Document 06BGGvLQL93yL3V0EmxK9qX6x

February 28, 1940 Dr* N* E,Eckelberry Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc* and Affiliated Companies 4 Irving Place New York, N. Y. Dear Doctor Eckelberry: By reason of my absence from the laboratory, I have been delayed In reporting to you the results of our observations on the urine and blood of your two men* I am very glad to send you herewith the reports on these men* By way of interpretation of these results, it may be said first of all that they are entir.ely normal* Both sets of results are very near the mean value for normal individuals, and the urine and blood results are entirely compatible with each other, and con firm the normal character of these men with respect to their lead content at this time* With these data, It Is difficult for me to conceive of the possibility that the levels in the blood and urine were as Indicated in the reports which you gave me when I was in your office* In fact these results would appear to confirm the opinions v/hich I expressed to you concerning the inaccuracy of the previous analyses* t I do not wish to be dogmatic in giving expression to the opinion above since it Is to be expected that analytical results obtained at this time Y/ould be lower than those obtained at a previous date, if it can be assumed that these men did have some lead exposure. On the other hand, if the previous results were bona fide in their concentration levels, It is scarcely conceivable that they could have diminished to an entirely normal level at this time. If ours had been of intermediate or doubtful significance, then we might have had to accept the possible accuracy of the previous results. However at their present entirely normal levels, it scarcely seems possible that the previous results were Indicative of the status of these men with reference to lead absorption and excretion* We are now in the situation where some further observations'on the environmental conditions in the garage can be carried out without undue haste* I shall H F 0005486 - 2- be glad to comely with your wishes in the matter of what is to be done and when it is to be done# I should appreciate hearing frcaa you* therefore* by return mail since we are quite busy at this time and some preparation will have to be made if we are to carry out observations immediately, I wish by all means to make these observations before any appreciable change has been effected in the conditions in the garage. Therefore if any changes of any kind are contemplated* I should like to anticipate them by our observations, I should be very grateful to you* there fore* for the prompt expression of your wishes and for any suggestions which you may care to make, Very truly yours* RAK:Is Robert A,' Kehbe, M,i), P,S, I have added to the report of the analyses the results of the examination of smears for stippling. You will note that both of these results are in the upper range of values obtained on normal individuals. The mean figure of a very large series of normal men studied by us is approximately 4 per fifty fields. Nevertheless we encounter values of the order of magnitude seen here and even much higher in apparently normal persons. It is interesting to note that despite the entirely normal picture of lead excretion,both of these men show stippling. It Is not unusual that they should do so but It is a little surprising and illuminating that they are both of the same magnitude, RAK, 0005487