Document Dv1rMq2YKyZvQr3gmogMvR55M

Dr* J# C* Metts Savannah, Geor gia Dear Doctor Metts i- The a lle ge d ease o f lead p oison in g r e fe r r e d to in your le t t e r o f June 3r d , is a m atter of con sid er a b le In t e r e s t to me, I have had a y a t t e n t io n ca lle d t o i t n ot only through your le t t e r but through in for m ation obtained by a r e p r e se n ta t ive o f the Et h yl Ga solin e Cor p or a t ion . I am glad to give you a l l the in for m ation I can as t o the s ign ifica n ce of the. exposure to le a d in volved In the work engaged In by the cla im a n t , and I am a ls o sending you some published a r t ic le s on the s u b je ct in which the r e s u lt s of in v e s t i ga t io n s have been r ep or ted in sup por t of my s t a t e m e n t s . However I fe e l t h a t i t w ill be n ecessar y fo r me to do somewhat more than to convey t h is infor m ation t o you. During the p ast fou r teen or fift e e n ye a r s , I have made i t a point to in ve s t iga t e as thoroughly as p o s s ib le , a ll cases of a lle ge d lead poiseIng or in ju r y of any hind a ssocia ted with the han d lin g of ga solin e con tain in g t e t r a e t h y l le a d , in or d e r t h a t I might be informed as to a l l the r e s u lt s which might be exp ecte d , and a lso t h a t I might be enabled to r e p o r t to the Un ited St a t e s Pu b lic Health Ser vice of th obser vation s made. Mo . doubt you r e a liz e t h a t i t was susp ected a t one time t h a t persons engaged in h a n d lin g lead ed ga so lin e might absorb s ig n ific a n t q u a n t it ie s o f le ad in the course o f t h e ir work, and might ther eby develop .lead p oison in g. Th in ve s t iga t io n s o f t h is la b o r a t o r y, of the Un ited St a t e s Pu b lic Health Se r vice , and of the Br it is h Min istr y of Health fa ile d com pletely to shoe any evidence of danger frem le a d absor p tion as the r e s u lt o f con tact with ga s o lin e , con t a in in g the commercial q u a n t it ie s of t e t r a e t h yl le a d . ( In cid e n t a lly the maximal coocan tr ation of t e t r a e t h yl lead in ga s o lin e Is 1 p a r t in 1260 p a r t s o f ga s o lin e , whereas in non-premium lead ed ga s o lin e the con cen tr at ion is r a r e ly in excess o f a t h ir d or a fo u r t h o f t h is amount.) Moreover d u r in g the e n t ir e p er iod , in which we have been s fcudying t h is problem and: in which we have been In ve s t iga t in g com p lain ts o f a v a r ie t y of t yp e s , we have fa ile d to fin d a s in gle case o f lead p o is o n in g, nor have we been able to fin d any evidence th at persons with the most severe exposure have a ct u a lly absorbed lead as a consequence of such exposure* I t I s , t h e r e fo r e , my ver y d e fin it e opinion H Z 0 0 1 J3 7 t b a t le a d p oison in g does not oecur and can not occur as a ecBseqaeoeeu o f ~skin exposure or In h a la t io n o f ga s o lin e co n t a in in g9e&amercial q u a n t it ie s of t e t r a e t h y l lead# I t is tr ue t h a t t e t r a e t h yl lead Is capable of being absorbed through the skin when a p p lie d In con cen tr ated form* or .in h igh con cen tr ation s In ga s o lin e * On the other hand i t has been found t h a t d ilu t io n In ga s o lin e h in d er s the ab sor p tion a p p r e cia b ly, and 'shan the con cen tr ation is as lo' as 1 p ar t per thousand, lead absorption through the sk in Is so sm all as to be In cap able of measurement# . ' W i "* <; . " i . t v .. . . i : . - . The claim of t h is man, t h e r e fo r e , Is unfounded in my opinion# On the other hand i t seems q u it e cle a r fr a n the in for m ation which has boon sen t to me, th at he has s orne type of n e u r o lo gic le s io n which m ight be due to le a d , but which a ls o might be due to a r s e n ic or other t o xic m a t e r ia ls as w ell as to an in fe ct io u s pr ocess* I t would seem to me, t h e r e fo r e , t h a t the f i r s t step in the determina* t ion o f the fa c t s in t h is case would be to have a thorough p h ys ica l exam ination with such la b or a t or y procedures as ar e In d ica t e d , so as to bo ab le to make a d iffe r e n t ia l d ia gn o s is , I am somewhat h e s it a n t about ven t u r in g in t o these cases when a s u it is in vo lve d , s in ce whatever one may do may m a t e r ia lly in flu e n ce the p oin t of view o f the cla im a n t , and may p r eju d ice the case in some measure* On the other hand i t is ver y d e cid e d ly my duty to make some In ve s t iga t io n o f t h is case and I should ap p r eciate it ver y much I f you would give me your ad vice as to how and when t h is man might be seen and examined* Fr a n kly I am much mors concerned with the fa c t s as to h is illn e s s than I w ill be In the outcome of a s u it , but i f i t should develop th at i t is p ossib le to make a d iagn osis In t h is case which excludes le a d p oison in g, I should be qu ite w illin g to pr esent our fin d in gs in the m atter as an exp er t w itn ess* Moreover I should be q u it e w illin g zo give such a s s is t a n ce as I can in d is cu s s in g the case w ith fee att or n eys In vo lve d , and in pr epar ing the case fo r a h ear in g* Unfor t u n a t e ly I am scheduled to go abroad and am s a ilin g on the 22nd of Ju n e , Ther efor e anything which I am to do in t h is m atter w ill have to be done prompt3y*' Ther efor e I should a p p r e cia te your prompt r e p ly and your a d v ice ,a ft e r con su l t a t io n with the attor n eys fo r the d e fen d a n t ,a s to how I may proceed to in ve s t iga t e t h is case* In cid e n t a lly any d e t a ile d in for m ation which you .ar e a b le to send to me would be gr e a t ly a p p r e cia t e d * . Sin ce r ely yours. RAKsls ' Rober t A* Kehoe^ ''M.l)', P ,S ,I f fo r any reason you fe e l thatmy presence to in ve s t iga t e t h is , ease a t once is u r ge n t ly r e q u ir e d , I would ap p r e cia te i t i f you would telephone me a t my expense on r e ce ip t o f t h is le t t e r * Myt elep h on e number I f Un ive r s it y 2665* . RAK*