Document 8OOQe3LZpM6jnNMo1N8YeNE9k

ILeitafl2imA utries Am !siimm C LIN TO N H .CRA K E.N K SIO EN T K . C . B R O W N E L L , VICE R C tlD IN T F . W . R O C K W E L L , v i c k p *c * d e n t R O B E R T LJN O LEV ZIEG PEi-D SE C BETA RY-TREASURER 4-20 LEXINGTON AVENUE NEWYORK17.N.Y. MANF R E D BOWDI TCH' DIRECTOR OF HEALTH AND SAFETY December 12, 1950 Robert A. Kehoe, M. D., Director Kettering Lab. of Applied Physiology University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Eden Avenue Cincinnati 19, Ohio . Dear Bob: Herewith are copies of two recent letters to Dr. Weech, one sent on November 8 after a futile effort to reach him by telephone while I was in Cincinnati and the other mailed to day. I am including to you only the first of the enclosures to my second letter as the rest involved questions of parental education on which I hardly imagine you would want to waste your time and on which I wish I did not have to spend an appre ciable quota of mine. As I think you know, I am doing my best by various means to secure a sound evaluation of the background and extent of the childhood plumbism problem. The Cincinnati situation should constitute an important facet of the over-all picture and it seems a pity that it should be represented by so complete a blank as has resulted from both recent and earlier efforts to elicit some information from Doctor Weech. I do not know how well you know the man but he is the only one among quite a group of pediatricians with whom I am in touch who seems averse to playing ball, and if you felt that there was any tactful way in which you could persuade him to be a bit more helpful, I would appreciate your kind offices not a little. Due to what I hope is only a temporary nonmeeting of minds among our directors, I am still unable to say anything definite about the stabilizer study which we discussed in Cincinnati on November 3. Sincerely yours, LEAD INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION 420 Lexington Avenue NewYork17. N. Y. MANF R E D BOWDI T C H DIRECTOR OF HEALTH AND SAFETY December 18, 1950 A* J-shly Weech, M* B. Children*s Hospital Cincinnati, Ohio Dear Doctor Weeehs . X had hoped to nave a reply to ay November 8 letter in time to be able to include something more definite about childhood plumbisM in Cincinnati than you will note from the enclosed paragraph clipped from my annual report (dated December 1) to our'members* X trust that you idil be kind enough to let me hear from you on this at your con venience* Also herewith as of possible interest to you are cop ies of two little publications of the national Safety Council, an excerpt from a letter to Mr* Thac-ias Faasler of that organization end copies of letters from Bra. R. K* Byers and H, f . Dietrieh eossaenting thereon* It need hardly be said that I would value an expression of your viewpoint no loss than theirs. Sincerely youra, one* 13id Kt 0014 i% 4*`,j iV t 5, Reports of Childhood Plumbism Baltimore continues to be the main source of ' ' alleged childhood lead poisonings., with 29 cases and 2 deaths reported to date in the current year. It is anticipated that the study discussed in the following paragraph vd.ll clarify both the . antecedents and actual extent of this local problem. In the same period Dr, R. K. Byers of the Children's Hospital, Boston, where our Association is partially financing the diagnostic work, has reported only five positive cases and has negated the diagnosis of plumbism in a number of suspected cases. It is to be hoped that this very valuable work may have continued support. A report of an increase in the number of cases at the Children's Hospital in Cincinnati has yet to be confirmed. News accounts of scattered cases continue to flow in from various parts of the country, sometimes at the rate of fifty clippings a month, whether justified or not, these ob viously constitute most adverse publicity and warrant every effort to find effective preventive means. ' \ HI\ rE*T 147 r*o GO LEAD INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION 420 Lexington Avenue NewYork17, N. Y. MANF RE D BOWDI T CH OIHECTOR OF HEALTH AND SAFETY Iiovember 8, 1950 A. Ashley vfeech, M.D. Children's Hospital Cincinnati, Ohio - Dear Doctor Weech: I was extremely s o v t j to be unable to get in touch with you.during my few hours in Cincinnati last Frida3^. Doctor Kehoe had told me that you had seen a considera ble increase in the number of childhood lead cases dur ing the past summer and I was very anxious to discuss this with you. If you would be good enough to tell me just what this has amounted to and to what circumstances, in your opinion, the increase has been due, the kindness would be much appreciated. I continue to work as closely as possible with the pediatricians and others in Boston, Baltimore and elsewhere who are concerned with this prob lem and all the information I can secure is of potential value in its ultimate solution. Sincerely yours, mb/sd RE 00 j W /-V iO J