????????Modern China Studies Vol. 22, No.

1, 2015 Stalin Watches Mao: Documents

from the Top Secret Soviet Archives1By Alexander V. Pantsov Dep artment of History
Cap ital University Columbus, OhioAbstract: The documents p ublished below are
p reserved in the former Institute of Marxism-Leninism Central Party Archives in
Moscow recently renamed Russian State Archives of Social and Political History.
They are locked in the fifteen-volume Mao Zedong p ersonal dossier collected by the
Comintern and Soviet Communist Party officials (collection 495, dep ository 225,
file 71). Even today p ublic access to them is highly restricted. These documents
deal with Mao Zedong's first visit to Moscow in December 1949 - February 1950. They
demonstrate that Stalin p aid an enormous amount of attention to Mao as the new
leader of China whom he did not know p ersonally. He wanted to know everything about
him: his p olitical views, his attitude to the Soviet Union and Stalin himself, and
even the condition of his health. The information he received was overall p ositive.
Mao seemed to be healthy and loyal to Stalin, and he ap p eared likely to remain a
close p artner for a long time. Stalin had to take this into account.Keywords:
Stalin, Mao Zedong, Soviet Relations, Soviet archives, Mao's first visit to Moscow?
1 Translated by Madeline G. and Steven I. Levine.Documents from the Top Secret
Soviet ArchivesStalin Watches Mao:13 ????????Modern China Studies Vol. 22, No. 1,
2015????????:??????????2 ???? ? ??? (????)?????????:???????????????????????????
(? ???????????????)????????????????? ??????????????15??(???
495/225/71)????? ???????????????????????1949?12??1950?
2 ???????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????,?????? ??,????????????
???,????????????? ??????????,????????????????????? ???????????????????????????
???:???????????????????????????2 ???????????????Stalin Watches Mao:Documents from
the Top Secret Soviet Archives14????????Modern China Studies Vol. 22, No. 1, 2015
These documents have been kep t secret for decades. I found them shortly after the
collap se of Communism in the Soviet Union in 1991 when I was given access to the
Central Party Archives in Moscow. At p resent this dep ository known the Russian
State Archives of Social and Political History (RGASPI in Russian abbreviation) is
the biggest archive in the world on the international communist movement and the
history of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. It houses about two million
written documents, 12,105 p hotograp hic materials, and 195 documentary films, which
are organized in 669 thematic collections. A core comp onent of the archives is an
extensive collection of p ap ers related to the Chinese Communist movement. These
include voluminous files of the CCP delegation to the Executive Committee of the
Comintern (ECCI); the CCP Central Committee's various accounts and financial
receip ts; the Comintern and the Bolshevik Party's directives to China; the p ap ers
of Lenin, Stalin, Trotsky and other Bolshevik leaders; secret rep orts of Chinese
Communist and Chinese Nationalist rep resentatives to the Comintern; and p ersonal
dossiers on many leading Chinese revolutionaries.The documents p ublished below are
located in the Mao Zedong p rivate dossier. Unlike many other archival materials,
p ersonal dossiers on foreign Communists were not op ened to most scholars even
during the brief p eriod of the Yeltsin ideological "thaw" in the early 1990s. This
collection has always been secured in a top secret section of the archives. Even
today p ublic access to the files is highly restricted. The collection on Chinese
Communists comp rises 3 ,3 28 p ersonal dossiers including those of Mao Zedong, Zhou
Enlai, Zhu De, Deng Xiaop ing, Wang Ming, and many other leading members of the CCP
leadership .The dossier on Mao Zedong is the most imp ressive. It contains fifteen
volumes of unique p ap ers including his p olitical rep orts, p rivate corresp ondence,
stenograp hic records of meetings between Mao and Stalin, Stalin and Zhou Enlai, and
Mao and Khrushchev, Mao's medical records comp iled by his Soviet p hysicians, secret
accounts by KGB and Comintern agents, p ersonal materials regarding Mao's wives and
children, including the birth certificate of his p reviously unknown ninth child
born in Moscow, accusations against Mao written by his p olitical enemies within the
CCP leadership , and a variety of Soviet embassy and KGB secret messages related to
the p olitical situation in the PRC from the late 1950s to the early 1970s.Stalin
Watches Mao: Documents from the Top Secret Soviet Archives15????????Modern China
Studies Vol. 22, No. 1, 2015The documents p ublished below deal with Mao Zedong's
first visit to Moscow in December 1949 - February 1950. They show that Stalin p aid
lots of attention to the new leader of China whom he did not know p ersonally. It
goes without saying that he treated the visit of the Chinese leader very seriously.
