Document EqKN8br79ZeBjnoZMR0RYZ79R

March 14, 1983 Katharine R. Boucot, M.D. Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania 3300 Henry Avenue Philadelphia 29 Pennsylvania Bear Katharine: Frank Princi directed your letter of March 11 to my attention because of its pertinence to the published articles in the Archives of which I was the senior author. It is not surprising that a critical comment was made as to the two ways of representing certain portions of the data obtained by analysis of the air, considering the extreme orthodoxy of some of our associates in such matters. The reason for cur use of data expressed in micrograms (or milligrams:) per cubic foot is that the instrument employed for such specific determinations was designed so as to yield direct readings in these terms. For the purpose of statistical representation i.e., distribution of the frequencies of the observed results, it is technically correct to employ the original data rather than those derived by calculation. However, it will be noted that the mean values have been converted into the more conventional form for the convenience of the reader who wants to look at the data in their usual settings, without having to resort to any calculations of his own. You may advise our critic that we followed the correct procedure. Whether it was wise to design the instrument to yield mixed readings of this type is, of course, another matter. The latter was not our decision, although it was made for a practical reason which was considered, at the time, to be good. Certain of the data, specifically, those concerned with particulate lead in the ambient atmosphere,have been expressed in the conventional manner. These were obtained by means of other instrumentation, and in line with our general practice, they were handled as usual. Sincerely yours. Robert A. Xehoe, M. D. RAK:ss HE 00104bG In A'fA Directory: 353 Armistice Blvd., Pawtucket, Rhode Island Born 1916 - University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, 1943. License, 1946; Internal Medicine, General Practice, with some Specialty Practice. A'o other publications were noted. X HS 0010457