Document 5Dp6kad2OdwBjkn7KGqVkE3a0

Metropolitan Life Insurance Company FREDERICK H.EcKER. Chairman oftha Board Leroy A. Lincoln, Pmoum ANTHONY J.LANZA.M.D. Ittmdioai Jkrm+tor EW YORK CITY December 13, 1937 Ur. Manfred Bowditch, Director, Division of Occupational Hygiene, 23 Joy Street, Boston, Hass. Dear Manfred: k recent number of the Public Health Reports had a survey of an asbestos plant made by Bloomfield and one of his staff* They state that everything considered they think five million particles is a pretty fair threshold limit for the asbestos industry and I agree with .them. I do not know what to say about Mr. Dewey's opinion and I can not imagine upon what the opinion is based. Of coiirse, the asbestos people in Canada have advanced that idea for some time as an explanation of why as bestos seems to be more clinically severe in England than in this country but I have always had the feeling that their argument was motivated by self-interest rather than to "wVa a scientific contribution. I have had the feeling for some time that asbestosis is pretty much of a mare's nest anyway. I do not doubt that asbestos dust in sufficient quantity will cause a pulmonary fibrosis. I am not sure that asbestosis alone will produce disability or death. I think that in*TG3 reported cases of fatal asbestosis they have put the cart before the hore - that is to say, these individuals have died of heart disease and because they worked in an asbestos plant and had some pulmonary fibrosis, their deaths were charged to asbestosis. In the complicated cases, death was due to tuberculosis. Tuberculosis and heart disease are the two^Leading causes of death among industrial workers and it is to be expected that the asbestos workers would have their quota. However, this is just an opinion of mine. I am engaged now in running down all our death claims from as bestosis. Some time in January or February, I want to go up to Boston because in this series which we have, the only post-mortems were those done in Boston by Dr. Timothy Leary and, incidentally, I may use your good offices to get an introduction to Dr. Leary as I want to discuss these cases with him. Best regards. Sincerely yours, Af J* L&nz&i Assistant Medical Director