Document 936wRKzzdxxLrJ7RgpxQpn42e

Dr. Rafael Schiaffino Montevideo -Uruguay r *A , fil h .. ) 'y i S'is y| vis M'l* I. . . & : . V"; - ' -y y V h: i ^. . . ";K:vV;''' : f /h -. -:: / :."' :: % :M :VS4g ': ftn. Shv : ; V-}. iTsiif\r'/::'si;vi;'V-}'V. ,'..h- ' :;-.;'U.-'- V^ ' V,.:-.r.,'V -X, '''l-i 'l i l t 'l i i 'tS^'hr': ';'?:'U'Uhh/ :f;Hi;h NI7457 if,y' ' , o cz> lu X Dr. Rafael Schiaffino Administracin Nacional de Combustibles Alcohol Y. Portland 25 De Mayo I4.09 Montevideo South America Dear Doctor Schiaffino: I had your l time ago with its questions and also the information on the men at the refinery. in replying has been occasioned in large the fact that my associate Dr. Machle ha gaged for some time in the collection of and in the preparation of a paper on gas cation. I felt that this paper would be more use to you than any discussion whic clude in a letter, and accordingly I am herewith a copy of this paper, together recommended regulations for the safe han gasoline In sending y formation I realize fully that it will n all the questions raised in your letter. however, it will give you a clear idea o expect in connection with gasoline expos fore, will be of some benefit in the con the symptoms described iii your .letter. you to think that I have considered too which you have described. On the other less than frank If I did not say that I In the main Indidental and largely unrel pational hazards and toxic exposures. M conditions which you describe are not es in men who work in industrial plants. I consider the normal physical status of w called an average industrial worker, he to be something very different from that text books as the normal for young healt There are rather extensive variations In count, much more extensive variations In and differential leucocyte counts, and I of the physical constants whether derive observation or laboratory procedure will rather wide deviations from what we are the normal physiological picture. All o I believe* as essentially normal in the senting the status of average men living environmental conditions* Most of the t have described in the way of symptoms ar many of us have at times, and which very commonly we ignore* It often happens th not been working as industrial workers s many slight difficulties as a consequenc changed life when under industrial emplo In addition to these difficulties, such to believe they are exposed to poisonous tend to become highly introspective and which they would ordinarily Ignore* I h doubt that this provides some portion of of the conditions described in your lett presumptuous and Impertinent for me to j portion of the circumstances were of thi other hand I think I have a certain just doubting if there is much here in the wa intoxication. It is fair to say in gene handling of petroleum products and the o gasoline refinery do not represent espec exposures to toxic materials, There is of fire and explosion, and there is also of being overcome by gasoline vapors in Other associated toxic substances can no On the other hand our experience with ge In refineries leads us to believe that t their occupation are certainly small fro view of dangerous intoxication* It is t and this point of view which makes me so of the significance of many of the sympt mentioned* Most of us, as doctors, have of having people come to us when they ar population, or the portion of it which I do not come to us and consequently we ar of thinking of them as free of symptoms kind. This is distinctly not the case, by anyone who for any reason undertakes nation of a large number of people who a their day's work regardless of its natur that laboratory workers in general tend spective and tend also to have more symp themselves consider indicative of some a we believe, Is true to a lesser degree o are under examination where any suspicio to the conditions under which they work. Ki? 0013505 one comnent, and that in particular rel findings in the blood. Extensive varia count are very common among people who This is essentially true of the lymphoc portion of the blood. I think it is fai very large proportion of industrial wor polymorphonuclear neutrophil count with count running between I4.O and 50 percent. also vary rather extensively and in the with low grade infections, parasetic in allergic reactions, extensive variation wlthout medical significance but withou relationship to occupational conditions. from all this that I am exceedingly ske significance of the observations made b have no doubt that these conditions exi but I doubt very greatly that they had tionship to any occupational hazards wi question. I shall be in your reaction both to these comments which I am sending you. It is indeed a from you again, and I trust that this w many exchanges of communications betwee I am With kindes RAKjls