Document eEa1RGw5qd36ZG6E4Q3mR02g

FILE NAME: Westinghouse (WH) DATE: 1977 DOC#: WH501 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Journal Article - The Konicide Club [1932-1940] Historical Notes The Konicide Club (1932-1940) A Brief History Theodore F. Hatch, Sc.D. and Eugene P. Pendergrass. M.D. In January, 1932. a small group of physicians, sc.entists and engineers met informally at the Pittsburgh Laboratories, U.S. Bureau of Mines to exchange experiences and views concerning t e problem of silicosis in U.S. mines and factories. No list of the participants is now available but the number probably did not e x ceed 20, representing essentially all the research institutions and 'e d investigative groups In the country at that time. Particular In terest centered around standardization of atmospheric dust sam pling and assessment of dust exposures and the parallel medical procedures for evaluating the respiratory injury found in exposed individuals. There was great need for such standardization to in sure comparability of results, derived in the same manner by all in vestigators. O ne recommendation coming from the meeting was to evelop a sturdy, all-glass Impinger designed to be easily duplicatable, and to settle on a standard method of dust counting, he modified Creenberg-Smith impinger resulted and is still in use, as are the counting techniques delineated at that time. Beyond ese specifics there were wide-ranging discussions of the many other aspects of the silicosis problem. Creat enthusiasm over this two-day conference and the desire to continue such meetings were expressed by all the participants with the further wish to Keep the meetings small and Informal to insure lively debate and exchange of views. At the end of the meeting. Drinker proposed a c erne or the calling and conduct of the meetings. He suggested -e name "Konicide Club" and on February 12, 1932, he sent the following letter to all participants, plus a few additional in dividuals. Because of its typical Drinker style, the letter is given in followed by the names on the first mailing list together with 'Heir respective institutional affiliations. Konicide Club d e n rW lT 6')' meetins at the Bureau of Mines. Pittsburgh a number ot to start an informal, small, and very select (?) club with the abo ProlesTor ' Se h0? ' PubliC Health- Univers,ty f p'tt5t>urgh ,Dr. Ha P h iL H ? !, E n D Jand the Schooi of Medicine, University of Pennsylv, miladelpbia lOr. Pendergrass, Professor Emeritus). V Journal of Occupational M edicineA'ol. 19, No. 5/M ay 1977 name and with the purpose of having occasional meetings to discuss research problems on the relation of dust to health. The club will have no dues, will meet anywhere or any time any member desires and can per suade at least one other member nor in his own organization to meet with him. The meeting will select its own chairman as the club has no president and does not propose electing one. If the members present see fit. thev will send a notice or minute of their meeting to the secretary, who will pass it along to the other members. Any member publishing an article on any phase of the dust question will either send through the secretary a reprint to each member or mail the reference to his paper. The membership will be kept small and is to be elected from time to time by a committee of Messrs. Yarn and Leake and the secretary Until February 1. 1933, Drinker will serve as secretary, which means at tempting to do the dirty work a secretary should do, such as arranging meetings and attending to correspondence. On February 1, 1933 Drinker will appoint his successor. Your suggestions as to other members would be appreciated, but bear in mind that we do not want members not now engaged in investigative work on dust. We want the membership kept small and above everything to be informal and no precedents to be established. Attached is a list of proposed members. Please be good enough to send t e secretary word as to whether or not you wish to become a member. . Philip Drinker, Secretary 55 Van Dyke Street Boston, Mass. Konicide Club Members (First Mailing List -- about March 1932) L, ^ r iv ,i, v v a sn iiig io n , l m _ .: M r. D a n ie l U Mr WBtT T ^ t ; D r MCerr B ^ : :ndnd ^ ^ PittSburgh' ^ Chicago, III., 330 South Wells St.: Dr. C. O. Sappington. Employers Mutual Insurance Co., 800 Empire Building. Milwaukee. Wis Mr. E. G. Metter. " Harvard School of Public Health, S5 Shattuck St., Boston, Mass.: Mr. Philip Drinker: Mr. Theodore Harch; and Dr. W. I. Clark, The Norton Co., Wor cester, Mass. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., 1 Madison Avenue. New York. N.Y.: Dr. A J. Lanza: Dr. W. J. McConnell; Mr. J. W. Fennel Northwestern University. Medical School. Chicago, III.: Dr. James A. Br,t- Owens-lllmois Class Co., Toledo, Ohio: Mr. W. C. Hazard. Public Health Service, Treasury Department. Washington, D.C.: Dr. R. R. 351 S E fc ! - 0r 1 * * I-1- '~TM <ld: 0, M the end of the second day. Dr. Cardner spoke briefly on "W hat ,s Thomas Durkan. Samuptsoen;Mr. Andlreuw cR"edTMlin: : M" r. Known About Asbestos,s". an early contribution to a subject that looms so large today in the occupational health field. It is not too much to say that this was the most detailed seminar on the med,- Crartt Cunnmghann; T T T ^ ^ < * * *' "* p ^ T i T ^ ^ r e,5,tvHospitai-ph,iadeiph- * o'- h . *. and radl'og'cal aspect of the pneumoconiosis problem presented ,n the United States up to that time (1933). e next meeting was held in Washington, januarv 13-14 1935 A Stc L DeP3r!m em iH e a llk H art, rd C nn-: D r- * S- C ray; M r. Warren under the auspices of Dr. Savers and associates. Office of Industrial om . r. - ci* z irL rrw hr s ,f r ' *"d~* lis t Sander. H. H. Schreuk and C h l ^ WN^ms d ^ Vgiene, U.S.P.H.S. Among the topics discussed were; recognition or he roentgenobgic changes, etc., described at the earlier Philadelphia meeting, as significant diagnostic events ,n the deveiopiment or silicosis and the essential procedures to be recommended ,n both medical and environmental control of dust The first meeting of the new club was held at the Saranac Laboratory on April 2. 