2. The Letters

201: Singer to Sigerist, London, 12 June 1933

My dear Sigerist,

Many thanks for your note of May 25 introducing Pijoan.¹ I shall be delighted to do all I can for him.

Ihope all goes well with you. I am staying on here all the summer. We shall be in Cornwall as usual from December till March but are otherwise pretty well settled here.

You are well away from Germany. The situation is hideous & growing worse. The country seems to be led by madmen. Best regards to you all.

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

My History of Science is at last in print²

202: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore?, 26 October 1933

Dear Singer:

It was a great pleasure to read your letter of October 11th¹ and to hear that in future you will spend part of the year in the country. This is a splendid idea, and you may be sure that I shall visit you some day. I hope to be through with my work on the early mediaeval literature within a few years, but before this will be the case I will have to spend some time in England; and I of course am very anxious to consult your catalogue.²

Ihope you received a copy of “The Great Doctors”, if not, do not hesitate to let me know.³ I also asked my publisher to send you a copy of my book on American medicine, which is my last German book. I began writing it in Leipzig before I had decided to settle in Amerika [sic], and this is why I wrote it in German. An English edition, however, is being done under my supervision and will be out next year.⁴

Things are developing very nicely here. At the present moment, Castiglioni is with us, giving the Noguchi Lectures.⁵ I am working very hard on my mediaeval stuff. There will be three volumes, one a catalogue raisonné of all the Mss. that contain early medical texts; the second volume will be a collection of texts in critical editions, as far as such are possible; and the last volume will give a history of the literature of that period. It is a great burden that I have been carrying for more than ten years. In between, as a passe-temps, I am writing a Latin grammar for medical students, using exclusively the medical terminology. It is great fun. And then I am preparing for a trip to Russia. I am extremely interested in the development medicine is taking there, particularly in the philosophical and sociological background of the whole movement.⁶

So you see I am pretty busy, but this winter will be less strenuous than last winter when we had so many social engagements.

We had a very pleasant summer in Europe, but could not help being extremely depressed by the general poitical situation. Even in Switzerland, there are fascist parties; and there is a general unrest that is very disturbing. We are living through a period of experimental history, which is rather inconvenient for the individual, but certainly very fascinating for the historian.

With kind regards to Mrs. Singer and yourself, I am,

Very sincerely yours,

Henry E. Sigerist

203: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore?, 22 December 1933

Dear Singer:

This was a very delightful Christmas card, and Mrs. Sigerist and myself reciprocate your wishes most cordially.

I have a great favor to ask you. We intend to build up a picture gallery of all our Noguchi Lecturers, and as you and Mrs. Singer were the first Lecturers on this foundation, you would oblige me very much by sending me a photo of yourself and one of Mrs. Singer with your signatures and the name Noguchi Lecturer 1930 and 1932.

Iam sure that you enjoy being in the country. It must be delightful down there, and I hope that I will be able to visit you some day.

With best wishes and kind regards, I am,

Very sincerely yours

Henry E. Sigerist

204: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore?, 21 February 1934

Dear Singer:

May I ask you for a great favor? You know the Bulletin for the history of medicine that our Institute is publishing. The first volume has just been completed, and the first number of the second volume will be issued next month, and I think that we did quite well for the first year. The journal, of course, is far from being perfect, but I am trying to make it more and more interesting.

I have a good many Mss. ready for publication, and I think that the second volume promises to be quite good.

We are having some financial troubles at the present time. Due to losses in the endowments, I had to cut down the budget for the current year, and this affects particularly the funds available for publications. There is some hope that we may obtain a grant of about one thousand dollars from the National Academy of Sciences, which, of course, would help a great deal and enable me to go on with the Bulletin as before.

Dr. Raymond Pearl, Chairman of the Committee of Funds for Research Publications of the National Academy of Sciences (School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University) with whom I had a long talk yesterday thought that a letter from you, addressed to him, would have great influence on the Members of the Committee.¹ I therefore would greatly appreciate if you would be good enough to write to Dr. Pearl what you think of our publication and whether you think it worth being supported.

You know what the conditions in this country are, the “Annals of Medical History” and “Medical Life” are both on a commercial basis, and are not the kind of journal that appeals to me. The Annals have so many Mss. that the writer has to wait two years before his paper is published. There undoubtedly is a strong need for a strictly scientific journal in the field. So far our Bulletin has been issued as a supplement to the Johns Hopkins Hospital Bulletin, but from January 1, 1935 on it will be an independent journal. We are already accepting subscriptions to the Bulletin[,] and the journal, of course, is not only open to Hopkins people but to every serious worker here and abroad.

