Document j64rQjZEMDrMeDomkRq3BdV9
S A F E TY COMMITTEE
O.B.Lewis CHAIRMAN
Et h y l Ga s o l i n e Co r p o r a t i o n
Ch r y s l e r B u i l d i n g
405Lexingt on Avenue
Ne w Yo r k
Novem ber 2U, 19 3 7
D r . E . A. Keh oe
K e tter in g Lab oratory o f Ap p lied P h ysio lo gy
Co lle ge o f M ed icin e
Eden Aven u e
C in cin n a t i, Oh io.
_
Dear Dr. Kehoe:
A t t a c h e d i s co p y o f a l e t t e r fr om Mr. M. A. T a y lo r on an a lle g e d le a d p o is o n in g ca s e , wh ich you may w ish to have a s a m atter o f r e co r d .
Very t r u ly you rs,
W: GCL E n closu re
K? 00 I fC \ j 0 &
B o s t o n , Mass
November 2 2 , 1937
J . c . Ta ylor E t h y l G a s o lin e Corp Ch r ysler Bu ild in g New Yo r k
Dear Oscar:
A t t e n t io n : Mr. 0 . B . Lew is
F o r yo u r in fo r m a t io n we w is h t o q u o t e fr o m Mr. R ic h a r d s o n 's w e e k ly l e t t e r
d a t ed Novem ber 13 t h .
"On F r id a y , when I ' c o n t a c t e d t h e So co n y o f f i c e in H a r t fo r d , J u d Loga n s a id th a t a Dr. M acKen sie had c a lle d in q u ir in g a s t o the amount o f le a d p e r g a llo n i n E t h y l g a s o li n e . As J u d d id n o t kn ow e x a c t l y , h e ' r e fe r r e d t h i s d o c t o r to m e. L a t e r I c o n t a c t e d Mr. M i t c h e l l o f C o lo n ia l Be a co n , i n H a r t fo r d , who a d v i s e d t h a t t h e r e wa s a law s u it p en d in g a ga in s t one o f t h e ir a ccou n ts fo r le a d p o is o n in g .
"The L a u r e l O il Co. ( C o lo n ia l Beacon jo b b e r s , J im M cI n t yr e , P r e s id e n t ) h a s s u p p li e s fo r som etwo y e a r s , t h e New Meth od La u n d r y, t h e l a r g e s t in H a r t fo r d , E s s o le n e . On o f t h e m e ch a n ics in t h e New M eth od La u n d r y h a s b een s i c k , an d i s c la im in g t h a t i t is le a d p o is o n in g c o n t r a ct e d from le a d e d g a s o lin e .
" I c o n t a c t e d t h e p r e s id e n t o f t h e la u n d r y , Mr. G a r r y W illia m s , who t o l d me t h a t t h i s em p lo yee f i r s t c la im e d t h a t h is i l l n e s s wa s fr om a s p r a y t h a t t h e y u s e in cle a n in g suede ja c k e t s . Dr. Grey of the Sta te M ed ical Departm ent in sp ected the la u n d r y an d o k a ye d i t fr o m t h is a n g le . Then t h e em p lo yee cla im e d t h a t i t was fr o m th e g a s o lin e wh ich he had u s e d p o s s i b ly f i v e t im es in p o lis h in g b r a s s on some o f t h e m a ch in e s . S in c e t h a t t im e h e lia s l e f t t h e e m p lo y o f t h e New M eth od La u n d r y, a n d i s now s u in g th em f o r co m p e n s a t io n .
"At Mr. W illia m s s u g g e s t io n , I co n t a ct e d , o ve r th e p h on e, from h is o f f i c e , Mr. H in e, th e in s u r a n ce a d ju s t e r . Mr. Hine d e s c r ib e d th e ca s e , and a s k e d t h a t I co n ta ct the d octor in volved , a D r. Wentworth.
"D r . W en twor th s t a t e d t h a t th e man h ad had som e t r e a t m e n t b e fo r e h e (Dr . W en t wor t h ) was c a l l e d in on t h e c a s e . Among o t h e r t h i n g s , t h e m a n 's u r in e w a s tested , a t the Con n ecticu t Sta te Co llege a t S t o r r s , as w e ll as h is e xcr e ta . These
sh owed le a d c o n c e n t r a t io n s o f O.67 m gs. a n d 2.0 mgs p e r l i t e r . The d o c t o r co u ld
n ot r e c a ll o f f hand wh ich h ad th e g r e a t e r co n ce n t r a t io n . Dr. Wentworth s t a t e d t h a t he 7/ as f a m i l i a r w i t h N r . K e h o e 's wor k in t h is d i r e c t i o n and wa s u s in g him a s an a u th o r ity.
- * "Th e c a s e wa s t o come t o t r i a l on T u e s d a y, Novem ber l o t h , b u t i t h a s b e e n p o s t p o n e d i n d e f i n i t e l y , p r o b a b ly two o r t h r e e w e e k s . The in s u r a n c e com p an y, f o r wh oa Mr. H in e i s t h e a d j u s t e r , i s t h e C e n t u r y I n d e m n it y Company o f H a r t fo r d .
"Mr. M cI n t yr e and Mr. W illia m s b o t h s t a t e d t h a t t h e pump fr om w h ich t h e ga so lin e is d isp en sed is marked w ith a le a d p la t e .
"Th e L a u r e l O i l Com pan y h a s n o t h a d t h i s b u s in e s s e x c l u s i v e l y . A c c o r d in g
to Mr. W illiam s th e y have bou gh t o th er le a d t r e a t e d g a s o lin e s and a lso b e n zo l t r e a t e d
ga so lin e s."
.
T h is l e t t e r came in t o t h e o f f i c e i n o u r a b s e n c e . Mr . H. K. B a l l d is c u s s e d t h e m a t t e r o ve r t h e t e le p h o n e w it h Bob R ich a r d so n an d a d v is e d h im -n o t t o make a n y s t a t e m e n t s a t a l l on t h e c a s e b u t t o r e f e r t h e a d j u s t e r t o o u r New Yo r k O f f i c e .
Bo t h H en ry an d I f e e l t h a t th e ca s e h as n o m e r it , a s th e man h a s h a d l i t t l e