3. 3932. attended by Messrs. Gardner. Clark hazarcJs^Dr. Sayers and associates reported on the findings of the recent PHS study of the health hazards .r anthracite coal mining Pancoast Pendergrass, Clifford (guest). M cConnell. Leake. Brown Meiter, Fehnel, Hatch, Bloomfield and Cummings plus other mem bers o. the Saranac Staff. The first day was desoteo' to the pathology of silicosis and the second to dust sampling and count ing. Some or the h,ghl,s hts of the meeting were summarized as ol ow s and give an ,dea of the state of knowledge of s,licos,s in in lln T w de5Cnbed the'r f,nd,ngS ,r m intraPer|toneal j e c ion or dusts ,n experimental animals. In the course of this meeting, as in earlier ones, there was much discuss,on of the need o estaonsh !,m,ts or permiss.ble dustiness to serve as guideposts or effective dust control efforts. Out of these came Cummmes suggestion o, the formula used for manv years subsequently m calculate acceptable levels of dustiness in proportion to the free J i m w 3 fr m 3 5iliC,0US dU5t 15 in Pr P rbon to its rree- 5 Ca (Sl f content, provided that no inhibitory substance is present; other compounds of silicon have not produced fibrosis in xper,mental animals (except magnesium silicate which produces a different kind or Hbrosis); intravenous injection of S rO , produces nodnl'5 ^ ' h e ( SUprahePatic 'vmph node followed by fibrotic odules ,n the liver; no similar fibrosis is'produced bv aluminum da fie ld SPeC,tln, 8 dU,u C Untin' thCre W3S live,y discussion of k-field vs. Iight-neld m .croscopy, especially with reference to silica content or the airborne dust, starting with 5 x 10- mppcf for pure quartz. This formula, with some modir,cation. ,s still widely used in other countries as well as the U.S. W e recall also his view hared by Dr. Lanza, that no "safe" level of dust exposure could be set for individuals with any degree of tuberculous infection. This dictum was laid down, of course, to emphasize the absolute necessity tor tuberculosis prevention along with control of the in dustrial dust hazard. This gathering was of particular significance as a preparatory keht ftld PahtlCle C0Umm8 n tHe <1 U ran e ' To from ght-tield. however, would entail a considerable series of com parative counts. There was no agreement on such a change session for two meetmgs shortly to be held: one at the Mellon Insbtute out of which came the "A ir Hygiene Foundation" (now In us ria Health Foundation) and the other, the 1936 Silicosis Con S a f e t v T meet'nS W3S he'd in COn'Unction Wlth ^ e National Safety Congress m Washington on O ctober 3-5, 1932 Messrs ? '- d u !tr' Rdwel1' Bb 0 m field Hatch and Drinker presented a series ference, sponsored by Miss Perkins, the Secretary of Labor. Konicide c ub members played leading parts in the planning and conduct of both of those meetings. oerhans rh f eST <Dnnl<er,S t0 the congress. This was, perhaps, the first large gathering from U.S. industry before which epresen tatives of the small group of pneumoconiosis specialists Presented the dimensions of the silicosis problem and the needs B r o w n 'O a r T T o m p s o n . Leake, Russell. Bloomfield. Vant, Brown^ Cray. c k Cunningham, Hatch ^ In January. 1936. a club meeting took place at Harvard, organized by Drinker and Hatch. The im portance of particle size in the etrology or pulmonary dust disease was emphasized. Brown discussed respiratory dust deposition and retent,on; Hatch report ed on the striking variations in the c o m p o s it e of mineral dust as particle size ,s reduced, with particular reference to the decreasing merits o fSda k at furtter jl ter All aoT ? " Ctober 4th' The relative f illuminatin n dust counting were h '^ f'na' COnclusion t0 continue with the lat- 2 content with particle size for dusts from granite, sandstone D e o a'rtle ^ 'Cj US minerals- Professor Larsen of Harvard's Geology Department demonstrated petrographic techniques for dust w Ic o lT th3t 3n CaSier method -- Id be analysis and discussed size limitation in such analysis. Dr. C. K. Z 'mP0rtant co ntr'bution was made by Dr. Clark who Drinker described the lymphatic system and discussed its im ou lined recommended procedures for a continuing medical con portance in the development of silicosis and P. Drinker reported do! program in the dusty industries. The application of these on nasal dust filtration. I bBelgninnniinng65i'nT th*e " eaUrlnyde3r05'ts0. od and comm onpla-ce n-ow- , w-as onlv' Later in 1936 (November 23rd and 24th), Drs. Lanza and For the 1933 meeting (November 11th and 12th), Drs. Pancoast and PendergMss were the hosts at the X-ray Department, Hospital cnlle IVk fSI ^ r Pennsy,vania- Philadelphia, Pa. W ith their ,meessT o, , su'hb , ,P, ?h ," ded ,,,C,r,,, t,,e The da/ wa"i