In general, Stalin "held in his own hands" everything that related to China.3 On
the eve of Mao's visit he requested information about the "cave Marxist"4 from Dr.
A. Ya. Orlov (alias Terebin), who had been Mao's p hysician since 1942. The rep ort
was p ositive overall. (See document 1.)During his visit Mao went to consult with
Kremlin doctors. Three days before New Year 1950 he develop ed a toothache. This may
have been because Mao never cleaned his teeth, considering it sufficient to rinse
them with green tea, which is why even though his teeth were even they had an
obvious greenish tint. Moreover, almost all of them were riddled with cavities. He
also went to a dermatologist. His wrists had itched for a long time, and in sp ots
they were covered in rashes. But his main reason for seeking medical assistance was
his angioneurosis, i.e. a functional disorder of enervation of the blood vessels
that he had had for many years. This often caused sweating and hot flashes as well
as headaches and dizziness, lumbago, and neurop athy in his joints, fingers and
toes. He became irritable and lost self- control. Sometimes while walking he would
suddenly lose coordination. He would begin waving his arms about as if he were
clutching at the air. At these times it seemed to him that he had "lost the earth,"
as if the ground had gone out from under his legs.To be sure, the doctors could do
little for him. They advised him to stop smoking, get body massages, take p ine-
needle baths at night, take vitamin B1, take regular walks outdoors, p eriodically
undergo a course of Pantokrin injections5, and eat regularly and often. (See
document 2.)The information about Mao's health was sent to Stalin. Thereafter
Stalin also received additional information about the Chinese leader from Mao's new
3 See I. V. Kovalev, "Dialog Stalina s Mao Tszedunom" (Stalin's dialogue with Mao
Zedong), Problemy Dal'nego Vostoka (Far Eastern Affairs), no. 6 (1991): 84.4 That
is how Stalin, according to Khrushchev, usually called Mao. See Nikita S.
Khrushchev, Memoirs of Nikita Khrushchev, trans. George Shriver (University Park,
Penn.: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2007), vol. 3 , 401.5 A medicine
made from Siberian stag antlers.Stalin Watches Mao:Documents from the Top Secret
Soviet Archives?16????????Modern China Studies Vol. 22, No. 1, 2015Russian
p hysician Dr. Leonid I. Mel'nikov who had taken care of Mao Zedong since 1946. (See
documents 3 and 4.)Overall, Stalin could be p leased: the "cave Marxist" looked
healthy and loyal to him. Some minor things like angioneurosis, red arms and green
teeth were not that significant. Mao seemed likely to remain a close p artner for a
long time and Stalin had to take this into account.The documents are p laced in
chronological order. Chinese names and titles are given in contemp orary
transliteration. A very few small abbreviations have been made in those cases, when
they are absolutely necessary from the p oint of view of transmitting the author's
meaning. These abbreviations are shown by dots. Exp lanations are p ut into square
brackets.DOCUMENT 1Top SecretEXTRACTFROM ENTERING MATERIAL NO. 8497, DECEMBER 10,
1949 (REPORT OF COM[RADE]) TEREBIN [A. YA. ORLOV] IN CHINA AS A PHYSICIAN TO THE
LEADERSHIP OF THE CC CCP FROM 1942 TO 1949Mao ZedongChairman of the government of
the Peop le's Rep ublic of China.Chairman of the Central Committee of the Chinese
Communist PartyA cultured and educated p erson (mostly self-educated). Knows no
foreignlanguages. Knows China thoroughly, his p eop le, esp ecially the p easantry, its
conditions of life, the p sychology of the Chinese p easant. Knows the army very
well, the p ossibilities of war in China, guerrilla as well as regular units.Knows
very well and loves ancient Chinese literature. He is himself an historian, p oet,
and writer (recently he has not been writing).Possesses a good Marxist background
which he acquired through self- education; he correctly and skillfully adap ts
Marxism to Chinese reality. He is one of the founders of the Chinese Communist
Party, its ideologist and leader.Enjoys enormous authority among the members of the
Chinese Communist Party, the army, and among the p op ulation all over China.His
attitude toward the Soviet Union is very good. It became p articularly good during
the last p hase of the Great Patriotic War. This had an enormous influence up on the
entire communist p arty. Externally this was exp ressed inStalin Watches Mao:
Documents from the Top Secret Soviet Archives??17????????Modern China Studies Vol.
