Document e7GVX1LgGJjZn4oLMXp3QX8zy

INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE an d SURGERY CAKI-Y I'. McCORD, M.D., ha.u., fvaom 3002 frliool c Oviulic Health June IS, 1959 Robert A. Kehoe, M. D. Kettering Laboratory University of Cincinnati Eden and Bethesda Avenues Cincinnati 19, Ohio Dear Bob: Thanks mightily for your comment on the tetraethyl lead manuscript. That will be rejected. While not remotely possible, what dearly I would enjoy doing would be to publish that piece together with your comment. Then Industrial Medicine and Surgery would attract attention. In disposing of this paper your name will not be mentioned. As? grateful to you. May I send an occasional other troublesome one? Ever truly yours. Carey P. McCord, M. D. n PM: jh N13171 June 15, 1959 Carey P. McCord, M.D., Editor Industrial Medicine and Surgery Room 3002 School of Public Health Ann Arbor, Michigan Dear Carey: The paper on tetraethyl lead which you sent to me, and which I am returning herewith, has no merit as a contribution to science or :redicine. Its only virtue, which is somewhat dubious, lies in the fact that it illustrates some of the consequences of the utterly reckless manner in which the Japanese handled tetraethyl lead. They manufactured it as though it was a harmless product, killing many people in their effort to build up a modem war machine. They distributed it without proper labeling or policing and used gasoline containing improperly controlled concentrations. In fact, despite the knowledge that could easily have been theirs as to the handling of this material with safety, they mishandled it almost as ignorantly and carelessly as the same product would have been dealt with by a completely illiterate and primitive people. The mess which the American military occupation had to clean up at the end of the war, with respect to this material scattered all over the place, under all kinds of conditions, was really chaotic. Under these circumstances the cases about which Yamaguchi writes, and hundreds in addition^occurred inevitably. These -cases as you can see were not investigated properly, for they were too numerous and by the time they came to medical attention much of the information was no longer available. They are, therefore, as you have seen, of a "hearsay" character. There is a great deal of such information in the literature at present, notably from Poland, and I see no great point in enlarging it. As I said above, its only virtue to the American reader is to point out what happens when a dangerous material of this kind is introduced into a community without proper provision for its safe handling. If you think this lesson, which I fear will not be recognized as such by more than a few of your readers, is worth the trouble and expense involved in its publication, you might take it. Evidently Yamaguchi, whom I know to be a fairly unimaginative but ambitious fellow (this article proves my statement with respect to his lack of imagination), did not recognize the need or usefulness of pointing out why these cases occurred, and their relation to the public health. Just what he expected his readers to learn is not clear. I am frank to say that I would not publish an article of this caliber in N13171.01 KF 0012530 Carey P McCord, M.D., Editor _o_ June 15, 1959 any journal for which I had responsibility. At this distance from Japan, I am sure that I have much more information, and much more useful information, about this entire situation than does Yamaguchi, and if he had wished or known how to prepare.a.useful document on this subject, he could have done so with much less trouble than would have been required of me. Sincerely yours, > Robert A. Ilehoe, il. D. RAK:ss Enclosure 0 0.12 3 31 INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE an d SURGERY i be International Journal of Medicine it* Indulry 400 SAV. 69tL AVE. MIAMI 44, FLORIDA * MOHAWK 7-3649 Avldrc'? ivc piv j c: CAREY r. McCORD, M.O., Editor Room 3002 rcliool of Public Healtli Ann Arbor, Michigan June 3, 1S59 Robert A. Kehoe, M.D. Kettering Laboratory University of Cincinnati Eden and Bethesda Avenues Cincinnati 19, Ohio Dear Bob: Is the attached manuscript on tetra-ethyl-lead worth publishing? Since this journal is in the process of building up, as best it can, an international position we would like to publish any and all meritorious manuscripts from outside the country. If the present one originated in this country we would reject it but we have a mildly different attitude toward an item originating in Japan. TJe will be aided enormously by your estimate and hope for a prompt return of this material. Thankfully, Carey P. McCord, M.D CPM: jh Enclosure manuscript 854 N13171.02