Document 65y04w4vrEkpVqYVMa42V8M3E

Ootobsr 13, 1939 Hr. A* B. Root Jr., Chairmen Occupational Disease Cooaittee, N.l.P.A. Hunt-8pillwr Manufacturing Corporation 383 Dorcheater Avenue Boston, Hasa. Dear Hr. Roots I have /our lattar of Octobar 11* I aa ancloalng a wiasographed cop/ of a ohaptar which was published in tha Washington Symposium on Silicosis conduct*! b/ tha H* 8* Department of Labor la 1937* To aa was assignad tha task of assembling tha awldanca with raapact to tha ralationahip batwaan silicosis and tubarda infaction. Thia chapter was tha result and represents but a condensed portion of tha awldanca available. X think you sight be interasted to read it and don*t think that you will find it wary heavy going. Tou sight also chock with Mr. Philip Drinker at tha Harvard School of Public Health and ease of the sMdieal authorities at the Massachusetts General Hospital, also Dr. Tiaothy Leary, tha widely experienced Boston Coroner. One thing that baa stood out in tha twenty-five years that silicosis studies have bean sade in thia country la how tha general pattern has agraed with that in South Africa and in fcigland,.and later with the Canadian and Australian ex perience. Moat of the studies in this country vara sade tinder tha auspices of the Public Health Service, tha U. 8. Bureau of Hines, and the Saranac Laboratory. The x-ray pioneers in this particular field ware tha lata Dr. Fancoaat of Phila delphia and his associate, Dr. Prendergrasa. hat nay be tha nature of tha relationship between silica and tubarcle bacillus has never bean determined but that tha relationship exists Is aaply borne out by all the teetiwony of reoent years. Thera la no evidence that dusts, other then those contained in free silica, {with the exception of asbestos) oauee a epeoifio disease of the lunge attended with en Increased liability to infection. However, X a* quite certain that the general trend in thia country la to consider that tnere is a definitely occupational v feature in those cates of tuberculosis in which it oan be shown that the workmen was exposed to any kind of dust. This la what might aa termed tha "legal* In eontre-distinotion to the medical hasard. In other words, X am quite aura that Industry has to pay for tuberculosis to an Increasing extant. X simply make r this observation without any aomnant one way or tha other* Plaaaa let * knov if X can ba of furtbar Barrie a With boat ragarda* Vary tr / ycrora. A* J. Lanaa, V. D. Aaalatant Kadioal Diractor