Document g2JM79dJMN27BdZNa1B9KRY1N
Dr. F* William Sunderman,
7 0 I Maloney Building, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Dear Dr. underman:
I am sending you herewith the. analytical results obtained on
the blood and urine of your patient
It appears
from your record that this man has haa n(^Occupational lead
exposure since 19^0. On the other hand, the lead concentrations
in both blood and urine are somewhat above normal levels. This
means either that the man has not yet eliminated all the lead
that he absorbed during the period of his exposure or that he
is continuing to have some slight occupational lead exposure.
The results are not such as to suggest symptomatology at
present, although they are just of borderline significance,
lour record does not state when he discontinued his work to
come under your observation, but I assume that the interval
between his last day of work and the collection of these
samples was not very long. In any case, I should consider it
worth while to look carefully Into the conditions of his pre
sent occupation so as to make sure whether there is or is not
some continuing exposure. It is a bit unusual for a man to
continue with elevated lead concentrations in the blood and
urine for five or .six years. It is not at all unusual to have
this continue for eighteen months or more. For this reason I
think it is worth while for you to establish the facts with
respect to present exposure beyond peradventure. This, I
think, will be much more important than the therapy which you
have in mind using. I should tell you, I think, that we have
carefully investigated the possibilities of deleading by means
of ammonium chloride and a low calcium diet in the most favor
able cases that we have been able to find for this type of
therapy, and quite without any success. Indeed we have not
been able to find any means of materially Increasing the lead
concentration in the blood ^or the rate of lead elimination In
the urine. One slight exception can be taken to the last part
of this statement in that ve have found that the quantity of
lead excreted per day In such cases varies to some degree with
the quantity of water available for excretion. This is a fact,
but it is of little practical therapeutic importance, being
only of interest in the physiological sense. Consequently I
warn you not to anticipate any beneficial effect from the
therapy you have outlined. ^
Cordially yours.
KAKef
G 7 44$
Robert A. ehoe, M. D.
Samples of Urine and Blood submitted by Dr. F, William Sunderman, 701 Maloney Building, Hospital of The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, for lead analysis.
XJrine
Analysis Humber Volume Mgs. Pb/Liter
-
I4.6 A- 2 5 3 100.0 ml.
0.11
Blood
Analysis ilu m b er -
Grams
-
Mgs. Pb/lOQ Grams -
. Mgs. P'b/lOO Grams -
I4.A-238
1.6
.
0.06 (Spectrographic)
0.07 (Dithizcne)
One sample was submitted.
tfjE 0 w(i 44 4 G
Samples Collected: 2-l-i|6 Samples Received; 2-8-7-M> Samples Reported: 2-lJ-ii.6