Document XOrpGDOr4yXo9wrQ2Y57gBDRx

PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT MET-599 (ffaL-Si Dr. Wheatley Assistant Medical Director In He; Tuberculosis Mort-aHtw in Thetford Mines letter. Thank 7011 for the chance to read Dr. Gardner'a interesting Vi There is evidence enough in the facts at hand of a bad situation as regards tuberculosis in Thetford Mines. I should think i that crude death rates of 259 and SOO per 100,000 in the general popula i tion in years as recent as 1941 and 1942 would be warrant enough for any I group interested in public health to sake a sort intensive study of the causes behind it. A study of the death rates by sex and age cowering 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 aaeng adult Bales associated with average or only slightly above average death rates for children and for women, would point to asbestos as a likely cause, Inemueh as It is apparent that a large percentage of adult males are eeraloyed by the asbestos Bines and Bills. On the other hand, relatively high rates froa the disease for all classes of tha population would indicate that asbestos had little to do with the situation. It would be well to deteraine about what propor tion of the adult males were aapleyed by the asbestos nines and mills. I suggest that you try to secure froa Dr. Parrot or froa some other agency, separately for each of ths following classes, death ratea 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 an4&eaales of ths Doainiou Malts an^jpteaales of the Province of Quebec {.CT) Males and^fraales of Thetford Minas ^ Males as&feaalee for localities la ths vicinity of Thsrtford Mines Sines there were only around 15,000 people in Thetford Mines in 1942, it would b well to have the statistics caver as asny years as is practicable so as to avoid fluctuationst^ue to 5rl 1 exposures at the various ages la each sex.