Document aJBr731QBjYNowJYv09D9nQgX

E ASSOCIATED ETHYL COMPANY LIMITED NORTHWICH CHESHIRE telephone: NORTHWICH 2237. telegrams &Cahies; e t h y l p o r t , n o r t h w ic h . jf&ael Office - ar t il l er y h o u s e, ARTILLERY r o w , LONDON, S.W. 1. OUR REF. K.2. ABBEY 3074. YOUR REF. DATE 27th January, B.A. Kehoe, Esq., M.D., Kettering Laboratory of Applied Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Eden Avenue, OHIO, U.S.A. . 1948. directors: N. A.GASS. J. B. AUG. KESSLER, (NETHERLANDS) J W. BOYLE- F-G.C.MORR'S- R.H. SORTERS. R.W.SELLERS. D. A. SHEPARD, (u. S. A) A. J.SINGLETON. G- SPRY. . t . r . a . b e v an , (ManagingJ Dear Dr. Kehoe, I thought you might be interested in the present state at this Plant and in the Company generally, and the following narrative should put you in the picture for Mr. Bevan's visit, which I believe is planned for early February. Mr. Banks is accompanying him. When I returned here on the 19th December I found conditiohs far from satisfactory. This was due to too much attention by too few personnel being given to the documentation concomitant with the changeover from British Ethyl to Associated Ethyl5and too little to hygienic conditions on the plant. The air figures in our lead smelting building were very bad. In the last few days of December they were 5*6, 4,9, 5& an^ 14.7 mgms. lead per 10 cubic metres. The physiological samples, especially for faeces, were a3 unsatisfactory as hitherto, despite the warning I had'given in August 1947* I shall be sending you these figures later to keep your list up to date. I reported by understatement, but adversely, on the hygienic conditions of the plant generally, adhering strictly to facts. This report had a very salutary effect, even though it upset the Management very considerably. At least some action of reasonable vigour is being taken. It is slow but is gaining impetus, and the air analysis figures, if not satisfactory, are very considerably improved and are now below 1.5 mgms. lead per 10 cubic metres and in most cases below 1.0 mgms. lead per 10 cubic metres. The prod will continue to be wielded by me. I have Mr. Bevan*s full consent in writing and verbally to press, brutally if necessary, for a hygienic 3tate of affairs here approaching that < Baton Rouge. As I told you our method of air analysis here is not satisfactory end I would be most grateful if I could have Dr. Kurt's rejports on the recommended method as early as possible, as our people here are indeed interested and will make every effort to put our analysis on a rational basis. As you know, our alloy building has never been subjected to air analysis. Vve are now trying with a field kit, but it is not satisfactory, the results being much lower than would be anticipated from the degree of faecal excretion of lead. (Contd.) ,,ATE 2.7th January,...1948. We have not yet received a copy of your correspondence on the situation in Petro Congo. Copies for k.r. Rorfey and myself were being typed when I left. There have recently been a fair number of requests from medical people not connected with The Associated Ethyl Co. Ltd., for an outline on various aspects of tetra methyl lead. As you did research on this I would be grateful for anything you could let me have for record. ? I had a long talk with Dr. Sanders on stippled cells, and obtained some of 4?'your stain end brought it back here. WWee have not tthe same facilities for drying % but it is being accomplished as quickly as possible. We have not been able to get the same results or as good a degree of staining as you do in Cincinnati, and I should say the temperature at which the slides are taken and stained is approximately 10-15 lower than in your laboratory. It would seem that our results with your method of staining are similar-to yours, but with our method of staining we still c continue to have a very high number of stippled cells. I shall be sending some .'^'slides to Dr. Sanders for staining and counting in your laboratory, together with a /qj-' list showing our findings with the modification of the Sellers stain. I was in the London Office a few days ago and at the Courtsuld Institute. Professor Dodds informed me that he would undertake a survey to determine faecal excretion of lead in unexposed individuals. The situation regarding medical consultants is far from satisfactory. There is still chaos resulting from the war years, and the situation is far from clear. I am going to the Persian Gulf with kr. Pryke in march to see what we can set up there. / It has been decided that we will provide all medical examination forms for medical consultants which will be the property of the Company. I have been asked to write * a booklet showing briefly the medical aspects of the lead picture. This will be presented to you for editing. It is intended to present, under one cover, a general outline which can be supplemented by literature when our stocks become adequate. I know you dislike 'Digest^', but as it must needs be pure plagiarism I hope you will treat it kindly. The Operations Department have already prepared their picture for presentation in one book. I sadly miss my beef steaks, but it is nice to be home again. I trust that krs. Rehoe and yourself are in good health. Please give her my best regards. I am sure you enjoyed having Ratio with you over Christmas. 'With kind regards, Yours very sincerely, E. Davison