2. The Letters

226: Singer to Sigerist, Kilmarth, 19 April 1935

You have not sent me any Prospectus of the new Bulletin – prices etc. I have had one or two enquiries concerning it. Perhaps you can let me have one. Looking forward to seeing you.

Charles Singer

227: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore?, 2 May 1935

Dear Singer:

Iam sorry that we have no Prospectus of the new Bulletin left, but I have a few odd numbers that I am sending under separate cover. You will find there on the second page of the cover all the information you want.

Iam looking forward with great pleasure to seeing you soon. I am sailing from London on June 8th, and will arrive there a few days before. I will let you know the exact date from Paris.

You may have heard that Garrison died quite unexpectedly […].¹ His last years were rather pathetic. He was director of the Library² but was not interested at all in library administration; and his historical work became more and more superficial. However, he has done a great deal in stimulating interest in medical history in America.

With kind regards to you both, I am

Very sincerely yours,

Henry E. Sigerist

228: Singer to Sigerist, Kilmarth, 17 July 1935

My dear Sigerist,

Ihope that all goes well with you & I am sure that you have had a very interesting Russian trip.

Did you see the biologist Schaxel or Schacksel¹ & has he [....] through his scheme for appointing an [....] of biology?

Yesterday there came to me G.E.Gask who is professor of Surgery at St. Bartholomew’s (full time).² He has recently been reading your book on American Medicine & admires it greatly.³ He very much wants to meet you. He and several others are wondering whether it would be possible to tempt you to come to London, if only for one day in September. If you could manage this we would arrange for about ½ dozen people to meet you – all people who are particularly anxious to hear your news on medicine & the history of medicine as a department of Sociology. I think that such a meeting of half a dozen people would be far better than a larger gathering. I said I would write to you to find out if it would be at all possible.

Please do not forget when you are in Zürich to consider the question of the German publication of The Legacy of Israel edited by Bevan and myself.⁴ [....] will remember that we discussed it. Orell-Fussli have the MS & the original book which is very beautifully illustrated.⁵ The original blocks are of course available. German pressure has evidently been put on Fussli not to produce the book.

Very best regards [to] your wife and family from us all.

Yours ever

Charles Singer

Am very glad to hear that Larkey will join you at Baltimore.⁶

229: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore?, 15 October 1935

My dear Singer:

I have not reported yet on the correspondence I had with Orell Füssli in Zürich. The situation is this; that they will not consider the publication of a German translation of your Legacy of Israel for the time being.¹ They would be willing to deliver the manuscript for one thousand Swiss francs if another publisher could be found. My general impression is that it will hardly be possible to find a Swiss publisher willing to do the job. The crisis is very serious in Switzerland now, and all the publishers I saw seemed very much discouraged.

We missed you very much in Madrid.² Scientifically, the Congress did not amount to much but Spain was lovely at this time of year. I also enjoyed meeting Sir Humphry Rolleston whom I had never seen before.

We came back a few days ago on the Berengaria, and I am starting my courses this week.

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

Very sincerely yours,

Henry E. Sigerist

230: Singer to Sigerist, Kilmarth, 30 October 1935

Personal

My dear Sigerist,

Many thanks for your letter of Oct 15 concerning Orell Füssli of Zürich.

But you do not tell me what I really want to know & perhaps you cannot tell me. Füssli had already written me that they were willing to sell me the MS for 1000 Swiss Francs. And I had already offered them a subsidy for publishing. Therefore their objection to publish is not economic – or not directly so.

What I want to know is whether their objection to publish is the result of Nazi pressure from Germany. I can see that if a firm’s publications were boycotted in Germany, no subsidy would recompense them. But what I want to know, in plain English, is whether this is the case or not. I expect you cannot tell me.

I have during the last week received three independent, direct, & ‘Aryan’ visitors

from Germany, 2 from Berlin, one from Munich. Most presents[?] [....] Germany have not come off but there is no doubt any longer of food shortage. A lady who left Berlin 36 hours ago & is returning next week told me last night that for her household of eleven she could only secure ¼ pound of butter a day. All the booksellers tell me that business with Germany is almost impossible owing to exchange difficulties. One obvious difficulty is that a German creditor cannot now sue an English debtor. Other trades are similarly affected & I am pretty confident that the published German Import-Export figures must be faked. Looks as though something dramatic might happen in Germany this winter. But who knows what?

