Document 0LKXeb8JbM6V6Gxyj2N6zV4Lm
FILE NAME Corning OC
DATE 1956 Feb 6
DOC OC246
DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Letter from Dr. Schepers of The Saranac Laboratory with Test Results
THE SARANAC LABORATORY
For the Study of Tuberculosis Occupational Disease and Industrial Hygiene Pounded by EDWARD LIVINGSTON Trudeau in 1885 7 CHURCH ST Saranac Laks NEW YORK
PLAINTIFF'S
EXHIBIT
K290
PO Box 551 Reference
February 6 1956
Telephone Laboratory }
Director
580
Mr. M.D. Burch Director of Personnel and Industrial
Corning Fiberglas Corporation F.O. Bax 901 Toledo Ohio
Relations
Dear Mr. Burch
On the occasion of their recent visit here to inspect our progress with the study on the pathogenicity of fiberglas Dr. Bishop and Mr. Black mentioned to me that this research project falls under your
general supervision
To facilitate your task of explaining to lay personnel who might
be interested in the results of our experiments just that a product
to like fiberglas may be capable of doingman herewith a few prelimin-
ary comments Please do not hesitate to call for further elucidation
as need arises I will do my best to inform you fully about what we
already know and will not hesitate to tell you directly where the limits of our own and also other researches limitations lie You may have dif-
ficulty with published statements
statements
Please feel free to consult me at
any time about such matters if you believe I can be of help to you
Firstly the following is the status of our current experimentation on fiberglas
Product Studied
Method
Num andbNuembr er
of Animals Used
Stage Reached
Fiberglas with
Intratracheal Guinea pigs 10 Completed at
Calcium Sulphate filler
12 months
Chemical and Histo
logical Studies in Progress
%
a
t
*
e
11
1
"
i |
Lg
*
Nats
10 " " a
L |
it
10
"
not
6ff
r
n
11
"
It
Rabbits
5
Fiberglas with " Calcium Carbonate filler
"
"
Ly
11
n
Guinea pigs 10
Rats
11
one
i
a =
"
-
a
11
it
"
C
u
"
a
a"
fi
Rabbits
7nnnn
7nnnn
7nnnn 7nnnn 7nnnn
nnna
nnna
nnna
nnna
contimed on page 2
01 501 1573
The objectiveosf TheThe
SaranacSaranac
LaboratLaoborratyory
a
nonpprorfoitfit organization organization
incorporated
incorporated
under
Education
the
Education
Law
of
New
York
State
are
Page 2
...
r
Burch
Corning Fiberglas
Corporation
February , 1950
Product tucied
Method
Type and Number
of Animals Used
Stage Reached
Resin only
'v
It
10
11
31
It
Glass fibers only
18
...
it
11
It
If
0
11
"
14
15 Fiberglas with Calcium Sulphate filler
Intratracheal Guinea pigs 9
"
Rats
11
...
Rabbits
5
Intravenous Rabbits
5
Intratracheal Guinea pigs 10
Rats
10
1
Rabbite
S
Subcutaneous Rats
5
Inhalation
Guinea pigs 60
Completed at
12 months
onmo4
Chemical
and
Rist Rist Rist
logical Studies
Progress
30
If
11
11
=
10 1 19 14
"
fe
t
"
n
@
-
M1
-
"
it
11
"
-
"
" it
a
"
fi *
i]
Modified and Terminated at 15 months
16
Rats
16 Terminated and
Modified at
15 months
17
Rabbits
Terminated at
9 months
18 Fiberglas with Calcium Sul- " phate + Beryllium Phosphor
19 Fiberglas with Calcium Sul- * phate + R1 Tuberculosis
Reactivation of Tuberculosis *
by Fiberglas
Control Tuberculosis only
Fiberglas with Calcium
Carbonate filler
Inhalation
Rats
10
In progress
Guinea pigs 26
ft
n
av
at
i
Terminated at
9 months
tt
Guinea pigs 27
te ft
--
n 13
... ... )
%
"
1 60 In progress
15 months
28 animals
autopsied
continued on page 3
01 501 1574
3
Page 3
Mr. M.D.
