Document X7nxaxoM4o6wO6R0p3N2eyEbd

ETHYL CORPORATION AIR MAIL INTER - OFFICE CORRESPONDENCE t o Dr. L. p. Saunders addr ess Cincinnati, Ohio. f r om S. M. Wagner a d d r e s s Los Angeles, Calif. SUBJECT dat e August 13, 1943 Attached hereto is a carbon copy of a report I an sending to Harry Kaley in regard to the situation at Stocicton, California. Yours rery truly, HE 0021215 AIK" MAIL Mr. H. 'f. Salsy It aw fork Cl fcy '. L. banner' 'ales Av^tst 16, 1943 i\ \\ M\ \ Last 1'rlday afternoon Bill lev^ir"tL,s>^oaed ae concerning a Mexican who bad begxujised as & la't&pbx by Coast Oil Company for a tank /Renin'll, at StoektonW* Incidentally, the Coast Oii/fcpapsny *i& a jobber, I sa attacking, hereto, Mr. Sifbpfrt* a reppr^ oa the Ratter. < ' /.- *' Dupplesenting Billie repojrtM/ a s quickly as possible I telephoned to mi?*'Department In Cin cinnati talking with Dr. Bmnide'iht, who repeated that we hate the attsnding^^Btbi..pa tdVth Moxicen - a t;r. Goldberg telephone hia t#Sxtr6llowiiig\non(ib^'i.%> I3r. Goldberg was out of town until Ifotid&y. \\ Believing that this situation should not he left to ride coy longer than, was Accessary, I asked Ur. Bi evert to get hold oftjds?. Flodin,y^5yparintendent for Const Oil Company, and ha*^iatjl*direct with Dr. Sunder;*. Mr.. PXotili^kncI were advised by Dr. Launders to d?'nothing but keep track of the Mexican and report If be showed any syspipes of becoming ill again. fours very truly. S. '4s. isagner cc-Mr. 0. B. Lewis cc-33r. L. ?. csunrjers.v I KE 0021216 N 24534.01 August 16, 194.5 Memorandum on Report of Illness in Tank Cleaner On Friday, August 15 Mr called from Los Angeles and reported that a Mexican laborer had become ill after cleaning leaded gasoline storage tanks and that the attending physician had made a diagnosis of ''probable lead poisoning." The man was employed by the Coast Oil Co. at Stockton, California. Mr. Frank Flodin is in charge of the terminal. Industrial History The man whose illness is reported was one of five men who cleaned four 7$00 hbl. tanks. The cleaning was started Saturday, August 9 and completed August 12. The work was observed by Mr. W. H. Sievert in its entirety the first two days and intermittently on the following days. Mr. Sievert states that all rules and regulations were carried out correctly and faithfully with the possible exception that after presumable thorough cleaning had been accomplished the last procedure of sweeping up remaining water and sludge, with sawdust was done without masks. History of Associate Workers One man out of the remaining four became nauseated and vomited the fourth (?) day but had no known other symptoms and recovered rapidly. No symptoms were reported in the other three. No difference is known to have existed in execution of procedure, observance of rules or time spent on job in the five men. N 24534.02 2- - History of Illness It has not been possible to determine with any accuracy or completeness the symptomatology. Dr. Leapold Goldberg, the attending physician, stated that the man appeared to be drunken but that he convinced himself that the intoxication was not alcoholic. The man's foreman stated that there was marked insomnia. He did not believe there was any disorientation or mania. There were no pains or gastro-enteric symptoms reported. Disposition Mr. wagner was requested to have Dr. Goldberg call in order that further information and possibly samples could be obtained. On Saturday August 1J4. Mr. Sievert called and reported that Dr. Goldberg had left town and could not be reached. By this time the patient was feeling much better and expected to return to work August l6. Mr. Sievert was advised that the patient should be kept under observation and if any symptoms returned the laboratory should be informed at once. If recovery seemed to be complete and no symptoms returned, the case should be dropped. Comment Due to language difficulty the doctor did not know that the patient had cleaned a tank. He believed that the exposure had occurred in filling a tank. A blood count is said to have been done and that the result supported the diagnosis. The two contacts with Dr. Goldberg were at the office. The patient apparently remained ambulatory and H 0021218 apparently was not advised to go to bed. The charge for the first office visit was 17.50 and for the second 8.00. History of exposure as understood by the doctor would not support a diagnosis of lead intoxication. An acute intoxication of this kind would in all probability show no blood changes particularly at the time of the observation. Impression The illness was probably due to the absorption of gasoline or lead vapors. The meager history as obtained would support either diagnosis. The apparent rapid recovery would tend to support a diagnosis of gasoline Intoxication. Lester W. Sanders, M.D. K? 0021213