Document 4J1Z6bJOJnKyYXgajKMLLOo5G

I ORANGE gl MUSI. (7.(PHfa&ner'l <3cn " (I S8< TT A1 BR III ISSHHCf0Ofi I1 8fi f6i f8t 19 2 4 RACE ST REET CI NCI NNAT I ^ 10 , OHI O June 2, I960 Robert A. Kehoe, M.D. University of Cincinnati Kettering Laboratory College of Medicine Eden Avenue Cincinnati 19, Ohio _ Dear Dr. Kehoe: We are in receipt of your letter of June 1, and beg to advise you that our company sometime ago discontinued the use of siphon bottles so that we are not involved if a lead problem does actually exist. We might say that if there are any of our siphon bottles still out in the market, their numbers would be infinitesimal and as stated above would not be refilled. Very truly yours, THE W. T. WAGNER'S SONS CO. EW:rk N7950 Juno i, I960 W. T. Wagner's Sons Company 1924 Race Street Cincinnati IO, Ohio Attention - Executive Office Dear Sir: You and your associates may or may not be aware of the fact that this laboratory has been engaged for many years, among other activities, in a systematic study of many aspects of the behavior of lead in the human body and in the occurrence of lead compounds in food and beverages, in the atmosphere, and in the tissues of animals and human beings under & variety of conditions. Out of these investigations and around their edges, many odd bits of Information have come to light. One of these, which ca:ne to my attention recently and somewhat indirectly, and which, therefore, may not have any general significance, concerns a product of yours, Wagner Selzer Water. According to my information the Selzer Water, dispensed through the siphon of a half gallon bottle, contained somewhat more than 0.4 mg. of lead per liter. Water decanted from the same bottle, without passing through the dispenser, contained 0.28 mg. of lead per liter. Either of these levels of concentration is much too high. We have not followed up this information, given to one of the members of our staff, by obtaining any of your products on the market and analysing them. In fact we have done nothing at all, but it seems wise to briny it to your attention in the hope that you will look into it, establish the facts and take whatever steps may be required to deal with them. If we can be of any service in this connection by way of advice, or even assistance, we shall be glad to do so within appropriate limits. I trust that you will not regard this as an unlikely and unimportant matter. My reason for thinking that it may be significant, even though have no valid evidence to support this possibility in this Instance, is that this problem has been encountered before, in connection with carbonated water kept in or dispensed from containers of this and related types. If a leadcontaining alloy is used in the dispensing equipment in contact with the carbonat water, the latter may well acquire a high lead content, even after fairly brief periods of standing. This letter may seem unusual, and you may even wonder what my motive way be in writing it. You can establish my good faith in the matter, if you so N7950.01 *?. T. Warner*a Sons Company 2 - June 1, 1 desire, by local inquiry. More to the point, perhaps, is the fact that I am writing now in order to clean up my desk of many unfinished matters just before going abroad on a special mission for about a month. I prefer not to leave this until later and perhaps to forget it- altogether. You will not be able to communicate with me directly for several weeks, but if you should wish to follow the matter up in ray absence you can get in touch with other members of the staff through my secretary. Incidentally, my household has been a customer of your Company for many years. As customers, we are not disturbed by the matter which I am reporting to you, but if the report Is indicative of an unsatisfactory situation you should know it and do something about it. Very truly yours, RAK:ss Robert A. ICehoe, M. D f