The San Francisco call., 1909-06-07
JACK LONDON A
NERVOUS WRECK
MYSTERIOUS MaIadieS Attack
Writer in the Tropics and
Physicians Know No
Remedy
Lsp.eiaI corespandsnes d The 81

4 AOTTC3-CHGcI[I
HONOLULU. May "a letter re-
ceived from Jack London by Dr. Good
hue of Hoolualoa. island OF Hawaii,
contains information bearing on the
trip of London and his wife in the
Shark and the reasons why the trip
was abandoned. He wrote as follows:
L left the Shark at anchor IN the
Solomons and came down to Australia
BY steamer to go into the hospital
expected 70 return TO the Solomons ana
go on with the voyage around the
world.
so confident was 1 upon my arrival
in sydney of soon getting well that
agreed to give a series OF lectures
double series OF Iectures-a1 over Aus
tralia. All plans were arranged. etc.
when my condition compelled me 70
cancel all lectures. forego all the
things that would be a nervous strain
upon me. and to dispatch navigator
TO the Solomon islands TO bring the
Shark down to Sydney. I shall sell the
Shark here and return 70 California
Somewhere. somehow. and God
knows how. in fhe last year and
half in the tropics. have had my
nervous equilibrium overthrOwn-
Il arrived in Sydney. Australia, suf-
ferine from I'VE serious afiictiOns. One
of them. requiring an operation, had
caused me great pain for months, az
times compelling. ne 10 navigate the
Shark from a cot on which lay on
deck. at times rendering me 50 helpless
that 1 could not walk 100 yards without
being exhausted and in terrible agony.
This operation was successfully per
formed in Sydney. One OF my other af-
fictions. contracted in the Solomon ISL
ands, and a most distressing thing IL
was, has been cured. The third aflic-
tion, namely. malariaI fever. is not yet
cured, but am through the worst OF II.
the attacks are much lighter now and
more infrequent. and IT is a matter OF
short time when 10 also will be cured.
Remain two other sicknesses. both
nervous in origin. One OF these the doc
tors thorOushly understand and are
agreed in their diagnosis. It is. how
ever, a mysterious disease. for which
there is no known cure and about which
the specialists themselves, not merely
in Australia. but in all the world, are
very pessimistic- There are numerous
cases OF spontaneous cure. in them
selves as mysterious as the maIady
itself This disease is still with Us
The nth disease. most mysterious
OF all. is, so far as ascertainabIe. abso-
lutely unknown The biggest specialist
in Australia in this branch confesses
that not only has he never observed
anything Ike this. but that not a line
has been written about 1t by other OBJ
servers He was so hopelessly at sea
about it that he did not even care 10
experiment on me-which I should not
have allowed him to do had he 90 de-
sired.
4 was in hopes that the nervous
overthrow had been brought about BY
the trouble that required an operation.
and that when the operation was sue
cessfully performed. the other dis
orders would right themselves. 1t was
q vain hope.
There are many boats and many
voyages. but have only one body;
and. after waiting AMI WATCHING M
condition carefully all these months.
have prescribed for myself my own
climate and environment. where al
ways before my nervous equilibrium
has been maintained
Not only would 1t be fooIhardy for
me to attempt TO continue the voyage
in my present condition. but il would
be practically impossible At times
this mysterious malady so Affects me
by its physical reactions as TO make
me helpless-physically helpless. At
such times it would be impossible for
me even TO take the wheel OF the
Shark to steer.
AT such times it would be isnpos-
sible for me TO hold on while on deck
to escape being thrown about BY the
'ooat's rolling In short. at such times.
did ] continue the voyage. I would be
compelled to have myself tied down
in my bunk in order TO escape injury
BY being thrown about
Il expect 10 be home in three months
from date (February 3. 1sO9l- ] de-
sire all my friends 10 forexo conxratu-
iating as upon the abandonment OF the
voyage We are heartbrOksn over the
abandonment"