Document 3No759R91roYvm4gZjoEDg9K0

r UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE CINCINNATI GENERAL HOSPITAL February 3 , 1938. D r . Ro b e r t A. Ke h oe , La b o r a to r y o f Ap p lie d P h y s io lo g y , Cin cin n a t i Co lle ge o f Me d icin e , Cin cin n a t i, Oh io. Dear Bob: I have lo n g th ou gh t t h a t th e custom o f send in g sp ecim en s w it h o u t name o r number h a p h a za r d ly t o yo u r la b o r a t o r y was an im p o s it io n on yo u r good n a t u r e and no p a r t i c u l a r c o n t r ib u t io n t o my s e r v i c e . I o ft e n w on d er ed how i t came a b o u t an d j u s t w h at good i t d i d . I do n o t lik e co n tin u in g to do stu p id t h in g s ju s t because i t is a custom . Offh a n d , I w ou ld recommend d is c o n t in u in g se n d in g t h e s e s p e cim e n s . I t h in k t h e p e r fo r m a n ce i s d i s t i n c t ly m is le a d in g , -u n less t h e in fo r m a t io n t h a t yo u r la b o r a t o r y r u n s n e g a t iv e t e s t s on p a t ie n t s t h a t a r e d e fi n i t e l y known t o h a ve t a k e n m e r cu r y i s a c o n t r ib u t io n . I am s u r e t h a t a dangerous dose o f m ercury can be in ge s t e d , th e p a t ie n t be v e r y i l l fr om m e r cu r y n e p h r i t i s , and y e t s t o o ls o r u r in e show u n im p o r ta n t am ounts o f m e r cu r y. Th e r e fo r e un le s s th e cir cu m sta n ce s ar e more c le a r ly d e scr ib e d a t th e t im e o f t a k in g t h e sp ecim en t h e w h ole p e r fo r m a n ce ca n , fr o m t h e n a t u r e o f t h e p r o b le m , b e q u it e s t u p i d . What do yo u recommend t h a t we d o: D is c o n t in u e i t e n t ir e ly ? Or o c c a s io n a lly send sp ecim en s where th e d ia g n o s is i s in d o u b t , b u t se n d in g su ch in fo r m a t io n a s m igh t make th e t e s t o f va lu e ? I a p p r e cia t e you r fo r m a l le t t e r and a ls o th e appended n o t e . I s t h e r e any p a r t o f t h e m er cur y p r oblem , s u ch a s we h a v e , in w h ich you w ou ld have an in t e r e s t ? I s t h e r e a n y t h in g we can do fo r you in co n n e ct io n w it h m er cu r y or o th e r p o ison s? ' S i r e ly' y o u r s , KX 0020090 M. A. XBIs k s iih o r n , D . , JE fe x e c t o r , Dep ar tm en t o f I n t e r n a l M e d ic in e . ! L