Document V38V3azZryQeZDnVJzBoZxG5g

Et h y l Co r p o r a t io n Bo s t o n Div is io n Pa r k Sq u a r e b u il d in g Bo s t o n , Ma s s . February 15th, 1943 Br. A. Kehoe College of Medicine University of Cincinnati Eden and Bethesda Avenues Cincinnati, Ohio Dear Doctor- Kehoe: Thank you very much for your letter of February 12th enclosing the two printed articles on lead exposure. We are enclosing herewith copies of the reports of the Industrial Disease Referees in the case of VS* ^arrfc*ler Panco Rubber Companjr. You will note that their last reports, dated September 7th, 1942, conclude with this statement - "In view of the additional information afforded us 1 that prior to March 7, 1938, the employee was required to use gasoline, and that the gasoline contained tetraethyl lead, It is our unanimous opinion that the condition which we found her to be suffering from at the time of our examina tion was related to the use of gasoline containing tetraethyl . lead, as we consider that a definitely toxic substance." Since these three doctors act as a Board of Industrial Disease Referees, and we believe their findings are considered conclusive in all compensation cases in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, we knew you would be interested. Very truly yours, M. A. TAYLOR I'AAT/lVl ke Gentlemen: On September 30, 1940 we.the undersigned, acting as industrial disease referees. examined the above-named employee Our study of the case cor;sis feed in taking a history from the employee, making a physical and X-ray examination, ana later conferring with each other. ge 39, widow, one child,living and two deceased, '"worker with this company for or 9 years, a solvent almost continuously. PAST HI0TORY Influenza in 1918 but otherwise always well except for occasional colds. Ho other illnesses and no operations, Menstruation normal up until present illness. --ISPbT ILhlTPSSi About four years ago, this patient noticed Irregular menstruation, occasionally having no period for six months. For the past two years she has had practically no flow at all until she had a fairly profuse period about a month ago. On September, 1936, she noticed that both hands were swollen, especially on the left, where the arm, fingers, arrd wrist were markedly involved. She dates all her symptoms back to this episode. Prior to it she had had considerable cracking and bleeding from her hands, which she attributed to the irritation from gasoline. At that time (September 1936) she had no pain other than in her hands, hut now complains of some pain in both lower legs, extend ing do1,TM into her toes, 'when the weather is cold or wet. i.hen asked more in detail concerning the onset of her illness, she states that she was confined at home for about five weeks, and on returning was able to continue with her work up until April or fay 1957. At that time her left hand and arm wore markedly swollen.with some swelling in the right hand. She gave up work, therefore, until October of that year, although she was not confined to bed in the meantime. On returning she continued to work for perhaps three months and thon was incapacitated for 2 or .3 weeks, because of the necessity of having some bad teeth extracted. She again resumed* work, continuing at it up until March 1940, although she had been obliged fco^ stay out a few times during this interval because of a reuurn. of her symptoms. at no time did she had pain except In her nanus, arms, and legs, as doscrioed above. there has been no appreciable weight loss. Her appetite is good. She has had no dysuria^. She had an attack of tonsillitis in Au/ruet 1940, confining ner to oed for ten cays. She has had no shortness of breath but stakes that she has considerable swelling of the ankles when she (over) eojG35, ... N19277.01 2- - sbands all day. She sleeps well, using only one pillow. She has no definite headaches. She has not been dizzy except for a slight suggestion of it when exposed to gasoline fumes. She says she had some fever during the acute phases of her illness. PHYSICAL /XAMIIATIPN fell developed ana nourished. Pale, Pupils-',"are ' equal .and'react to light. Several teeth missing, the rest in excellent condition. Thyroid gland seems slightly prominent. No cervical adenopathy. ' . Heart Is of normal size and regular. Rate, 96. No murmurs heard. Blood pressure, 156/38. Lung fields are resonant. Breath sounds are normal 'throughout. Abdomen Is normal. Liver and spleen not felt. Knee reflexes normal* Ho oedema of the extremities. No tremor of the fingers. Finger joints show moderate swelling, most marked on the left. usmoglobin (T) 70/. Blood smear shows a normal differential count, with slight achromia and slight anisocytosis of the red blood ceils. X-ray examination showed no bone or joint pathology. OPINION At the present time this patient shows a moderate anemia which seems of the hypochromic type, with