Letter from Linus Pauling to Paul Richter. December 30, 1966. Page 1  Larger Images / More Information. 1 p.  View Transcript

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Activity Listings

• Bank Book Entry: Vroman’s Book. $2.50.  [Filed under LP Biographical: Business and Financial: Box #4.030, Folder #30.2]
• Check from AHP to Elisa Davila Pana, RE: $10.00. [Filed under LP Biographical: Business and Financial, Box 4.029, Folder 29.2]
• Check from AHP to Grassy Knoll Press, RE: $7.50. [Filed under LP Biographical: Business and Financial, Box 4.029, Folder 29.2]
• Check from AHP to Pearl Lang, RE: $60.00. [Filed under LP Biographical: Business and Financial, Box 4.029, Folder 29.2]
• Check from AHP to Zell's, RE: $395.20. [Filed under LP Biographical: Business and Financial, Box 4.029, Folder 29.2]
• Check from LP to Vroman's, RE: $2.50. [Filed under LP Biographical: Business and Financial, Box 4.029, Folder 29.2]
• Letter from LP to Arthur Cherkin, Veterans Administration Hospital, RE: Enclose the first draft of his paper on orthomolecular psychiatry and looks forward to receiving his criticism of it. Hopes to visit his laboratory sometime in the spring. [Filed under LP Correspondence: C: Individual Correspondence: (Cherkin, Arthur), Box #64, Folder #64.8] 
• Letter from LP to Betty Zirnite, Cornell University Press RE: Looks forward to seeing the ten clothbound issues of The Chemical Bond. [Letter from Zirnite to LP December 23, 1966] [Filed under LP Books: (The Chemical Bond, by LP), Box #1967b, Folder #1967b.1]
• Letter from LP to Dr. Alexander Thomsen, President HUMANITAS RE: Thanks him for his letter and the Charter of Humanitas and he looks forward to receiving information about the progress of his work and about the hospital in Sonderborg. [Filed under LP Correspondence: T: Correspondence, 1964-1969: Box #412, Folder #412.3]
• Letter from LP to Dr. Alexander Thomsen, President, Humanitas, RE: Informs that he has read the Charter and account of the history of the founding of Humanitas with great interest. [Letter from Thomsen to LP December 7, 1966][Filed under LP Correspondence: H: Organizational Correspondence: Box #164, Folder #164.5] 
• Letter from LP to Miss Ruth J. Allen W. H. Freeman and Company RE: He has inscribed the copy of General Chemistry to the Minister of Education in Czechoslovakia and has sent it on to Mr. Nerber. [Filed under LP Correspondence: W.H. Freeman and Company, 1960-1992, No Date: Box #440, Folder #440.7]
• Letter from LP to Professor Curt Richter, Johns Hopkins Medical School. [Filed under LP Science: (Orthomolecular medicine and mental health: correspondence concerning orthomolecular psychiatry, 1962-1988), Box # 11.079, Folder #79.1] [Filed under LP Correspondence: R: Correspondence, 1964-1969: Box #343, Folder #343.3]

  December 30, 1966

  Professor Curt Richter

  Johns Hopkins Medical School

  Baltimore 5, Maryland

  Dear Professor Richter:

  Over the years I have continued to think about your interesting work on cycles in mental disease, with the hope that, in the course of time, I would come up with an idea that might have enough value to justify my communicating it to you. Now, at last, I have had such an idea.

  During recent months I have been thinking about the possibility that many persons with mental disease might be improved enough to permit them to take their place in society by adjusting the concentration in their brains of certain substances that are normally present and are required for mental function. I have prepared a first draft of an article along these lines, and am sending you a copy herewith.

  I would be grateful to you for your comments on it, and suggestions as to how it might be improved.

  I have another reason for writing to you, however - a related reason. It has occurred to me that some of the mentally ill persons that you have studied might respond in one way or another to a change in concentration of one or more of these substances, especially glutamic acid and nicotinic acid or nicotinamide. The response might well be better subject to Quantitative study than it is with other patients, in that you could observe a change in the period of the cyclic disease, resulting from the administration of the substance. Information of this sort might be helpful in providing a better understanding of the nature of mental disease.

  I shall look forward to receiving your reply. I shall, however, be away from Santa Barbara for nearly two months, on a trip to India, so there is no need for haste in your answering my letter.

  With best regards, I am

  Sincerely yours,

  Linus Pauling

  Encl.

  LP:fkg

• Letter from LP to Reverend Wayne H. Steele RE: Informs him that he has read Steele's book The Religion of Beauty and agrees with many of the ideas put forth in it. However, he notes that the knowledge of the world and the living organisms in it has increased greatly since the book was written. (Response to letter dated May 12, 1967 ). [Filed under LP Correspondence Box 384 Folder 384.2]
• Letter from LP to Roger Howley, Cornell University Press RE: Thanks him for the advance copy of the paperbound edition of The Chemical Bond. Says that his only complaint is that one of the figures is reproduced on its side on the advertising flyer. In postscript asks that Howley send to Dr. G. Albrecht a list of foreign editions of The Nature of the Chemical Bond. [Filed under LP Books: (The Chemical Bond, by LP), Box #1967b, Folder #1967b.1]
• Letter from LP to S.M. Berman RE: Informs that he wasn’t aware that Mrs. Shipley had died. Refers him to the last to paragraphs of The Nature of the Chemical Bond, third edition, which may have some relation to his ideas. [Note from Berman to LP December 25, 1966][Filed under LP Correspondence: B: Correspondence, 1966: Box #41, Folder #41.2]
• Letter from R. P. Dominique Pire to LP RE: [Written in French][Filed under LP Correspondence: P Correspondence. (Pettyjohn - Pelanyi): Box #308, Folder#308.4]
• Letter from Richard M. Noyes, University of Oregon, to LP . RE: Informs LP that should he decide to leave southern California, the University of Oregon would be pleased to take him on in whatever capacity he would suggest. [Filed under LP Safe Documents, Drawer 2, Folder 2.006.37i]
• Memorandum from LP to Ruth Brooke RE: Informs that Dr. Butler will probably go to a medical meeting in New York during January. Asks her to pay the air ticket from the Guggenheim Fund. [Filed under LP Correspondence: B: Correspondence, 1966: Box #41, Folder #41.2]
• Memorandum from LP to Ruth Brooks, RE: Asks Brooks to pay for Dr. Butler's air ticket from the Guggenheim Fund. [Filed under LP Biographical: Academia, Box 1.036, Folder 36.5]
• Note from LP to “Crellie”. [Filed under LP Science: (Orthomolecular medicine and mental health: correspondence concerning orthomolecular psychiatry, 1962-1988), Box # 11.079, Folder #79.1] [Filed under LP Biographical: Personal and Family: Box #5.048, Folder #48.9] 

  December 30 1966

  Dear Crellie:

  This is a note to be sent to you along with a copy of my draft on orthomolecular psychiatry.

  I hope that you will let me know what you think about it. If the discussion is not clear in any place, please tell me.

  Much love from

  Encl.

  LP:fkg