Document 70ydavyvGdoKqN5zGym1anZDE

*j i. : !i Et h y l Ga - s o l ine Co r po r a t io n , 25 B r o a d w a y I n t e r -Of p i o e COBBESPONDKNCE N j e w Y o r k A p ril 25, 1929. D r. R o b ert A. Kehoe, Dear Dr. Kehoe: The S u rg e o n G a ie r^ ^ ia s c a lle d our a tte n tio n to a l e t t e r ad d ressed to him by one 530 F e d e ra l B u ild in g , B u ffalo , N .Y ., copy o f which i s en B o sed . ' * The Surgeon G en eral has ask ed u s w h eth er o r n o t we had any inform ation in regard to the e ffe c t of te tra e th y l lead in gasoline by splash in g i n th e e y e s, and a ls o i f we had any in fo rm a tio n i n re g a rd to e x p e rie n c e o f th e v ario u s o i l companies on th e e f f e c t o f p la in g aso lin e in ^ th e eyes. I t would a ls o be i n t e r e s t i n g to know i f th e r e i s any m ed ical l i t e r a t u r e on th e s u b je c t. We have a s s u re d him t h a t we would f u r n is h him a t an e a r ly d a te any d a ta o r in fo rm a tio n we had on th e s u b je c t. Would a p p r e c ia te any a s s is ta n c e y ou may re n d e r i n c o n n ectio n w ith t h i s m a tte r so t h a t we co u ld p a ss I t on to th e Surgeon G eneral i n th e v eiy n e a r f u tu r e . I assume t h a t he i s n a tu r a lly anxious to make a f a i r l y prompt re p ly to Mr. ^ H B ^ l e t t e r . We a r e n a t u r a l l y i n t e r e s t e d i n knowing som ething ab o u t th e au th o r o f t h i s l e t t e r and p a r tic u la r ly th e workmen's compensation case to which he r e f e r s . We know o f no c ase o f th e c h a r a c te r r e f e r r ed to in B u ffa lo , but have our su sp icio n th a t i t i s th e one in which --a form er em p lo y e e o f th e Rosen Economy S ta tio n s , I n c . a t Jam estow n, N.Y. a b o u ^ d iic h we have c o rresp o n d ed w ith you---i s in v o lv e d . Our re c o rd s show t h a t a young fe llo w and worked a t th e Rosen S t a t i o n s , where some tw elv e d i f f e r e n t k in d s o f g a s o lin e , in c lu d in g two E th y l G a so lin e pumps, w ere u s e d . David claim ed th a t w hile d ra in in g g a so lin e from th e tank of an autom obile th e gaso l i n e s p la s h e d i n h is e y e s . He r e p o r te d th e in c id e n t to h is em ployer, imme d ia te ly washed o u t h is eyes and made no f u r th e r re fe re n c e to th e m a tte r u n t i l about a week l a t e r v/hen he claim ed t h a t h i s eyes were s m a rtin g . A claim f o r com pensation was f i l e d a g a in s t h is em ployer. During th e h e arin g b e fo re th e com pensation r e f e r e e th e r e was q u ite some te stim o n y b e a r in g upon th e q u e stio n as to w hether o r n o t th e g a so lin e d rain ed from th e autom obile tank by David was E th y l.G a s o lin e . The in j u r e d would i n one b r e a th c laim t h a t he knew i t was by re a so n o f th e c o lo r , and th e n a g a in would s t a t e t h a t he d id n o t know b u t had h eard somebody in th e employ o f Rosen s t a t e t h a t i t was E th y l G a so lin e . In o th e r w ords, th e ev id en ce on t h i s p o in t was m ost i n d e f i n i t e . So f a r a s we know, th e i d e n t i t y o f th e owner o f th e a u to m o b ile from which th e g a s o lin e was d rain ed i s unknown, and th e re i s no p o s itiv e id e n tif ic a tio n o f E thyl G asoline as th e p ro d u c t yihich was d ra in e d from th e ta n k . Of c o u rs e , someone may be KB 0001238 D r. R o b ert A. Kehoe - #2 A pril 25, 1929. R ec e n tly we h eard t h a t | re s ig h t vas v e ry s e r io u s ly im p a ire d and w a sg ro w in g w o rse. So f a r a s I know, we have n e v e r had an ex am ination of and i t might be ju s t as w ell fo r us n o t to ask fo r one fo r the reason th a t i f our present inform ation regarding the cause of h is a f f lic tio n i s tru e i t w ill be most d if f ic u lt to e s ta b lis h any connection between our product and th a t which got in h is eyes. Quit e i r r e s p e c tiv e , o f co u rse, o f th e id e n tity o f th e person about whom t h i s man m ^ h a . s w r itte n to th e Surgeon G e n e ra l, i t behooves u s to f u l l y a p p riz e th e Surgeon G e n era l o f any f a c t s o r in fo rm a tio n we may have regarding th e in flu en ce, i f any, of Ethyl flu id in gasoline upon the eye. lours veryptruly, r " ' r ./ w > \ A:H KE 0001239 COP Y 530 F ed eral B ld g ., B u ffa lo , K.Y. April 16, 19-9. Surgeon G e n e r a l Hugh Cumming, U.S. Public Health Service, Washington, D.C. Dear S ir: . i n a r e c e n t workmen5 c o n o e n s n t:o n c a s e w hich h as come t o a y a t t e n t i o n . , a young man o f 17 h a s l o s t a p p r o x im a te ly SOp o f h i s e y e s i g h t by h av in g ethyl gasoline splashed into his eyes. I d o .n o t seem to be ab le to fin d any in fo rm a tio n on t h i s s u b j e c t , t h a t i s , th e e f f e c t o f t e t r a e t h y l l e a d on t h e e y e s , ana T am w on d erin g i f you have any in f o r m a tio n on t h i s s u b je c t . T thank you in advance fo r any Information you can g iv e me. Yours very tru ly , : ( s i g n e d ) LESLIE 0 . WRIGHT H 0001240