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

231: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore?, 7 November 1935

Dear Singers:

My friend and colleague, Prof. L. C. MacKinney, hardly needs an introduction.¹ I am sure that you have read his remarkable papers published in our Bulletin, Isis, and quite a few other places. Prof. MacKinney is professor of mediaeval history at the University of North Carolina and is spending his sabbatical year in Europe investigating mediaeval manuscripts.

He is most anxious to meet you and to be able to consult your catalogue.² Any assistance you can give him will be greatly appreciated, and I am sure that you will enjoy making his acquaintance.

With kind regards, I am

Very sincerely yours,

Henry E. Sigerist

232: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore ?, 11 November 1935

My dear Singer:

Thanks for your letter of October 30th. I am sorry that I can not give you any further information as to Orell Füssli’s attitude. All they told me was that they could not undertake to publish the book for financial reasons, but I am sure that your guess is correct that they do not want to commit themselves. They are primarily printers; their chief job is to print posters and bank-notes and other commercial prints. They are probably afraid of losing business in Germany if they were to publish a book on a Jewish subject. However, they did not mention this to me at all.

From all I hear the situation in Germany is becoming more and more tense. One interesting symptom is that I am receiving now letters from purely Aryan professors and physicians who want to leave the country as they can not stand it any longer. However, one should not be too optimistic. The German people can stand great hardships, and the opposition seems so disorganized that even open enemies of the régime dread a change. It is a most up-setting situation.

Very sincerely yours,

Henry E. Sigerist

233: Singer to Sigerist, Kilmarth, 1 December 1935

Confidential

My dear Sigerist,

I had a letter from Sarton a few days ago in which he said, incidentally, that Feldhaus had written to him in great distress.¹

In 1931 De Thierry of Berlin² showed me Feldhaus’ horrible police record. I don’t suppose the record has much improved since! I heard about a year ago that Feldhaus was now a recognised agent of the present German government. So it looks likes rogues falling out.

I therefore cabled to Sarton not to answer Feldhaus & wrote to him explaining the situation.

Ifind an enquiry that Feldhaus’ record is well known in London.

This letter is merely to warn you in case Feldhaus tries to impose on kind hearted people in America.

It appears that Feldhaus’ present address is

Sachsenring 27, Berlin-Tempelhof.

Iknew that you know Feldhaus’ record much better than I do. It is evidently a case of what Kossina³ calls “an un-Nordic soul in a Nordic body”. I have not seen his soul but I never saw a more Nordic looking man!

Best wishes from

Yours always,

Charles Singer

Have just had a letter from young A. W. Franklin who tells me he has been writing you.⁴ You have, perhaps, heard of the really dreadful tragedy in which his mother, his aunt & their 2 servants were burnt to death in a fire in their home in the heart of the doctors quarters in London. He enjoyed his visit [....] immensely.

234: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore?, 19 December 1935

My dear Singer:

Iwas glad you wrote me about Feldhaus. I know the fellow, and you can be sure that I will keep him off. He is the most disagreeable type of man I have ever met, and I certainly will not have anything to do with him.

Iheard of the tragedy that had befallen Franklin’s family and was very much upset by it. You would not think that this could happen in our day.

With best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to yourself and family, I am

Very sincerely yours,

Henry E. Sigerist

235: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore?, 5 February 1936

My dear Singer:

Thanks ever so much for your letter of January 23rd.¹ I greatly appreciate your comments on our work. I have neglected to send out reprints for a long time but now in the future they will be mailed to you regularly three times a year.

Italked to Larkey and he will write you soon. He was terribly busy in the last few months reorganizing the library which was very necessary indeed.²

Iam going back to Russia and as I found the Soviet boat very pleasant, I will travel by the same route and will spend a few days in London. I do not know the date yet but in all probability it will be in the first part of June. I will let you know the date as soon as I have my reservation.

We intend to devote a number of the Bulletin to the memory of Garrison. This number will contain Garrison’s bibliography and a number of papers giving an appreciation of the various aspects of his life and work.³ It would be very nice indeed if you could contribute a paper in which you could publish the letters you mentioned.

Ienvy you your country place. We are living in a constant rush here and I can not do any serious work except at night.

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

Very sincerely yours,

Henry E. Sigerist

236: Singer to Sigerist, Kilmarth, 24 February 1936

My dear Sigerist,

You will be puzzled at my various telegrams, though I dare say you have now worked out their meaning.¹

What happened was this. The responsible bodies at Oxford and Cambridge decided not to send representatives to Heidelberg. At that time I wired to you to that effect. It then appeared that their decisions needed formal confirmation by the general body of teachers. I was told that it might do harm if it leaked out that I had conveyed the information. I therefore sent my second telegram. There is to be a general meeting of Vice-Chancellors on March 6th. I therefore gave March 7th as the date on which I would write.