22, No. 1, 2015the sharp ly increased number of articles in the p ress, magazines,
and books devoted to the Soviet Union, the AUCP(b) [All-Union Communist Party
(Bolsheviks)] and to Comrade Stalin himself, his role in the Soviet Union, the
international workers' movement, and esp ecially in China. The role of the USSR and
of Com[rade] Stalin p ersonally is p articularly valued with resp ect to the victory
of
the Chinese revolution and the victory of the Chinese p eop le.Beginning in 1945, in
his sp eeches and articles Mao Zedong constantly sp oke of this and emp hasized this.
On July 2, 1949, in rep ly to congratulations on the 28th anniversary of the CCP, he
clearly said, "If there were no USSR, there would be no Chinese Communist Party."
At p resent Mao Zedong p laces all his hop es up on the USSR, on the AUCP(b), and
esp ecially on Com[rade] Stalin.As a p erson, he is usually laconic and circumsp ect
in his utterances. This same characteristic is evident in all of his actions. He is
not hasty, is even slow. He takes into account the p sychology of the Chinese
p eop le.He firmly moves toward the goal he has set, but not always directly, often
with twists and turns. He is decisive when necessary. He is self-critical and
demands the same from others, but at the same time he is extremely touchy.He is
extremely modest in his food, his clothing, his housing; he is very courteous and
tactful in his dealing with others. By nature he is an artist. He can conceal his
feelings, p lay whatever role he needs to, with his intimates (sometimes with
p ersons he knows very well he will talk about this and ask whether it came off
well. With p ersons he knows well or with his intimates he talks freely and a lot,
loves to tell stories and to bring up historical (Chinese) examp les and analogies.
In conversation, he often switches from the top ic he began to a second or third and
then returns to the p receding one.In conversation it is as if he were debating with
himself. Sometimes he asks for op inions, but he loves short rep lies. If his
interlocutor himself begins to talk, he will listen attentively, contradict little,
object rarely, but will soon terminate the conversation.Very recently he has been
avoiding meeting with those not near to him or p ersons he barely knows (as long as
he has no need of them). He has said on more than one occasion that after
conversing with them he quickly tires and doesn't feel well.Stalin Watches Mao:
Documents from the Top Secret Soviet Archives18????????Modern China Studies Vol.
22, No. 1, 2015Recently he has rarely gone to meetings and various kinds of
encounters and banquets, and when he sp eaks he does so rarely and briefly.He works
a lot. His working day begins around 3 or 4 p .m. After he's tired, he eats, reads
telegrams, and receives his close colleagues. If he gets tired earlier, then around
5 or 6 p .m. he takes a short walk. In the evening, as a rule, he has meetings and
sessions that last well p ast midnight. He sp eaks a lot at small meetings. Generally
at such meetings there are neither time-limits nor strict p rocedures. He works a
lot. He keep s reading the p ress, newsp ap ers, "Cankao xiaoxi" [Information official
use] that is like our TASS for a narrow circle of p ersons, esp ecially for our
leading articles, decisions, and rep orts of resp onsible p ersons. He writes his own
articles and revises them often, and often makes corrections in already finished
articles.Quite often he p ins p art of what he has written to the wall, p aces in the
room or sits and p onders it, then makes corrections and additions to what he has
written. He informs Zhu De, Liu Shaoqi, Zhou Enlai, and Ren Bishi about the
majority of the high-level telegrams he writes himself. Zhou Enlai and Liu Shaoqi
do likewise. (Zhu De and Ren Bishi write almost nothing on their own; they write at
Mao Zedong's behest and show it to him for verification.)Mao Zedong ap p roaches his
writing seriously, and strives to make it comp rehensible and accessible to
everyone.Mao Zedong's wife Jiang Qing seems less like his wife than like a
solicitous housekeep er. She looks after his health, his daily schedule (she seems
like a kind of secretary), his ap p ointments, his food, his walks. She has a rather
good influence up on him. During dances, she steers one or another woman towards
him. She looks after his health and his clothes. Her lengthy absence was somewhat
burdensome for him, but he wanted to give his wife an op p ortunity to undergo
medical treatment, to rest, and to see the Soviet Union.He has a daughter from this
wife Li Lu [Li Na] with whom he often p lays. His second daughter Tanya [Li Min]
(brought up in the [Soviet] Union from another wife) is not as close to him. He has
two sons: Mao Anying - Serezha and son Kolya, who came in 1949 [actually in 1947].
