Public health

Harper grants Carter a leave of absence.

Kean discusses the unjustified claims in the Gorgas biography by Burton Hendrick and Marie Gorgas, relates news of an old acquaintance and of his health, and expresses his sympathy for Cuban sensitivity about Finlay.

Kean promises that he will assist Hench in his research. He suggests that Hench contact Truby for more information.

Kean describes answering Hench's questions about the yellow fever experiments. Kean mentions that his wife is upset about his diary being sent through mail for Hench's research, and is afraid it might get lost. He reminisces about his stay in Cuba.

Kean sends Magoon the report of the Chief Sanitary Officer of Cuba for the past year and comments extensively on sanitation and the yellow fever.

Kean discusses Finlay's mosquito theory and Reed's research.

Kean describes the contributions and sacrifices that Lazear has made for science, and asks Sternberg to make a public statement about Lazear's death and his courage in life. [Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration]

Kean expresses his disappointment in the competition between Cuba and America regarding the credit for the yellow fever work. According to Kean, it was Reed who demonstrated Finlay's theory and Gorgas who applied it.

[Kean] requests additional experiments using wire mesh as a mosquito control.

Kean suggests that a case of yellow fever was contracted not in Santiago di Cuba but in Daiquiri.

Kean protests against the American quarantine of all Cuban ports.

Kean compliments Ravenel on his review of the Gorgas biography and presents his own view of the errors in the book.

Kean discusses Russell's article on Gorgas and comments on the errors in the Marie Gorgas biography of her husband. Included is an autograph note by Kean.

Kean considers sending his family back to the United States because of the risk of yellow fever.

Kean discusses the mystery of yellow fever, its effects and spread. He comments the state of sanitary conditions at the newly built Camp Columbia.

Kean discusses efforts to control yellow fever, and notes the extent to which it has spread in the corps.

Kean writes about his rationale for remaining as Post Surgeon at Columbia Barracks instead of taking position at Fort McHenry, Baltimore. He comments on the lasting value of Reed's work.

Kean responds in detail to Hench's letter concerning the yellow fever experiments. He sends his diary from late 1900 and a copy of a speech at the dedication of Walter Reed's birthplace.

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 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.