Document Exr20ERGzERKVY7EQz64LNL54

. 4 -- ~ .. -- 4. si. H. S C H A E F E R , GENERAL. MANAGER. ETH YL COR POR ATION Ma nufa ct ur ing a nd Tr a f f ic Depa r t ment PLEASE ADDRESS REPLY TO'.-CHRYSLER b u il d in g 4 0 5 LEXINGTON AVE.,NEW YORK CITY March 29, 19*0 Dr. B. A. Kehoe College of Medicine University of Cincinnati Eden & Bethesda Avenues Cincinnati, Ohio Dear Bob Thank you very much for your letter of March 25 with reference to the use of Vitamins among industrial workers; I doubly appreciate your detailed comments. I am taking the liberty of passing copy of your letter along to Messrs. Bond and Vasserman for their information. Very truly yours, 5-2 K- 0001008 March 25# 1 9 * 5 Mr* John Schaefer# Ethyl Corporation# Chrysler Building# New York City. Dear John* With reference to the use of vitamins in a general prophylac tic manner among industrial workers, I think it is fair to say that there is some justification for this procedure. Work men in general tend to have somewhat deficient diets. There are a number of reasons for this, and I have no doubt it could be corrected in large part in normal times by an educational pro gram. The fact remains, however# that such educational pro grams have not been very effective in the past# that workmen do not take advice too well in relation to their personal affairs and that they tend to stick to the habits developed over a period of years. There may well be a certain advantage# therefore# in augmenting their diet with accessory materials. In addition# it has been rather clearly demonstrated^ that the use of 'Vitamin C is beneficial in preventing the worst effects of excessive exposure to heat * This whole subject is in a state of flux. Much of the current advertising is balderdash, and it Is usually the result of advertising campaigns carried out by essentially ignorant people in the exploitation of the latest scientific discovery for purely commercla1 purposes. Nevertheless # the proper use of vitamins under the instructions of the physician is fully justified I have talked this matter over with Dr. Gehrman. He believes# on what I consider fairly reasonable grounds# that the administration of vitamins to their workmen has been beneficial. They have undertaken to pro vide certain vitamin mixtures to their men if the men wish to take them. They purchase large quantities at low cost, and so are able to carry on this procedure at a limited cost. To the extent that the Ethyl Corporation may be asked to bear a portion of this expense for the treatment of men in the lead plants# I should consider it justifiable. If later information should indicate there are reasons why this need not or should not be done, it will be discontinued. However, I should certainly be unwilling to make any opposition to this program under present conditions. At the same time I would not advise carrying out a similar pro gram for employees of the Ethyl Corporation. If It should become desirable to do so later, I will bring the matter to your atten- XZ 0001009 Ms*. John Schaefer - (2) - March 25 1945 tion and sake specific recommendations. For the present I should prefer to follow the policy of watchful waiting in order to see whether or not there are results that justify our parti cipation in such a program. From) this you will gather that I consider that this is in the experimental stage. The enthu siasts would claim that this is not true, and the most severe critics would say that it is 'hokum." I think we should wait and see Sincerely yours. RAK ef lRobert'". Kehoe ML >"L' KET 0001010