He is almost indifferent towards them. In the summer of 1949 [actually the summer
of 1948] Sergei suffered from madness. During his attack he cursed his father, who
was ap p roaching him, in Chinese, Russian, and English. Afterward Mao did not
receive his son for several months.Stalin Watches Mao: Documents from the Top
Secret Soviet Archives19????????Modern China Studies Vol. 22, No. 1, 2015Now
[October 15, 1949] Sergei married a girl a bit over 18 [Liu Enqi, who subsequently
changed her name to Liu Songlin, born in 193 0], lives with Li Kenong6, where he
works. He is an interp reter for Li Kenong with Major General [Aleksei Pavlovich]
Kislenko7 and Colonel Petrov.Mao Anying has p oor relations with Mao Zedong's wife.
Jiang Qing comp lains about him with tears in her eyes.I have not observed any
warmth in Mao Zedong's relationship with Kolya. Now Kolya is studying Chinese. Li
La [Li Na] and Tanya are attending a Chinese school.Mao Zedong quickly tires at
work. He suffers from frequent insomnia. He takes sleep ing medicine rather often.
His main illness is angioneurosis. Then after p rolonged work and a cold
comp lications set in. At these times his mood is bad, his gait unsteady, in his own
words at such times he sometimes "feels like he is under a wad of cotton."He drinks
little. He smokes a lot.In his better moments he is hap p y, loves the theater
(Chinese), less so film, and loves dances.He is unaccustomed to our cuisine and is
unfamiliar with it. He likes a simp le table, does not like a lot of meat, loves
fruit.RGASPI, collection 495, dep ository 225, file 71, vol. 4, sheets 69-72.
DOCUMENT 2EXTRACTFROM THE MEDICAL HISTORYOF A MALE PATIENT [MAO ZEDONG], 56 YEARS
OLDComp laints: There are p eriodic attacks of general weakness with near- syncop e
and with numbness of the extremities.6 Li Kenong (1899-1962) at this time headed
the Social Dep artment of the CC CCP.7 Major General Aleksei Pavlovich Kislenko
(1901-1982) was a military intelligence officer in China starting from January 15,
1941. Earlier, from May 193 9, he was the dep uty chief of the 2nd (Eastern) Division
of the 5th (intelligence) Dep artment of the Red Army. (In June 1940 this dep artment
was renamed the Intelligence Dep artment of the General Staff.) Until June 1941
under a p seudonym Krasinsky he served as a head of a Soviet intelligence group at
Mao Zedong's headquarters in Yan'an. Other p arts of this group were Boris
Vasilievich Alekseev (alias Aleev, 1902-?) and Leonid Vasilievich Dolgov (Dolmatov,
Li Wen, 1913 -?). In June 1941, Kislenko quarreled with Mao and on Mao's request was
recalled. However, after WWII Stalin again sent him toChina. In 1946-52 Kislenko
also worked in Jap an.Stalin Watches Mao:Documents from the Top Secret Soviet
Archives?20????????Modern China Studies Vol. 22, No. 1, 2015There is heightened
irritability alternating with p eriods of dep ression. During those times, the
p atient has had trouble tolerating social situations and is esp ecially op p ressed by
conversations with strangers. Ap p earing before mass audiences p rovokes nervous
tension.There is a tendency to catch colds.Until 1944 he considered himself to be
in p erfect health; he had a great cap acity for work, which he engaged in chiefly at
night. At the end of 1944 and the beginning of 1945 p eriodic short-lived attacks of
general weakness began to ap p ear to which the p atient p aid no attention. In
Sep tember-October 1945 he had extremely p ressured working conditions and soon
thereafter he exp erienced the first occurrence of acute weakness with near-syncop e
lasting about eight hours. After the attack the p atient exp erienced dizziness,
headache, general weakness and numbing of the lower extremities (when walking,
numbness of the soles of the feet was ap p arent).The p atient had to lie down in bed.
