1885.11.08 English

Carl Alfred Bruun, 1846-1899. Photo: The Royal Library

Handwritten letter

 

 

Royal Inst. for the D-M  8/11 85[1]

 

 

To Mr Bruun[2], Editor

 

                                               Dear Sir,

 

 

Referring to your kind permission, I hereby send the enclosed, while also requesting that it may appear in “Berlingeren” tomorrow.

 

 

Considering the state support,[3] I felt it was not improper to also send a similar article to ‘Politiken’. Both copies will be sent from here simultaneously.

 

 

It would have been too detailed and long-winded if I had tried to produce a comprehensive article, so what is here is merely a rather dry, schematic extract of key points included in the brochure currently under production. However, the advantage of it is that not a single bit of what is in the enclosed text has hitherto been known within the science of physiology. In effect, it could very well be captioned: “Discoveries from the field of physiology”. All the practical aspects that are teaming out of this issue I want to save for the brochure (or the book), - rather, a lot of it an intelligent and reflecting person can easily deduce from the enclosed. I can easily provide you with sufficient information and materials for the Casir (?) regarding this whole issue, if you would please with with your visit, preferably on Tuesday, any time after 2 o’clock.

 

 

It will also be easy to produce suitable and interesting pictures: 1, The system for weighing, 20 children on the scale _ 2, System for measuring, a child under the rather peculiar measuring instrument _ 3, Illustration of the measurements of physical power[4] that take place here.

 

 

I am in great need of such illustrations for the brochure. _ All 3 scenes must, I suppose, be photografed on site, because the pictures would be better and probably easier to accomplish that way. However, since I necessarily have to go away for a couple of days on Wednesday (until Sunday or Monday) a photo session has to take place on Tuesday or, alternatively, have to be put off. For your information, I could be at home also between noon and 2 o’clock on Tuesday.

 

 

Very best regards

 

 

     (ilegible) devoted

 

 

R   Malling-Hansen

 

 

 

 

[1] It seems RMh must have run out of the preprinted note paper that he has otherwise always uses

[2] CB: This Editor Bruun = Carl Alfred Bruun, 1846 – 1899, who for many years was part of the editorial staff of the daily newspaper Berlingske Tidende. He was the author of the spectacularly beautiful obituary on RMH printed in Illustrated News (“Illustreret Tidende”) on October 12, 1890. It would be interesting to know how well they knew each other.

[3] In other words, RMH has achieved financial state support for his research about children’s growth

[4] CB: The letter is about the very first trials that in 1886 resulted in the amazing ‘doctoral thesis’ ‘Stages in Children’s Growth and the Heat of the Sun” . I have never before realized that he also did ‘measurements of physical power’ !!!  Aparently, he abandoned that aspect later, at any rate it is not included in the thesis.