Document Y7g26J4Ew9XDw5KDDgpXxedy

COPY Hay 10, 1933 Dr* Sidney McCurdy Industrial Commission of Ohio Claims Section Columbus, Ohio Re: Claim Ho. 0*D, Dear Doctor McCurdy* I think you will be interested In the further observations which we have made on the above claimant and I refer you to my previous letter of March 28th In connection with this case* I put Mr. study in the laboratory since it was necessary for experimental purposes for me to determine how it could be that a man could be excreting such large quantities of lead as long as a year after the cessation of his exposure. Our previous studies had led us to believe that this wa3 impossible and the evidence was so strong in this regard that I felt fully justified in regarding Mr.flHP as a deliberate malingerer, or on who was being deceived* Our observations have solved this question* It is quite: possible that had some assistance in his attempted deception* Thus far I have not been able to get information from him on this point* However I have definitely established the fact that he was taking lead by mouth. In the period of a month during which he was under observation, spending his days at the laboratory, and returning home at night, we found his lead excretion and his blood lead going through two periods of alternating increase and decrease. Associated with these periods and properly timed in relationship to them were two days on which we established by analyses of the feces that he had received huge doses of lead by mouth* On one of these days, mbre than I|.00 allligraBis of lead had been taken in one dose* flKB^became rather ill under these conditions and on the last occasion showed a pronounced drop in haemoglobin, a sharp diminution in erythrocytes, a rapid Increase over a period of seYefal days in the stippled erythrocytes, while at the same time he developed a considerable colic after a brief diarrhea. I presented him with the facts and told him that if the ."ituation were to continue, he would certainly die of acute encephalopathy. As a matter of fact he did have some mild mental symptoms on on day and he developed a neure-muscular disturbance which, although fleeting, was quite definite. He denied all knowledge of any self-administration but it is to be noted with some interest, however, that following the shock which my warning gave him, there were no episodes of high lead intake. Since that time the lead findings and the clinical findings have dropped off very rapidly. My interest in this case has been quite considerable for we have been studying lead metabolism under the influence of very small repeated dosages, and this experiment which I would not have been willing to carry out myself, has been carried out for me in such a way as to yield some very interesting information* I am still at some loss to understand why a negro, particularly, would be willing to endure pain and illness for the sake of compensation, and a period of idleness* nevertheless the fact Is quite clear and I am reporting it to you. for such use as you may wish to make of it* The further information justifies fully my earlier report to you and my recommendation that this man should not receive additional compensation for occupational injury* Very truly youp^ RAK j is Slgneds Robert A. Kehoe, M.D* P.S. During the period from April to June 6th which Mr. spent at this laboratory, he performed certain ^XteSs of work for which he was compensated* Also a portion of his meals was provided* The total expense of these items to the laboratory was $175*00, of which $150.00 was paid to Mr, in cash for services rendered. RAK* 0016570'