Document GOJXZMwMqxLN17Jj2EawxNpq

Corning Glass Works CORNING, NEWYOKK PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT --- ornct or .4vj^w.e.t*tarwt* atDte*fc 0*<7r9 *v-* KS?7^~r.fv-wvr * PRODUCTS Diy0N March 9th, 1937 Hr- tester ff- V. harrow, earning Class Works, Corning, Lfew York- Dear Hr- Morrow? 1n answer to your inquiry* concerning any possible health hazard of fiber glass or its products, I would like to relate wcat work / on that subject has been done and the conclusion arrived at: Tery early in the'manufacture of glass wool we considered the possibility of its having deleterious effects upon those working with it or '''.'using it# An investigation was made and it soon developed that there was ....-.`v**'-/' a scarcity of pertinent experimental work published in the literature. It 4 therefore appeared vise to conduct our own experiments, which procedure had the advantage that the results would apply specifically to our own corxnerelal grades of glass wool made from our own batch- Several groups of experiments were undertaken to dotenine what, if any, untoward physiological effect glass wool might have when it cernes in contact rith the human body. The reasoning behind this work, which dictated the choice of experiments, was briefly as follows: ______ It was assTEied that glass wool night enter the body by"hree routes, by inhalation, by swallowing and by penetration of the skin. If glass wool dust is breathed, assuming the particles are small enough to enter the aaaij air spacea of the lungs, answers to these questions ware sought: Will inhaled glass wool dust causa as reaction in the lung tissue similar to that produced by silica dust in ailieoata? Sill the reaction be at all harmful? If not, what will become of the glass wool dust? If glass wool fibers are swallowed - will they produce any serious or permanent injury to the digestive tract? If glass wool fibers penetrate the skin. - will the glass act as a tissue poison? 'Shat will become of the particles of glass wool that might be injected in the akin? *Er- Leroy ET- Gardner of Saranac Laboratory, Saranac Lake, New York, undertook two groups of animal experiments, and Mr. Philip Drinker of the Harvard School of Public Health, together with Drr;.5-Titu*f. under took a third group of experiments. 01 505 0011 WV-1082 UT. MOEWV: z- - Animal lajeetion Sroeriseate la deteraiaing whether inhaled glass wool dust would act ia an? say comparable to free silica dust, it is assent lal that the expoaura be prolonged ewer a period o? sent yea*s in order to skew xro chronic . effects, bo group of workmen in this country hare used glass wool long enough to she* positively whether or not chronic injury to the lungs sight .result.*;X-ray and clinical qlaminations cn our workmen with the longsst - . periods of service, however, rereeled no unhealthy lung condition at all."**'*'^' The effects of Inhaled dust can he accelerated in the case of animal experiments, aaa it we for this reason - to eheck our inconclusive X-ray flyings - that Dr* Gardner's help was solicited. Anise*! experiments to determine the effect of inhaled dust can he performed in two ways. First, the anisals Can he place in dust laden atmospheres sad made to breathe dusty air for long periods of time* Second, the dust in question can be injected into the animals' bodies, and it is generally recogii2ed that the type of inflammation or reaction that results indicates to a trains! pathologist whether the herwfal effects are * ll comparable to those produced by free silica dust. Pecausa the dusting* method requires two or mere years to get results, the injection or second type of experiment was selected, Aniaala were injected with glass wool dust, both "plain* and oiled*. (Oil is applied to sons conanercSal grades of glees wool to re duce fracturing of the fibers and to prevent duet being given off during handling]. Animals were examined at intervals of several days or weeks for a total period of 285 days. Dr. Gardner states: "Scperleuoa in this laboratory and elsewhere has show* that these methods are adequate to demonstrate the capacity of a mineral dust to produce fibrosla. Injection of over SO different types of duwt has indicated that if no reaction occurs in organs other than the longs, none will occur in the respiratory tract, and that conversely, dusts like silica and asbestos that are known to produce fibrosis of the lungs, also cause fibrosis in other tissues when injected in sufficient quantities.* Dr. Gardner summarizes this series of experiments as follows: "tfeither plain nor oiled glass wools have caused fibrcaia or any chronic progressive reaction by injection, sad therefore, it is a reasonable assumption that their inhalation would like wise fall to produe* such effects.