Box 64

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Kean is upset over Ames' claim that he had experimental yellow fever, which he knows is incorrect.

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Truby reviews yellow fever material. He is uncertain about the location of Reed's hospital room and is unsure how often he visited Reed in his final days. He refers Hench to Kean's diary. He identifies persons in the picture and encourages Hench to begin writing his book on Reed and yellow fever.

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Kean recalls that Howard's play, “Yellow Jack,” incorrectly shows Lazear infecting XY without his consent.

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Hench is delighted to receive letters from yellow fever collaborators. Lazear's daughter shows interest in Hench's research.

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Truby asserts that Reed knew of Carter's and Finlay's theories long before Lazear. Consequently, Reed was the real pioneer in the mosquito theory, not Lazear. Truby is concerned that Hench supports Lazear as being the mosquito theory proponent instead of Reed.

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Truby completes the questionnaires sent by Hench. He refers to two newspaper clippings citing another yellow fever collaborator, and suggests that Hench read several chapters in a book about Victor Vaughan.

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Hench writes that he has heard Moran plans to write his memoirs. The Cuban government is interested in preserving Building No. 1, although they have made no concrete plans.

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Moran wants Kean to explain to Nogueira that there shouldn't be any hostility between Cuba and the U.S. caused by distinguishing between Finlay “discovering” the mosquito theory and Reed “demonstrating” the theory. Kean also mentions his letter to Moran about Guiteras' speech given in Havana in 1900, which gives a proper analogy for the Finlay--Reed discovery.

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Kean shares family news. He is glad to receive copies of Walter Reed's diplomas and describes Truby's visit. He is relieved to hear that Building No. 1, at Camp Lazear, will be preserved.

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Moran discusses Cuban politics in general. He notes that the Finlay-Reed controversy is still ongoing, and there are strong anti-American sentiments connected with it.

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Kean discusses his case of yellow fever. He maintains that there is no proof Ames ever contracted yellow fever. He writes that Lazear conducted secret experiments, and discusses Moran's draft of his memoirs.

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Kean feels Moran is too contentious about the Cuban medical profession taking all the credit for the yellow fever discovery. Kean tells Hench the advice he gave Moran about how to approach his autobiography, or memoirs, without angering the Cubans.

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Kean remembers a conversation with Gorgas, who believed that Reed had found a way of producing mild, non-fatal yellow fever. As such, Gorgas planned to start inducing experimental cases. Kean comments on the planned commemoration of Reed by the Fourth International Congress of Tropical Medicine and Malaria. He hopes that they will include a Cuban speaker for the event.

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Nogueira inquires if any of the volunteers at Camp Lazear died from the yellow fever experiments.

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With the help of Lawrence Reed, Truby saw the room where Walter Reed died. He notes that he saw old friends in Washington, and they all look distinctly older than 5 years earlier. Truby encloses a sketch locating the surgery and Lazear's house.

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Truby sends sketches locating the Camp Columbia surgery and Lazear's house, attached to an explanatory note.

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Kean informs Nogueira that there were no deaths through human experimentation at Camp Lazear. However, Andrus caused Reed great anxiety because he had a severe case of yellow fever.

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Kean discusses Wallace Forbes, a yellow fever volunteer who disappeared November 24, 1926 while in the service. He suggests that Forbes' medal be given to his sister.

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Hench discusses the room in which Reed died and his desire that it be memorialized. He wonders if the American Society for Tropical Medicine or some other organization would provide funds for a bronze plaque.

Scope and Contents From the Series: Series VII. Truby-Kean-Hench primarily consists of materials relating to Albert E. Truby and Jefferson Randolph Kean that Philip Showalter Hench created or collected while researching the yellow fever experiments. Items in this series date from around 1879 to around 1960 with the bulk of the items dating from 1900 to 1954. These items include, but are not limited to the following: correspondence of...