Document V2RX2vzXEzoOk0YYoBBMvmyZ

PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT Dr. Wheatley Assistant Medical Director - In Re; - Tuberculosis Mortality in Thetford Mines letter. Thank you for the chance to read Dr. Gardner's interesting There Is evidence enough in the facts at hand of a bad V situation as regards tuberculosis in Thetford Mines. I should think that crude death rates of 259 and 300 per 100,000 in the general popula tion in years as recent as 1941 and 1942 would be warrant enough for any group interested in public health to make a most intensive study of the causes behind it. A study of the death rates by sex and age covering a period sufficiently long to produce significant death rates would give a very good indication of whether or not asbestos was involved. Relatively high death rates among adult males associated with average or only slightly above average death rates for children and for women, would point to asbestos as a likely cause, inasmuch as it is apparent that a large percentage of adult males are employed by the asbestos mines and mills. On the other hand, relatively high rates from the disease for ll classes of the population would indicate that asbestos had little to do with the situation. It would be well to determine about what propor tion of the adult males were employed by the asbestos mines and mills. I suggest that you try to secure from Dr. Parrot or from some other agency, separately for each of the following classes, death rates for the age periods given on his table covering males in the Province of Quebec, or, if available by five year age periods up to 65. [p^ Males andQ&emales of the Dominion (cCj Males ancQfemales of the Province of Quebec (_q) Males and^females of Thetford Mines (JX) Males and^jfemales for localities in the vicinity of Thetford Mines Since there were only around 13,000 people in Thetford Mines in 1942, it would be well to have the stasisJi^s coyer as many years as is practicable so as to avoid fluctuations^uexo smkll exposures at the various ages in each sex. July 31, 1944. 7/8 0951 Supervisor Occupational Ratings