WdPehraelend,' , ' nical examination ,n silicosis and the importance of associated I::::; to ra d io lo o ira lM pr moniaandother~ d d y' dlSCUS5ion was directed mainly S ic o l 352 nd u ,qUeS 3nd differential diagnosis between si ico-tuberculosis and lesions simulating silicosis At cConnell and Bill Fehnel offered a program at the headquarters of Metropolitan Life Insurance Com pany, New York City. The first day was devoted to medical questions and progress in animal studies. Speakers included Drs. Cardner, Sampson, Lanza. Pen dergrass. During the second day Dr. C re e n b u rg d escribed a N ew York state program of industrial hygiene and Fehnel discussed a ust control program in an asbestos plant. Decrease in S1O2 con tent w ith particle size found in industrial dusts, notably in foun dries, was also a topic of continued interest On July 12th and 13th, 1937, the club enjoyed the hospitality of the Montreal Mining Co.. Montreal, W is,, with whom the Saranac The Konicide Club/Hatch and Pendergrass hat is : that t t' ne Diem 1935. striai ition arlier the a be dust >r the nmg unea! : this need aosts nings' :ly to tree :t tor idely .new, id be This olute ne in- it( n In- .V In - Conubor. ; and ( Laboratory had close association. The program, arranged by Dr. pensation claims. These widening interests and more particularly, Ringo, Medical Director, was focused on the health problems of the organization of the American Industrial Hygiene Association in j the ferrous mining industry, with detailed discussion of the 1939 suggested t the members that the "exclusive Konicide ! problems encountered in the Montreal and neighboring mines, Club had served its purpose and its activities should be concluded. i Speakers included Drs. Gardner and Sampson who emphasized the There were no more meetings. I significant differences in the pathological and roentgenological It is difficult at this late date to recapture the excitem ent and I changes seen in the iron miners, compared, for example, with stimulation that one found in the club meetings. In the course of granite cutters. The medical facilities and dust monitoring equip the successive conferences, new findings and new research and ment employed at the Montreal mine were inspected and club investigative procedures were quite regularly brought to our at members enjoyed an underground inspection trip. The meeting tention. In many instances these required abandoning old ideas j concluded with a general review and summary of the medical and and adopting new ones, but these changes did not com e easily for * engineering problems encountered in the industry, the proponents had to defend their proposals against much (con j O n January 22, 1939 another meeting was held at the University structive) criticism by their colleagues. O ne of the fortunate con | of Pennsylvania under arrangements made by Dr. Pendergrass. The tributions was to bring together from the start the scientists and program was devoted to the health problems of the asbestos in practitioners from both sides of the problem, respecting both man I dustry. Titles of separate lectures w ere: General Survey of the and environm ent -- biological science and medicine together ! Asbestos Industry and Its Engineering Problems: Experimental with physical science and engineering. The collective responsi | Pathology Concerning Asbestosis: Clinical and Roentgenological bility of such teams of specialists for the development and appli ! Survey of the Asbestos Industry: Pathology in Patients Dying with cation of preventive measures for the control of silicosis and other [ Asbestosis: Roentgen Studies in Industries Having Asbestosis. disabling occupational dust diseases was constantly emphaszied. Speakers included Drinker, Gardner, Sayers, Dreesen and Drs. Not the least accomplishment was learning to talk to each other I James Bullett and Rush Shull, guest speakers, and each to recognize the essential need for the skills of the others j O ver the years there had been frequent inquiries by non- in the joint solving of important health problems. The expansion 1 members about the club activities and increasing pressure to in- of this concept in dealing w ith other job-related diseases has given elude in its deliberations individuals not engaged in pneumo- special strength and effectiveness to the whole occupational i coniosis research, especially by lawyers concerned w ith com health effort in the United States. I vard, ze m own Dort:st as using tone alogy dust C. K. , imarted and irters >first iimal PenNew ed a C' iou. Regulated Progress Scholarly review is such an effective barrier to novelty that a new idea can seldom be announced to the world until it has first been sold to the establishment. Most innovators are ill-suited to promotional work, and begrudge the time and effort. Many ideas die at this stage. The innovator must buttonhole important people to enlist their support, or perhaps apply for a grant to study his innovation. If successful, this gets the idea on to the grapevine which is its announcem ent to and acceptance by the world. Publication is a formality, like a letter confirm ing a telephone call. By thus standing astride the channel of comm unication, the establishment maintains its rule and regulates progress for its own convenience. -- From Evolved Conspiracy'' by Charles McCutchen in The Sciences. lulv/August 1976. ity of anac 353 grass Journal of Occupational Medicine/Vol. 19, No. 5/M ay 1977