Since then the decision of Oxford, Cambridge and Birmingham, the Royal Society and the British Academy have been made known publicly. All have decided against sending a representative. I therefore sent you my third telegram.

The actual history is as follows: -

The first university to decide was Birmingham. This is one of the best of our new universities. The Senate of Birmingham decided that under no circumstances would they send a representative. They were unanimous. They decided, moreover, that they would not alter their decision whatever the other universities would do.

The next body to decide was the Council of the Cambridge Senate. They decided not to send a representative and to await confirmation by the general body of teachers.

The next body to decide was the Royal Society. They decided not to send a representative but to send a message which would in effect be a message of protest.

The next body to decide was the British Academy. They decided not to send a representative and to send a message that they could not send a representative as to do so would be contrary to their principles and would cause embarrassment alike to Heidelberg & the representative.

Lastly came the news of Oxford which has now decided both by its Inner Council and published [....] not to send a representative but to send a message which will express admiration for what Heidelberg has been and hope for what it will be again. You may take it that the other universities will follow suit. In fact, not all have been asked.

Ienclose a little pamphlet, the proof of which has just reached me, together with a cutting from this week’s Nature which may interest you & a letter for next week’s Nature.²

Iwill let you have something about Garrison as soon as I can get to it.³

With best regards,

Yours always,

Charles Singer

237: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore?, 2 March 1936

Dear Singer:

Iwish to thank you for your cables.¹ I am, of course, very pleased with the decision of the British universities. I spread the news as much as I could and, besides there was a note in the papers about it the other day. I do not know yet what the attitude of the American universities will be. I have not heard anything about it, and I do not think that our university has been invited. However, I feel confident that the American universities will adopt an attitude similar to yours.

I have just booked my passage on the Normandie for May 27th, and I shall be sailing from London to Leningrad on June 6th. I shall therefore be in London at about the same time as last year.

With kind regards to you both, I am

Very sincerely yours,

Henry E. Sigerist

238: Singer to Sigerist, Kilmarth, 2 March 1936

My dear Sigerist,

I have to-day addressed a letter of which I enclose a copy to Professors Laistner, Burr & [....] Smith of Cornell University.¹

Read clause 17 of my letter particularly careful. The whole thing is a swindle!

You are welcome to publish this letter or any part of it, with my name or without it. The more these things are known the better.

Ienclose a few recent pamphlets etc.

Yours always,

Charles Singer

If there is anyone to whom you think I ought to write in America, please let me know. You can cable if you like just giving name. My telegraphic address is Singer, Par, England.

239: Singer to Sigerist, Kilmarth, 3 March 1936

My dear Sigerist,

The enclosed extract from the central page of to-days Times is almost too good to be true!¹

And the invitations have only been withdrawn from England!

Just think what it amounts to. “Because all the people that I have invited have refused, therefore I withdraw their invitations”. A naughty child of 8 in a bad temper could work up a better story than the rector of Heidelberg. What clumsy creatures the Germans are. They can always be trusted to make a gaff. But I never hoped for anything as good as this. Unbelievable isn’t it?

Ithought that I would let you know at once.

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

240: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore?, 9 March 1936

Dear Singer:

Thanks for your letter of February 24th and for your documents which I read with a great deal of interest. In the meantime, I heard that Harvard and Cornell have accepted the invitation of Heidelberg, and that Yale is hesitating. As far as I know, our university has not been invited.

Yours ever,

Henry E. Sigerist

241: Singer to Sigerist, Kilmarth, 21 March 1936

My dear Sigerist,

I have just been reading your letter to Sarton.¹ Bravo! I am sure you have got to the root of the matter. And most amusing. My wife also read it & enjoyed it very much.

Ienclose typed copies of mine of Garrisons [sic] letters. I have probably a few more some where. Make any use that you like of them & print any part of them that you think proper. Obviously you cannot print all or you would be prosecuted for libel!

The proper place for the originals is the Johns Hopkins Library. Ordinarily I should have presented them but it occurred to me that if the Library would buy them, I could present the amount to the Academic Assistance Council & do something to help German scholars. What do you think of the idea? Can you buy them & would you give twenty pounds for them? I do not think that there was anyone else to whom Garrison wrote so intimately.

