Letter to Dmitry Ilyich Ulyanov, Late June-Early July, 1909

Add a subpage to this text

Read the help page for usage.

 

Dear Mitya,

Manyasha has already written to you about her illness. I also want your advice. The doctor has diagnosed that she has inflammation of the gut projecting from the caecum (that’s appendicitis, isn’t it?). I asked a very good local surgeon and he confirmed it. He advises an operation. Everyone says it is not dangerous and effects a radical cure.

The surgeon (Dr. Dubouchez) is praised by everybody. He recently performed an operation (the same one) on the wife of a friend—it was excellent, a teaspoonful of blood, in eight days she began to get about. The hospital is a good one.

The attacks are not very bad now. There is no high temperature. The pains are not great. Please answer me immediately—I am in favour of an operation but am afraid to take the risk without your advice. Answer immediately.

There is no doubt that they perform good operations here. The doctor does not advise her to travel before the operation.

I shall not write to Mother because I am afraid of frightening her for no good reason. There is no danger, Manyasha does not even stay in bed all the time. Nor shall I write to Anyuta because Mother may read it.

Please write to Mark and through him to Anyuta (if you can do it without scaring Mother). It will probably be better not to write to the Crimea at all because they will get frightened.

And so I await an answer; here they advise us to get the operation done quickly. Do you also?

All the best,

Yours,

V. Ulyanov

Address: Mr. Wl. Oulianoff. 24. Rue Beaunier. 24. Paris (XIV). France.