Document dnYQGMY6v01rR8VOqj5EXeg19

REPRODUCED AT THE 1 NATIONAL ARCHIVES SCI ENT ifi c A M E R I CAN THE JOURNAL OF PRACTICAL IN FO R M A TIO N S cientific American (ESTABLISHED I45) P u b l is h in g C o m p a n y M unn Sc Co. WOOLWORTH BUILDING 2 3 3 Br o a d w a y N e w Y o r k October 21. 1924 PU B LI SHERS OF SCIENTIFIC AND TECH N I CAL BOO KS D r . R. 3. S a y e r s , Chief Surgeon U. 3. Bur eau o f M i n e s , W a s h i n g t o n , D. C. Q^ ` `t ' Iviy d e a r Dr . S a y e r s : I am g r e a t l y o b l i g e d to you f o r y o u r k i n d l e t t e r of the 16th i n s t . , with regard to T etra-ethyl Gasoline. Of c o u r s e , we w i l l k e e p t h i s i n f o r m a t i o n e n t i r e l y c o n f i d e n t i a l . I may say t h a t t h e r e s u l t s w h i c h you a r e g e t t i n g seem t o me v e r y s u r p r i s i n g . A n a l y s i s o f e t h y l g a s , made i n d e p e n d e n t l y by o u r c h e m i c a l e x p e r t s , i n d i c a t e t h a t t h e t r e a t e d g a s o lin e as used in the engine c o n tains approximately 2 grams of m e t a l l i c l e a d p e r g a l l o n o f g a s o l i n e . T h i s l e a d h a s to oome o u t s o m e wh e r e , and one would e x p e c t i t t o come o u t i n t h e f or m e i t h e r of powdered carbonate or powdered oxide. Both o f th ese powders a r e w e l l known to be e x t r e m e l y p o i s o n o u s . T h e r e f o r e , i t seems to me v e r y r e m a r k a b l e t h a t you h a v e had no symptoms o f p o i s o n i n g i n yo u r exposed a nim als w ith the amount o f e x p o s u r e to the exhaust g a s e s whi ch you have u s e d . Of c o u r s e , e x p e r i m e n t s a r e the f i n a l t e s t , b u t h a v e you any i d e a a s t o t h e r e a s o n why t h e p o i s o n i n g h a s not been obtained? 1 may s a y a l s o , a l t h o u g h t h i s I must a s k y o u , i f you w i l l , to k e e p c o n f i d e n t i a l , t h a t I am i nf o r me d t h a t a number o f t h e g a r a g e e mp l o y e e s o f t h e S t a n d a r d Oi l Company i n n o r t h e r n New J e r s e y a r e s h o w i n g symptoms o f l e a d p o i s o n i n g , due p r e s u m a b l y to the f a c t t h a t the company i s u s i n g the e t h y l g a s i n t h i s d i s t r i c t . 1 have n o t c o n f i r m e d t h i s i n f o r m a t i o n , b u t i t comes to me r a t h e r d i r e c t l y , anu 1 am i n c l i n e d to o r e d i t . i t . Of c o u r s e , t h i s f a c t ^ e v e n i f t r u e , d o e s n o t n e c e s s a r i l y mean any t o x i c i t y o f e x h a u s t g a s e s , a s i t m i g h t be e x p l a i n e d by p o i s o n i n g due t o c o n t a c t o f t h e e'thyl gas with the skin. I have d e c i d e d t o go i n t o t h i s whole m a t t e r o f t h e e t h y l g a s v e r y d e f i n i t e l y . I t seems t o me t h a t t h e r e i s a d i s t i n c t danger o f a widespread poiso n in g , and t h a t i t i s the duty o f REPRODUCED AT THE I NATIONAL ARCHIVES D r . H. K. S a y e r s : -2- t h e S c i e n t i f i c A m e r i c a n t o g e t a t t he e x a c t f a c t s , and t o make them p u b lic . Since you are in v e s tig a tin g the thing, I think I would l i k e to t a l k over the whole f i e l d w ith you, and to look o v e r y o u r e x p e r i m e n t s , i f t h a t i s p o s s i b l e . Of c o u r s e , we w i l l a g r e e n o t t o q u o t e you o r t h e Bureau i n any way, o r t o make any use o f your r e s u l t s , except With your complete and s p e c i f i c a p p r o v a l . W]aat I r e a l l y want i s t o be p e r f e c t l y f a i r a b o u t t he whole t h i n g , which means t h a t 1 want to g e t a l l the p o s s i b l e fa c ts from every possible source. Are your experiments being c a rrie d out in Washington o r e l s e w h e r e , and would i t be a g r e e a b l e to t he Bur e a u to h a v e me meet you somewhere, t a l k over the whole th in g and look over the experiments? In case Dr. Bain i s s t i l l a b sen t, and you should w i s h some a s s u r a n c e o f my c o m p e t e n c e and h o n e s t y , I may say t h a t a number o f the Bureau o f Hines o f f i c i a l s a r e more o r l e s s a c q u a i n t e d w i t h me, a s a r e Judge F i n n e y , ( A s s i s t a n t S e c r e t a r y o f the I n t e r i o r ) , Dr. George O tis Smith, of the Geological Survey, D r . C h a r l e s A. P a r s o n s , o f t h e Ame ri c an Chemi cal S o c i e t y , and Dr . Geor ge A. B a n k i n , o f t h e Ch e mi ca l W a r f a r e S e r v i c e , e t c . EDI1: LD