Document 2JkV5jQqqkQ3kLOKj86XaKwM6

Decem ber l 1956 Mr. Ayrain hhapiro ethyl Corporation l6QQ Wet Cigat M ile Hoad Fern-dale 20, D etroit, Michigan . Dear M r. hhapiro: Thanks for sending m e the communication of Mr. d o s s o concerning Or. I . } :. Coffield 's report o f inform ation obtained a t the ACS m eeting at Atlantic City, This cla r ifie s a report which cam e to m e from D r. F iis m ille r ta&t so m e disquieting inform ation had been supplied to som e of the personnel at Orangeburg concerning the dire effects of exposure to inorganic m anganese compounds, if brings me to comm ent on the procedure whereby such Information gains currency within the Cor poration to the disadvantage of our efforts to deal effectively and realistically with m atters of industrial ayglena. 1 do not c ritic ise the gathering of information by any of the personnel of the Corporation. I m ust urge, how ever, that there is a proper m eans o f dealing with euch inform ation. In th is c a se the la tter w as not o b serv ed . I suggest, hereafter, and as a m atter of proper procedure, that such inform ation be passed on to a representative of the M edical Department, before it is acted on within the C orporation In any m anner that r e la te s to industrial health. . As to the inform ation, itse lf, nothing la erroneous, except that no quan titative relationships arc referred to, with resp ect to the severity or duration of the exposure which is capable of discing m anganese intoxi cation. These e r e m atters n which we are fa irly w ell inform ed, and indeed w a r e fa m ilia r with the Cuban situation and a r e w ell acquainted with D r. Paoaiver and his a sso cia tes from whom this information cam e. There are other somewhat sim ilar situations in som e of the foreign mining and refining operations with which w e are fam iliar, and we know in som e detail about the therapeutic investigations which are in p ro g ress. In o rd er to put to r e s t so m e of the apprehension concerning the hazards of handling inorganic m anganese coiwpounds, without m inim izing the need for appropriate m easures of h ygiei^ con trol, I should liko to str ess the fact that prolonged and severe exposure is n ecessa ry to induce d isea se. tfr 001S298 M r. Hyraia Shapiro - <2) - D ecem ber t , I B 6 The comiitioisfl in the Caban ind ustries concerned a re very bad indeed, arsri 'void not be tolera ted by resp o n sib le in d u strial o rg a n isa tio n s. "Hhr\t w>* an* m ore concerned about, without any n eg lect M the potential problem of a m anganese salt in the Orangeburg operation, la the potential opportunity afforded for exposure to aa organic m anganese compound which Is m are readily absorbed and finds rotative ease of a c c e ss to vulnerable tis sties and organa in the body. f should appre ciate it gre atly if th is incident w e re to supply the b a ils fo r ?. n e rw rat c & p l t t w o f th e r e a s o n s ih iU tte s o f thg^ M e d ic a l D e p a rtm e n t la th e in te rp re ta tio n o f to x ic o lo g ic a l im 'o r tm ti o n w itiyth e Co r p o r a ti o n an d fo r this reason i nm giving this le tte r a fa irly wide circu latio n . ' Sincerely yours. .<t>v l-i^ s y w >.^esac ***-v r iw a n r Robert A . hoe, hi. D. PAK of C.C.t .. . A', O , L ovell F . J, Schroeter C . J. .%rnk &. D. Clot*se a Karl V. KStsmiHor Roy C. A . Bock L e ster W. Sanders T. 5 . Taylor tfK 0018299