* Ehting Class fool ,* A considerable unsber of references exist in the literature to eases where eiruaa performers and individuals with ulterior motives, hare either eaten glass or caused others to eat it. TJsually la these reports the glass was in chunks or pieces large enough to see with the naked eye, in no instance that baa come to our attention did the reports show that any carious ia/urr m* rfctfw to thet Ladlrtdu&l by the glass. There zwwined the possibility, however, that, losg-oontinued swallowing of assail amounts of extremely fine particles of glass sight (Vf BOS 0012 r. Morrow? -3- produce setae ehrenie damage to the body* Dr. Gardner therefor* undertook the second series of experiments in which fasting guinea pigs were injected with finely ground glaaa wool by stomaeh tube* None showed any ill effeet* even after the injections were repeated. Guinea pigs were then fed glass wool duet, mixed with a portion of grain, before they received their morning rations* After these taeals wera administered daily for periods varying up to a total of Up days, r >--> *?*- n* "failed to disclose evidence of the glees fragments! or any ..zx-.Kxr 7 ... "''v injury inflicted by them.* *- - ^ -* ^ ' **->': .... - > * . -- .. ^ Dr. Gardner concludes: One my therefore conclude that the ingestion of as ameh aa 51 grama of finely powdered glass wool, administered in divid ed doses, will not causa injury in 4 months' tine. In the absence of any reaction at all, it would hardly seem essential to continue the investigation further** Sis concluding statement we think is extremely pertinent. It is ae follows: y .* 1 "Trusting thoae findings may allay any skeptic lam as to a theoretical hazard involved from the handling of glass wool, I am * 7ory truly yours, laroy TT. Gardner, U* D., Director* ' Solubility of Olasa frool So information was found vhieh gave the solubility of glass in body fluida* i knowledge of how soluble glass la in body fluids was felt to be eesential in answering the question, "Shat becomes of glass after it enters the body?- Dr. Titus therefore, under the direction of !ir. Drinker, ran chemical experiments on solubility of glass wool in blood sera. }*y the same method he also obtained the solubility of quartz {free silica) in blood serum. Compared to quartz, glass was found to be extremely soluble. As a matter of fact, the blood serum had a certain residual silica content, and \ Dr. Titua was unable to ascertain whether any of the quartz cent into solution during a two-months period. In the eas* of glues wool {same types used by Dr. Gardner), however, the quarts content of the aenss increased core than fifteen fold during the saae period. Conclusions Befarriag to the original questions, we believe that Dr, Gardner showed that gloss wool dust, if breathed, will produce no haznful effect on the lung tissue comparable in any way to that caused by allies dust. Aa a matter of fact, in view of Dr. Gardner's conclusions, we n*7 assume there is no harmful effect of any sort. It is believed that glass wool dust which enters the lunca * A 4 Kns AfH a Ur. MOW. -4- would b racerad by th normal action of tha "scarenger* cells of tie lymphatic system, aol in view of Ur, Drinker's work, that the particles will eventually pass off in solution. lie avideace revealed by a search of the literature, supplemented by Dr. Gardner's experiments, ahows that no pej-mnaut damage 6 io digaativa tract if glass wool is swallowed, either in single large doses or in small doses taken regularly over a Ion* period of ? ^i^w^tiae. ttmile it is likely that large pieces of glass would out the digestive tract, animal earaerlaeats reported ia tha literature show that this injury heals completely in three or four days, and produces practically no discomfort. Froei^Dr. Gardner's work, it is evident that -he actual process of going into solution that is tha process of solid glass being carried off by liquid, does not give rise to any tissue poison. This indicates that glass in the body will be dissolved and eliminated slowly and continuously without any injurious or poisonous effects on the individual.. Of ecurse, the fine particles of glass wool do produce a fora of skin irritation la some people. This is of a minor nature and m man-hours worked, under observation, there has been no lost time or serious ' reaction due to such mechanical irritation* Dr. K. >B. Sayers of the United States Public Health Service in discussing the health hazard of this product states "that -he does not think - there la any chance of any untoward, effects.* However, at the present time, he is doing experimental work for us, which will, I believe, confirm the work dona by Dr. Gardner. This work will probably be over a period of six to twelve months and on the completion of it, I will forward his results to Theoretically there may be a hazard due to oil on the glass, as there are certain people, who are susceptible to dermatitis, when exposed to any product, which has even e salX percentse* *>f oil in it. These people, we will have to i^iore as the reaction is so unusual that patch testa to determine the degree of susceptibility would be wore trouble than the value received, k bath, preferably in a shower, with plenty of force and plenty of soap suda, seems to relieve all cases of the skin irritation. It is essential, however, that the workers wear loose clothing, particularly at the wrists and neck. Female workers can be protected by the use of rubber aprons or other devices, as they seem necessary. Trusting this satisfactorily answers your inquiry, I am fours trulTy s U. C. Tampler, K. B., Medical Director. T/CT'X. 01 505 0014