Document Ne3yoEdgQ50K7Nm5ByXK53MkV

U M 4e/ To: Mr. Z iegfeld From: Manfred Bowditch Subject: 1952 ACTIVITIES December 16, 1952 The following is a b r ie f ou tlin e o f Health and S a fe ty a c tiv it ie s during the f i r s t eleven months o f 1952. A more comprehensive report w ill be made' to the members o f our Association when records fo r the f u l l year are a v aila b le . CHILDHOOD LEAD POISONING This problem continues to be a major "headache" and a source o f much adverse p u b lic ity , o f which the Baltimore publications herewith are but two examples. No accurate estimate o f i t s prevalence is p o ssib le, but these figu re s on 1952 reports from a few com munities with which we are in touch w ill serve to point up i t s Importance. A ll Cases Fatal Cases Atlanta Baltimore Boston -Cincinnati Cleveland New C a s tle , Pa. New York S t . Louis Washington miscellaneous 3 26 5 12 16 15 UU 61 11 h 197 0 h 1 h 5 3 lh h h 1 UO Most of the above figu res are incomplete; th is is p a rticu la rly true o f those for New York C it y , which are based on estimates by the Assistant Health Commis sioner, Mr. T richter, whose present illn e s s has delayed the further report promised. Detailed in vestigation o f any such large number o f cases to deter mine th e ir v a lid ity would be p ro h ib itiv e ly expensive and time consuming, as witness the costs o f the current Baltimore ($10,000 for one year) and Boston ($2,500 to $3,000 per year) stu d ie s. But granting th at many could be shown to be o f doubtful v a lid it y , th is world not lessen the adverse p u b lic ity , and' i t is my considered opinion that we must fin d means o f securing more accurate diag nosis o f lead poisoning or face the lik elih o o d o f widespread governmental prohibition o f the use o f lead paints on dw ellings. INDUSTRIAL LEAD POISONING Due to widespread lack o f knowledge in the medical profession o f the causes and diagnosis o f lead poison in g, as w ell as the fa c t that i t is not a reportable disease and the facto r o f deliberate ^covering up, u no useful estimate o f i t s prevalence in the adult population is p o ssib le . Although i t s incidence in the painting trade has unj doubtedly lessened su b sta n tia lly in the l a s t several decades, Dr. Robert A. I Kehoe, Director o f the Kettering Laboratory and an in tern ation ally recognized ! authority on th is su b ject, gave the opinion in an address on November 19, 1952 i at the annual meeting o f the In d u strial Hygiene Foundation, o f which Mr. Fletcher is the Chairman, th at plumbism i s as common in industry today as i t was in much e a rlie r times. CO a o