way. I will send you receipt as soon as Fleming sends it to me.

I have pencilled on the back concerning the plants. This information I have already sent to you, but it may be convenient for you to have it written on the photographs.

There is one photograph about which I am doubtful, though you have the information before you. It is concerning Cotton Vitellius C. III- the plant named Wudurofe in the Anglo-Saxon text. This plant I think you will find corresponds to the Asfodelus¹ of Apuleius.

Iam glad to say that the Sudhoff Volumes arrived safely last night.² They really look very well; the only criticism I have to make is on their enormous price.

Isent off the proofs of the Fasciculo di Medicina to Wolff yesterday.³

With best regards,

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

150: Singer to Sigerist, London, 6 September 1924

My dear Sigerist,

Herewith Fleming’s bill for £ 3.0.0 paid and receipted-Yours ever

Charles Singer

Sudhoff Festschrift has arrived.¹