Document 5LyezGNB0BRRe375Kdga5DppV

PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT May 10, 1972 Mr. 0. K. Rennie Vice President. New Tork Office J Re: Asbestos Deer Don: j With the fundenentel push for e greatly improved ecology. Dr. Sellkof& with tie esbestos these case upon * very tloely subject vlth hie^JUMutl- gatlc is 5 or 6 years ago. Since then he has created' qu&e4 the lavestlgatlon of asbestos exposures. Primarily hl^vo^lalMiSbrl|piMk^_ confined to union member*.on the eastern Seaboard. n***f**^(| the subjects were In the insulation business, stasia flCClSg^ sbly^btalldN lng, and demolition groups. Subsequently it broadened to asbeeCtw^'^^J^ exposures la factories. Dr. Selikoff unfortunately, I feel, has hed soaevhat of m flat creating the sensational type of reporting with the nevs aedl theless, one cannot Ignore the statistics which he and his associates have compiled dealing with asbestos. It is quite certain that during World War II, that asbestos exposure among the subjects that he has studied were quite high. Many of these individuals were working at trades which varied la the short period of time from one job 6lte to another, which inevitably meant that they had fev if any safeguards or controls with respect to asbestos exposure. _ This It at quite a variance with ln-plant exposures of employees who remain at one particular job for a number of years. Dr. Sellkoff admits that he does not have all tha answers on the subject, that he does not know all of the control measures which may have to be utilired so as to protect the present day workers who are exposed to asbestos. I an sure that much of the present legislation concerning asbestos Is as a result of the'work which he and his associates have done. The jacsothelioma, particular type of lung cancer, is generally speaking a rarity except among those exposed to asbestos where it Is much more prevalent. Similarly, there is an increased Incidence of other malignancies of the stomach, colon and peritoneal lining of workmen who have been exposed to asbestos fibers. Mr. D. K. P-cnnie Ret Asbestos Page 2 May 10, 1972 I as sure that Brakeblok will be able to control properly the asbestos exposures of Its workmen. Many individuals are already dealing with this subject la Abex, and I aa sure that their efforts vlll be success ful. As you know, ve are part of a 20 year plus investigative study with ths U.S. Public Health Service in Cincinnati. Our Brakeblok employees in Winchester are providing part of the 2500 vorkaen in the Friction Materials Croup. This particular group is one of four under study in lesponse to the asbestos problea. I don't be'.ieve that our problem can really be compared prtperly with # cany of the union employees who fora part of Dr. Sellkoff's studies. Ve have nothing official yet from the U.S. Public Health Service. Unofficially however I do not think they have been too displeased with the investigative study which they have been and are conducting at Winchester. This is confidential however and cannot be released for the benefit of others at this time. I feel certain that smoking can well he a significant factor in the development of a pneumoconiosis due to the paralysis of the little hair-like cilia which are part of the cells lining a portion of the respiratory tract. Experimentally, tobacco smoke has been shown to paralyze temporarily the action of the cilia which work to remove foreign particles from the upper respiratory tract. With the failure in their action, it Is easy to see that more foreign material would remain causing greater potential irritation. Then too we know that smoking is a very real factor in connection with carcinoma of the lung. The statistics clearly indicate this. CC3:np cct Z. H Peierabend C. C. Blackwell, Jr., M.D Medical Director