Document QXzGw2Dw7L70NQB3pnvKVJQE5

V\ ETHYL CORPORATION INTER-OFFICE CORRESPONDENCE - TO Dr. R. A. Kehoe ADDRESS Cincinnati FROM Mr. 0. B. Lewis ADDRESS New York SUBJECT Accident Scientific Products, Inc. Beacon Falls, Connecticut DATE September 27, 1946 On March 2, 1946, Dr. Chemical Director of Scientific Products, Inc., Beacon Fa. s, Connecticut, wrote re- questing 25 pounds of pure tetraethyl lead. Mr. J. T. Beckwith, our Safely Engineer, made an investiga tion of this request on March 27. His report indicates that this is a substantial concern staffed by at least several men with PhD degrees. They wished to manufacture pharmaceutical compounds for cancer or tissue work. Drstated that he had made himself about 20 pounds of TEL but needed about 100 pounds a month. A laboratory hood had been ordered. Unopened cans of TEL were to be stored in a separate room with other chemicals until some time later when a small concrete building was to be built for storing drugs and chemicals. Rubber gloves were available, and rubber aprons assured. Despite the apparent expertness of the staff. Ethyl's Safety Department was uneasy over the large quantities involved in an unknown (to us) process; therefore, our Mr. Ben Crane accompanied Mr. Beckwith on a second trip to examine more closely the details of the operation. The process was reported as follows: "The reaction chamber will be placed under a fume hood which is well ventilated. All joints connecting flasks to the reaction apparatus will be mercury sealed, except the upper condenser joint which will be connected to the exhaust chamber of the fume hood. "TEL and mercury bichloride are reacted in ethyl acetate solution in which the ratio of solids to liquids is 10 to 1. The reaction will be complete on the TEL. At completion of primary reaction of mercury and lead, acetic acid is added to complete ethyl mercuric acetate cycle. After this excess acetic acid is exactly neutralized with decinormal alcoholic caustic soda. The resulting product is washed on the filter by suction. Dr. R. A. Kehoe -2- September 27, 1946 "The ethyl mercuric acetate is isolated in the usual manner. The solid residue which will consist of lead chloride with traces of lead acetate, if reasonably pure, will be salvaged for use in other manu facturing processes, or otherwise properly burned on the premises in a private incinerator. "The ethyl mercuric acetate is the primary reagent sought for, and will be used for further processing with proteins to arrive at a chemotherapeutic agent. "Dr. is willing to submit samples of the ethyl mercuric acetate to Dr. Kehoe for analysis." We wrote Dr. Kehoe on May 7 that in accordance with his telephone conversation with Rus Schell we were releasing the initial shipment, 25 pounds of pure TEL. On August 13 called me. He stated that some of his men had been badly burned, and requested medical assistance. We referred him to Dr. Machle who handled the medical aspects. Our Safety Engineer, Art Roberts, helped to clean up their laboratory of material that might_have offered further hazard. I believe that Dr. and Mr. were the men in jured. Doubtless Dr. Machle's report v?ill give the details along this line. The almost tragic accident appears an excellent example of the inherent dangers in our product and the diligence necessary if many more accidents of this kind are to be prevented. Yours very truly, 0. B. LEWIS WsT 0009863 23rd August, 19l;6 ` Entered hospital on the 13th August, 19l;6 for care of fingers ( hospital chart attached ). Bead skin denuali&S&i on 13th & lUth August, 19U6 leaving raw, bleeding surface. Slept well for about two hours per night, then awakened. No benefit from i|..5 gr. nembutal plus 0.5 gr. codeine subcutaneous*Very restless. Sweats and chills irregularly - often at 0100, lasting about half and hour with copious sweating. Since 22nd & 3rd August, there has been continuous nausea. Appetite fairly good till 22nd, marked auorexia past two days. Pain in loins first noted 18th about OI4.OO, recurred in bouts q.d. with burning micturation at. Kidney pain has been lancinating. Headaches unchanged since onset. P.I. beginning with frontal stabbing pain then deep throbbing lasting 1-3 hours. lias been drinking 2 quarts milk daily. Bowels 2 - 3 x daily. Few shotting pains right hand - beginning in injured finger - numbmess and tingling, troublesome in all fingers. "T j 'j J A { * i ; EXAMINATION Blood Pressure 120/75 T. 98.9 Pulse 90 Respiration 18 Finger epithelialized well except right index which has several necICbtic sloughs j r1 ! and infected granulated surface 2x5 cm. on neutral aspect. Blood samples !. taken - spot urine. j , Urinalysis Albumen - negative 5I i Sugar - Negative PH 1|.5 Microscopic - Negative j 1 IMPRESSION _ |i , There are four possibilities under consideration. a. Delayed encephalopathy frommercury. b. Nephritis from mercury salts. c. Absorption of bacterialproductsfrom infected skin. d. Intercurrent infection. .; ; j \' i The blood pressure and temperature record is not remarkable except the elevation of afstolic pressure on 21st August. Our findings on 23rd August, together with urinalysis and normal output would exclude nephritis. Theimpression is the symptoms resulted from absorption from infected areas on the hands. 0009864 Name Material: Submitted: Required: Scientific Products Co Blood and Urine 8-27~ij-6 by Dr. Willard Machle, 6l0 Park Ave., New York, New York Lead and Mercury Determinations Results Urine Analysis Number = l/>A-i+176 Lead = 0.10 mg./Liter Mercury = O.Oij. mg ./Liter Blood Analysis , Lead Mercury Number= ij.6 A-1+3-77 = 0.05 mg./lOO g. = Nil Note: One blood sample (21.6 grams) was submitted. The sample was wet ashed and one-fifth and four-fifths aliquots were analyzed for lead and mercury respectively. The quantity of blood thus used was insufficient to pick up trace of mercury (< 0.005 mg./ 100 g.). Reported: 8-5I-I16 0008865