Document LovQ5bjvgeYz8p4DkEQ7MwOmw

ANORttW ^IITCMIR, ARttlOCNT ' K C. flftOWMlLU.viCI *R(SIOlNT J. A. MARTINO, ViCI PDtSlOf NT M M ZOILf R.VICI RROIOCNT ROBERT tlNDLCT lltOFCLO. SICRITAAY TRIAtURIR 4-20 LEXINGTON AVENUE XKW VORK 17. N.V. MANFRED BOWOITCH DIRECTOR OF HEALTH AMO AF TY August 8, 1956 Robert A. Kehoe, M.D. Director Kettering Laboratory of Applied Physiology University of Cincinnati Eden Avenue Cincinnati 19, Ohio Dear Bob: A few more words on "Arsenic and Old Lace". Hhat led to my allegedly left-handed remarks of July 19th was not your comment on the case, which I thought you handled very well, but my childish pleasure in the references to "Dr. Kehee." I am hot yet at liberty to reveal the sources of my in formation, but I have it on what I regard as Just about incontrovertible authority that, eteologically, the ceiling paint at Villa Taverna had about as much to do with Mrs. Luce's recent illness as does the moon with the common run of psychoses. I am furthermore told that the true story will ultimately be released, and I can only regard the hokum published in the June 23rd issue of her hus band's magazine as a highly questionable effort to distort and dissemble. / Herewith are copies of a letter and enclosure sent to Dr. Roseribluth, Mrs. luce's physician, as well as of an item from the New York Post of July 19th. Compare, please, what the Washing ton paper of July 18th says he said, with what the New York paper of the day following says he said. Something is obviously screwy somewhere. LEAD INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION 420 Lexington Avenue New York 17, N. Y. July 20, 1956 MANFRED ROWOITCH DIRECTOR OF HEALTH NO SAFCTv Milton B. Rosenbluth, M . D. 75 Bast 55th Street New York 22, New York Dear Dr. Rosenbluth; As has no doubt yours also, this office has been beset clippings as a result of the publicity accorded to the Mrs. Luce. h inquiries and ur famed patient. Such references as I had seen to your co most favorably, but yesterday came the clipp: Herald of which a marginally marked photosta' course aware that misquotations are by no may well be one of them, it seems worth the best of my knowledge, facts: the case nad> impressed me Washington Rost and Times erewith. Though I am of in the daily press, and thi but that the following are, tc .1. Lead is a common ingre 2 Arsenic has been used pigment in certain pa: d to a limited extent, as a 3. Arsenic occurs today paints for sidepTSOttoms, as an ingredient of anti-fouling ese as copper arsenate. i*. Other staknown by contrary, lead arsenate has never been paints of any description. Please do not Ni^terpret thi/s letter as in any sense an unfriendly criticism. As I said, it is not uaJikelv-^tnax you were misquoted, and in any case, my sole pur pose is to seek to correbt-eaeof the many misconceptions relative to the etiology oJ metal poisonings with which I am obliged to deal in the course of my daily activitie: Since this is a free country and we are all entitled to our own opinions, mini is that whatever arsenic may have been found in the specimens sent to Bethesda came from a source other than the paint of the bedroom ceiling. I would welcome any comment on the above that you may deem appropriate. Sincerely yours. MBiGW Enclosure 02 918 ien O THE WASHINGTON POST and TIMES HEilALD **** Wednesday* July 18, J956 2 Mrs. Luce Planning Return to Rome; Experts Doubt Paint as Poison Source Clare Boothe Lace soon will spokesman added, usually in have done a great deal of work return to her Ambassadors post in Rome and the 17th Cen tury Italian villa where falling volve lead poisoning, not arsenic. ----- Exterior white paint, he ex plained, often contains lead at her desk in the bedroom in addition to using it as a sleep* ing chamber. specks of paint are blamed for dioxide. If someone used this by A previous occupant, Ells her recent siege of lead arse mistake to paint furniture, a worth Bunker, Ambasador to nate poisoning. The lady diplomat will return from medical treatment in the child might chew on the paint and be poisoned. Battley pointed an accusing finger at arsenic trioxide agri Italy in 1952 and 1953, appar ently used the same room but did not suffer any ill effects. "My wife does recall the paint United States around Aug. 15 cultural sprays which he said did fleck* off some," Bunker to find the white roses on her might have been used against said last night just after a re ornate bedroom ceiling covered house insects or rodents at the turn from five weeks in Europe up with heavy tarpaper redone Villa Taverna, the American as president of the American in non-leaded paint. Ambassador's official residence Red Cross. "But it didn't seem Lincoln White, press officer on the outskirts of Rome. to bother me. Of course, 1 was for the State Department, offi A National Institutes of only there for a year." cially confirmed yesterday that Health paint toxicologist did After consulting with his Mrs. Luce has been a victim not absolve the white-painted wife. Bunker said the ceiling of arsenic poisoning. roses on the ceiling as the cul was probably green and white "The fact that the paint had prit. Old paint from the pre when they occupied the bed arsenic in it is purely an ac vious century, he said, could room. The suspect ceiling in cident,'* he emphasized with have flecked off with the new Mrs. Luce's chamber has been diplomatic firmness, "and there coats and dropped down on described as green with white is absolutely no indication that Mrs. Luce's food. Lead arse rosettes. it was otherwise," nate, he said, once was used in Mrs. Luce returned suddenly The secret of Mrs. Luce's ill a type of whitewash paint. to the United States last May ness turned into the case of He also had another solution with an explanation that she poisoned diplomat and read at for the mystery: was tired and suffering from first like cloak-and-dagger fic Arsenic might have been overwork. Time Magazine, tion with overtones of a Bor- added to a casein paint, made which her husband heads as gian poison plot Central In from a milk derivative, to ward editor-in-chief, broke the story telligence Agency officials off insects attracted by the of the paint poisoning which it. finally traced the culprit to the sweet mixture. called "one of the best kept white-painted roses on the Mrs. Luce was reported to secrets of U. S. diplomacy." ornate ceiling in Mrs. Luce's bedroom. A deadly fallout of lead arsenate slowly poisoned the Ambassador as she worked and slept they reasoned. But an aura of mystery still remained yesterday, although nothing of plots and foreign intrigue was suggested. Mrs. Luce's personal physi cian, Dr. Milton B. Rosenbluth, told the International News Service in New York City there was "nothing sinister" in the lead arsenate poisoning. "It was just a case of old paint," he said. "Lead arsenate is in all old paints." - But a spokesman for the United States paint industry jcame to the defense of the | white-painted roses. Joseph F. BatUey, president iof the National Paint, Varnish, and Lacquer Association, ad vised the investigators to seek "other sources of arsenic than paint." He questioned whether | paint dust could contain enough arsenic to poison Mrs. Luce's cup of coffee and food for over 20 months. Earlier, a technical adviser for the Association said he had never heard of a case of arsenic poisoning from paint. American paint manufacturers, Battley said, do not use any arsenic compounds in the manufacture of paints. Paint poisonings, a lore Luce's Doctor Sees No Poison Link to Illness x*: 5Ep tfofft' o cu Q as re r -C fi .5 fefi* ^ j>:g3- -- -- <n bfi C ra : So 5 c b ftfc J - SU5,i C5ijZ^o-.-' - to t"' ^ = ) O 029"10