Document JrMqw99XZDz6YLpxRyDK89rm2

Hovember 24,1926* Dr. "* E* Deuel, The E* 1* DuPont de emours Co*, Dye Works Hospital, Pennegrove, Hew Jersey* .ly dear Doctor De\iel: Your letter of November 22d concerning the excretion of lead by tlie skin is received* The figures which are quotes in Vr* k. Ildrdgers article on the Toxicity of Lead Ethyl are taken from my statistics collected at Dayton* If you will notice the chart which he quotes in his article Is a stiidy of 23 cases on v;hich all the symptoms and signs were numeri cally set down. This data was obtained by me in the study of the Dayton cases, and was included in a report .made by the nodical committee, a copy of which was sent to Mr* Eldridgo by Doctor Thompson for the Standard Oil of Hew. Jersey Medical Staff. The test was made with a ten percent solution of sodium sulphate and water, and some care was taken to cleans the skin of all external compounds before making the test* I must say, however, that in spite of the fact that I did these tests rayself, I do not consider them conclusive for the excre tion of lead in the perspiration, for the reason that external contamination of the skin is so difficult to completely rule out that it is almost impossible to say with certainty that oho lead which was on the skin did not come from external sources* I know of no experimental data which satisfactorily settles this point* I am convinced that in all probability small quantities of lead are excreted in the perspiration, but the matter is not as yet proven with certainty,, I do not re gard any test of the skin as being.satisfactory* It would be necessary first to clease the skin with great care and then in duce perspiration before making tests of the perspiration it self obtained under conditions which obviate any possibility of external contamination* In the few cases which I have at tempted to study in this fashion the results are inconclusive* You will realize, of course, that the application of sodium sulphate to the skin produces a precipitation of any one of the heavy metal group so that a black coloration of the skin simply means that some one of this group of heavy metals is present* As to its source one cannot say with certainty. I do not regard the.12 positive results out of 28 which were N9510 J Pag # 2 I)i* V/ E Deuel November 24,1926 mad at Dayton as indicative of anything except the tindoubtable presence of lead on the surface of the body* As a mattes* of fact, that was all I was attempting to deter mine by mj test, for I wanted to know to what extent these men were getting lead on their skin I am. expecting to be at the Dye Works some day during the coming week, and will be glad to talk this and any other matter over with you at that time* With kindest regards Yours very truly, OJr a ;r - . r\J.V # of \ < ' >' ? ! f . .