Letter from John A. Boone to Alfred Blalock, November 12, 1948

              T H E   M E bl CAL   COLLEGE
O   F     T   H    E
ST A T EOF  SOUTH   CAROLINA
CHARLESTON   16,  SOUTH   CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT    OF    MEDICINE
November 12, 19^8
Dr. Alfred Blalock
The John Hopkins Hospital
Baltimore 5, Maryland
Dear Dr. Blaflock:
I appreciated very much your letter
about Horace Smithy.  It was a very great
lossl.to-all of us and I am sure that It must
have affected you particularly also*
I haveg-asked the Pathology Depart-
mQUpc to send you;a- report of the autopsy
findings.  The aortic valve consisted in a
heavy calcified ring.about one centimeter
r;1fh|.^:-and^the yalve^ope^'ning; in its greatest
'diameter was about 4 millimeters.  This opening was located very near the wall of the
aorta.  It does seem to me that it would have
been difficulty if not impossible, to get? his
present valvulotcmeHhrougn' that opening and
the use of any fore© talght well have resulted
in a tear In the:t wall of theaorta,s AFor a
valve of this type: the instrument n.would certainly have to have more of a pointed nose
than the present one.  Therefore, I am sure
there is no reason for you to regret not having
attempted the operation on him for it would
have almost certainly resulted. -ln>M.failure.pl.;
I have already informed Mr. John Dean
of Elkton, Virginia that no one here as yet
te.contemplating)faking on this operation,
$^riapfe: ftP^Ior ^S/^S^S©;! Mr. Dean as an excel-
i^^jOandidateg^^ e{tlae operation and if you want
to consider him please feel perfectly free to
qba &8rOin . m?      nrlc*
:in
02 ac
ct L-' U U. U
loss 1 - p 11   us and I am suns that  t .m
have a feetc you particularly also*
..   j.:'-        asJCGQ.   eiie  iea urology  De   art'
merit   t     fen: ou  a  report.-of  the-auto   -g/
findin   s.     I        aortic  reive   consisted   in  •
thick     nc   te valve   ope^nlnp   In   its  g
iOuo    H-    Jel_L J_±inlc b -crl s,        ±n