Document gaDOK3399Gv34XBgZ161QVoX3

May 5, 1933 uAU,,' A* E. i l i f ct nacht Et l hyl Gasol i ne Cor por at i on Chr y s l er Bui l di ng l i e' w Yor k Ci t y liew Yor k Dpar Mr * MI t t nacht s . ^ ^ ^ a e n t l r s l y f ami l i ar wi t h t he f act s i n t he 3i | i t of Jr . whi c h 13 bei ng br ought agai nst t n ^ St a n a a r ^ OO. Company of I ndi ana* Thi s i s t he cse whi ch was r ef er r ed t o at t he or i gi nal Washi ngt on con f er ence by Dr * Hender son as an exampl e of a poi soni ng f r om t t r aet hyl l ead whi c h was not bei ng r epor t ed at t hat t i me, and whi c h was pr esumabl y bei ng conceal ed b y I nt er est ed par t i es* You wi l l r emember t hat at t hi s t i me Dr . Mor t on st at ed t hat t he man di d not have l ead poi soni ng and t hat t i er e was no j ust i f i cat i on f or t he st at ement of Dr . Hender son. Mor e t han a y ear ago t hi s came t o t he poi nt of f or mal sui t whi ch, f or one r eason or anot her , has been post poned unt i l now I t seems cer t ai n t hat i t wi l l come t o t r i al some t i me i n June. Mont hs ago, I was asked t o di scuss t he case wi t h t he St andar d Oi l peopl e and wi t h t he at t or ney Mr . Fel oni e. ?/ e went over t he gr ound r at her car ef ul l y, and at my r equest Mr . Fel oni e had cer t ai n addi t i onal I nvest i gat i ons made I n an at t empt t o est abl i sh t he r el f act s* I , per sonal l y, do not bel i eve t her e i s any j ust i f i cat i on f or t he cl ai m, and I have agr eed t o appear as an exper t wi t ness i n t he case* Si nce t hi s man was a l abor at or y wor ker and si nce hi s exposur e was t o t et r aet hyl l ead as wel l as ot her met aH- or gani c com pounds, t her e I s no quest i on Of any connect i on wi t h gasol i ne exposur e# and t he St andar d Oi l peopl e have appar ent l y r egar ded as t hei r own pr obl em un- assocl at ed wi t h t he i nt er est s of e Et hyl Gasol i ne Cor por at i on* f enhaps I shoul d have br ought t o y our at t ent i on pr evi ousl y al t hough I had assumed t hat i s woul d t i e done by t he St andar d Oi l Company of I ndi ana* r eover , t he case has been st r aggl i ng al ong I n such a way at no one has been cer t ai n t hat I t woul d he br ought t o t r i al t i l r ecent l y* I he St andar d Oi l peopl e f eel t hat t hey can Wi n t he sui t si nce i n t hei f opi ni on, ahd al so I n ni ne, t her e I s no j ust i f i cat i on f or t he cl ai m* hf E 0017033 2 I f t her e ar e any f ur t her det ai l s i n whi c h you ar e i nt er est ed, I shal l he gl ad t o pr ovi de t hem, and i f you have any f eel i ng about t he wi sdom of my appear i ng i n t hi s case, I shoul d be gl ad i f you woul d communi cat e wi t h me at once* However , t hi s muc h I f eel i s cer t ai n, t hat unl ess t he case can not be compr omi sed or set t l ed out of cour t , I t wi l l be di f f i cul t , I f not i mpossi bl e, t o obt ai n ot her exper t t est i mony ot her t han mi n i n est abl i shi ng t he backgr ound of f act s i n f ai r ness t o t he St andar d Oi l Company. The r eason f or t hi s I s t hat t he pr i nc1pal ques t i on of f act I nvol ved has t o do wi t h whet her or not Mr had suf f i ci ent exposur e t o t et r aet hyl l ead t o account hi s i l l ness, and whet her or not hi s i l l ness may not have been d u ^ t ^ h * s exposur e t o ot her heavy met al compounds. ( Mr . . ^ ^ Hf l j p' r or ked wi t h or gani c mer cur y compounds f or a per l o d o r y e a r a t her eby pr esumabl y est abl i shi ng hi s t echni cal abi l i t y t o handl e poi sonous mat er i al s . ) Hi s handl i ng of t et r aet hyl l ead was ver y meager , consi st i ng of r epeat ed at t empt s t o synt hesi ze t et r aet hyl l ead by a v ar i et y of met hods, most of whi c h wer e unsuccessf ul . Hi s not e books ar e avai l abl e showi ng t he amount s of t et r aet hyl l ead whi ch he f i nal l y pr epar ed. The condi t i ons i n t he l abor at or y i n whi c h he wor ked wer e appar ent l y, f r om al l t he i nf or mat i on whi ch have been abl e t o obt ai n, r easonabl y sat i sf act or y so t hat wi t h cust omar y chemi cal t echni que, t her e seems no r easonabl e doubt t hat hi s act ual l ead exposur e was negl i gi bl e. These f act s may be br ought out adequat el y, I bel i eve, but I do not t hi nk any one el se has avai l abl e t ho f act s and f i gur es as t o what mi ght be consi der ed si gni f i cant exposur e, t o t et r aet hyl l ead. Thus i t becomes necessar y t o di scuss t he t oxi ci t y of t et r aet hyl l ead, t he manner and r at e of I t s absor pt i on and t he exper i ence of ot her s, especi al l y of t hose gr oups who have shown over a per i od of year s t he non- i nj ur i ous ef f ect of sl i ght exposur e. I bel i eve I have st at ed t he si t uat i on of t he St andar d Oi l Company wi t h r easonabl e adequacy. You wi l l pr obabl e wi sh t o di scuss t he mat t er wi t h Mr . Webb. Let me know pr ompt l y I f y ou di sappr ove f or any r eason of my appear i ng I n t hi s case. Ver y t r ul y your s, RAK I S KE 0017034