The doctors who examined the p atient considered the p ossibility of p oisoning by a
slow-acting p oison and also exp ressed the op inion that a brain tumor might be
p resent. The p atient agreed with these sup p ositions.The p atient remained in bed
until February 1946 and imp rovement began to rap idly p rogress after the p atient was
successfully p ersuaded that those sup p ositions were unfounded.During the p eriod in
which his illness intensified, no essential deviations from the norm were noted in
the p atient's general status. Blood p ressure was 110-120/80. Pulse 80-90. The main
treatment was the use of tonics and bromides, and instituting a regimen with the
p atient being gradually reintroduced to work. The p atient exp erienced this
exp ansion of his regimen satisfactorily. Attacks of weakness were rare,
insignificant and arose p rimarily as a reaction to one or another irritation. The
main symp tom of illness was p oor sleep . As a rule, before the onset of an attack
the p atient exp erienced an unp leasant sensation in his head and in his chest
without any sp ecific localization of this sensation. During an attack the p atient
reacted listlessly to those around him, was extremely irritable (according to the
p atient, even his closest associates irritated him), reacted consciously to his
surroundings, listlessly and laconically resp onded to questions p osed to him. No
essential deviations in the general health of the p atient were noticed during an
attack,Stalin Watches Mao: Documents from the Top Secret Soviet Archives21????????
Modern China Studies Vol. 22, No. 1, 2015with the excep tion of a quickened p ulse
and cooling of the extremities. According to the p atient, a yawn signaled the
attack
was ending and the conclusion of an attack was accomp anied by an urge to urinate.
An attack could last from half an hour up to two hours.During the course of 1947
the p atient led an active life under extremely p ressured circumstances in difficult
conditions; desp ite this, he maintained his great cap acity for work.The attacks
were short, rare and light.In Ap ril 1948, the p atient's condition again worsened:
general weakness ap p eared, dizziness, numbing of the lower extremities (he could
move about only if others sup p orted him or by leaning on a cane). This weakened
condition was not constant; it alternated with significant imp rovement. The p atient
noted that the worsening of his condition ensued after working under p ressure, or
after nervous tension or p oor sleep . The p atient was in such a condition until July
1948 but after that he had a great cap acity for work, worked chiefly at night,
smoked up to two p acks of cigarettes a day, and on occasion drank wine moderately.
In December 1948 the p atient exp erienced p leurop neumonia of the lower lobe of the
right lung, which was controlled with the use of sulfanomide. He recovered well
from this illness with rap id restoration of his cap acity for work.During the first
half of 1949, working intensely, he felt fine.There were no significant attacks.In
the second half of 1949 he felt worse. Irritability recurred and nervoustension,
esp ecially in the comp any of strangers and in large gatherings.In December 1949
there were two significant attacks. The p atient times the ap p earance of these
attacks as coinciding with sharp fluctuations in the outside temp erature. Recently
his condition is satisfactory; he has felt muchmore energetic.Normal 7-8-hour sleep
has returned.Past illnesses: malaria (1924-193 4), has not undergone regular
treatments;typ hoid fever; p leurop neumonia at the end of 1948.Objective
observations:The p atient is of a p yknomorp hous build, shows excessive consump tionof
food, with the subcutaneous fat layer esp ecially develop ed over his hip s. His skin
and visible mucous membranes are normally colored.Stalin Watches Mao:Documents from
the Top Secret Soviet Archives22????????Modern China Studies Vol. 22, No. 1, 2015
The joints are not changed; their movement is not limited. The lymp h glands [lymp h
nodes] in the neck are not enlarged. The muscular layer is sufficiently develop ed.
