Document RQKD9Y5dKRD7bm4dd56BrOyn

FILE NAME Corning OC DATE 1955 Dec 10 DOC OC165 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Report - Experimental Study of the Effects of Glass Wool on Animal lungs with Cover Letter HARRY L. REINHART M. D. Pathologist COLUMBUS 10. OHIO December 10 1955 Charles Bishop M.D. 17 E. Locust Street Newark Chio Dear Dr. Bishop I have this day completed the studies of the two articles by Dr. Schepers and on the effects of glass wool on animal lungs In the course of this study I have reviewed all of the material which you presented to me and in addition have consulted other work in the literature in the Medical Library which has facilitated my specific interpretation of the work of Dr. Schepers I hope that my review and interpretation of the inferences of these articles is clear I am in entire agreement that dangerous inferences would be drawn by an unqualified reader or even a critical physician I think it is most unfortunate that they have not consulted with Mr. Aikman and those in authority before the articles were published If there is any further comment you desire I would be glad to express my opinion in regard to them However I must inform you that I will be out of the country on a study project for the months of January and February 1956 HLR oncls Very sincerely H. L. Reinhart M.D. Box 3006 University Station Review of An Experimental Study of the Effects of Glass Wool on Animal Lungs Saranac Lake N.Y. $ pages 276-279 In this article the authors are reporting the technic material preparation and size of particles of glass wool and methods of introduction into the lungs of guinea pigs and rats These studies were conducted from 1939 to 1947 under the direction of L.U. Gardner M.D. whose demise prevented the publication of reports on the results obtained The data reported therefore is obtained entirely from the studies of this period Most of the data represents the numbers and kinds of animals used survival period and whether each animal was killed or died with a report of the gross pulmonary lesion There is also a comparison of the mortality ratio between guinea pig deaths and rats under identical environmental stress The pathological reaction in the lungs of the rats were considered insignificant Under comments the authors believe that the effect of the glass wool is not wholly inert - - = the fibers are not fibrogenic ~ ~ - they do appear to be trapped in the lungs - = the prevalence of pulmonary infection abscesses in the rat --- --- --- and the frequency of focal atelectasis in guinea pigs are inferred as being the result of dust exposure If trans- mitted to humans the inference is that at least there would be a lowering of resistance to infection note of caution is expressed against applying the information obtained from these studies to the glass wool or glass fibers currently available to commerce particularly because of the lighter caliber of glass wool in use at the present time Additional studies are allegedly being made on one such product PERSONAL CONCLUSION - It is unfortunate that this article is separated from the next article which is much more specific about the disease producing potential of glass wool Many more people will read the succeeding article in which there are very few if any notes of caution than this article which is more technical ~/ The author concludes that short fiber medium caliber wool produces - - - an interstitial glass bronchiolar and pneumonitis but dominantly an endo- a bronchial peribronchiolar lesion which is pneumonia and state it perempiittshea ln ialinhfeyrpeenrcpelaosfia which while he does not definitely carcinogenic properties PERSONAL CONCLUSIONS These are has concluded from his my interpretations of what the author experiments There is insufficient detail or scientific evidence produced to permit a critical of his work I am not impressed by the character evaluation of or figures which are for the most his illustrations part poorly done of If the conclusions he has reached are of glass wool fiber of this justified the inhalation type constitutes a serious industrial hazard There are implications of " bronchiectasis bronchiectasis which in a serious condition with a long drawn clinical man is only relieved by removing all or part of a lung course and tumor usually oncogenesis potentialities which producing the ar once raises the question of possibility of this material producing carcinoma of the lung I therefore feel that the note of caution that was in the first article has been thrown to the expressed and very serious implications are suggested wwihnidschinif tshuisbsatarnttiicalteed by further work or the work of others would be more serious than the Industrial Hazard of Fibrosis or Asbestosis f Personally I am not impressed of these types in workers and those The evidence of serious disease has not been exposed to this material humans produced - and as far as I can ascertain is not in the literature Furthermore it is a big jump from animals these artificial conditions and humans exposed to should be carried out - and finally the experiments by others with confirmation before I would accept these results HLR ishal ishal in H. L. Reinhart M.D. Box 3006 University Station Columbus Ohio