February 9, 1968Dr. Rudolf NissenProfessor of SurgeryNotnenweg 31Basel, SwitzerlandDear Dr. NissenEnclosed is the reprint you requested. Could I ask you for thefollowing information: (1) What happened to the case of bronchiectasison. whom you performed the first pneumonectomy? If I recall correctlyyou have used the tourniquet technique. (2) I am writing abiography of Billroth, not a small task - I must admit, but Iassembled some good material - including T.B's originals andhandwritten memorabila, etc. I cannot put my hands on Billroth'sthesis (Berlin 1852, De natura et causa pulmonum affectionis, etc.).Does the Basel library have it? Billroth might have sent a copy toHis, and Basel might have absorbed his library. Could you asksomeone to look it up? I would appreciate it very much. It is theonly hiatus that I have in his bibliography.Would you be interested to visit us and deliver one to two addressesto our Surgical Society on the topic of your choosing? You ofeourse could dictate your conditions, and the conditions are apriori acceptable to us. The attendance at such meetings is approxi-mately 200 people. The past lecturers were Dr's. Ochsner, Wangensteen,etc.Very truly yoursKarel B. Absolon, M.D.,Ph.D.KBA:bcEnc.