May I add that the matter is rather urgent, as the Committee will decide on this question towards the end of March.

Thanks for your last letter.² I am trying to get a fellowship for Edelstein and have him work with us.³ I think this would be the best solution. I feel exactly like you about Germany, and in all probability will not attend the Spanish Congress, as it will be too late in October.⁴

Ienvy you the mild climate of Cornwall. We are having a very cold winter this year.

With kind regards to Mrs. Singer and yourself, I am,

Very sincerely yours

Henry E. Sigerist.

205: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore?, 8 March 1934

Dear Singer:

Iknow that you will be glad to hear that I have finally succeeded in obtaining sufficient money to provide for a salary for Dr. Edelstein.¹

The Emergency Committee in Aid of Displaced German Scholars, in New York, has granted our university $1500 for the academic year 1934−1935, and I expect to obtain the same amount from the Rockefeller Foundation in New York, so that I shall be able to appoint Dr. Edelstein as an Associate in our department on July 1.

The grant is for one year, but I am confident that it will be renewed for the second year, and by then I feel sure that the Institute will be able to provide for Dr. Edelstein’s salary out of its own funds.

Iam very happy over the solution. In Europe there would have been no future for Dr. Edelstein, while I am sure that he will make a career in this country where philologists of his training and ability are rather scarce.

With kind regards, I am,

Very sincerely yours,

Henry E. Sigerist

206: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore?, 19 March 1934

Dear Singer:

It was very good of you to write to Dr. Pearl. You just said the right things, and I am sure that your letter will have great weight in the decisions of the Academy.¹

As you know we started our Bulletin as an house-organ, but I intended to develop it gradually. I have accepted outside Mss. already and will do so more and more. From January 1, 1935, on we will be independent, and I intend to increase the number of pages considerably. I need not say that any contribution from you or Mrs. Singer will be extremely welcome at any time. It would be a great help, and would strengthen the authority of the journal to have you among the contributors.

Dr. Welch is doing relatively well.² He, of course, is weak and does hardly ever leave the bed, but he is mentally as alert as ever, interested in everything, and I am sure that a letter of yours would please him very much.

You have received our cable in the meantime. Both Dr. Welch and I are strongly opposed to an interim meeting in Berlin. I do not see any necessity for such a congress, and after all we know that the German idea is to make such a congress a big show for the purpose of propaganda.

With kind regards to Mrs. Singer and yourself, I am,

Very sincerely yours,

Henry E. Sigerist

207: Singer to Sigerist, Kilmarth, Cornwall, 20 March 1934

My dear Sigerist,

Enclosed is a copy of a letter that I have sent Mieli. Many thanks for your cable which I am communicating also to him.¹

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

I have written separately to Welch, Sarton, Lynn Thorndike & KarpinskI ² all of whom I asked to cable to Mieli.

Kenyon[,] Holmyard & Steele³ have all written from England protesting against a German meeting.⁴

208: Singer to Sigerist, Kilmarth, 26 March 1934

My dear Sigerist,

Many thanks for your letter of March 8th concerning Edelstein. I am greatly relieved to hear that you will be able to take him. It is good of you. As you rightly say, even if we succeeded in finding him temporary work in England, there would be no future for him here.

There is a matter of which, I think, I ought to write to you in confidence. When I cabled to you, I cabled also to Welch, Sarton & Karpinski. Knowing Thorndike to be “difficult”, I awaited the other replies before cabling him. When I did cable to Thorndike, I added that you, Welch & Sarton agreed with me. I also added a specially adequate sum for reply so that Thorndike should be put to no possible expense.

At Paris the German suggestion was rejected. Only one person favoured it for Thorndike wired Mieli (in reply to my message & without informing me) “Iam in favour of meeting in Germany”.

Of course I know that Thorndike is a complicated & crotchetty old batchelor [sic], with a mysterious grievance & that he is “close” with his ideas, his money & his praise but I certainly did not think that he would be quite as mean as this.

Iam writing in the same sense to Sarton. I think that you & he ought to know of Thorndike’s mental state because it is evident that he might injure one of your projects. But having written it, I shall now make it my business to forget all about it. I certainly don’t think that Thorndike carries much influence.

Have just had a very pleasant letter from Pearl. From it I gather that your scheme for a journal will go through. It certainly will be a comfort to have a proper journal of Med. Hist. More power to you!

Best regards,

Yours ever

Charles Singer

209: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore?, 10 April 1934

Dear Dr. Singer:

Thanks for your letter of March 26. The whole situation is disgraceful. I wrote to Diepgen¹ and tried to make it clear why a congress in Germany is impossible at the present time. I wonder what has happened in Spain? You probably saw that Mieli has discharged the Spanish Committee. At any rate I am not concerned, as I will not attend the congress any way. I am tired of the whole business.

