V. I.

Lenin

192

To:   HIS BROTHER

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.