The situation in Europe looks perhaps a little less black than it did. It is so very difficult to get real information as to the economic state of Germany but the best hope of Europe would be the outbreak of anarchy in Germany. For three years now, however, we have been told that Germany must break down economically but it does not come. Nevertheless the opinion still seems to be that it is really coming. Only last week a responsible man who had seen Hitler was talking at the Institute of International Affairs & said openly that the man was insane. But I wish he would hurry up & declare that he was a poached egg, or Mahomet, or Frederick Barbarossa² or something really silly like that.

Your paper is very depressing as well as very amusing.³

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

Iam to have an Honorary Degree at Oxford – which is quite an honour & heaven knows

why!

242: Singer to Sigerist, Kilmarth, 24 March 1936

My dear Sigerist,

I have just received a Dutch newspaper with a passage of which enclosed is a translation. You will be interested.

Icannot read Dutch but it happened that yesterday there came into Par harbour a very small Dutch tramp steamer. I called on the Captain (an educated man) & asked him to translate it. His delight at finding that the Dutch Universities have refused Heidelberg was really quite comic!

I have written to the Presidents of Columbia, Harvard & Yale.

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

243: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore?, 3 April 1936

Dear Singer:

Thanks ever so much for your letter of March 21st, and for the copies of the Garrison letters.¹ I will make a selection and will submit it to you before it goes to print. This, however, will not be before next winter.

Iwished we could purchase the originals but unfortunately this is impossible as we are perfectly broke. We had $8,500 less this year and next year we will have $3,000 less in addition. The grant for Dr. Edelstein will not be renewed and I can only keep him by cutting our salaries which have been cut once before. The situation is very critical, but still we can not complain as we have some money left. The academic division of the University, however, is in a hopeless situation. All the young instructors have been discharged, departments are being closed, and vacancies are not filled. The whole Greek division consists at the present time of one instructor. The University is starting a drive for not less than $10,750,000[?] but I do not think that there is any chance in the world that they will get a fraction of it.

Iam glad that you enjoyed my letter to Sarton but you are quite right that it is a depressing story after all.²

Congratulations on the honorary degree. You deserve it more than anyone I know.

With kind regards, I am

Very sincerely yours,

Henry E. Sigerist

244: Singer to Sigerist, Kilmarth, 11 April 1936

My dear Sigerist,

Thanks for your letter of April 3. The Welch Institute is surely the proper resting place for the Garrison letters & I enclose them.¹ Please accept them with all my good wishes for the work[?] of you and your colleagues & for the growing success of the Institute itself. I believe that Garrison himself would wish for this fate of them.

Iam looking forward to seeing you as you come through London. I had an idea of putting to you a scheme for publication which is evidently now impossible. J. H. G. Grattan (now professor of Anglo Saxon in Liverpool) has been working with me on the text of Lacnunga (the A.S. text in the 3rd vol. of Cochayne [sic]) for 14 years now!² We really are bringing it to an end & had thought of offering it to the J. H . Bulletin for publication as a separate work. I suppose this is now out of the question. I had an idea that you had a special publication fund but I expect this too has gone to glory!

Iam very sorry indeed to learn the bad news of the state[?] of the JH finances.

Ienclosed typed translations of two recent German imbecillities. You may care to have them retyped and circulated. The more widely these things are known the better.

If there is anyone in America to whom you think it would be useful for me to write concerning Heidelberg in particular or concerning the German university situation in general, or who would like literature on the subject, do please let me know. I will gladly do what I can.

Many thanks for congratulations on my honorary degree at Oxford.

With best regards,

Yours ever

Charles Singer

245: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore?, 23 April 1936

My dear Singer:

Thanks ever so much for the Garrison letters. They are greatly appreciated.

Iwished we could have printed the text of Lacnunga,¹ but at the present time I am sorry to say that it is out of question. We have no special publication fund, and we have to print the Bulletin on the general Institute budget. Fortunately the number of subscribers, although not large, is steadily increasing which reduces the burden gradually. The Noguchi lectures are taken care of by the Noguchi fund, but for printing other publications I have to go around begging.² I hope to be able to publish d’Irsay’s “History of Physiology” which is a good piece of work, but so far I have not found the money yet.³

We are sailing on May 26th on the Normandie. I have to spend a few days in Paris and expect to be in London on June 4th toward evening. On June 6th, the boat for Leningrad will be sailing.

Iam sorry that I can not stay longer in England, but the trouble is that the vacations begin in Russia on July 1st, and after that date is is [sic] impossible to find the people. They all go to the country.

I intend to be in Switzerland by the end of July and to spend two quiet months there doing some writing without being constantly disturbed as I am here.

