Document QkRq35jn12ZaK7YgO5EMer0Rv

February 23, 1943 Mr. D. E. Bowes Director of Research Owens-Illinois Glass Company Toledo, Ohio Dear Hr. Bowes: . X was very nuoh interested in your letter of February 12th describing the action or synthetic caluiua silicate which you are.developing. The -samples of material Just arrived thio afternoon and we have had a preliminary work at then. I . would suspect that they night be a'^source of respiratory difficulty but that point cannot be answered until ob- tain considerable nore information. ` ., * We will subject the samples to chemical and X-ray analysis to be sitre that there-is no free silica-in then. Incidentally, nay I ask in what form the silica com ponent worked? Did you 6tart with an amorphous silica or . was it quartz? At the same time we will attempt to reduce *** some of the samples to the'.size that can be Injected into * the lungs of guinea pigs to see whether it is capable of producing a pulmonary fibrosis- The physical properties suggest, that it night act like* asbestos but of" course, one would not care to anticipate this outoone without actual trial. * . Preliminary animal work should be ^"qryenough advanced after 3 or 4 months to-determine whether it`would be desirable to plan upon an inhalation experiment. 1^* the calcium silicate should be capable of causing fibrosis, then one should asoertain whether it can be inhaled from the . atmosphere. In the mean tine, X would regard It with sus picion and see that those who, were working In the pilot plant or otherwise exposed were protected by respirators if there are appreciable concentrations in the atmosphere. I an/extrenely interested infthlh material because ad you know, I he:vej been attempting to/dlacovcr sub stances hiving physical propertied similar' to/eebesto^ which nay or nay not caitse tissue reactions. Tnus/far, we/neve found that chr^ysotlle debe6toG 1h unique, but/on superficial incpectlo your product oeons to behave core like Asger.toe they anything we have/discovered. As soon as. our anauysep are completed, X Mr. U. . Bowes -2- February 23, 1943 y; ' X aa-extreoely Interested In this.naterlal because as you Icnovr, X have been atteoptlng to dlsoovcr substances having physical properties einllar to asbestos which aay or nay not cause tissue reactions. Thus far, wo . have found that ohrysotlle asbestos is unique, but on super ficial inspection, your product seen to behave nore like asbestos than anything we have discovered. Hs soon as our a analyses are conpleted, I will write you further, ' Very truly yours, ' Leroy U. Gardner, K. D. * Director \ .