Document 1gvMYEKVyQy7RV7ggbMKnB4BK

COPY July 23, 1951 Randolph K. Byers, M. D. Longwood Medical Building 319 Longwood Avenue Boston 15, Massachusetts Dear Dr. Byers: Reference: Karin Searles 16 Gordon Avenue Hyde Park, Massachusetts Father: Bert Searles A visit was made to the home of Karin Searles, and Mrs. Searles was interviewed. It appears that approximately one year ago, at the age of one, little liarin began to chew on furniture about the house. Her favorite objects were her crib, a leg of the kitchen table and the legs of the dining-room chair. For the past few months, she had been eating plaster taken from a hole in the living-room wall. During the past four weeks, she was re- peatedly found eating old paint flakes which had peeled off a painted brick wall on the porch. / Mrs. Searles informed me she had brought into the ChMldrepi's Hospital a leg from the kitchen table and a leg from the dining-room chair for lead analysis of the painted surface. The crib Karin had chewed on v/as rela- tively new and not painted. The wood had been stained and then varnished. I have forwarded to Miss Taylor at the Children's Hospital samples of the ' plaster and of the paint on the porch wall. - Because of my own interest in the porphyrias, I asked a few questions in this vein. The only thing Mrs. Searles could add was that Karin disliked the sun and when placed in the sunlight would always go to a shaded area and remail there. There did not appear to be any history of pink discolor ation of the teeth or nails or skin lesions. Mrs. Searles did not give any information regarding the color of Karin's urine. ' ' When you have the time, I would appreciate learning whether any porphyrin studies were carried out during Karin's illness or on the post mortem tissues. . Sincerely yours, CCM :BL . CC: Mr. Bowditch Clarence C. Maloof, M. D N22336