AUGUST 20, 1881

DOCTOR DETHLEFSEN,

                                           LEMVIG.

     ALLTHOUGH I AM VERY RELUCTANT TO USE MY WRITING BALL FOR LETTERS WITH REGARD TO THE NASTY ISSUE ABOUT THE LICE, I FIND MYSELF FORCED TO DO SO, AS EXPERIENCE SHOWS THAT I EXPOSE MYSELF OTHERWISE TO MISINTERPRETATIONS OF MY SCRAWL.

   LET ME GET TO THE POINT RIGHT AWAY. I HAVE BEEN CORRESPONDING ABOUT THE LICE ISSUE[1] WITH THE ACTING PRINCIPAL [2] AS WELL AS WITH THE CONCERNED TEACHER OF THE CHILD AND WITH THE PARENTS OF THE TWO CHILDREN SEATED IN CLASS NEXT TO LAURA BORG. THE RESULT OF THIS IS, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT I HAVE TO ADMIT THE LIKELYHOOD OF THE GIRL IN QUESTION HAVING POSSIBLY BEEN INFESTED WITH VERMIN WHEN SHE LEFT FROM HERE AT THE START OF THE SUMMER VACATION PERIOD. I HAVE RECEIVED A REPLY FROM THE FATHER OF ONE OF THE TWO GIRLS SITTING ADJACENT TO THE EFFECT THAT THE MOTHER OF THE CHILD DISCOVERED, EIGHT DAYS AFTER THE HOMECOMING, THAT THE CHILD HAD SOME LICE IN HER WOOLLEN VEST. ON THE OTHER HAND FROM THE FATHER OF THE OTHER CHILD WE RECEIVED A STATEMENT SAYING THAT HIS DAUGHTER WAS COMPLETELY FREE OF  VERMIN. THE ONLY THING I CAN PLEAD IN EXTENUATION IS THAT FOR SIX MONTHS, UNTIL MID JULY, I HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO FUNCTION AS PRINCIPAL, AND THAT DURING THE VERY SAME PERIOD  THE HEAD TEACHER WAS ILL AND HER POST, AS WELL AS THAT OF THE SECOND TEACHER IN CHARGE , WERE FILLED WITH INEXPERIENCED STAFF MEMBERS. I HAVE REQUESTED SMALLHOLDER BORG TO SEND ME A TRUTHFUL REPORT ABOUT THE LICE, WITHOUT OVERSTATING OR UNDERSTATING HIS CASE, SINCE THIS STORY IS BOUND TO HURT THE MASTER ON DUTY.

   AT THIS POINT I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO FINISH; HOWEVER, SINCE YOU SIR HAVE PUT FORWARD A NUMBER OF ODD ASSERTIONS IN YOUR LAST LETTER, OBLIGING ME TO SUBMIT A MODEST REJOINDER, PRAY PERMIT ME TO OFFER THE FOLLOWING:YOU ARE STATING IN WRITING THAT YOU CAN BY NO MEANS APPROVE  OF MY ALLEGED MISTAKES; BUT CURIOUSLY ENOUGH, THE MISTAKES SEEM TO BE YOURS; AT THE VERY MOST YOU MAY REPROACH ME FOR NOT HAVING BEEN SUFFICIENTLY CLEAR IN RESPECT OF ONE SINGLE ASPECT. I HAVE NEVER REQUESTED YOU TO SUBJECT BORG TO A POLICE ENQUIRY, NEITHER HAVE I REQUESTED YOU TO APPROACH THE POLICE IN MATTERS CONCERNING THE INSTITUTE, A FACT THAT I TRUST A RE-READING OF MY LETTERS WILL ADEQUATELY CONFIRM. NEITHER HAVE I REQUESTED YOU TO RUN TO BORG; BUT, AS I SAID, I MAY POSSIBLY HAVE EXPRESSED MYSELF INDISTINCTLY OR ILLEGIBLY; AT ANY RATE I NEVER INTENDED TO PUT FORWARD SUCH REQUESTS TO YOU, DOCTOR.