With kind regards, I am,

Very sincerely yours,

Henry E. Sigerist

210: Singer to Sigerist, Kilmarth, 28 April 1934a

My dear Sigerist

Your Bulletin just received. The Sudhoff material is interesting but your report on the Dark Ages is quite first class.¹ I do most heartily congratulate you on the splendid line of work you are carrying through. It will be a landmark in the history of scholarship. I wish I were younger for I might then hope to see the full results.

If in arranging your summer you could manage to come to us in Cornwall with your wife and family it would give us the greatest possible pleasure. It is a most lovely spot & we have ample accomodation [sic] for such a party in this house & plenty of amusement for the children in our 16 acres. The bathing is quite perfect & safe for children & the library is tolerably good & no bad place to work in. We are exactly 5 hours from London. And we could commune on many things.

Yours ever

Charles Singer

211: Singer to Sigerist, Kilmarth, 28 April 1934b

My dear Sigerist,

Obviously you ought to know all about this affair.¹

Ienclose copies of

(a) Letter received by me to-day from Diepgen

(b) My reply to Diepgen

(c) Covering letter to Mieli enclosing (a) & (b)

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

212: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore?, 11 May 1934

Dear Singer:

Thanks ever so much for your letter of April 28. I was very interested in reading the copies of your and Diepgen’s letters. I suppose the incident is closed with this. It is quite obvious that the Congress in Germany is out of question under the present conditions. I wrote a long letter to Diepgen about it and told him frankly what my position was.

It would have been delightful to spend some time with you in Cornwall, but, unfortunately, it will not be possible this year. We have rented a little house near Lucerne that will serve as headquarters for the family; I myself have to travel a good deal on account of my mediaeval work. I intend to spend June and July in France, Belgium, and Holland, and September in Italy, mostly in Rome at the Vatican Library.

Igreatly appreciate what you wrote about my mediaeval work. It was extremely encouraging. Some other summer I will spend several months in England, surveying the Mss. preserved there, and, of course, will start by consulting your catalogue.¹

You will be interested in hearing that the National Academy of Sciences² has granted one thousand dollars to support our Bulletin, I therefore will be able to print about 600 pages this year. I am sure that your letter was very influential in the matter, and I am ever so much indebted to you for your help. I need not repeat that any paper of yours or Mrs. Singer’s for the Bulletin will always be highly welcome and will be published within two months.

We are sailing on May 30 on a boat of the Baltimore Mail Line. While in Europe my permanent address will be my mother’s residence, 182 St. Albanring, Basel.

With kind regards to Mrs. Singer and yourself, I am,

Very sincerely yours,

Henry E. Sigerist

213: Singer to Sigerist, London, 13 June 1934

My dear Sigerist,

I have just been reading your Summary on recent Hippocratic research in the Bulletin & I cannot refrain from writing to congratulate you on it.¹ I have seldom read so good an account of so difficult & intricate a subject. It was just what was wanted & is a real aid to scholarship as well as being most readable.

Such a summary is what I have always had in mind as an occasional[?] contribution to a scientific journal of the history of medicine. You have set us all an example.

I have lately been talking to the physiologists in London on a somewhat similar theme. Physiologists, nowadays, hardly understand each other. What a fine thing it would be if severe[?] scientific journals, such as the Journal of Physiology would, say twice a year, insert summaries of the state of knowledge in a particular branch. It might solve the crisis of mutual unintelligibility!

Ishall use your article as an illustration of what I mean. But it will be difficult to keep up your standard.

Ishall be in London until November. Should chance bring you this way please wire in advance. We are going to have a small flat in town but are not yet sure where. This house we have for only a few weeks. Cornwall always finds us.

Alas! There was no one to write to concerning Welch. He had a long and happy innings.²??

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

Again I am so glad about Edelstein. It is good of you.

214: Sigerist to Singer, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland, 4 August 1934¹

My dear Singer,

Thanks ever so much for your very kind letter of June 13th. I greatly appreciate your comment on my Hippocrates summary.² I am preparing another summary on archaeological contributions to medical history. Such summaries are particularly necessary in America where people do not know the European literature sufficiently.

Ijust had a very interesting trip through France and Belgium in search of early mediaeval material. I found some very important manuscripts particularly in Vendôme, a small provincial library that is open only on Sundays and Thursdays from 1–3. I had my Leica-camera and photographed myself more than 250 pages.

