Dear Addis:
Linus Pauling is going back to his home this afternoon: R.D. 1 Box 622 Pasadena
3500 Fairpoint Street
He noticed suddenly last week, on Wednesday March 5, that in the evening his feet
and ankles were swollen. Next morning the swelling had gone down but his face was
puffy. This state of affairs has gone on and has not improved. He notices also now
that his tongue feels large. His urine contains 12 grams of albumin per liter. There
are no red cells. His blood pressure is 140 systolic, 86 diastolic. His eye grounds
were not examined. Neither I nor a couple of other men here could feel his left dorsalis
pedis artery. With a very sensitive plethysmograph now in use for carrying on certain
researches we found that the toes both on the right and left sides pulsated practically
equally. I discussed these phenomena with Van Slyke. We believe that he is suffering
from some form of nephritis. His tonsils have been removed. There are some infected
roots of teeth. He has had a couple of head colds this winter with one of which especially
he had fever and went to bed.
What we want is advice. To what physician near Pasadena shall he go? Would you have
the goodness to send him a note to give him your best advice. If you do so no doubt
he will have your letter at about the time when he returns - he is leaving this afternoon
by train.
I wish you were here so that there would be the possibility of talk. There are altogether
too few people about whose views either interest or concern me.
With cordial greetings,
Very sincerely yours,
Dr. Thomas Addis,
Lane Hospital,
San Francisco, Calif.
