Document B52rw202w5Vw1Ko9yK9dOJaQj

De ce m be r 19, 19 3 8 Mr. F . . Ea i*t ' An aco n d a Wire and Ca b l e Company Marlon, Indiana De ar Mr. H art* I h ave no doubt; you remember th e s u g g e s t i o n s w h i ch I made a t th e ti m e o f my v i s i t to yo u r p la n t. However some o f our o b s e rva tio n s in d ic a te d th a t th e re m ight be some f a c t o r s in the le ad a b s o r p t i o n o f yo u r workmen w h ich w e re n o t f u l l y a c c o u n te d f o r b y my o b s e r v a ti o n s . A c c o r d i n g l y I have th o u g h t i t b e s t t o make a b r i e f r e p o r t , g i v i n g you th e : b e n e f i t o f a l l th e d a t a and I n f o r m a t i o n w h i c h we o b ta in e d and m aking such c e r t a i n reco m m endations to you f o r th e a vo id a n c e o f fu r th e r d i f f i c u l t i e s , I h ave ju s t h e a rd from Mr, - Shaner co n ce rn in g the outcome of the s u i t a g a in s t y o u r co m p a n y. I am n o t s u r p r i s e d a t ^ t h i s . r e s u l t ' an d, as a m a tte r o f f a c t , I th in k you a r e 'r a th e r f o r t u n a t e t h a t th e v e r e i c t was n o t l a r g e r . On th e o th e r hand I w i s h to c o n fi rm my b e l i e f , w i t h o u t which I would n o t have t e s t i f i e d in t h i s ca s e , th a t ( t h i s man d id n o t h ave le a d p o is o n in g and t h a t i t was n o t a f a c t o r in h i s p r e s e n t d i s a b i l i t y . Of co u rs e he may h ave had some r a t h e r m Hd symptoms o f plumb ism at th e time o f h is i n i t i a l i l l n e s s , but I doubt th i s , and th e r e was no e vid e n c e in the r e c o r d , s o f a r as I saw, w hich ju s t i f i e d one In making a d ia gn o s is o f le ad p o i s o n i n g . On t h e o t h e r h a n d , t h e r e was no p r o o f t h a t he d id n o t have le a d p o is o n in g , I b i s was the weakness .. in yo u r c a s e , s i n c e you were co n fro n te d w ith th e te s tim o n y o f a t l e a s t two l o c a l d o c to r s who b e l i e v e d t h a t th e symptoms were f e f e r r l b l e to le ad a b s o rp tio n . This Is th e problem w h i ch a l l e m p lo ye rs o f w orkmen i n th e l e a d tr a d e s h a ve t o be a b l e t o m e e t . The d i a g n o s i s o f l e a d p o i s o n i n g I s r e g u l a r l y made on th h i s t p r y o f xp o s u re i Th a t i s to s a y, th e o ccu p atio n al h is to r y of the em ployee th a t in d ic a te s th a t he Is engaged In work which in vo lve s some c o n ta c t w ith l e a d - c o n t a i n i n g m a t e r i a l s . The a v e r a g e d o c t o r d o e s n o t make an y a tte m p t to e v a lu a t e th e m agn itu d e o f th e e xp o s u re and h e te n d s to a s c r i b e any e x i s t i n g i l l n e s s to th e e f f e c t s o f le ad abs o rp tio n . I f he Is not s traigh te n e d out a t th a t tim e by a thorough study o f the p a tie n t, which dem onstrates 2- 'K the f a c t s one way or the o th e r, he w i l l th e r e a fte r h o ld t o the c o n v ic tio n th a t h is d ia g n o s is was c o r r e c t. I t I s , t h e r e f o r e . In cum be n t upon th e employer* to o b ta in m e d ic a l a s s i s t a n c e and a d vice w hich Is more co m peten t than th a t o f the ge n e ral p r a c titio n e r o f m edicin e* I t I s f o r t h i s re a s o n th a t I have made r e f e r e n c e In th e a tta c h e d re p o r t to a means by which th e f a c t s can be o b ta in e d in d o u b tfu l c a s s o f I l l n e s s among e m plo ye e s * I th in k th e 'tim e i s coming and, in f a c t , n o t fa r away when e m plo ye rs In the h a zard o u s tr a d e s w i l l be co m pe lle d to e x e rc is e the utm ost pre cau tio n s in the avoidance o f e xpo s u re * D e s p ite th i s f a c t , I th in k th e re w i l l be an in c r e a s in g n e c e s s i t y fo r th e u tm o s t p r e c is io n In the m e d i c a l s u p e r v i s i o n o f workmen i n i n d u s t r y . I t r u s t you w i l l fi n d th e r e p o r t w h ich I s e n d h e r e w ith o f some I n t e r e s t and va lu e . v Very tr u ly yo u rs . RAKi i a R o b e r t ' a K e h o e , ra,D, ) /_