Document Yj8LakjjR74j82q0oV8vwr32n

Febr uar y 27, 1950 Mr . S. W. Webb, . \ Et hyl Gasol i ne Cor pV, 25 Br oadway, New Yor k Ci t y. Bear Mr . Webbs I am r epl yi ng t o you I n t he' mat t er of t he l et t er of Dr . Geor ge F, Car r ol l , a copy of whose l et t er you sent me i n your l et t er of Febr uar y 21. A f ai r amount of I nf or mat i on i s avai l abl e on t he quest i on of i nj ur i es t o t he ski n, t he eyes, and t he r espi r at or y passages f r om exposur e t o gaso l i ne of var i ous t ypes. A car ef ul obser vat i on of t he si t uat i on si nce t he i nt r oduct i on of Et hyl Gasol i ne upon t he gener al mar ket has f ai l ed t o r eveal any evi dences of a di f f er ent act i on on t he par t of Et hyl Gasol i ne as compar ed wi t h or di nar y gasol i nes. Dur i ng t he past f i ve year s I and my associ at es have seen a number of ski n i nj ur i es whi ch have been t hought due t o t he act i on of Et hyl Gasol i ne, These i nj ur i es ar e i n ever y way si mi l ar t o t he I nj ur i es whi ch have been seen f r om t i me t o t i me i n t he case of or di nar y gaso l i ne. They ar e of t hr ee di f f er ent t ypes. Fi r st of al l t he ski n appear s as t hough i t had been dr i ed, . bei ng somewhat v/ r i nkl ed, wi t h a t endency t o cr acki ng her e and t her e. Thi s I bel i eve t o be due t o t he ex t r act i on of t he oi l y subst ances f r om t he ski n. I n addi t i on t o t hi s smal l pi mpl e- l i ke l esi ons ar e seen at poi nt s wher e t he ski n came i n cont act wi t h ei t her l i qui d or Vol at i l i zed gasol i ne. The ot her i nj ur y seen f r om t i me t o t i me r esembl es an or di nar y bur n. Al l of t hese i nj ur i es appear i n t he case of exposur e t o or di nar y gasol i ne, and i t i s appar ent l y a f act t hat some per sons ar e much mor e suscept i bl e t han ot her s. As f or t he i ngr edi ent s pf Et hyl Gasol i ne, we have f ai l ed t o f i nd evi dence of any pecul i ar ski n condi t i on whi ch r esul t s f r om exposur e ei t her t o t he- concent r at ed mat er i al s or t o t hei r di l ut ed f or m i n gasol i ne. . Much t he same si t uat i on i s t r ue i n t he case of t he eye. I ngr edi ent s of Et hyl Gasol i ne ar e not as i r r i t at i ng aS i s t he gasol i ne i t sel f when i n t r oduced i nt o t he eye. When gasol i ne i s spl ashed i nt o t he eye i t pr oduces an al most i mmedi at e i r r l t a- t i cm of t he conj unct i va and a shar p bur ni ng sensat i on* I f t he gasol i ne get s di r ect l y on t he cor nea i t may pr oduce a consi der abl e amount of i nj ur y as t hough t he cor nea had been bur ned. I n a f ew I nst ances we hav$- ~v ; seen cor neal ul cer s r esul t f r om t hi s t ype of ^l n1ur y v rt However , I n ever y i nst ance X have seen, t he i nj ur y was secondar y t o an eye i nf ect i on whi ch f ol l owed upon and par t l y r esul t ed f r om t he I r r i t at i on of t he. eye pr oduced by t he I nt r oduct i on of gasol i ne* Cor neal ul cer s appear ever y now and t hen i n t he case of any i r r i t at i ng subst ance i nt r oduced i nt o t he eye* Ther e i s no evi dence t hat t he smal l quant i t y of Et hyl Fl ui d i n Et hyl Gasol i ne i s capabl e of pr oduci ng i nj ur y" t o t he eye beyond t hat whi ch i s seen as due t o t he gasol i ne base* As t o t he r espi r at or y passages, we have not seen any evi dence of i nj ur y due t o Et hyl Fl ui d or Et hyl Gasol i ne. I t i s wor t h whi l e i n t hi s connect i on t o poi nt out t hat under t he; or di nar y condi t i ons of gaso l i ne evapor at i on t he f i r st t en t o t went y- per cent of commer ci al Et hyl Gasol i ne whi ch vol at i l i zes cont ai ns no measur abl e quant i t y of l ead. I t does cont ai n some smal l quant i t y of et hyl ene di br omi de. I have never seen at any t i me an exampl e of i r r i t at i on of t he br onchi or t r achea f r om t he i nhal at i on! of t he vapor s of - any ki nd of gasol i ne* I have f r equent l y obser ved, however , t hat wor kmen i n r ef i ner i es and?el sewher e who ar e mor e or l ess cont i nual l y exposed t oj t he vapor s of gasol i ne i n gener al , have a t endency t o congest i on . and oedema of t he r aucous membr anes of t he nose. T / what ext ent t hi s i s due t o gasol i ne and t o what ext ent i t i s due t o sul phur di oxi de. and ot her i r r i t at i ng * mat er i al s whi ch ar e handl ed al ong wi t h gasol i ne, i t i s' di f f i cul t f or ' me t o say*/ , ; ' I t r ust t hat t he above i nf or mat i on vl l l 1,, gi ve you sui t abl e, mat er i al &i t h whi ch t o answer Dr . / ' Car r ol l ' s l et t er * I f he wi shes t o pr esent any ot her quest i ons t o me I shoul d be pl eased t o answer hi s cor r espondence* -- `- -/ Ver y t r ul y your s. RAKtEJ KE* OOl ^m- 6