Burch
Corning Fiberglas
Corporation
February
February 5
1950
Product Studied
23 Fiberglas with Calcium Carbonate filler
Method Inhalation
0
at
"
au
A
"
25 Fiberglas excessive concentrations
"
26 Fiberglas with Calcium Carbonate filler + Beryllium Phosphor
27 Fiberglas * R Tubercle
"
Reactivation of Tubercu-
a
losis by Fiberglas
29 R1 Tubercle Control
--
30 Flakeglas
Ocular Instillation
Type and Number
of Animals
Stage Reached
Rata
24 In progress 15 months 16 animals
autopsied
Chemical and tist
logical Studies in Progress
Rabbits Guinea pigs
9 In progress
15 months 7 animals autopsied
7 In progress 15 months
11
rT
i)
toons
Rats
6 In progress 15 months
?
Quinea pigs 24 17 autopsied
11
11
26 18
"
1
mw
*"
*
E
a4
7
1
e
Rabbits
34 16
"
2 Completed
"oom
ons
11
31
Cutaneous contact infriction
Rabbits
2
a
32 "
"
33
34
11
R
35
Intratracheal Guinea pigs 10 In progress
t |
Rabbits
5 11
1
Rata
8
"
St
Intravenous
Rabbits
5 H
It
I believe the foregoing list will show you what a comprehensive range of tests we are making to ascertain in what way and to what degree fiber-
glas or any of its components is harmful if indeed it causes any damage
to
be
animal
Even tissues As there
so been has been aappprpercieacblieabsleevedrialscraedpadnciytbietowenenatlhewould
results obtained on guinea pigs rate and rabbits
adversely product on monkey react
as well so that we
or favorably to
01 501 1575
Fage
Nr N.D. Burch
Corning Fiberglas Corporation
February 5 1956
It is imperative also that we determine how rapidly and completely
fiberglas dust is eliminated from animal tissues and whether if it is
expelled after dust exposure has stopped this is accompanied by reversal
of those tissue reactions we have already observed No doubt you will
readily perceive the medico importance of such information se
- should also prolong the exposures for at least another year case
of
un-
favorable results sometimes sometimes asbestos during studias exposure favorable results sometimes enqued during the third year of exposure while Tome
they remained in abeyance previously
a fourth avenue yet to be explored more satisfactorily would be a
study on the capacity of the fiberglas to induce lung cancer There is so much propaganda over the issue of lung cancer today that one cannot omit
this study either to clear the product of all potential blame or to dis-
cover in time whether it holds such a danger I suppose you already know
that asbestos is fairly well incriminated as a carcinogen and the asbestos
leng causes lung damage by virtue of the
it of its fibers & property
~
.
;
resin fiberglas shares fiberglas , with the
Various polyester resins have already been
as carcinogens so that one must remain cautious about the until it has beencleared
x
Finally in view of the evidence we already have that the fiberglas dust facilitates the development of tuberculosis this study should be
___
- ~-
expandetod include the third superimposition phase of the tubercle study
i.e. to determine whether prior exposure to the dust will stimulate tuber-
culosis Reference to the foregoing tabulation reveals that we have already
instituted the investigation on the simultaneous phase and the reactivation
phase Such a large proportion of our rabbits died in the dust room that
we believe the studies on them shoulbde repeated Deaths may have been
due to an intercurrent epizootic and not due to the fiberglas dust If a
new set of animals could be studied the spicion that the dust may have
caused the deaths of the rabbits would extter be verified or rebutted
None of the guinea pigs died spontaneously and we are inclined to believe the rabbits died of causes other than the dust but unless we can repeat
this phase of the study the record will remain unfavorable
I look forward future and hope the meanwhile
to meeting you at some time in the not too distant foregoing information will be of some value to you
Yours sincerely
whe
GWHS mam
Director
1577
01 501 1577