Document EBK4jdQbO0LEZO8nd3B1L2Bx

Feb r u ar y 5, 1914.1 D r . E. L.W hitman 'W alla W alla W ash in gton . Dear Doctor Whitman; Some days ago I r e c e iv e d a com m un ication from Mr. H arry Kuh e, a r e p r e a e n t a t iv e o f th e Et h y l G aso lin e C o r p o r at io n , t e l l i n g me ab o u t hf h r.nnvpiY'n;i11on wt th you co n cer n in g a p a t i e n t named who a p p a r e n t ly l a su ffe r i n g from a ^ c a a e o r d e r m a t it is w h ich , p r esu m ab ly , was th e r e s u l t o f c o n t a c t w ith g a so l i n e . Mr. Kuhe st a t e d t h a t t h a t you were in t e r e st e d in knowing wh at p a r t may h ave been played in th is by the lead con ten t o f the gaso lin e . A cco r d in gly I am w r it in g t o t e l l you o f ou r e xp e r ie n ce in t h is con n ection . F i r s t I m igh t p o in t out t h at the maximal le a d con cen t r at ion in gaso lin e i s ap p r o xim at e ly 1 p a r t o f t e t r a e t h y l le a d t o 1260 p a r t s o f g a so lin e . Experim en tal o b se r v at io n s on an im als h ave shown t h at a t c o n c e n t r a t io n s o f t h i s o r d e r o f m agn itude in ga so lin e , le ad i s n ot absorbed th rough th e sk in . System ic p o iso n in g, a s th e r e su l t o f sk in con tact w ith comm ercial gaso lin e con tain in g t e t r a e t h y l lead , i s , th erefore, n ot p ossib le of occurren ce, i t seem s. In deed c lin ic a l exp er ien ce h as born e ou t t h is c o n clu sio n a r r iv e d a t by e xp e r im e n t at io n . We h ave n ot se e n a si n g l e c a se o f le a d p o iso n in g.am o n g tide t h ou san d s o f p e r so n s who h an d le le a d e d g a so lin e an d come in c o n t a c t w ith i t d a ily , and a ft e r fift e e n y e ar s o f experien ce we f e e l t h a t t h e r e i s l i t t l e d ou bt on t h i s sc o r e . As to th e i r r i t a t i n g e f f e c t s o f le ad e d g a so l i n e , we h ave fou n d no e v id en ce t h a t th e lead i s a con tributory facto r in the ir r it a t io n . Indeed t e t r a e t h y l le a d i t s e l f i a co n ce n t r at e d form i s n ot a s i r r i t a t i n g to th e ak in a s i s g a so lin e , an d in th e low co n cen t r at io n in which i t o ccu r s in com m ercial g a so lin e s, i t can scar ce ly be regard ed as a fa c t o r . - 2- On th e o t h e r h an d , some o f th e sp e c ia l g a so lin e s co n t ain in g lo ad ar e more ir r it a t in g than are ord in ary petroleum d i s t i l l a t e s , an d i t would seem t h a t t h e r e a r e more c a se s o f d e r m a t it is an d more se v e r e o a se s o f d e r m a t it is th an u se d to o c c u r . A ll the eviden ce in our hands lead s us to b eliev e th at t liis i s th e r e s u l t o f th e u se o f new m eth od in manu fa c t u r in g g a so lin e s, in t h at th e u n satu r ated and c y c lic compounds which r e s u l t from v a r io u s t y p e s o f cr ack in g and reform in g p r o c e sse s, ar e co n sid e r ab ly more i r r i t a t i n g th an st r a i g h t r u n g a so l i n e s. We h ave se e n a few o a se s o f v e r y se v e r e d e r m a t it is t h a t showed r a t h e r s t r i k i n g se n s i t i z a t i o n phenomenon, and i t o c c u r s t o me t h a t you m igh t be in t e r e st e d in a r ep or t o f one o f th ese c a se s, as p re p ar e d by my a sso c i a t e Dr. W illar d M ach le. I am n o t su r e t h a t I h ave an sw ered th e q u e st io n s w h ich may h ave o ccu r r e d t o you , o r t h a t Mr. Kuho h as p r o p e r ly t r a n sm it t e d to me you r q u e st io n s on t h is c a se . However, i f th er e i s an y fu r t h e r in for m ation which I can giv e you , I sh a ll be p le a se d t o do so . Very t r u ly y ou rs, RAKj is R o b e r t A. Koh oe, ii.D .