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** This is an archived, static copy of the Casebook messages boards dating from 1998 to 2003. These threads cannot be replied to here. If you want to participate in our current forums please go to https://forum.casebook.org **

Lusk letter whereabouts

Casebook Message Boards: Ripper Letters: Ripper Letters: Lusk letter whereabouts
Author: Brian Schoeneman
Wednesday, 20 November 2002 - 11:12 am
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Anybody have the story on where the Lusk letter went? I know it's missing, but it had to have been around to be photographed...

Any idea where it went missing and when? Chris George and I talked about it last night, but we weren't sure of the exact circumstances surrounding it's disappearance.

B

Author: Stewart P Evans
Wednesday, 20 November 2002 - 01:13 pm
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Brian,

The 'From hell' (or Lusk) letter was photographed in 1888 by the police. It was loaned by the Metropolitan Police to the City Police for photographing on 20 October 1888 and then returned to the Met (vide the report by Inspector McWilliam Ref- HO 144/221/A49301C, f 169). There is an original of this photograph in the Royal London Hospital archives.

The actual letter is believed to have gone missing in the 1960's under circumstances I am unable to disclose. It is now believed to be in Canada.

Best Wishes,

Stewart

Author: Brian Schoeneman
Wednesday, 20 November 2002 - 04:32 pm
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Stewart,

Thanks for clearing that up. Hopefully we'll get it back someday.

B

Author: Blue Violet
Wednesday, 20 November 2002 - 05:05 pm
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At least it hasn't been completely lost or destroyed (hopefully). Any speculation as to whatever became of the kidney itself?

-Blue Violet

Author: Jim DiPalma
Wednesday, 20 November 2002 - 07:16 pm
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Hi Blue,

Some years ago, a surgeon/obgyn by the name of Thomas Ind was a regular poster to these boards. As I recall, Dr. Ind worked at the London hospital, and he once posted that a section of Eddowe's kidney had been reportedly been mounted on a microscope slide, and that the slide was supposedly still in existence. Dr. Ind stated that he would try to locate the slide, but as he has not posted to the boards in quite some time, I don't know how that turned out.

Cheers,
Jim

Author: Christopher T George
Thursday, 21 November 2002 - 11:19 am
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Hi, Jim:

Dr. Thomas Ind was not attached to the London Hospital, he was merely visiting their archives as an interested researcher. He is, I believe, in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London EC1A 7BE. If anyone knows London, this hospital is close to the Old Bailey and Smithfield Market. I have just checked Medline and it appears that Dr. Ind published a letter to the editor in the September 14, 2002 issue of The Lancet on "Surgeon's knots: old skills, new training."

In my past communication with Dr. Ind, I understood it was his belief that a slide of the may have been made from the Lusk kidney but he did not know it for sure, i.e., a sliver of the kidney would have been made and mounted on glass. Such a slide, if it had been made, might, he thought, still exist. I will contact him and find out if he has learned anything more that might be of interest to us.

Best regards

Chris George


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