February 22, 1953

Dre L. Dienes
Bacteriology Dept.
Mass. Gen. Hosp.
Boston, Mass.

Dear Dr, Oienes:

Thank you for the 5. montevideo Skinner, and instructions for
handling L-forms. Unfortunately, these materials arrived only just
before my departure on a trip from which I have just returned (consisting
moetly of a visit at &.R. Edwards’ laboratory), and I was tmable to
attend to them. I was obliged to put the sealed tube in the refrigerator.
Do you think it would be profitable to work this over after so long a
delay? Or would it be excessively troublesome for me to ask for a re-
peated shipment’?

I notice that you had substituted the Skinner strain in place of
Se typhinmrium, which we had previously discussed. It would be desirable,
if possible, to have L-form cultures from typhimurium as well as montevideo.

I trust you will have received the pleiomorphioc E. coli 204 ( #-1637).
Have you had an o portunity to examine it?

With my apologies for having been unable to make immediate use of
your first shipment,

Yours sincerely,

Joshua Lederberg