Document 66wzOmyNm0yeNa19gaQ7pJBg
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October 7* 3.939
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... \ Xr. Wm. A* Loveland \ gif. Community Park.; TVT Haok*s Point AO, Earleville P.O, r: Maryland
Dear Mr. Lovelands-
v Qur letter of September
13th addressed to the E, 1. duPont de Hemours
and Company* Wilmington, Delaware, has been re
ferred to me b y Dr. Gehrmann of the DuPont Company
for the reason that I and my associates have, over
a period 'of- years, investigated any and all types
of reported difficulties from the use of gasoline
containing lead.
*
1 regret very the mis fortune which you describe in your letter. I would be quite unfair, however, if I did not tell you that in my opinion, as the result of years of experience, there is no good reason for attributing the developmeat of carbuncles to the use of Ethyl Gasoline.
Since 1923 and to a much greater extent since. 1926,
- thousands of men have been engaged in the work whioh involved daily contact with Ethyl Gasoline at refineries, filling stations and garages. Among these thousands of people, there have been no evidences of injury from handling Ethyl Gasoline that have been in any way different from the consequences of handling ordinary gasoline, fhere have been no oases of lead poisoning and there has been no evidence of lead absorption. It seems quite clear, therefore, that there has been no danger to the handlers and users of gasoline from the introduction into it of small quantities of tetraethyl lead. As you probably know, when gasoline eoraea in oontact with the akin frequently, it is irritating and it causes some drying out and cracking of the akin. Generally speaking, however, this does not result in serious injury, and it never produces injurious results of any consequence except on continued and repeated contacts. It seems quite oertain, therefore, that the cessation of the carbuncles whioh you and your wife have had, had no relationship to your use or discontinuance o f the use of leaded gasoline. I think, therefore,
despite your misfortune, you need not feel that you made
2
a mistake in making use of gasoline o f this type.
As a matter of fact, bolls and carbuncles may
frequently arise without any apparent cause.
Sometimes they are an indication of some serious
disease process in other parts of the body, and
sometimes, on the other hand, they come without
warning and they quit coming without apparent
cause,
.
Very truly yours,
RAK:ia
Robert A, Kehoe, M.P,
K& 0004653