Tooth Pain and Cocaine Letter from a struggling student to his father

Severance, Tenn. October 4, 1901

My Dear Father,

We did so enjoy sisters short visit with us, and we are so sorry to have her leave us yesterday. She had a great time for she was as popular as any girl who had been here this summer. As she has probably told you she had every hour of the day almost taken it up by engagements, so much so that I hardly saw anything of her myself. She is so sweet and pretty and cordial to all that everyone fell in love with her. It was a great pleasure to me to have her up and I am very much obliged to you all for letting her come.

She will tell you all the news, but I want to write you about giving up any office work, which I have decided to do, and tomorrow is my last day, though I will probably have to go several times to start my successor for the work is a little behind owing first to exams and the last week I have been in such pain with my jaw and teeth that I have been unable to go down and stand and work on those books for three hours.

Father, I just feel that now is my only chance to go to school and improve myself, and that I should get as much out of my course as possible. There is so much up here to make a man think and think deeply that is hard to have one’s time taken up entirely by clerical duties for the sake of a few dollars. I have had too much to do these this last term and it has told on me and my work to a marked extent. I passed all my classes, but did not get any pleasure out of any one or did very well in any one when you understand the circumstances, I’m sure you will agree with me that it was proper to give up the work and that you knew how heavy it would be you would not have addressed me to take it. When I once told mother, I was afraid I had too much to do she only said that she thought the multitude of duties would be good for me but I must say I don’t believe I need the training and as it is too much for one man. I can’t continue it all. Why father, those books would very well take one man’s whole time and I shall tell Mr. Wiggins so when he returns from California, which will not be for a month yet. He told me at first it might be too much and cautioned me not to give too much time to it. This term I will have a great deal of chemical laboratory work to do in the afternoons and also two afternoon classes which will be time off from the office. I hate very much to have to give up the work, but I feel I am entirely justifiable in doing so. Don’t you think I am?

I will do twice as well in any classes this term because last term at night time I would be too worn out for study, and therefore didn’t do very much. You had heard from sister of the trouble I’ve had with my teeth I had one wisdom tooth pulled yesterday and another three are to be taken out too. My two upper over have been in for some time but now the lower are coming and one is through it does not fit the upper, it has not room enough and it is in the angle of the jaw almost. As they were so crowded in the back and the uppers are not straight, but grown outwards they caught the cheek and gum and punched them whenever I closed them, so it was very painful and became greatly inflamed. When I went to Dr. Carly Wednesday, he said he would have to trim the gum around the lower tooth before he could pull it. This he did and I tell you it hurt. He injected cocaine but it was too inflamed do you have any effect on it so when he did the cutting it hurt so I nearly cried and was so unnerved I went to bed for the day.

The pulling of the upper one yesterday did not hurt very much and today there is a little soreness as soon as the gum heals which will probably be in about a week the lower tooth will be polled. When the lower one or the other side puts in its appearance the same performance will have to be gone over. These teeth are so far back there is a little room for them and they are almost useless and chewing and are hard to reach with a brush so decay will soon sit in giving a great deal of trouble so I just thought it best to have them out, but it is awfully mean work. I want to come down for next week I don’t know just when I can. It all depends on how the new man gets along with the books. Sister was very lucky in having to stay at the Calmaris but very little and I hope she will never have to stay there again. I will stop going down so much though I don’t go unless I am asked because I don’t enjoy going down. They are also stupid. That sounds hard but it’s true. Well, I have told you of all my trials and tribulations but don’t let them worry you as they have me. Give my love to everyone at home with kisses. I am your devoted son Will