The p harynx is clear . . . The size of the heart is within normal limits. The first
tone at the ap ex . . . is staccato . . . Blood p ressure is 120/85. Pulse is 80
beats p er minute, rhythmical, sufficiently strong . . . The tongue is moist,
moderately furry. The abdomen is fatty; exp loratory and deep p alp ation of the
abdomen is p ainless. The liver is not enlarged, the sp leen cannot be felt.
Palp ation of the kidneys and the gall bladder area is p ainless.There is no
Pasternatsky symp tom.Neurological status (rep ort of Professors A. M. Grinshtein and
E.K. Sep p on 3 January 1950):The p atient suffers from attacks that develop suddenly
and last from several minutes to several hours. During an attack he exp eriences a
sensation of extraordinary weakness, is forced to lie or sit without moving. At
those times the p atient finds it difficult to sp eak, all visual and auditory
sensations irritate him. His hands and feet become cold.The p atient does not lose
consciousness . . .The nerves in the head are within the normal range. Strength of
movements is normal. Coordination is not damaged. Tendon reflexes are
vigorous . . . The sole tap reflex of the left foot is somewhat weaker than the
right. There are no tremors in the hands . . .Op hthalmologist's rep ort (Prof. M. L.
Krasnov on December 29, 1949): He comp lains of p oor distance vision with the left
eye.During an objective examination it was ascertained that: the mucousmembranes of
the eyelids are in satisfactory condition, with an occasional accumulation of
salts--shallow conjunctival concretions; the corneas are without p athological
changes; with regard to the iris and p up il, there are no changes; a slight
stiffening of the lenses. Back of the eye: the color of the op tic nerves' disks and
outlines are within normal limits . . .Visual acuity: OD = 0.8C --- 0.5 = 1.0 OS =
0.1C --- 1.0 = 1.0He reads rather small writing easily at a close distance, without
glasses. The use of glasses for distance vision was recommended . . .Given a
p rescrip tion.Dentist's rep ort (by Prof. Verlotsky on 29 December 1949):Stalin
Watches Mao: Documents from the Top Secret Soviet Archives23 ????????Modern China
Studies Vol. 22, No. 1, 2015The p atient has signs of 2nd and 3 rd degree
p eriodontitis. The teeth in the lower jaw are firmly fixed; in the up p er jaw the
teeth are somewhat loose, esp ecially number 6.The gum p ockets are dry, there is no
sign of secretions even when p ressure is p laced on the gums.X-ray of number 6:
almost total reabsorp tion of the alveola of the tooth. The p atient comp lains of
p ain in number 6 when it is p ercussed and while he is chewing.Therap y: removal of
tartar, treatment of gum p ockets with weak antisep tic solutions. Extraction of
number 6 recommended.Radiologist's rep ort (by Prof. Tager on December 29, 1949):X-
ray examination of the chest cavity revealed a slight limitation in the mobility of
the right dome of the diap hragm as a consequence of commissures in the external
sinus. The general volume of diap hragmatic excursion is not affected.In the
p ulmonary tissue, on the right on rib II there are two calcifications and several
dense niduses against a background of limited fibrosis; fresh infiltrative changes
were not noted. The ap ices are clear. In the lower lobes there are slight
manifestations of p eribronchitis (more on the right).The heart and aorta are not
enlarged, the shap e of the heart is oval, there are no segmented enlargements.
There is rhythmical p ulsation with sufficient amp litude. The aorta is somewhat
elongated . . .Data from the electrocardiogram (from December 29, 1949): Sinus
rhythm, frequency of contractions 80 beats p er minute . . .The medical conclusions
of the consultative committee comp osed of Professors P. I. Egorov, V. N.
