Document 4v37BbbRe3KjND6Rymd2Bx7R

EDWARD L CORNISH PRESIDENT Na t io n a l Le a d Co mp a n y 111 BROADWAY He w Yo r k May 12, 1921. Dr. David L. Edsall, Dean Harvard Medisal School Boston, Massachusetts Dear Sirj- We take pleasure in enclosing herein our check for $13,858.86, being our proportion of the $17,000.00 a year pledged by the several corroders of white lead, to assist you in a thorough study of lead poisoning. Of course, when seeking the assistance of an institution suoh as yours - whose reports on any matter to which you give atten tion become at once recognized authority in the scientific world - it would be unbecoming for us to make even a suggestion as to your line and methods of research. Permit me, however, to report the evidence of the people who have been engaged in manufacturing lead products from fifty to sixty years: to the effect that, in their opinion, lead is a poison when it enters the stomach of man - whether it comes directly from the ores in mines and smelting works, the combination of lead with other substances - as we find it in the form of babbitt, solder, type metal, antimonial lead (such as is used in ammunition), as well as the ordinary forms of carbonate of lead, lead oxides and sulphate and sulphide of lead. It is also their belief that, unless lead enters the stomach, lead poisoning does not result, notwithstanding the theoretical possi bility of absorption through the skin and lungs: basing this belief on the fact that .many employees whose hands have been smeared with liquid lead and lead dust for forty years or more have not developed lead poisoning: and the further fact that for many years white lead was used as a face powder, without any more instances of lead poisoning than could reasonably be expected from the users of the face powder eating a certain amount of it ithrlitt^'-dMleanliness. Therefore, the National Lead Company for many years has direct ed its attention to enforced cleanliness as pre- ventive measures, and il' less attention to remedies for lead poisoning when contracted. Dr. D. L. Edsall #2. May 12, 1921; Instances frequently arise demonstrating the inability of many physicians to correctly diagnose a case of lead poison. About a year ago a case was reported as lead poisoning from eating a lead pen cil, and went the rounds of the press. Our office clerks and officers (who never come into contaot with lead in any form) are frequently diag nosed as suffering from lead poisoning when they get ill: and are al most always suspected of lead poison - and examined for traces of lead poison - when the physician learns by whom they were employed. For the above reasons it seems to us that a thorough and ex haustive study of lead poisoning - that would not only assist us in our preventive measures, but would also be educational to the medical pro fession - is very desirable. We recognize that this will be attended by considerable ex pense, extending over a longer period probably than the three year term to which we have pledged support. We believe that the great lead-silver, lead-copper and lead-zinc mines of the United States - as well as the ga lena mines in the Missouri and Oklahoma fields - will assist in bearing the expense, together with such additional expense as time may show neces sary, and will endeavor to get them to contribute when you advise us of the need therefor. Meanwhile, you can rely upon the assistance of the National Lead Company in that which we look upon as a duty owing to soci ety by a company that is the largest producer of lead manufactured pro ducts . fv**- * ' Very respectfully, 1 President. j' (Enclosure)