Document Dzon9nxaMY0QjYmgXXz9Ow8o

9*" -^ **ty%*r\r l i c J c5 cU '*J~Qa s Cc 1 __ ,? '/jpLU-^ ~ C U / J 4 "l mrit, ~~r^'^-iJU^j n ^ i~&~~os~ i^y$-^--}-i'.` Dr. R. ft. Andre, Supervisor :|ic d iic a i'le c tio n ... , . - The of Ohio Columbus 15, Ohio Dear Doctor Andre i ' U .i. d ... C / sl----i-0 d The reference of the record, ^ 72.927,, t--o me for aa opinion poses a problem which is Quite embarrassing and cannot be handled in a satisfactory manner in accordance vith the usual procedure. Accordingly 1 am addressing this letter to you instead of making the customary specialist report, and I am not sending a fee bill since non is justified at this time There is nothing of factual consequence to review in the record, and there is nothing in it whatever , except the unsupported statement cf Dr. Hopple, to indicate that this man suffered froa lead poisoning. Perhaps the opinion is correct, since it Is not impossible that this man vas ill in May of 1951 as the result of undue absorption of lead. This la unlikely, however, even if ha had complete freedom from any occupational exposure to lead froa that title caa until October 5 c, 1951, when Dr. Hopple obtained samples of blood and urine from t M s man and a group of fellow employees of TextHeather Corporation* 1 say this because the concentration of lead in the blood and. urine of this man on October 5 0 , 1951 was not only within normal limits, but was In the? low level of normal values, actually under the average value for persons with no unusual exposure to lead,. It is rare, to the point of the greatest unlikelihood, that such low results should be obtained some six months after an episode of lead intoxi cation which followed upon a period of years of alleged significant occupational exposure to lead compounds. Moreover, the results obtained on fifteen other man in the group of the same plant, aa I pointed out in my letter of interpretation to 3?. Hopple, were such aa to demonstrate that none of them bad suffered any recent significant exposure to lead compounds. I have no information on the occupational or symptomatic history or on the clinical status of these men, although it la our practice to require such information in connection with such analyses, and such was requested. Therefore, I have no basis for interpreting the results, except to say that all except one (the blood of Dalton Miller} were within normal limits. Moreover, I remarked upon the negative character of the data in relation to the ' occupational exposure which was apparently under study, and suggested that there mast have;been seme reason for the analyses and some background for the belief that the exposure had been hazardous. Ho information has been forthcoming. I do not like to be used in tills manher, and I cannot avoid the feeling; that :Dr. Ev.;liiidre - { 2 ) - 'Ml$; i f ' ' there Is something in this entire situation that does not meet the eye. In any ease, this claim, as it lias been presented, is without support, and unless the Camaission is prepared . h y a i ited statement, it would seem justified in demanding e oi sure to lead on t*h-*e --part* of --the- claimant, before yielding to so great -st ^certainty iiy curiosity has been piqued by these circumstances, particularly sifece it appears that compensation claims have been made by all of the men whose blood and urine were analysed in this'Laboratory. One may be justified in the doubt that any of these men were the victims of lead poisoning, certainly without sene acceptable evidence from ecme source of significant occupational exposure to lead, no such belief is possible. I shall'be greatly interested in any further developments in this cace. It should be investi gated particularly from the aspect of the detailed employment fesdltd ari In; 'his record. Were they ill or away from their regular employment for many months prior to those analyses? If not, that is, if they were engaged in work which allegedly involved occupational exposure to lead up to, or within some few weeks or months of, 'tb^fl -;^h of medical interpretation, since no hazardous absorption of lead occurred. Cordially yours. RAK ef Bobert A. Kehoe, M. 0. K 0016473