Vinogradov, A. M. Grinshtein, E. K. Sep p ; Drs. A. N. Safonov and L. I. Mel'nikov,
having examined the p atient on January 2, 1950, came to the following conclusion:
The p atient disp lays moderately exp ressed generalized arteriosclerosis;
p redominantly affected are the blood vessels in the brain and the arteries
sup p lying the heart. Because of this the p atient p eriodically and suddenly
exp eriences vascular interferences in the brain that are exp ressed in a sensation
of general weakness and instability in the legs. The stated vascular interferences
sometimes last for several hours.Stalin Watches Mao:Documents from the Top Secret
Soviet Archives24????????Modern China Studies Vol. 22, No. 1, 2015The lungs have
moderately manifested emp hysema with residual evidence of the inflammation of the
lungs and p leura exp erienced in 1948.At p resent his health is comp letely
satisfactory. Recommendations:1.Smoke less.2.Full body massage.3 .Pine baths at
night (lukewarm temp erature).4.Take internally 0.01 vitamin B1 with 0.2 ascorbic
acid and 0.3 glucosethree times a day.5.Regular walks in the fresh air.6.A p eriodic
course of injections of p antocrine 2.0 throughout the day forone month.7.Regular
and frequent meals.Dermatologist's rep ort:Comp laints of transient itching . . .
esp ecially at night. This has beengoing on for more than a year. On the hands,
rash-like p atches typ ical of urticaria with flatter ones typ ical of eczema. Marks
left from scratching . . . Between the toes the skin is moist, with slight
maceration; itching is most irritating on the heel. Diagnosis: chronic diffuse
neurodermatitis.Treatment: for intense itching, take (orally) 0.25 p yramidone (no
more than four times a day); ap p ly cotton soaked in alcohol locally over the itch .
. .At night, wip e the skin between toes and fingers with 2 p ercent [2.0 100.0]
alcohol; during the day sp rinkle these areas with p owder as p rescribed: 3 .0 1.5
15.0.Distinguished Doctor of Sciences, Professor [Fedor Nikolaevich] Grinchar
February 2, 1950. Dentist's rep ort:Removed crown, gum p ockets treated with a weak
solution of resorcinum. Cavity in number 8 was filled. Teeth cleaned with p umice.
The p atient decided to forgo having number 6 extracted. In light of the p resence of
p eriodontitis, the p atient was recommended to see a dentist p eriodically for
treatment of tunica mucosa.PanteleimonovaFebruary 7, 1950Stalin Watches Mao:
Documents from the Top Secret Soviet Archives25????????Modern China Studies Vol.
22, No. 1, 2015RGASPI, collection 495, dep ository 225, file 71, vol. 1, sheet 180-
183 reverse.DOCUMENT 3 FROM THE NOTES OF DR. L. I. MEL'NIKOV, PHYSICIAN IN CHARGE OF
MAO ZEDONG'S TREATMENTMarch, 18 [1950]. Examination on demand. After arrival in
Beijing [from USSR] he works a lot, p rimarily at night. He smokes more than 3 0
cigarettes a day, has not followed the recommended regimen and cannot follow it in
the near future.Ap ril 15. According to his wife, desp ite taking sleep ing aids, he
sleep s p oorly, is not following the regimen, works a great deal, p rimarily at
night, has no defined sleep hours, sleep s in short segments of time. The p atient
fell asleep during the examination.May 6. According to his wife, the p atient asks
to be given something to help him sleep since taking a double dose of sleep
medication [p hanadorm] does not guarantee p rolonged sleep . He does not want to be
examined or to have a p ersonal conversation.RGASPI, collection 495, dep ository 225.
file 71, vol. 1, sheet 185.DOCUMENT 4TEXT OF CONVERSATION BETWEEN DR. L. I.
MEL'NIKOV, PHYSICIAN IN CHARGE OF MAO ZEDONG'S TREATMENT, AND AMBASSADOR N. V.
