Tag Archives: typhus

December 7, 1930

Sunday PM.

My dear Sweetheart,

Yesterday I sealed your letter before I enclosed the check. I am enclosing it today.

I spent this afternoon and evening in feeding mites on an uninfected pig. Some of them are dropping now. Am trying [females] and newly hatched larvae. If my pigs keep increasing I’ll have experimental animals in nearly every room of the lab. The ones receiving crushed mites, blood etc. by needle are kept away from those receiving living mites. It is getting so I’ll spend most of my time taking temperatures and watching for symptoms.

December 7, 1930

December 7, 1930

I haven’t seen Mrs. Laake for a couple of days. I get there either before she gets home or after she has retired and I leave without seeing her the next morning. I should have invited her to dinner today, but I was not sure when I could leave the pigs. I ate breakfast with Bruce, Wells and Parish. Also ate lunch with Wells. I’ll get dinner when I go to post this letter.

Shelmire and I saw a pretty case of typhus yesterday at St. Paul’s. He was a Mexican who runs a grocery store. The history is practically the same as the other cases at Henderson and Longview.

I hope you are enjoying your visit and that W.W. is not giving you too much trouble. I certainly miss both of you and I am looking forward to seeing you as soon as I can “round out” my work.

I love you Honey. You too Buddy, and I hope you sleep good.

Your
Walter.

P.S. Got pants from Kahns OK.

December 5, 1930

Friday Noon.

My dear Sweetheart,

Your letter came a few minutes ago. Am pleased to know that Buddy speaks of me, and that he is OK.

Mr. Parrish and I just returned from Mrs. Laake’s where we had lunch. She had a party last night and needed some one to help her eat the rest of the chicken salad. It was a nice lunch.

December 5, 1930

December 5, 1930

Yesterday afternoon Shelmire came out and we inoculated some guinea pigs. I went home with him for dinner. Mrs. Shelmire was sorry that she did not have you and I out there when you were here. They had a lot of company at that time. “Wo” is not as large as WW. He walks a little and tries to talk. He looks like a preacher. I am sure that we did not get our babies mixed at Baylor, that each of us got the right one.

I deposited our check here and am enclosing one for you. Please do not buy anything for me for Xmas. That extra pair of trousers will serve as a Xmas present. Mrs. Laake says that she isn’t going to mail cards this Xmas. She is on an economy program.

With love to all, I am

Your
Walter.

December 2-3, 1930

Tuesday Morning.

Dear Honey Bird,

Yesterday I sent the little swing for Buddy. Today I am posting the Xmas cards. The latter came this morning. Also, I am forwarding a letter from Baltimore and am enclosing one from AK.

December 2-3, 1930

December 2-3, 1930

Yesterday morning I had breakfast with Mrs. Laake. As yet I have not had a chance to take her to dinner. She was invited out yesterday and again today.

Got a supply of mites from Oak Cliff Sunday PM and another lot yesterday PM. Am getting some to feed on the pig sick with typhus. Shelmire will be out this afternoon.

Am expecting news of your trip to Uvalde. I thought of you the whole trip, except when I was asleep, and I hope that you made it OK. Perhaps I’ll get a letter today.

With love,

Your
Walter.

Tuesday, Dec. 3, 1930 [sic]

My dear Sweetheart,

Your first letter and also one from Claudelle were received just as I posted a letter to you. A second letter was received from you today. Thanks! I am mighty glad to know that our son is getting along OK. Shelmire says that he wants his son to be a good quarter back on the team and that he should not be as large as Walter White. He thinks Walter White should be large enough to play “center.”

Have been feeding mites until it is getting old. Have been using a non infected strain on an infected guinea pig. When these are 7 to 10 days older I’ll feed them on a “clean” pig. Some are to be used for other inoculations and fixations. We, also, have another strain of mites brought in from Henderson by Mr. Somier. We will try to feed them on a clean pig.

This A.M. Dr. Bedford phoned that he had a patient from near Fort Stockton. Bruce and I went down to see him. He was a sheep man. He had a large number of sores which resemble Delhi Boils or Baghdad sores. I don’t know what they are. This man’s brother-in-law will be in tomorrow. We expect to try and find some trypanosomes. I don’t care to go out to Fort Stockton to study the origin. There are about 12 persons affected in this manner. It looks like we are getting our share of the human side of entomology. Bruce is trying to learn something on the reservoir of relapsing fever, which originates from tick bites in caves.

I appreciate Mother Lewis’ thinking of me when she made a chicken pie Sunday.

Am trying to locate your pin. I am quite sure that it did not drop when you gave me your watch.

With all my love to W.W. & yourself, and the folks.

Your
Walter.

May 25, 1930 (Noon)

Sunday Noon.