Iam with my family in Switzerland now. We have rented a very nice house with a huge garden right on the lake. I wished you could visit us. We bathe every morning in the lake and I spend much time fishing. We will be here till beginning of September and will go to Italy then, where I will continue my work at the Vatican Library. We are sailing back from Naples on September 22nd.

Iam very sorry that I will not be able to see you this year but I intend to be in England next year. I will spend several months in Russia in order to make a survey of Soviet medicine in which I am extremely interested. I will probably take one of the boats that sail from London to Leningrad.³ Whenever I have a choice between a train and a boat I take the boat.

With best wishes from us all to you all I am

very sincerely yours

[Henry E. Sigerist]

215: Singer to Sigerist, Kilmarth, 10 November 1934

My dear Sigerist,

Would you be so very kind as to pass the enclosed communication on to your gynaecological colleague. You can refer him to me, if you like.

Iunderstand that Fraenkel is a man of very great distinction & a good lecturer.¹ He is not in any want & his age precludes all question of his seeking a post. It is in this sense only that he is “unsatisfactory from the office point of view”!!

As you will see he already has lecture engagements in USA. He is, I understand, not dismissed but just retired on the ordinary age basis.

On the whole the work of settling the unfortunate Academic refugees goes better than we at first thought. Places of at least a temporary character have now been found for about one third of the Academics. It might be worse. Harder cases than Academics are students. Very young graduates can often be used in tropical or unsettled countries but the position of the student is very hard.

You will be interested to hear that Pagel’s son is fairly comfortably settled in England. A tiny salary but just enough to live on & a reasonable hope of permanency – & peace, poor fellow!²

Very sincerely yours,

Charles Singer

216: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore?, 26 November 1934

Dear Singer:

Iwas glad to receive your letter of November 10, and passed it on to Dr. Cullen, our professor of gynaecology. I do not know what will come out of it. Our lecture funds are rather limited; still there may be a possibility, and I certainly will welcome having Dr. Fraenkel here for a while.

Dr. Edelstein is doing exceedingly well, and I hope that he will feel happy in America. I am trying to make his position at the Institute permanent, and I hope that I will succeed.

Iam in touch with Pagel. He just sent me a long paper for publication.¹ I am so glad that he is able to continue his historical work besides the work he is doing in pathology.

With best wishes to Mrs. Singer and yourself, I am

Very sincerely yours,

Henry E. Sigerist

217: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore?, 1 December 1934

Dear Singer:

Ijust received the enclosed letter of our professor of gynaecology,¹ and I am very sorry that there is no chance of our inviting Dr. Fraenkel at the present time.

However, I have your letter concerning Dr. Fraenkel on file, and will see if I can do something for him in some other place.

Very sincerely yours,

Henry E. Sigerist

218: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore?, 2 January 1935

Dear Singer:

Your Christmas card was most delightful, and it gave a splendid picture of the region where you are living. I wish I could visit you there.

Please let me know where you will be in May. I am thinking of taking a boat in London for Leningrad on May 25th, and will arrange to spend about a week in England before sailing. I very much hope to be able to see you then.

With kind regards to Mrs. Singer and yourself, I am

Very sincerely yours,

Henry E. Sigerist

219: Singer to Sigerist, Kilmarth, 9 January 1935

My dear Sigerist,

I have to day had the enclosed letter from the Nonesuch Press.¹ As you are doubtless aware the publications of that press are unexcelled for artistic merit. I enclose my answer which explains itself.

Iam, of course, anxious to see some such project² carried through & would do all I can to help it & to avoid overlapping.

Farrington is, I think, going to settle in England for a year or two.³ He is a quiet industrious worker & is dissatisfied with Cape Town. I rather think that he means to undertake a major piece of research before looking for another post. (He is professor of classics & is a product of Trinity College, Dublin.)

Ineed hardly say that I would help him or you or both of you in this matter in any way in my power. My only desire is to see the table[?] brought to a satisfactory conclusion.

Do let me hear how you [....] as regards Vesalius & what you would like me to do with the Nonesuch & with Farrington.

Yours ever

Charles Singer

I have not mentioned in my letter to Meynell the project of William Wright.⁴ Much of the translation of the book on the nervous system is, I believe, in type but Wright will never finish it. I am in hopes that he will hand it over to Farrington or, alternatively, join hands with Farrington or you.

220: Singer to Sigerist, Kilmarth, 10 January 1935

My dear Sigerist,

Thanks for your note of January 2. I shall certainly be in London throughout May & entirely at your service. The best place to address me is

The Athenaeum

Pall Mall

London SW1

Telegram Hellenist, London

The Athenaeum will always forward letters or telegrams & I am often staying there & nearly always have lunch there when I am in London.

