Document 7OO8yre1xpLp7Mk9bGM4Vb4re

Dr0 Charles HcVea Louisiana National Bank Bldg. Baton Rouge, La* January 21, 1946 Baton Rouge, La* Taylor, Porter, Brooks Puller La. National Bank Bldg.,, Baton fouge, La. Dear Mr. Porter: As you requested. I hare examined a 21 year old negro man, ivho states, while 'working for the DuPont Co. in January'1945, he was exposed to lead fumes while doing ditching work in a drainage' ditch on DuPont property,: The same day he had a severe headache and was treated by a physician without relief. Several days after his illness began, he was so sick that he was ad mitted to a local hospital. He says this was about the 28nd of February and he remained in the hospital 1 month. The first le^,^ days of hospitalization, he was out of his head and he suffered thereafter with a continual headache, a stinging pain around his heart and a choking sensation in his throat. These complaints have continued up to today and he has sought relief on several occasions, seeing several physicians and being in Charity Hospital in New Orleans on several occasions, the last time being about 2 months ago. Be com plains, further that he cannot see as well out of. the. right eye as out of the left since the injury. The headache and aching pain down his back have been continuous since his accident. He does not sleep well end awakes at night with headache. At the time of the accident for a period of about 2 months he had recurrent severe cramps in his abdomen but these have not recurred since April 1, 1945. His bowels move normally but he has a poor appetite and says the sight and odor of food occasionally makes him vomit. He has a hacking cough and spits up blood at night and at frequent intervals during' the day he has a choking sensation in his throat. He has no other complaints of any other nature whatsoever. He states that he has had no previous illness. Marital and family history are not significant. He had gonorrhea in 1S42 and was cured. He- denies any other venereal disease. On physical .examination he is seen to be a well-nourished and well-developed negro man. His eyes are slightly more prominent than usual. His teeth and mouth show no gross pathology and tonsils are apparently normal. There is a line of pigmentation on gums which is not uncommon in this race. I do not be lieve it is.a "lead" line. A complete physical examination reveals no pathology of any significance except that the Blood Pressure is 155/95. The urinalysis is essentially negative. It is my opinion that this man has a hypertension or high blood-pressure and that this is responsible for the headaches he suffers. He has no physical evidence or history of symptoms of lead poisoning existing at the present time. It is quite possible that the hypertension which he now has is a complication of lead poisoning. I do not know whether or not he had high blood-pressure be fore his exposure to lead. I am unable to account for the backache, the choking sensation in the throat, the .stinging pain around his heart or the difficulty he complains of with digestion. I a . inclined to believe that the digestive dis- 2- - turbanee is a minor one since this men is rather well-nourished and well-de veloped. facilities are not available in my office to test hi,s vision com pletely, however he tells me that he sees fairly well out of both eyes but that his vision is not clear in. the'right eye. It would he of seme benefit to me to know `the results of the 'blood work on this man, I believe the blood findings would support' ray impression that he .no longer suffers with lead poisoning at this, timeo Thank you for sending this man to me, Very truly yours, CLIY/mss hnCc /a/ Charles L'cYea Charles ZIcYea, ill) Jbv Robt.. B. Wallace 603-4 Eeymond Building iton Rouge, La. 5. Z 2 Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Fuller Louisiana Xiatioral B nk Bldg. Baton Rouge, Louisiana Re.: 1153'Rig 3t B ton Rouge, La. Dear Six's: .At your request I have this day examined the above-named colored male, with the following findings: He gave a history of becoming sick while digging in a large ditch after a pipe containing a blue liquid was broken about 11 Ac M. on January 31st, 1945, working off and on until 5:30 that afternoon. He felt bad all that night, vomiting his food and becoming very restless. He worked two hours the next day but got so sick that they spent the rest of the day in the plant hospital. Ks then stayed at hems for several days taking treatment for headache from his doctor, then -was sent to the hospital ana was treated for being crazy for about one month. Nov? he says he feels bad all the. time with continuous dizziness and oain all over his head and in his right eye; has a choking feeling in las throat end occasionally a singing in his heart; has a burning of his eyas all the time; always worse at night and has to sleep with his head high. Says his muscles are in good shape and has no trouble with his hands or feet. Examination showed a well-developed and nourished, young colored male, apparently in excellent health, and all general examination findings were normal. I found no objective signs of lead poisoning; his blood-pressure, systolic 133mm - diastolic 78m; pulse 73; nc signs of arterio-sclerosis; no lead line on -rams; reflexes (eye, knee ana Rhcmberg) all normal; no wrist or ankle weakness; and no signs of encephalopathy. Conclusions: While 1 could find no objective signs of lead poisoning and recovery from lead psychoses is common, this man may have a residual lead psychosis which could terminate in chronic insanity. To get further examination cn this phase of - his condition I would suggest examination by a psychiatrist. In my ^rehabilitation work I have found that Dr. Barkoff (New Orleans) makes ex cellent examinations and very thorough repoi'ts. Yours very truly, ' h'-T-TT". . " ';Tv-"; ' /s/.Robt,, B. Wallace,M.D. l#ISSll#^fe^ 0017509 N21083.01