Document Ev8D6aL0Y8eoKZX3219moMnvg

August 11, 1942 Mr. Philip Drinker , Harvard University School of Public Health, 55 Shattuck Street, Boston, Mass* Dear Mr. Drinkers At long last, I am forwarding to you a series of papers representing the subject matter of the symposium on lead poisoning at the Cincinnati convention. The delay is getting it together has been largely my own, but I dare say I need not offer explanations. 3f realise that you have not committed yourself to the ac ceptance cf these papers for publication, and yet I think when you see them and go over them you will feel that you Ohould take them. However? there are one or two points to vfhich I wish to make reference, and there is on or which X want your suggestions? The latter concerns the paper of John Buxell. I'believe you will agree with me that this is not a good pauer. On the other hand? it is essentially in the form in which it was given in Cincinnati The paper was h dlsappointment to me at that time, and 1 am no better pleased with it now. MT. Buxell*s letter to me enclosing it said that it was in the for for insertion in the sympo sium. I doubted that and took the liberty of editing; it, with the idea that X would communicate with him before sub mitting it for publication. On second thought, X decided to submit the matter to you, sending you the original paper and the somewhat edited version. You are at liberty to take any action you like # but I,should appreciate your com municating your intentions to me in order that I may main tain properly courteous relationships with Mr* Buxell. X have attached pencil notations to this material. My second comment applies to the paper by Sanders. After jondering your suggestions for the presentation of the data, Janders has concluded that he prefers to present the charts is he originally prepared them with some slight reduction in their number. I must confess that I am in agreement with him On this question, since, X belie ve, a similar and more abbre viated method of presentation involves rather arbitrary and unjustified assumptions. The irregularities In the curves Mr. Philip Drinker - (2) * August 11 * 1942. sight be assumed to be sampling errors, but this is be no means certain, and both Sanders and I are very dubious of that ex planation. There is also the difficulty of choosing the level which shall be considered formal". We believe that any use of this arbitrary point will produce confusion and will indicate a much greater certainty than exists concerning this physiologic phenomenon* Accordingly# we both feel that the presentation of thes?data has been handled in a reasonably satisfactory manner, and ve hope you will agree. If you do not# and if you wish to reduce the number of figures, we shall do our best to be guided by your suggestions With respect to the other papers # I have no important comments My own. or rather the one which is headed by my name,is a running discussion which may not be adequately supported at every point by the data. On one other hand# the paper that I am preparing to fully present the data of these studies is too bulky to be e-nsitiered in this connection# and. since some of the observations ts?e still in progress# I am put. to the necessity of covering the more .Important points without presenting the de tailed data. I am at some loss to know how to present the com plete work# fur it is voluminous# and it can not be reduced to the siae of an ordinary paper. It is of considerable practical importance, however# to gee this carefully checked information into a place where it can ce used# and that was asy purpose in presenting it as I did at the Cincinnati meeting* I shall be out of my office for the next ten days# and I dare say you will not have time to come to definite conclusions on this matter before the end of that time. On the other hand# I should be glad to have your decision and your comments on this material at your early convenience. ;tfith kindest personal regards# Cordially yours, BAK ef Enc. 0015248