Document 4M2oDQw8jXYa69jL2NyrNmRN

December 31t 1928 Mr* A. E. Mittnaeht, Ethyl Gasoline Corp*, 25 Broadway, New York City* Dear Mr* Mittnaeht: co o o o o <o V Thanks for your letter regarding my note. I will take care of this in the next few days. I have looked over your letter to the oil companies in regard to their frequency of mixing and I think it is very satis factory in every way. I shall be interested in seeing what sort of response you get* In the matter of the injury to one an employee of the Tide Water Oil Company, I shall ask Dr-. Machle to attend the meeting at Boston. I think that any statement in regard to whether or not this manrs condition is due in any way to Ethyl Gasoline should be reserved until after we have looked into the case. It would be unwise and would certainly Indicate some bias on our part If we were to issue a statement saying that this condition could not be due In any way to Ethyl Gasoline. There are a number of conditions which lead to blindness in one or both eyes; without going into detail of what these conditions are, certain ones of them may be brought on and are precipitated In a more or less acute form by a good mapy varieties of external Injury or irritation. The irritation may be insignificant and may have nothing whatever to do with the condition but it may cause it to show up in a man ner in which it has not shown before. It would not be sensible or fair, therefore, fco say that Ethyl Gasoline had nothing to do with the trouble, although my opinion Is that it is not likely that it did. There is no experimental or clinical evidence that Ethyl Gasoline Is more irritating that ordinary gasoline. The fact Is, gasoline itself, and particularly present day gasolines with their many irritating substances arising from cracking processes etc., are very much more irritating than are any of the Ingredients of ETHYL fluid. Consequently whether this be an injury in which gasoline plays a part, or whether it be some totally independent thing, there is np reason to direct our attention specifically to the ETHYL fluid content. However, as I have said before, it Is much wiser In very way to discuss the case after knowing something about It than to make arbitrary statements In advance. It may be that It will be an easy matter to make a diagnosis which dispels all1the doubt* That Is the first step to take and we shall see what can, be done afterwards.