Ivery much hope that I shall have a chance to see you in London.

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

Very sincerely yours,

Henry E. Sigerist

246: Singer to Sigerist, Kilmarth, 5 May 1936

My dear Sigerist,

Thanks for yours of April 23. As you are for so short a time in London would you like me to get you a room near me or, if possible, in the same house?

Please answer me to

15 Palace Court

London W2

which is where I stay. It is conveniently placed, near the tube, 5 minutes from Oxford Circus, quite quiet. Very decent and clean but not luxurious. Hot & cold water in bedroom. I think that it would suit you. I am quite certain to be there at your dates.

Yours ever

Charles Singer

Enclosed article is signed by Sir F. G. Kenyon, late Director of British Museum, Sir F. G. Hopkins O. M., late President of Royal Society & A. V. Hill, Nobel Prizeman & secretary of Royal Society¹

247: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore?, 16 May 1936

Dear Singer:

Thanks for your letter of May 5th and for the reprints on German universities.¹ I will come to London alone. Mrs. Sigerist and the children are going directly from Paris to Switzerland.

I would very much like to stay in the same house as you on 15 Palace Court, and I would appreciate it if you could reserve a room for me for June 4th.

Iam very anxious to meet Dr. Gask, who wrote me so very kindly last year, but please do not make arrangements for anything formal. I am travelling in Russia with a minimum of luggage and will not have a dinner jacket with me.

Iam looking forward to seeing you soon with the greatest pleasure.

With kind regards to you both, I am

Yours ever,

Henry E. Sigerist

248: Sigerist to Singer, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland, 23 August 1936

My dear Singer:

Istill owe you a letter.¹ I preferred to wait until I would have left Russia. I discussed your project² with quite a few people and they all agreed that, to have a representative on the spot would accelerate matters very much indeed. The difficulty will be to find the right man. Mr. Habicht, the Open Road representative,³ whom I suggested and to whom I talked about it, is out of question. He already has three jobs, and is more than busy. I know a young American foreign correspondent, Robert Miller, who might possibly be taken into consideration. He is a Princeton graduate and has been in Russia for two years. I did not speak to him in the matter and just now he is travelling somewhere in Italy.

As I wrote you gefore [sic], I did not see Dr. Rosen,⁴ but I called at the office of Agrojoint⁵ and had a long talk with Mr. Grower. He suggested that the Council should work in closed cooperation with the Soviet Ambassy [sic] in London. He said that the present ambassador is a very apen-minded [sic] man, who would be willing and able to straighten out difficulties. As you probably heard, Agrojoint succeeded in obtaining visas for quite a number of German physicians.

Irealize that this is all very vage [sic] but the matter is delicate and difficult to handle.

I had a most interesting time in the Soviet Union. I completed my material and I am working hard on my book now.⁶ I hope to write a good portion of it here in Switzerland, where I intend to stay till the end of September.

Iremember with pleasure the days spent with you in London, and with kind regards to you both I am very sincerely yours

[Henry E. Sigerist].

249: Singer to Sigerist, Kilmarth, 23 November 1937

My dear Sigerist,

A line to introduce you to my friend Dr. Martin Weinbaum.¹

He is certainly the leading authority on the Growth of English Boroughs. Incidentally he has taught us a good deal about the civic history of the small towns in our own neighbourhood. He has spent some years in England, and has taught at Manchester University for four years. His English is really perfect, and has no trace of a German accent – a most unusual accomplishment in my experience. I believe that you will be interested to meet him.

With all good wishes,

Yours ever,

Charles Singer

250: Sigerist to Singer, Baltimore?, 20 December 1937

My dear Singer:

Just a line to tell you that it will be a very great pleasure to meet Dr. Martin Weinbaum. He wrote me that he would come to Baltimore early in January. I shall attend the meeting of the History of Science Society in Indianapolis but will be back on New Year’s eve.

How are you? It is a long time that I had no news from you but I hope to see you next June. I shall, in all probability, go to Russia again with a group of American public health people¹ and I plan to spend about a week in London with my daughter, Erica.

I instructed my publisher, Victor Gollancz, to send you a copy of my Soviet book and I hope that you received it.² I am glad that I am through with this work. It kept me busy for many years. I began working now on a four-volume History of Medicine in which I am trying to approach the subject from a somewhat different angle than has been done so far.³ It obviously will be an affair of many years but I enjoy working again on ancient history.

With all good wishes for a Happy New Year to Mrs. Singer and yourself, I am

Yours ever,

Henry E. Sigerist