Document dneL406VRkVnVjwD2d1VvL6zR

January 8, 1932 Mr. E. W. Webb, Ethyl Gasoline Corp., Chrysler Bldg., New York, N. Y. Dear Mr. Webb: . I have gone over your correspondence with Mr. Bevan over th situation in Switzerland. Also, I have had information from Mr. Bevan from time to time on the subject, and I recently sent to him certain comments of mine on the translation of M. Cloetta*s article concern ing the matter. I can see no reason for any criticism of the arrangement'which you have suggested to Mr. Bevan, and consequently I have not been in haste to reply to y*ou. It is a very difficult matter to find a man who will take the trouble to review investigations which have been made on thl3 subject with the care which is neces sary to enable him to arrive at intelligent conclusions. However, If this can be done it will be of considerable advantage, and if it cannot be done nothing will have been lost by the effort. It is unfortunately true that the foreign scientific men start out with an initial prejudicej and on a matter of this sort it is difficult to over-estimate the importance of such a prejudice. As a consequence of this I am not too sanguine about the accomplishment of any very definite results. - I believe that it is unfortunate that the data of the last investigation has not been made use of yet. I believe it would be useful in helping in arriving at conclusions at the present time. However, I have come to feel that the manner of presentation of our reports of this sort previously, have operated against their general acceptance. I have considered for a long time how to present the subject as it should be presented, that is, through the regular channels of medical litera ture. Meantime, as you know, we have continued to col lect data, which, in my opinion is of the utmost import ance in the general Interpretation of the present situa tion as regards the distribution of Ethyl Gasoline. I am now working as rapidly as I can in compiling the dif ferent types of information which we have into a book, Kr 0001191 which I hope to be able to publish in the usual fashion. This book will not have to do exclusively with investi gations relating to Ethyl Gasoline. However,, I am indicating that the work began on that subject and that it all hinges around our method of study of that problem. I expect to make it a carefully prepared and adequately documented account of the distribution of lead and lead commodities in the modern community, in which I-shall* point out so far as we know the sources of lead which account for the absorption of it by the general populatlon. I expect to include in it all of the information we have obtained over the entire period of years in which we have been working on this subject, and I shall in all probability conclude it with a comparison of the situation in the modern civilized community with that of the primitive community as Indicated by our Mexican studies. I do not expect to include any of the work which has had to do with animal experimentation. In its proper place I intend to present the complete data of our last investigation on Ethyl Gasoline handlers. This will occupy a comparatively small portion of the book so as to assume Its normal relationship to the entire prob lem. I am trying to get this finished but I'am having a considerable amount of difficulty because it takes a great deal of time, and my time is being encroached upon to dome degree by a variety of things. -However, I feel it is of the utmost importance to the laboratory that these data be md available, for they are in my opinion the most important things that have been observed in relation to th hygienic problem of lead for many years. Also, from the point of view of the Ethyl Gasoline Cor poration, I think ,this will be altogether the most use ful document In,bringing about an understanding of the real relationship of the industry to this public health problem. I am sorry it is not available at present for it is important, I think, in relation to the Swiss and the other foreign situations. However, I am glad that it has not been dpne previously, since by the slow accumu lation of information we have been able to establish the problem on a footling which it could not possibly have had even a year ago. * When I have gotten this work a little further along I shall wish to discuss with you some of the matters connected with it. Meantime, I shall proceed with it as rapidly as I can. : I enclose herewith the correspondence which you have askpd me to return to you. *, Very truly yours, .