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  • Walter E. Dandy Letter 03/01/1914

    The Johns Hopkins Hospital

    Baltimore, Md.

    March 1, 1914

    Dear Mother and Father,

    Just received your letter a week overdue. It was so heavily laden with money that the delay occasioned no surprise. Many thanks, but I didn't need it yet. You must not be so lavish on me. It seems as though you like to see me spend your money. I will pay you back with much to spare some of these days. I like the piece of goods you sent very much. It will make you a nice suit. Glad you liked the picture. They are a little too dark, or at least I thought they were but I am not so sure that they are not all right.

    Well I am still wavering very much. I am satisfied and I am not. I want to return to Chicago and risk brain surgery and I want to stay here and I don't know which I want. I think I will see Dr. Finney and get his advice. I think he likes me very much and he may be able to get me in at Chicago. I will see what he thinks best. Heuer told me the professor (Dr. Halsted) had told him that I was to do the brain surgery when he went to Europe in May. That may mean that I might keep it permanently which would come in quite right but if Heuer comes back and takes it again, it wouldn't mean so much after all.

    I think Dr. Halsted likes me very well and Dr. Thomas I am sure will help me. If Heuer stays another year after he comes back and McClure (who is next) stays on it will be too long to wait for General Surgery. But things may brighten up considerably yet. Still if I went to Chicago and could get started right I am sure I could make money pretty quickly. Here I would get a better reputation.

    I don't get any but the smaller operations to do now, but they all have turned out excellently. Am going to start some new work in the Hunterian Laboratory (doghouse) next week as my hydrocephalus article is finished and ready to send off. The more experimental work I do the more rapidly I will advance and get a good position elsewhere. I am going to.…get some more papers as yours is worn out. I will send you a couple more of the Philadelphia papers. Will also send you some more pictures. I am not going to send any away. Will keep them for future use.

    Cushing was down to Baltimore and just said "Hello Dandy." That was all. I wrote and asked him if I could use a case of his, as a matter of courtesy. I got no reply. I shall ask him no more but use it anyhow. It is none of his business. He is pretty small. I thought he was going to try to get Heuer to go to Boston, but I don't believe he did but I wish he had. Heuer is very selfish. He could let me do lots of operations if he wanted but he just does them all himself. They are afraid someone will get better than they.

    Don't you know I have been thinking how valuable it has been to me to have played baseball, and all outdoor exercises and manual work. It has made me quite adept with my hands and I can really operate very skilfully when given a chance. All those things have unconsciously helped.

    We are just over a long cold snap and evidently another has started as it has become quite cold tonight.

    I think this is about all the news I can rake up this time. Stocks are not so keen as they might be and will be. If I had hit the bottom at the right time I could have made quite a lot of money but I didn't and that of course is the hard part. Take good care of yourself and better care of your money.

    Your loving son, Walter

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