Document 82yZoYY7v60D76JKEBMM7Rx2m

FILE NAME: Saranac (SAR) DATE: 1948 Oct 22 DOC#: SAR151 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Memo from Vandiver Brown RE Report on Asbestos Experiments Suggesting Removal of References to Tumors & Pneumonia Not Pursuing Human Studies October 22, 1948 Mr. Ernest Muehleck Mr. J. F. D. Rohrbach Report on Asbestos Experiments What purports to be "Part I" of a report by the Saranac Laboratory entitled "Asbestos Pneumoconiosis" has been received. My comments after a preliminary study are contained in the memorandum attached. I solicit your views with respect to the report and my comments and also your advice as to how we should proceed from this point. My comments are based on a study of the text of the report only. I have not studied the tables. I have not re-read Dr. Gardner's various interim reports for the purpose of comparing them with this one. In the event further comments are suggested by study of the tables and interim reports, I will write you next Monday. You will note in the memorandum I suggest eliminating reference to tumors and also to pneumonia. I also suggest that this report be confined to the results of the experiements with animals and not considered as the first part of a study of the effect of asbestos dust on both animals and human beings. I suggest this segregation because I believe Dr. Vorwald, who has succeeded Dr. Gardner at Saranac, will be difficult to deal with if it comes to suggesting the elimination of anything that he believes is even remotely covered by Dr. Gardner's notes. My information derives from Johns-Manville's experience with him in connection with diatomaceous earth experiments which, like the [asbestos] studies, had not been completed at the time of Dr. Gardner's death. If the report is limited to the animal experiments, our right to criticize and suggest changes before publication, or even to forbid publication, is unquestionable. If we permit it to be made part of a report covering more than the animal experiments, our position is not so strong. A situation is developing with the miners in Quebec that urgently requires that some report based on Dr. Gardner's experiments be made available as a counter agent to opinions 2 being expressed and conclusions arrived at by Quebec physicians and officials upon the basis of surmise, social ideaology, and inadequate information. Time therefore is of the essence and your prompt consideration of the report and your advice as to procedure will be appreciated. Sincerely yours, V B :S Enc. Vandiver Brown Secretary bl cc A. R. Fisher L. C. Hart J. P . Woodard Re-typed on 3/2/95