Document baJdMxj5VVxV484EXVrG5JLrg

Dear Dr* Ke;hoes ' I received your letter of October 28th and I can see that you feel very strongly about this health problem in battery factories. Unfortunately, it is not as simple a matter as referring this question to the proper health authority. I was talking about battery factories in the West Indies and Central America primarily, where the sanitary precautions are at a minimum. Furthermore, in most of these areas there is no such thing as industrial hygiene engineers or industrial physicians. I assure you that the employers are very conscious of this problem and do their best under the circumstances to combat this problem but it is a difficult educational problem. In one factory which I visited recently, the owner provided a quart of milk daily for each worker to drink but found out subsequently that the workers were not drinking the milk in the factory but were taking it home to give to their undernourished children. Several years ago, I had heard of a pill, which I believe was called Versenate, which was supposed to help combat lead poisoning. I would be interested in learning if this product is still on the market and if it proved effective for this purpose. I would be glad to receive from you any information or references on any available published material on this subject, which we will be glad to pass on to our overseas battery customers as a public service. I wish to thank you for your help and cooperation in this matter. Sincerely yours. N6281 October 28, 1963 handler Vaisan Company, Incorporated 33 Vest 32nd Street ;;ew York 1, New York (10001) hly dear Mr. Sandler: It is with something near dismay that I undertake to reply to your letter of October 17, ecause of the sheer absurdity (I use the term not in its relation to yourself but to an idea which, obviously, is not of your own creation) of your remark about "some pills which can be given to workers so that they will avoid contracting this disease." Unfortunately this idea has been advanced thoughtlessly and irresponsibly by some people, including some physicians, who should know better, Believe me, however, when I say that this is not only absurd, from physiological viewpoint, but it is dangerously near to criminal negligence in dealing with human life and well-being, when it is entertained by physicians or other people whose professional efforts are in the field of human health. The subj ect on which you wish to have information - namely - the protection of workmen engaged in the manufacture of batteries, is one on which you should not attempt advise or Instruct anyone. Information is available to professional people (whose job is even more specialized than yours as a manufacturer) in almost evdry country in the world, which makes it possible for them to aid in the design of plants and plant equipment, and to set up measures of control of the dispersicf:n and dissemination of dangerous lead compounds in the air (and general envi rorunent), so as to prevent the occurrence of lead poisoning. This is not, certain! y not, a matter of giving pills or lemonade or milk to men, but is one, largely, of controlling the environmental conditions within an industrial plant throug appropriate engineering means, so that dangerous absorption of lead is prevented. It is otrivious that your "customers" are either ignorant in these matters, or that they are irresponsible employers. Their ignorance can be corrected by their appeal to properly informed professional people (trained industrial physicians and industria1 hygiene engineers). If, on the other hand, they are irresponsible,, they should r|ot enter upon or be permitted to engage in this industry. May I suggest, with all courtesy and simplicity of purpose, that your company has some degree of responsibility for advising your customers of the necessity of having proper profe ssional guidance in this matter, before getting themselves into a situation whl ch can only bring trouble upon them. The time is not far away, when the employer who does not provide his employees with a safe place in which to work (with lead compounds, especially) will find himself excluded from the conduct of his business The facts are known and the means of achieving such safety are available, aind there is no valid excuse, in a technologically competent and civilized soiciety, for permitting this human hazard to continue. You will suspect, perhaps, at this point, that you have brought yourself into contact with a wild-eyed and impractical idealist. I might have some N6281.01 /t - (2) - October 28, 1963 jlty in convincing you, by my own words, that this is not the case, but ps you can make some inquiry about me. I might call your attention on my oehalf, to the fact that for more than thirty-five years, until my retire- pt at age 6ii, I was the Medical Director of Ethyl Corporation, with the direct professional responsibility for the practical problems of that industry. I am not speaking, therefore, as a theoretical university professor, but as a physician in industry with a wide familiarity with the lead trades, and their problems. My only reason for trying to convince you that I know what I an* talking about, in very practical terms, is that I earnestly hope that you will seek, for your Company, some sound professional guidance on these matters, and that you will point out the necessity of seeking similar guidance for your customers. This is a very serious problem of industrial healthin the United States and in many other countries, and it is high time that it be taken seriously by industrial management broadly. I can provide you or such professional personnel as you may have or secure, with references to the information referred to above and with advice concerning the problem so that your Company can do a good job in serving your customers, instead of leading them down a blind alley. Sincerely yours, RAK:vr Robert A. Kehoe, M.D. /VALSAN" Phone: CHickeiing 4- 4426-7-8 fHE I LSAN COMPANY, INC. 38 WEST 32nd STREET + NEWYORK1, N. Y. Oct. 17, 1963 Dr. Robert A. Kehoe The Kettering Laboratory College of Medicine University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio Dear Dr. Kehoe: We have been infarmed by the Association of American Battery Manufacturers that you will deliver a lecture on the methods of preventing lead poisoning at the forthcoming AABM Convention in Chicago* Unfortunately, the writer will be unable to attend that convention, but is interested in obtaining some information on this subject* I '. We furnish battery manufacttiring equipment and supplies to overseas battery . manufacturers. Several of our customers are troubled by a lead pdsoning problem in their battery factory and have asked us to recommend seme methods for them to overome and prevent this problem. We understand that there are some pills which can be given to the workers so that they will avoid contracting this disease and it would be most appreciated by us if you could give us the nans of the bill and the name of the manufacturer. Any information which you can give us will be a great public service to these overseasr battery manufacturers. We will, therefore, look forward to your early reply on this matter. Sincerely yours, S S VS N6281.02