Document b53mKNOexpJVg2oDNwymwyYj1

COP Y Dept, o f Physics The C ollege o f L ib e ra l A rts NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY Evanston, Illin o is Nov. 3 , 1945 Dr. Graham Edgar Ethyl Corporation 405 L exington Avenue New York, N. Y. . Dear Dr. Edgar: I am w r itin g you in th e b e l i e f t h a t p o s s ib ly you m ight be in a p o s itio n to h e lp me, even though t h i s h e lp sh o u ld c o n s is t m erely in p u ttin g me in to u ch w ith one o r more p a r t i e s who m ight be i n t e r e s t e d in what I have to o f f e r . ' I am in charge o f th e L a b o ra to ry o f A pplied S p ectrosco p y a t N orthw estern U n iv e r s ity . We have j u s t com pleted a p r o je c t f o r th e M edical D iv isio n o f th e N ational Research Council dealing w ith the q u a n tita tiv e spectrographic determ ination of antimony in u rin e follow ing dosages of antimony drugs to p a tie n ts su ffe rin g w ith f i l a r i a s i s . This p ro je c t term in ated October 31. ' A fte r December 1 I am t o be employed h a lf - tim e a s s p e c tr o s c o p is t on a new re s e a rc h p r o je c t a t N o rth w e ste rn . I t seems t h a t I m ust depend la r g e ly upon mys e l f t o b rin g my employment up t o a f u l l - t i m e b a s i s . I have an a s s i s t a n t who, i f n e c e s s a ry could be-depended on to do work on a f u l l o r p a r t- tim e b a s is . A lthough we sh ould be i n t e r e s t e d in any em issio n o r a b s o rp tio n problem in th e u l t r a v i o l e t o r v i s i b l e ra n g e , we a re p re p a re d t o go in to p ro d u c tio n im m ediately on a problem such as th e q u a n tita tiv e determ ination o f m etals in b io lo g ical flu id s or tissu es. _ There a re two ty p e s of problem s,dealing w ith lead in to x ic a tio n to which I have g iv e n some th o u g h t. I know t h a t a g r e a t d e a l has been done on le a d i n t o x i c a t i o n , a t th e U n iv ersity of M ichigan, a t th e K etterin g Laboratory of Applied Physiology of th e U n iv e r s ity o f C in c in n a ti, and many p la c e s e lse w h e re . However, I b e lie v e t h a t my la b o ra to ry could c o n trib u te , perhaps, something of value in th is f ie ld by reason of th e f a c t th a t our procedure and technique in th e p re p a ratio n of samples is d iffe re n t from t h a t o f o th e r i n v e s t i g a t o r s . Our minimum req u irem en t o f u rin e p e r sp ectru m i s only ml, a lth o u g h we lik e t o re c e iv e 2 o r 3 m l. M oreover, we do n o t ash th e u rin e sam ples, but mix w ith i t an equal amount o f a b u ffe r s o lu tio n c o n tain in g th e i n t e r n a l s ta n d a rd . O ne-half ml o f th e m ixture i s evap o rated d ir e c t l y in to th e c a v ity of a g rap h ite e le c tro d e and t h is e leo tro d e is arced in ta k in g th e spectrum . The e v a p o r a to r we use i s unique and I th in k a d e s c r ip tio n o f i t s c o n s tr u c tio n and manner o f use i s w orthy of p u b lic a tio n . Summing u p , I b e lie v e we c o u ld c o n tr ib u te N21261 sons th in g t o th e s u b je c t o f le a d in to x ic a tio n f o r two re a so n s: (1 ) we use only a : small, amount o f sam ple, making i t p o s s ib le t o sh ip by a i r m ail a t low c o s t; and (2) our sample p re p a ratio n is d ir e c t and sim ple, th u s reducing th e co st of a n a ly s is . The two ty p e s of problem s r e f e r r e d t o above a re o u tlin e d b r i e f l y below: 1 . A Study of Lead I n to x ic a tio n Caused by I n d u s t r i a l O ccu p atio n s. The stu d y of t h i s problem would lo g ic a lly lead to th e development o f a ra p id , low c o st method of te s tin g urin e samples, a t re g u la r in te rv a ls , from persons exposed to the dangers of lead in to x ic a tio n by reason o f th e ir occupation. 2* A (SOGRAPHI CAL STUDY o f th e Lead Content o f U rin e . The obvious reason f o r th is study' i s to d et e m in e W iether th e modem environm ent to which most people are su b jected is resp o n sib le f o r the accum ulation of an excess amount of lead in th e ir system s. 1 know t h a t some work has been done on each o f th e s e two p ro b lem s. However, f o r th e re a so n s s ta t e d above, I th o u g h t t h a t my la b o ra to ry would be i n a p o s itio n to c o n trib u te something a d d itio n a l in connection w ith them. I was a t th e U n iv e rs ity of V irg in ia when you were on th e F a c u lty th e r e . I had o n ly th e course in G eneral C hem istry u n d er P r o f e s s o r B ird . My i n t e r e s t in sc ie n c e developed a f te r leaving V irg in ia. In my a tte m p t t o f i n d a s u i t a b l e re s e a rc h p r o je c t f o r my la b o r a to r y , any advice o r le ad s would be g re a tly a p p re c ia te d . Sincerely yours, ) / S/fr. H. A bbitt