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duly 15* 1936 Dr# Graham Edgar Ethyl Gasoline Corporation Chrysler Building Hew York City Sew York Bear Dr# Edgars I have your letter of June 6th enclosing correspondence concerning the case of alleged lead poisoning in Lawrence* Kansas# lo doubt you have Dr# Sanders1 reply of June 9^ Yesterday I called Dr* Jones and after some conversation with him* found that he was very skeptical of any influence which load may have played* and quite open to conviction that lead was in no sense responsible for this nan*s illness* I sent him some of the literature on tho subject and offered to carry out analyses which would determine the question of load onpo3ure, if he felt it desirable* I think this will con-* elude the case from the point of view of the physician* I am attaching herewith a letter written to Mr, Spee3 of the City Service Oil Company in regard to the matter* as well as a copy of my letter to Mr# Berg# Very truly yours* EAK: Is Robert A. Kehoe, M.D. 0021884 ? r nr* ;:i. a* ~-errlithyl OaacliR Corpora felon ,.J$17 Sichma street 'Tfertb Kansas City r.loeourl Hear Hr* 3rg# I orielose herewith op;/ Mr* 3pie3 in relation to th ease c>f t Lawrome* Kansas* 2 bollevo fcfie letter Itself 3.3 self-explanatory .and that no further action sill be roquirotl* If any further developments cess to jour attention^ please forward tb inforrmfcion to oio* Very truly pours* 111 sis cc Dr. Edgar Hobart A* I'ohoe* H*Z5* Kf 0021885 N22800.01 July 15, 1936 Ur* II* Penficld Jones Lawrence Yanaas , Dear Dr* Jones? I as fulfilling the promise made In our telephone conversation of yesterday by sending you a series of articles which have to do with the problem of lead absorption In relation to leaded gasoline, as well as an article of my associated on gasoline dermatitis which I think will be of considerable Interest to you* I call, your attention specifically to the discussion and the citation of all the literature on the subject of Ethyl Gasoline is an article entitled An Appraisal of the Lead Hazards Associated tilth the Distri bution and Use of Gasoline Containing 'Tetraethyl Load Part 1 " which was published in the Journal of Industrial hygiene in March 193k* An article on the some subject hart IX gives rather crucial evidence, I boliovo, of the lack of load exposure associated with the handling of gasoline at filling stations*. I tiiink X need say no more than la discussed la these articles ether than to repeat to you ohafc I said In our telephone conversation* Load in gasol5.no has been in continuous distribution in this city and in a fco neighboring cities since 192k* '* have had occasion to study a number of men under condition of exposure during this entire period, and as you can well see from the articles, no have investigated this subject over a wide area* Hot only have there been no cases of lead poisoning in any of the men shorn wo have seen, but there have been no evidences of lead absorption as shown by an elevated lead excretion* It is ay honest opinion that the handling of leaded gasoline is not more dangerous from the point of vies of lead absorption Shan is the handling of any other type of gasoline. You will perhaps realise that in this country and In foreign countries there must be at least half a million people engaged in occu pations in which they have more or less continuous exposure to leaded gasoline* 52ae absence of lead poisoning over a period of now more than ton years can not be regarded as fortuitous therefore* K& 0021886 N22800.02 2fcv Pcnflold yonea 2 In looking over the record of jour physical examination, X can not aos any evidence indicative of lead absorption# I ass, therefore* con-* strained to fool that your case was one of more or leas characteristic gasoline dermatitis with recurrence on recurrent exposure# As to the x-ray findings in the hones, I think you are quite 3afe in disregarding these as evidence of lead absorption since even in the hands of experimental workers on subjects with known load ex posure, it has not been found possible to demonstrate radiographic evidence of lead absorption in the skeletons of adults* X-ray findings among children ar very useful and very significant* but this is not the case in adults* Despite what X have said above, if you arc of 11 convinced that there were some evidences of load absorption in the case of this man, I should bo glad if you would say so* In which case we can invest!gat the facts further by a study of your patient* load ex cretion* If you should wish to have eertain analyses made, lot no know at one and I will send you th necessary con tainers for obtaining samples# Very truly yours. RAX j is noberb "a7" i'o H'o o , ' J;^p* K 0021887 i COPY July 15, 1 956 Mr, Warren T. Spies City Service Oil Company Chicago, Illinois Dear Mr. Spies: Your letter of June JOth addressed to the Ethyl Gasoline Corporation, J10 South M^h^aii^ Avenue, concerning the Illness of one of Lawrence, Kansas, has been referred to me for reply. You are doubtless aware of the fact that contact with gasoline on the part of persons with susceptible skin may result in the production of a dermatitis. After examining the report of Dr. Jones on t^^^patient, it seemed rather apparent to me that Mr.^B^H^was suffering from such a gasoline dermatitis. There was nothing in the picture to indicate lead absorption, and moreover, skin irritations are in no sense of the word characteristic of injury due to lead. In view of the essentially negative clinical findings, I called Dr. Jones on the telephone and discussed the case with him, pointing out the lack of evidence of lead absorption and expressing my own opinion that the x-ray findings in adults are entirely without meaning from the point of view of lead absorption. I found Dr. Jones rather skeptical of the significance of lead in this case, and I believe my conversation left him convinced that lead was in no sense to be blamed. I have taken the trouble to send him some of the literature on the subject which discusses the points of interest In connection with cases of this type, and I expect to hear from him as to his final conclusions in the matter. I feel quite certain that Dr, Jones will conclude that lead poisoning is not a factor in this man's illness and I trust that this action will bring this case to a conclusion. If there are any further questions which I can answer in the matter, I shall be glad to do 30, Very truly yours. RAKjis KF 0021888 Robert A. Kehoe, M.D. N22800.03