Ornithology, Evolution, and Philosophy 123

302 9 Ernst Mayr—the Man
not malignant; however, the kidney was located so high that the doctors could not
get at it properly, and had to remove it completely. At that time this was still a very
dangerous operation. Soon after he had left the hospital Dr. Sanford, who all along
had shown an almost fatherly interest in his well-being, took him to his home in
New Haven, where he stayed for about a week, and then he placed him in a fishing
lodge, the Trout Valley Farm, on the Beaverkill (East Branch of the Delaware
River) in the Catskill Mountains in New York State. There Mayr convalesced for
another two weeks before returning to his work at the American Museum. His
health during the following years was fine except for a sinus problem beginning in
1940 as a result of working during spring time in the very dusty cattail marshes, in
connection with his redwing studies.
In 1948, Mayr suffered a stress-related nervous heart condition expressing itself
in irregular heart beat together with general weakness. He had to take a complete
rest for about a month. In his letter to Erwin Stresemann dated 20 September
1948, he referred to “the opening of Sanford Hall [p. 129], as well as various other
exciting events at the museum” together with his work as editor of Evolution and
the post-War worries about relatives and friends in Germany as possible causes
for this health problem. In a later letter to Stresemann he also implicated the
difficulties with the U.S. Immigration Service in connection with their applications
for citizenship (p. 251): “Perhaps Delacour can tell you […] what chicaneries I have
to go through. No wonder I have a nervous heart!” (27 March 1950). Mayr eventually
overcame the condition, but it took more than 5 years. After 1950, he was again
quite healthy and, in his ninety’s, has been taking only a mild dose of blood pressure
medicine and occasional aspirin to combat a beginning arthritis in his left foot but
some heart fibrillations developed during the last years of his life. He only started
using a hearing aid and a cane when he was 95 years old. His habit of extended
daily walks in the afternoon may have been one reason why he enjoyed good health
until very late in life.
He visited Germany in October 1997 to give the first “Ernst Mayr lecture” of the
Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and the Science College of Berlin on the
philosophy of biology, and again in June 2001, when his Alma Mater, Humboldt
University of Berlin, had invited him to celebrate the 75th anniversary of his PhD
examinationinJune1926. Onthat day hespokeonly for approximately 15 minabout
his life, but delivered a public lecture on the autonomy of biology at the Museum of
Natural History on 26 June 2001. The following winters he did not spend in Florida
but stayed at home. He described his daily routine in a letter to his niece and
nephew (Roswitha and Peter Kytzia) in Germany dated 15 January 2002 (transl.):
“At my age of 97, I could become a sluggard and enjoy life. But what good is this
for the world? Therefore I work as long as I have the necessary energy and prepare
contributions toward our understanding of the world. And the reward is that the
daily work is good for one’s health. Here I notice that many old people who do not
force their brain into work become increasingly brain-indolent and they gradually
dull. This does not happen to those who read interesting books, attempt still to
fill a position, or occupy themselves otherwise intellectually. I could participate in
numerous events here but I have enough to do with my own work.