Document 3JqqrEwVezMOYzpnb8vBGEyEE
March 9 , 19 3 7
D r* J o s e p h Aub H untington Mem orial H o s p ita l 695 H u n tin gto n Avenue B o s to n , Mass
Dear D o cto r Aub:
A t th e r e q u e s t o f Dr B r i s t o l an d Dr* M cCo n n e ll X h a v e c o n s e n te d , som ewhat r e l u c t a n t l y , t o a c t a s Ch airm an o f t h e Co m m 'tte e on Le ad P o i s o n i n g o f th e Am erican P u b lic H e a lth A s s o c ia tio n f o r the cu rre n t y e a r My r e l u c t a n c e was o c c a s i o n e d n o t s o m uch b y m y u n w illin g n e s s to work as by a c e r ta in doubt as to w hat s h o u ld be a c c o m p l i s h e d b y s u c h a Conn i t t e e , X n e e d n o t s tr e s s th e p o in t th a t X h ave been ve ry much in te r e s te d in th e s u b je c t o f le a d p o is o n in g from bo th a c l i n i c a l and an e x p e rim e n ta l p o in t o f v ie w , b u t i t i s my f e e l i n g th a t w hat i s n e e d e d in th e f i e l d I s more e x p e rim e n ta l work a l o n g c e r t a i n l i n e s . My own I n t e r e s t s pro m p t me t o c a r r y on e x p e rim e n ta l work in th o s e ph as e s o f th e m a tte r w h ich ~ seem to me to be o f the m ost p r a c t i c a l im po rtan ce . However, a s i d e fro m c e r t a i n m a t t e r s w h ic h m ig h t;l> e r e g a r d e d a s con- t r o v e r s i a l a n d , t h e r e f o r e , s o a r o e l y am e n able t o Co m m itte e a c tio n , i t seems to me th a t cu rre n t know ledge is co n s id e ra b ly ahead o f c u rre n t p r a c t i c e , Xt may w e ll be th a t th e p re s e n t Co m m itte e w o u ld n o t r e g a r d th e r e p o r t o f s o m e y e a r s a go a s the l a s t word on th is s u b je c t . X c o n fe s s th a t th e re are ce rta in phases o f the re p o rt th a t are n o t a lto ge th e r s a t i s f a c t o r y , B e t h i s a s i t m a y, X am v e r y m uch m ore Im p r e s s e d b y th e v a lu e o f p u b li s h e d e x p e r im e n ta l work th a n I am b y th e p r e p a r a t i o n o f r e p o r t s , , a l t h o u g h I am e n t i r e l y w i l l i n g t o s p e n d some t i m e a n d t r o u b l e i n Co m m itte e w o rk i f t h e r e is an yth in g to be acco m p lis h e d .
Th e p u r p o s e o f t h i s l e t t e r Is to f i n d o u t t h e r e a c t i o n o f a l l m e m bers o f th e Co m m itte e a s to what we may hope to a cco m p lis h , and a s to what e ff o r t s we m ig h t m o s t l o g i c a l l y make d u rin g th e p r e s e n t y e a r , X s h o u ld a p p r e e la te i t v e r y much i f yo u would g i v e some th o u gh t to th e m a tte r and i f yo u would l e t me h a ve yo u r s u g g e s tio n s a t an e a r l y d a t e , X am q u i t e s u r e we a r e a l l c o n vin c e d , t h a t
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D r . Joseph. Aub
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the in c id e n c e o f le a d p o is o n in g in in d u s tr y p a r t i c u l a r l y , i s u n n e o e s s a r i l y h i g h . Th e p r a c t i c a l q u e s t i o n w h ic h a r i s e s in a y m ind, th e re fo re , is what can he done about i t by our Oo m aitte e and by the Am erican P u b lic H e a lth A s s o c ia tio n .
Sin ce re ly yours,
RAKji S
R o b e r t 1A* H o e ,M 7 iJ.
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