a tachycardia and a moderate amount of arthritis which presumably Is of the toxic variety, inasmuch as the x-ray fails to show any bony changes. The tachycardia and anemia, an<j her history are suggestive of exposure to Benzol, is our unanimous opinion that we should receive additional information concerning the chemicals used in her work, before offering a more definite opinion as to tho causation of her present incapacity* Also more complete blood studies, such as could be made at the Leary Laboratory, would be of value. ";e will file a supplemental opinion on tho receipt of further data. Verytruly yours. Cadis Phipps Humphrey L. McCarthy Louis Curran Ak, if 0016357 ANVdWOD Ainvnsvo QNVOAaVW 1 GO H October 29, 1940 in re: Carmella Perrotta vs. ''anther Panco Rubber Co. Ho. 22812 ck, nr ndustrial Accident Board tate House Gentlemen: ,fe the undersigned, acting as Industrial disease referees, have been over the blood findings in the above-named case and are.sub mitting the following supplemental opinion. These blood studies show no evidence whatever of any blood disturbance at the present time but because of the persistent tachycardia, it is still our wish to be given information concerning the chemicals used in her work, because of the possibility that she may have had some toxic effect from them in the past which Is res ponsible for her Incapacity, - in spite Of the f act that her blood has recovered from whatever changes may have been present. Very truly yours. Cadis Phipps Louis F. Curran Humphrey L. McCarthy 0016358; -p: --- ----- ' ? - N19277.02 Dr. Industrlal Accident Board -patient Mrs. vs Hemoglobin. ,14. Q crams. Panther Panco Rubber Co. . . .................95% Dare Polymornho nuclear leucocytes ...................... 75% V e ta Myelocyt e s.................................... ................. 9% Eosinophiles ..................... 1% MastCells Lymphocytes ..................... 0% i 'ncf Monocytes.. ..................... 0% Myelocytes ..................... 0% Anisocytosis... Poikilocytosis. ...very slight Polychromasia.. Achromia.............. Blasts.... ............... platelets............. Stippling...... Erythrocytes per cu. mil....4,970,000 Leucocytes per cu. mil........................5,100 0016350 The Leary Laboratory PHD N19277.03 November 14, 1940 in re: vs. Panther Banco Rubbei? No. 22812 ek nr Industrial Accident Board State House Boston, Massachusetts Gentlemen: 7e the undersigned, acting as Industrial disease referees, have considered the report from the Industrial Accident Board relative to the materials used by this employee in her work and are offering the following supplemental opinion. It is our unanimous opinion that this woman did not suffer any untoward effects from the substances used in her work (such as Varsol etx.}. At the present time we can find no evidence of incapacity. Previously, she apparently had some Arthritis (probably of infectious origin) accentuated by a mild to moderate degree of anemia. Very truly yours. Cadis Phipvs Louis F. Curran Humphrey L. McCarthy f{ 0016360 N19277.04 copy c Septs fiber 7, 19 42 vs. Panther Panco Lubber Co. I.'o. 22312 ck nr (77283) Industrial Accident Board State- House Boston, Massachusetts Gentlemen: vVe the undersigned, acting as industrial disease referees in the above-named case, have been over the additional information relative to the chemicals used by this employee in her work, and , we are noting the following. At the time of our first examination, September 30, 1940, we were suspicious that her condition was related to some chemical poisoning and requested additional information from the Board, he were told that instead of using gasoline,etc., for removing dirt, the- employee used ordinary soap and water in cleansing rubber soles, and. that occasionally she was obliged to use Yarso1 for taking off particularly stubborn dirt, and that this Varso?. as"s straight distillate of napthene base crude." Because of our inability to discover any substances used in her work which might cause either a severe anemia or else effect the patient in respect to s tachycardia etc., we concluded that the patient did not suffer ary untoward effects from the substances used In her work and that therefore probably she had suffered previously from some Arthritis (of probably an infectious origin), accompanied by a mild to moderate degree of anemia. In view of the additional information afforded us that prior to larch 7, 1938, the employee was required to use gasoline, and that, the gasoline contained tetraethyl lead, it Is our unanimous op Ini on that the condition which v?e found her to be suffering from at the time of our examination v;as related to the use of gasoline containing tetraethyl lead, as we consider that a definitely toxic substance. Very truly yours, (signed) Cadis Phipps, h.D. Humphrey L, McCarthy, Louis P. Curran, h. L. D. 00] 6361 N19277.05