May 19, 1936
Dear Dr. Sabin:
I cannot tell you how much your letter of April 27th meant to me when it arrived.  The past months have been perhaps the most trying, in the unusual sequence of tragic events, which I have experienced.  It is because I have not felt equal to the routine tasks to say nothing of personal correspondence, that I have not written you during this period.
I had looked forward more eagerly than usual to seeing you at some of the medical meetings this spring, more particularly the meetings of the National Tuberculosis Association in New Orleans, and it was a keen disappointment when I found that you were not planning to attend any of the meetings where I happened to be.  A number of the people from Columbus told me of meeting you at the meetings of the Anatomists at Duke University, and had it not been for the circumstances here I should have liked particularly to attend the same meetings this year, because I have never had the opportunity of visiting Durham since the new medical school was founded.  All with whom I talked, who saw you there, spoke of how well you were looking.  I sincerely trust that you have had a fine winter physically and that the work has gone happily and successfully as usual.
I don't know whether you learned of the death of Margaret's mother just a month preceding the death of my father.  The telegram telling of her sudden death I received in the operating room at the University Hospital while my father was on the table undergoing an operative procedure.  His subsequent death was of course a severe blow, but I have been repeatedly grateful for these last years when we could be together here in Columbus.
In addition to the other demands I had the obligation, which I had accepted some time previously, of preparing and delivering the Beaumont Lectures in Detroit this spring.  I had hoped to crystallize in summery form many of the ideas which have been scattered and have been developing through the years of observation, so that it might represent something of an inventory of the present status of the ideas originating from and arising out of your school of hematologic thought.  Difficulties surrounding the writing of these Lectures have prevented my doing them as thoroughly and as leisurely as originally planned, but I shall be anxious for your comment and criticism, nevertheless, when they appear a little later this spring.  I had intended to submit them before publication for your constructive criticism, but, as it was, I was unable to finish them until a month after the date requested by the Beaumont Committee, and they simply had to go to press without the benefit of your advice.
I stopped off in Nashville between trains on the way tack from New Orleans, and had a good visit with Sydney who had just returned a few days before from his visit with you in New York.  I am so hoping that the decisions he will be making in these next weeks may carry an added measure of contentment and happiness for him.
We are wondering what your reaction has been to our recent analysis of a variety of data which in its entirety has suggested to us a physiological reciprocal relationship between myeloid and lymphoid tissues: also the excellent analysis of the adenopathy situation, in my opinion, which Dr. Wiseman has just made in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
The most thrilling thing in my own personal investigations at the present moment, has to do with the study of lipoid metabolism as it relates to non-tuberculous monocytosis and the monocytic leucemias.  We are getting some extremely interesting results in our animal experiments, and I covet greatly the opportunity of going over this whole subject with you.  I am wondering when you may be planning to go west, and whether it would be possible for you to stop off for a day to see us.  Both the Wisemans and ourselves would, as you well know, be delighted.
You have doubtless, through one source or another, heard that Margaret and I are happy in the anticipation of a new arrival in our family, whose estimated appearance will be about the middle of July.  Margaret has been quite well up to the present time and Elizabeth has grown into quite a lovely and interesting young lady.
We shall hope to see you soon.
With sincere appreciation,
As always, affectionately,
Charles A. Doan, M.D.