ROSHCHIN ABOUT MAO ZEDONG'S HEALTH.JUNE 15, 1950For over four years I have been
observing the health of
the leaders of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. During this
p eriod Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi and Ren Bishi have suffered lengthy illnesses; the
latter, even now after a year-long treatment, has limited cap acity for work.The
fundamental factor sup p orting the develop ment of these illnesses was, in my
op inion, the absence of any kind of work and rest routines. As a rule, night hours
are the main time for work. Lately, this abnormality has ap p eared esp ecially in the
case of Mao Zedong. Going to bed after 8:00 in the morning and getting up between
6:00 and 8:00 in the evening has become habitual for Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, and
Zhou Enlai.Throughout March, Ap ril and the beginning of May, Mao Zedong's work
hours alternated with brief p eriodic nap s since taking sleep medications did not
Stalin Watches Mao:Documents from the Top Secret Soviet Archives26????????Modern
China Studies Vol. 22, No. 1, 2015guarantee him p rolonged sleep . Even Zhou Enlai,
who earlier reacted negatively to taking medication, has recently begun taking
various p atent medicines that sup p osedly counter exhaustion and the develop ment of
sclerosis. (I don't know if he decided this for himself or on the advice of
friends.)In Ap ril, Mao Zedong p rop osed to the Central Committee that he be relieved
of the burden of current work (according to Yang Shankun). Since the middle of May,
following the Central Committee's decision (according to Jiang Qing) Mao Zedong was
sup p osed to rest in his dacha. In actuality, he continued to work in the country
and benefited only from the p ossibility of taking walks, while going to bed as
usual toward morning, and getting up between 2:00 and 4:00 in the afternoon.
Recently, in connection with meetings, he is living in the city again and
p articip ation in these meetings has been added to his usual work.Comp aring Mao
Zedong's health at p resent with the p eriod 1945-1948 and judging by subjective
data, it is satisfactory; there are no acute attacks of vascular sp asms interfering
with blood circulation in the brain; he has a great cap acity for work, but there
are new factors in the objective data that cannot be exp lained by chance if one
takes into consideration the conditions of his work and the clinical data received
during his examination in Moscow.On 5 June I was summoned to examine Mao Zedong
because of comp laints of dizziness and headache.Objective data from the
examination: blood p ressure--145/100. The p ulse was even--96-100.His usual data:
blood p ressure--110-115/80; p ulse--84-86. The rest was without any significant
deviations from p revious examinations. (He was to deliver a sp eech two hours
later.)6 June. Blood p ressure--13 0/85, p ulse even--84-86, headache and dizziness
absent. As for the internal organs, there were no deviations from p revious data.
Without knowing Mao Zedong as a p atient, the above-mentioned fluctuations could be
exp lained as normal for someone of his age and characteristic of anyone at a time
of nervous tension. But if one considers that over a p eriod of four years, even at
times of clear attacks of vascular sp asms, his blood p ressure was lowered and did
not fluctuate toward higher values, andStalin Watches Mao: Documents from the Top
Secret Soviet Archives27????????Modern China Studies Vol. 22, No. 1, 2015that while
he was being examined in December 1949 his blood cholesterol count was 200 mg/dL
(normal, 160-220 mg/dL) while his cap illaries were sp astic, then one can assume
that the elevation in his blood p ressure that I observed might become p ermanent if
his work regimen is not changed and he does not take more seriously the
instructions given him by the medical consultative team and by me in the Chinese
translation transmitted to the Central Committee and . . . directly into the
p atient's hands.I am now faced with the question as to whether I can p resent this
for deliberation by the Central Committee, referring to my last observations and
raising a question about giving him a real leave, limiting his nighttime work, and
a more serious attitude toward heeding the instructions of the consulting group of
p rofessors. I will not have Mao Zedong's agreement to p ut this question since he
does not know the data from my observations; also, I cannot inform him of this
since these are p reliminary data and focusing his attention on them can only worsen
his condition.I request your instructions.June 15, 1950 [signed] Mel'nikov.RGASPI,
collection 495, dep ository 225, file 71, vol. 1, sheet 185.28Stalin Watches Mao:
Documents from the Top Secret Soviet ArchivesCop yright of Modern China Studies is
the p rop erty of Center for Modern China Foundation and its content may not be
cop ied or emailed to multip le sites or p osted to a listserv without the cop yright
holder's exp ress written p ermission. However, users may p rint, download, or email
articles for individual use.