Document EgkDrwBRZBO8xQRX5G74y3Eg

March 1, 1953 Dr* D* W* Johnson 52 Oreenrldge Avenue White Plains He? York ' . . . '' . - - Dear Doctor Johnsons As a medical consultant of the Kthyl Gasoline Corporation, 1 two had brought to my attent^i^^cas^^, of dermatitis in a patient of yours, a Mr The matter was .brought to my attention t h r o u p ^ m ^ w c n r i York office of the Ethyl Gasoline Corporation by way of Y a field representative who, I believe, talked with you about the cari My reason for writing you Is that I and ray associates have had some experience with certain cases of dermatitis in various parts of the United States in gasoline handlers* A rather interesting situation lias developed In that shortly after the .introduction if Ethyl Gasoline to the general market, certain complaints arose in different parts of the country' as to t^e injurious effects of Ethyl Gasoline* A very large proportion of all of these cases were skin irritations so that we became interested in the question of a possible contribu;1on of the Ingredients of Ethyl Fluid to the skin Irritation which resulted fresa gasoline alone* After sane considerable In vestigation of the natter both experimentally and clinically, we have establ"shed the fact that neither tetraethyl load nor ethylene d i-bromide is responsible 'for'the sk?n irrita tion but that certain complex compounds which occur in particularly high concentration in ''orac-o^ msollnes are responsible for the development of sensitivity phenomena similar to those vdiich are associated with foreign proteins and certain other large molecules of complex chemical structure* These are el tber gums or gum'forming'materials in gasoline* We have seen a few patients who have developed this sensitivity to "'cracked" gasolines regardless .of whether the gasoline contained or did not contain Ethyl Fluid Rfy associate hr* Machle has isolated those materials In one of the hi h boiling point fractions of gasoline* On the other hand, no reaction is produced by fumes of gasoline unless there Is a low boiling point fraction to aid as the carrier* That is to. say, these materials are so slightly volatile them selves that they require a volatl le solvent'or carrier to produce the effect* We are interested in the matter expert-- 2 mentally and we hope eventually to identify the substance or group of substances which are responsible for this activity. It is apparent that before the days of "cracking" which developed almost simultaneous with the development of Ethyl Gasolene, there was either no such stibstaiice in grsollne or they were present in such small amounts as to be of relatively little importance* Dr* t'achle has not published h* s observations as yet and he does not feel that he washes to do so until he has had an opportivn? ty to carry out further experirsentnl wor*-* more over so far as I louw# there is nothing in the medical liter ature on this subject* Since this is a matter of considerable scientific Interest as v;ll as of practical importance I should be glad if you would give me any details as to your observations in fcre case of Mr. ilarding* Very truly yours RAKiIS