Seventeen Original Handwritten Letters, Five Envelopes and Two Business Cards. In English and Yiddish. 

Historically significant archive of manuscript letters concerning the Kahn brothers, pioneering Jewish cardiologists in New York.

Mordecai “Max” Kahn (1887–1926) was a prominent biomedical innovator born in Shklov, Belarus. After immigrating to the United States, he earned advanced degrees from Columbia and Yale Universities, eventually becoming the Director of Metabolic Diseases and Chemical Laboratories at Beth Israel Hospital. A leading authority on metabolism, Kahn is best known for developing Intarvin in 1923, a synthetic fat preparation hailed by the Industrial and Engineering Chemistry periodical as a “Triumph of Chemistry in the Treatment of Diabetes.” This breakthrough provided a critical metabolic complement to the recently discovered insulin. Max Kahn's academic and clinical career, which included lecturing at Columbia and authoring numerous scientific papers, was tragically cut short when he died of a cardiac condition at age thirty-nine.

Morris Kahn (1891–1934) was a distinguished cardiologist at Mount Sinai Hospital and a frequent collaborator and correspondent with his brother on matters of clinical research and professional development.

The correspondence between the Kahn brothers includes:

Letter from Morris Kahn to Max Kahn, featuring eleven specific suggestions for laboratory protocols regarding tuberculosis and clinical management of diabetic cases. Morris details his personal treatment techniques, including the observation, “This morning I injected 40 cc of the Lace solution into the diabetic patient...”, to which Max has added the handwritten endorsement, “Excellent.” The document is heavily annotated with Max’s point-by-point replies to each of the eleven suggestions, indicating the letter was likely returned to Morris. [4] pp. 10 ½ x 8 in. Stationary blank of “Dr. Morris H. Kahn. 165 West 71st. New York;”

Extensive 1910 letter from Max Kahn to Morris Kahn, in which Max confides feelings of being "sad and lonesome," citing Heinrich Heine’s Märchen aus alten Zeiten and referencing Horatio. [2] pp. 10 ½ x 8 in;

Group of four letters from Max Kahn to Morris Kahn, all dated September 1913, written during Max’s tenure as a medical specialist on government contract in Washington, D.C. The letters are written on U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Chemistry letterhead. In the letters, Max describes a busy schedule of consultations with local physicians and laboratory research, specifically mentioning reports on calcium compounds prepared for Carl Alsberg (1877–1940), the Chief of the Bureau of Chemistry (now -  Food and Drug Administration) known for his investigations into Monsanto’s saccharin and Coca-Cola’s caffeine content. Max refers to Alsberg in a casual manner, indicating that both brothers maintained a relationship with the Chief. [4] pp. 10 ½ x 8 in;

Two letters from Max Kahn to Morris Kahn (29 November 1913 and 4 January 1914), sent from Washington, D.C. Max inquires about Morris' laboratory progress and discusses his own preparation of three scientific papers. The correspondence coincides with Morris beginning his private medical practice in New York. [2] pp. 10 ½ x 8 in;

Letter from Max Kahn to Morris Kahn, written on Western Pennsylvania Hospital stationery during Max’s tenure in the Pathological and Research Laboratories in Pittsburgh. The letter provides a detailed outline of his work at the institution. [1] p. 10 ½ x 8 in;

Brief note on Beth Israel Hospital Stationery (November 7, 1918), written by Max Kahn: "Peace has been declared! Wonderful! May the Proletariat now win!" This urgent note refers to the "False Armistice" - premature celebrations that erupted across the United States and other Allied nations, due to false reports that World War I had ended. [1] p. 8 ½ x 5 ½ in.

Other documents include:

Four handwritten letters from Max Kahn to his mother, written in Yiddish. [4] pp. 10 ½ x 8 in. Two letters are on Beth Israel Hospital letterhead, one on U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Chemistry letterhead, and one on a blank sheet. The letters were written during Max’s temporary assignment with US Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. In the correspondence, Max describes his living conditions and social encounters, noting: "I take my meals with a nice Jewish family. I pay twenty-two dollars and fifty cents ($22.50) a month for board." Letters from New York discuss everyday affairs, mentioning a New York acquaintance (Miss Margolies) and instructions for his mother to use provided stamped envelopes, noting "Afrimke Weiss knows our address and will tell you."

Three letters from "Rolly," the girlfriend of Ephraim Kahn (1920–1992), sent from Paris. She mentions that Ephraim always writes to her on "smelly Harvard paper" and discusses her upcoming role in a play, as well as a mutual friend playing soccer. [3] pp.

Five handwritten envelopes written by Max Kahn

Two business cards of Dr. Max Kahn 

Overall, an important archive of private correspondence from the talented Jewish-American physicians and chemists, the Kahn brothers, providing an intimate outline of their personal lives and professional achievements.