    IN YOUR MOST RECENT LETTER, SIR, YOU WRITE AS FOLLOWS: - “FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, THE ENTIRE PIVOT OF THE CASE SEEMS TO BE THAT ANDERS BORG IS TO HAVE PUT FORWARD A FALSE ACCUSATION. THESE WORDS CONTAIN SUCH AN UGLY AND UNFOUNDED ACCUSATION AGAINST ME THAT I CAN DO NOTHING ELSE THAN APPEAL TO YOU WHETHER THERE WOULDN’T BE GOOD REASON, AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION, FOR YOU TO APOLOGIZE TO ME ON THIS ACCOUNT? – NOW, I HAVN’T PROVIDED YOU WITH THE SLIGHTEST REASON FOR THIS ASSUMPTION. MY LETTERS TO YOU, SIR, CAN ONLY SHOW THAT I AM VERY CONCERNED TO FLUSH OUT THE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH. I DID NOT PUT FORWARD ANY ASSERTION ABOUT THE ALLEGED MENDACITY IN BORG’S ALLEAGTIONS. I HAVE MERELY INDICATED SOME SPECIFIED REASONS WHY I HAVE TO CONSIDER HIS ACCOUNT WILDLY EXAGGERATED, TO SAY THE LEAST. AND I COULD ADD TO THESE REASONS THE FOLLOWING: A MAN WHO HAS SO IMMENSELY EXAGGERATED THE EXTENT OF THE BODILY WOUNDS OF HIS CHILD, COULD VERY EASILY MAKE ONE SMALL LOUSE GROW INTO A THOUSAND. – THE VERY SAME MAN WHO LAST YEAR, WITHOUT LETTING HIS NEAREST RELATIONS RECEIVE WORD ABOUT IT, TRAVELED TO THIS INSTITUTE WITH HIS CHILD AFTER THE SUMMER BREAK  AND, ON THAT OCCASION, CAUSED AN EXCHANGE OF TELEGRAMS AND LETTERS BETWEEN THE INSTITUTE AND THE ANXIOUS HOME; THE VERY MAN WHO SUBSEQUENTLY – ACCORDING TO HEARSAY, AND I BEG YOU NOT TO REFER TO THIS – ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AT CHARLOTTENLUND BUT WAS SAVED  - IT IS FAIR TO ASSUME THAT THIS MAN IS AN UNBALANCED AND NOT QUITE RELIABLE PERSON. NOW THAT YOU, SIR, HAVE SEEN FIT TO ADD WHAT I HAVE DONE FURTHER IN ORDER TO CLEAR UP THIS CASE, THEN – AS I SAID, IT WOULD NOT BE UNREASONABLE TO EXPECT A SMALL APOLOGY FROM YOUR SIDE FOR THE GROSS INSULT YOU HAVE INFLICTED UPON ME BY MEANS OF THE UPPER QUOTED SENTENCE.

     I HAVE TAKEN THE LIBERTY TO SEND YOU SOME NOTES ABOUT THE HEALTH CONDITIONS AT OUR INSTITUTE. PERCHANCE THEY WILL SHOW HOW I HAVE SERIOUSLY TAKEN CARE OF THE STATE OF HEALTH OF THE PUPILS DURING THE 16 YEARS I HAVE BEEN PRINCIPAL. IF YOU EVER HAVE A CHANCE TO VISIT THE FREDERICIA INSTITUTE[3] , A VISIT THERE WILL CERTAINLY CONVINCE YOU THAT ALL PRESENT DAY REQUIREMENTS IN TERMS OF HYGIENE AND PUBLIC SANITATION HAVE BEEN FULFILLED. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THE FOLLOWING: ON MY INITIATIVE THE MEDICAL DOCTOR OF THE INSTITUTE IS AT PRESENT ON A STUDY TOUR ABROAD, THE PURPOSE BEING FOR HIM TO GATHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE SANITARY CONDITIONS AT SIMILAR INSTITUTIONS ETC. EVER SINCE THE YEAR AFTER I STARTED HERE,  EVERY NEW CHILD HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO A METICULOUS MEDICAL EXAMINATION. EACH AND EVERY CHILD WILL, IF IT SUFFERS FROM ANY AILMENT – HOWEVER INSIGNIFICANT THE PROBLEM  – BE SENT TO THE SICKROOM BY THE TEACHER OR WHOEVER IS IN CHARGE, AFTER WHICH THE PHYSICIAN WILL DECIDE HOW THE CHILD SHALL BE TREATED. A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO I ORGANIZED MORE THAN 40000 MEASUREMENTS OF THE CHILDREN HERE, MAINLY IN ORDER TO CLARIFY ONE SINGLE ASPECT OF THE HEALTH CONDITIONS OF THE CHILDREN. OUR PLANS FOR A NEW HEALTH REGULATION HERE INCLUDE A ROOM ADJACENT TO THE DORMITORY FOR WEIGHING AND MEASURING THE CHILDREN ETC ETC.[4] CONCERNING THE STATE OF HYGIENE HERE – THAT OF THE CHILDREN AND OF THE INSTITUTE ITSELF – WE HAVE THE APPROPRIATE ARRANGEMENTS IN PLACE, ONLY ABLE TO BE BYPASSED IN CASES OF FOUL NEGLIGENCE AND SLOTH, HOWEVER VERY LIKELY THEN TO BE DISCLOSED.

     IN REGARD TO THE ISSUE WHERE YOU, SIR, HAVE LODGED A STRONG APPEAL, I STAND AS A LAYMAN, HOWEVER BY CONSULTING WITH MEDICAL DOCTORS OF HIGH REPUTE I WILL BE ABLE TO FORM AN OPINION[5]