letters (correspondence)

Kean laments that the Ames family is trying to get Roger Post Ames included in the Yellow Fever Roll of Honor. He also discusses Camp Lazear.

Kean points out misinformation written in an article about Kissinger.

Kean writes that he regrets his treatment of Kissinger. Ireland gave him a good report of the address by Hench.

Kean hopes Hench will act as the guardian of the Yellow Fever Roll of Honor and will see that no other person be included by Congress.

Kean discusses withholding some confidential material from Laura Wood Roper and recommends Kissinger enter a Veteran's Bureau Hospital.

Kean agrees with Hench that Kissinger needs to be cared for in a veterans' hospital and recommends one in Indianapolis. He also encloses a copy of a letter he wrote to Ida E. Kissinger.

Kean informs Hench of the improvement in Kissinger's health.

Kean makes a correction for Hench's publication on the conquerors of yellow fever.

Kean does not think Carter or Ames should be in the yellow fever painting. He suggests individuals on the Yellow Fever Roll of Honor.

Kean informs Hench that Reed read his paper on the etiology of yellow fever at the Pan American Medical Congress in Havana, Feb 4-7, 1901. While Wood was convinced of the need to destroy mosquitoes, Gorgas was not and only began mosquito eradication at Wood's command.

Kean discusses his health problems. Hendrick, in his Gorgas biography, made misstatements and did not correct them - it was Howard who advocated the use of kerosene to combat mosquitoes.

Kean expresses reservations about allowing Laura Wood Roper to view any contentious material in the Reed family letters.

Kean explains how the letters b and v are used interchangeably in Spanish.

Kean states Carter was not in Cuba during the yellow fever experiments. He believes Truby's second manuscript is vastly improved.

Kean enjoyed the “Hygeia” article and the reproduction of Cornwell's painting, of which he requests copies. He discusses some of the men on leave during the Yellow Fever Board experiments.

Kean details his involvement in the National Memorial to Thomas Jefferson. Kean also discusses the publication of Truby's manuscript, his meeting with Carlos E. Finlay, and his understanding that Reed visited Carlos J. Finlay before any efforts were made to infect mosquitoes.

Kean thinks that Gorgas did not begin organizing “mosquito brigades” on Feb 4, 1901, the date of Reed's lecture on yellow fever in Havana. He believes that Reed abandoned the B. Icteroides theory, in July of 1900, and was ready to investigate the mosquito theory by August 1.

Kean is excited about the discovery of the notebook at the New York Academy of Medicine. He was immune to yellow fever - after having it in June of 1900 - so was not bitten as part of Lazear's experiments. He is pleased with the memoir of Andrus, and lauds him for submitting to inoculation as Reed had determined to inoculate himself if Andrus had not volunteered.

Kean makes comments on the contents of the notebook found at the New York Academy of Medicine. He had recommended Carroll for volunteer commission of major, but it didn't happen. He discusses very positively the career of Russell. He thinks Andrus could sell his memoir for a good price. He includes a memorandum listing papers he read about the life and work of Carroll in 1907, shortly after his death.

Kean questions whether Ames' self-diagnosis of yellow fever was correct, because earlier he had claimed to be immune.