My dear Sweetheart,

We returned about five o’clock yesterday PM. Mrs. Laake had invited me to eat dinner with them. Mr. & Mrs. Chandler were there also. It was another chicken dinner and it was just fine. I didn’t enjoy the cards one bit. Spent the night with the Laakes and had breakfast over there this A.M. Had some rats and parasites that needed attention so I came back to the lab. Shelmire and his son (JB) came about 11 o’clock and stayed for a while. One of the rats bit his finger.

May 25, 1930 (Noon)

May 25, 1930 (Noon)

I am going to stop at a restaurant for dinner and then go home. This AM I forwarded a letter from Mrs. Crowley of Nome. Had one from Miller. He is going to Kuskokwim this summer on a range survey.

It was a joy to find your letter when I returned. Will send the Dextrose-Maltose tomorrow. I think a smaller can is OK since there is very little saving in buying the large size.

Hope the company did not give you more to do. You have your hands full with Walter White. I certainly miss you two. I am mighty anxious to see you.

With love

Your
Walter.

May 23, 1930

Letterhead from “North Louisiana Hotel Co., Inc. – New and Fireproof – Gregg Hotel, Longview, Texas”

Friday night.

My Dear Sweetheart,

We have been making good time and the results are quite good. We left Dallas at noon yesterday, arrived Gilmore about 5:30 PM. Saw the two physicians, arranged for samples of blood of patients and for trapping rats, then came here for the night. This morning we did the same routine here and drove to Henderson. Got two blood samples, histories of cases, a rat and some rat nests there and returned here for another night. Tomorrow we pick up catches of rats and blood samples here and at Gilmore and will return to Dallas tomorrow night. We are finding more cases of suspected typhus than we dreamed of. About 100 cases at Longview alone during the past three years. We get a report of the seasonal incidence of all these tomorrow A.M. It seems that we left Dallas several days ago – things moved so quickly. Cooperation has been splendid.

May 23, 1930

May 23, 1930

The cases are old cases, except 2 at Gilmore but they give us some good dope. It may be pretty hard to quit for the Carolina work.

I love you Sweetheart, Walter White too, and I am anxious to see you. Hope to have a letter when I get back.

Walter.

Hope Thelma is getting along OK.

May 22, 1930

Thursday AM May 22

My dear Sweetheart,

I have things ready for the little trip to Longview and neighboring towns. Shelmire is to call for me at one o’clock. We are going in his Ford. I cannot tell just how long we will be away but he works rather fast and we may be back before Sunday. It depends upon how easy it is to locate the typhus patients.

May 22, 1930

May 22, 1930

Everything is going very well. Last night I painted the floor of the front porch, a light gray. It was dry this morning.

Am yet working on the last section of the thesis msc. Also I expect to write a recap of the whole C.E. problem. It is gradually assuming final form. Have photographed drawings made by Claudelle and Jimmy but have not printed them. Also made plates of [illegible] due to pure cultures of two species.

Mr. Laake said that Mrs. Laake had a letter from you. Thanks.

Will take this to the post office this noon. Trust that I’ll have a letter from you before I leave.

I am pretty anxious to see our family. I know that Walter White is changing. From one meal to another I imagine that I can see changes in him. He is getting pretty heavy to handle. If I were you I would not handle him any more than necessary. He will tire you.

The neighbors went to Frost last Sunday. On account of mud they had to leave their car. He went for it yesterday. The high water down there makes my trip on sand flies out of the question. Guess they were washed away with floods. I doubt if I go down there.

I love you Honey and I am anxious to see you and Walter White.

Always
Walter.

P.S. Your letter received this noon. Please extend our congratulations to Bob & Thelma. Am glad that Thelma did so nicely.

WED

May 15, 1930

Walter’s current project is figuring out the etiology of endemic typhus (Rickettsia typhi). He suspects – correctly, it turns out – that rat mites are vectoring the pathogen.

Thursday PM.

My dear Sweetheart,

Your letter and the pictures came this noon. The pictures are very good and I am mighty glad to see them. Will keep them for the Baby Book. Walter White seems to be holding his own with so many new people.

May 15, 1930

May 15, 1930

I am enclosing a letter which was received from Mother today. Uncle Henry lost the little boy we saw at Sibley, La. I’ll write to him and to Mother tonight.

Yesterday Dr. Bedford brought his addition to the manuscript. It is very good for a rough draft but there is some duplication of information. This noon I had lunch with him at the Athletic Club. We plan to go to Longview and nearby places next Thursday PM. They have had quite a few cases of typhus. We want to determine whether or not rat mites are present. He wants to test samples of blood for typhus reactions (Weil-Felix test).

Mr. Somnier painted the gables of the house and the front of the garage. Today he is mowing the lawn and cutting the weeds in the back yard. The place is changing quite a bit. Perhaps this will be an added inducement to get the Mrs. to return to her husband.

With all my love, I am

Your Walter.