Document JvvDNXroLwzNgM01mm40oLzav

October 10* 193& Mr. Angus MacLean 8G4.Lawyers Building Balei^iy Horth Carolina : Dear Mr. MacLean s ' .;',v : : ' . - v..-. . -. v- I have been d e l a ^ d ;somewhat in replying to your letter of: September JOtbby reason of an enfolded oat of town trip. This morning I have also year letter of October 2nd enclosing a memorandum wiiich I have examined and which 1 am returning to yon herewith* ', While, I was In Hen, fork 1 heard indirectly from Mr* Edwin S. Hall of ,the standard .Oil .Legal"Depariment^who was inquiring- f o r a repokt, of 'the- nvsfelgaton of the United States Public,-Health into the question of leaded gasoline, four two letters together with the statement- of Mr. Hall that-.the' erhx of the case; had*to do with the question of-the .significance of ;exposure to lead in the, handling of gasoline* bring me to-'amplify; somewhat m y statements- in-;my.--earlier letter. > There is a .general-feeling among medical'men that the absorption of any quantity of lead, however T^ a l l * : m a y result in injury* This opinion is a :more-or less traditional one which at the present time m u s t be abandoned in view of the evidence from many sources that all people absorb small quantities of lead regularly. It mi.1 1 b e necessary in this, case to bring out this factr iaid to discuss the magnitude of this normal load* its source and its significance. This will have to be done, in order to show that although lead is a toxic material in proper dosage* It is entirely harmless and is in fact n normal constituent of living things and of the human body, If small quantities b e -considered. Despite the adequacy of th above evidence*. there, will still-be a . prejudiced point of view In the minds of certain doctors who will probably testify in thls.case. Obviously* also* this -ibi a point which is not too easy to make before an ordinary jury. The significance of exposure .to leaded gasoline* therefore* will have tobe presented in detail.,: As I pointed out to you earlier, the facts are these as demonstrated by sound experimental and clinical evidence. The handling of gasoline containing lead in commerciai concentrations does not result in the absorption of lead, and on this point there will be no hedging. There Is not one bit of either experimental or clinical evidence to  2- Hr** Angus kackean demonstrate that lead can be absorbed as a consequence of . expo sure to gasoline either by ay of inhalation or by ay of widespread skin contact* I am not speaking here of small quantities# I am saying, categorically, that no lead is absorbed under these conditions so far as any type of evidence, experimental or otherwise, is concerned# On the converse side of this there is very good experimental and clinical evidence that lead can not be absorbed either through the skin by way of contact with fthe gasoline, or through the respiratory tract , frffira inhalation* It will not be necessary, therefore, for us to discuss what m 1$it be the effect of absorbing small quantities of load from these sources, We have simply to point out that no * quantities at all have every been found or recognised* The experimental evidence is substantiated by the practical ex** periene of the past thirteen years in that no cases of lead poisoning have been found to occur among the tens of thousands of filling station operators that have been handling this type of gasoline* We have mads a thorough-going search for these oases, and not only have we not been able to find cases of lead poisoning, but I repeat, that we were quite unable to find even the slightest evidence of lead absorption* . The evidence of which I am speaking will not be found In the Bulletin issued b y the United States Public Health Service, nor will it be found in the British report# The things I am mentioning above have been worked . out in tfctis laboratory since we are the only persons who have been cone;Ornod with this problem in recent years. V/e have bad.an opportunity to carry the thing much further than the earlier experimenters, and the experimental and clinical evidence has become thereby much more adequately established. There might be, of course, some tendency to discredit our observations on account of bias#. It must be stated, however, in fairness,that our work has been substantiated at a number of critical points by other experimental workers in this country and hbroad, Our work on normal lead, for example, is generally accepted as fact, and I do not believe a single expert who could qualify, can cast any doubt upon the validity ' of this work* Thus, our results have been accepted in a number of other cases before compensation courts and in courst of law, * and I have been able to defend myself fairly successfully, I believe,, against any implications of prejudice. I go to some length in pointing these things out because we have not had an opportunity to discuss these things together and they will certainly be of practical importance to you* . The pitiable illness of this man which will be quite apparent in the court, will go very much against an impartial consideration of the facts in his case* The diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, which seems adequately substantiated, will be of no help since thi3 13 a disease K& 0011852 3 Mr* Angus Maclean recognized for a long time but without an explained cause* Almost any toxic agent might be considered In connection with this disease for the simple reason that we do not know the causative factor in any case* I am familiar with what has been done in recent years on the association between multiple sclerosis and lead absorption* The work itself was not such as to inspire confidence and nothing more than the most tentative conclusions could be arrived at. It is thus quite beyond the facts for a medical man to maintain that multiple sclerosis has in any case been demonstrated to have been caused by lead. The idea Is at best an hypothesis* Obviously then medical men are still in search of a causative factor and when one can be suggested which is entitled to some suspicion* a paper is written for the information and for the stimulation of other medical men who are interested in the problem. That is the present status of the problem, of multiple sclerosis in relation to lead. I believe these points can be made successfully* if necessary, in the course of the trial. In conclusion let me suggest that you write me at the earliest possible time, letting me know just when you consider it advisable for me to be in Raleigh, I have a number of appointments which I must fit in and I should know at the earliest possible time when I have to be there. Very truly yours* RAKsis Robert "A. Keho'e," ICS. 0011853