There are a hundred things that I want to talk to you about & I am very glad indeed to hear that I shall have an opportunity.

Very sincerely yours,

Charles Singer

221: Singer to Sigerist, Kilmarth, 23 January 1935

My dear Sigerist.

Very many thanks for your really splendid packet of reprints. I have never had such a batch of good stuff & so many articles in it that do get things on a bit. I most cordially felicitate you on your success.

Can you ginger up Larkey to write to me? We have written to him several times but don’t seem to be able to extract an answer.

Is there any chance of seeing you in London this year? Do let me know in good time if there is. The centenary of London University is to be celebrated in June-July[.] I think perhaps that will bring you. Personally I hate these mobs; & ceremonies merely bore me; but if they bring you, I shall be grateful.

What a gunpowder magazine the world is & in what a rotten state Christianity is. Every evening as I turn on the wireless I expect to hear that the great explosion has taken place! Study is at least a comfort & a refuge.

This place is lovely and peaceful as ever. It will be some explosion that disturbs Cornwall where everyone is asleep and desires only to continue to sleep!

Again congratulations.

Yours always

Charles Singer

Isuppose there is no idea of any larger account of Garrison? I have a few interesting letters from him.

222: Singer to Sigerist, Kilmarth, 27 January 1935

My dear Sigerist

Just a line to congratulate you

(a) On the excellent and most readable account of your European journey¹

(b) On this [....] termination of the Bulletin

(c) On the prospective arrival of the new journal.

I have just read this last issue & cannot put it down without writing you a line of good wishes.

Mind you let me know as early as possible as to the date of your arrival in London & the time you will have free. Appointments accumulate at that time of year but I shall set everything aside for you.

Again best wishes & congratulations.

Yours always

Charles Singer

223: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore?, 28 January 1935

Dear Singer:

Iread the letter of the Nonesuch Press and your answer to it with great interest. I quite agree with you that some kind of English edition of Vesalius would be extremely welcome, and should have a good market. I also agree with you that a complete translation of the whole Fabrica is not advisable. It would be a tremendous job to make it, and I do not think that there is anybody who would ever read it.¹

I have dropped the idea of doing anything in the subject myself as I am busy with other plans, but I know that a great deal of work is being done on Vesalius in this country at the present time.

I would recommend the Nonesuch Press to get in touch, first of all, with the New York Academy of Medicine, which is publishing the Vesalian plates from the original woodblocks preserved in Munich, and which intends to publish some other Vesaliana. Then, I know that Dr. Cushing is considering an English translation of the Epitome. Finally, Dr. Sanford Larkey, at the University of California, has done some work on Nicholas Udall,² and I know that he would like to have this translation reprinted some day.

It seems to me very important that overlapping be avoided, and I think that Farrington should get in touch with Larkey, Cushing and Dr. Malloch³ of the New York Academy so that the different efforts could be integrated. I am sure that all people concerned would greatly appreciate the cooperation of a Press of such high standing as the Nonesuch Press.

Iwas glad to hear that you will be in London at the end of May. I shall let you know in time when I expect to be there, as I am most anxious to see you.

With kind regards, I am

Very sincerely yours,

Henry E. Sigerist

224: Singer to Sigerist, Kilmarth, 5 February 1935

My dear Sigerist,

When last I wrote to you, I forgot to call you [sic] attention to the fact that London is likely to be very full & uncomfortable in the first week in May. The date May 6th is the jubilee of the King’s accession & is a special public holiday.¹ There are great preparations being made to celebrate this event, & the celebrations are of the kind that conduce to academic quiet or to empty hotels!

Thought you would just like to know this.

Yours as always,

Charles Singer

The second week in May will, I think, be quite all right.

225: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore?, 25 February 1935

Dear Singer:

Thanks for your good letters. I was glad to hear that you liked the paper on my last summer’s trip. I wrote it on the spot while travelling and had great fun in doing it.¹

The BULLETIN is now published as an independent journal. It was taken over by the Johns Hopkins Press, and I only regret that I have no complimentary copies to send to my friends.

I had to postpone my sailing until May 25th. We are sailing on the French liner, Champlain, and will be in Paris on June 1st. I am sailing from London to Leningrad on June 8th, so that, in all probability, I shall be in London about June 5th. I shall get in touch with you from Paris where I shall be staying at the Hotel Louvois.

Please tell Mrs. Singer that I will write her soon about the mediaeval Glossary. We are preparing a plan which I shall submit to her.

With kind regards, I am

Very sincerely yours,

Henry E. Sigerist