Document jx99zx3Z2q2OZZ78Z7bQe095

LEAD INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION 420 L ex in g to n A v e n u e New York 17, N. Y. MANFRED BOWDITCH O IR E C T O R OF- H EA L T H AND SA FETY August 9, 1951 Robert H. Kotte, 1. D. +710 Radis o n 'Hoad Cincinnati 6, Ohio Dear Dr. Kotte: I new have a bit ore tine tc respond to your letter of August 22nd, with which a tabulation of the facts of the five fatal cases at the Children1s and Cincinnati General Hospitals v;as enclosed. As you say, you nave at present no Lome cnoch u p ,and this is reflected in the meager data in the nsource11 column of an otherwise excellent summary* The clinician* s primary concern wit:., diagnosis and treatment is of course only na tural, but until sajor emphasis is placed on etiology, v;e are badly hamstrung in formulating'the preventive program which must be the basic attach on this problem* Paper** in Case 4 is quite meaningless and none, of the others are really pinned down as regards an -etually proven causa* I do not question that all of these are quite genuine cases of lead poisoning and experience leads me to believe that ingested lead paint is the causative age:.t in many of them, but I cannot be satisfied that an adequate investigation is being carried out until it includes some such field studies as are reported in the letters from Dr. Kaloof to Dr* Byers of which copies were enclosed with my letter of August 15th. . I hope you will not feel that I am trying to deliver a lecture* i merely feel that I must emphasise and r-empha sise a point in which I am sure that Dr, ICehoe will bear me out, namely that there are too many cases of plumbisa on re cord in which the s:-urce of the poison, seemingly perfectly obvious, has been shown by investigation to be a factor initially quite unsuspected. Robert H. R otte, M, D. Page 2 August 39, !q A particularly distressing ease right on our door step is described in ssy enclosures. Sincerely yours, MB/'ad end, cc: Dr, Kehoe Dr. Wheatley ^ 0014662 t 4 DIAGNOSES WRONG AND GIRL, 2, IS DEAD Autopsy Proves Brooklyn Child to Have Been a Victim of Lead Poisoning *=Me cCPH *S*|-eS>Soj jSj; f r< S H - B 2 : 8 %*) . g s s i f SJ o .,"eC2POB,5>>>S3Cp%SPaSiO3SS*a325*sorSca' nSc3v*<!! >. g S 3 * a<: oas IXs AK -> in 2g p "Sfi E fe<MOJSA2 Ii a s rt i Ssmi. !' A 2-year-old Brooklyn girl died of lead poisoning yesterday after her illness had been diagnosed by doctors in three hospitals in the last three weeks as tonsillitis, virus infection, blood poisoning and an inflamed throat The real cause was not determined until an au topsy was performed. It was not known how she got lead poisoning but,-because little children are known to chew things indiscriminately, it was suggested she might have swallowed .lead paint flakes. Medical authorities say such poisoning is difficult to diagnose unless there is a prioisuspicion of it. The little girl was Celeste Felder of 4.73 Macon Street, in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section. Her father-, William, an IND subway clerk with three other children, said private doctors were uncer tain of the malady when it oc curred but suggested it might have been caused by a virus.' Her con dition worsened and Mr. Felder took her on Tuesday right to Kings County Hospital, where he was told she had an inflamed throat. She received some medi cine. Despite his request that she' be kept overnight, he was told there was.nothing seriously wrong. She took another turn for the worse on Wednesday. A call to the police brought an ambulance from Bushwick Hospital, where the diag nosis was tonsillitis. Mr. Felder was told to take the child to the Brooklyn Eye and Ear Hospital yesterday morning. But she be came ?o ill when she reached home th at Mr. Felder took her to the eye and ear hospital immediately. Doctors there said they believed she was seriously ill of blood poi soning and advised moving her to Cumberland Hospital, where the facilities were s&id to be better for treatment of poisoning. There, a t the third hospital of the night, she died. (> J < ef 'S*o- :& * ji i - i : {> **--'O"f25d; ^ o *v{532 Jii g^I* rotj ^fi gb *ePIrkt. an J5 2 I* f t.f i ;S^ss-* > 8 5*3 T iSiT . t l i 4' / K T / t h c s *, / ? . Ty K r 363 \ ........................ , Child Dies V k tim o f Lead Poisoning A fter 4 Wrong Diagnoses , The 2%-jrearroid daughter of a Brooklyn railroad clerk died of acute lead poison ing yesterday after, police said, two private doctors and two hospitals had incor rectly diagnosed the case and assured the parents she was "not seriously ill." 0An autopsy performed by As-* sistant Medical Examiner Rosen said she had intestinal grippe thal showed that the little Negro and gave her a shot of penicillin. girl, Celeste Felder of 473 Macon Last Monday they took' her to wSaeistnhhxwtaFaaesdt,asthtmtehhicalfntwedaoiaelnouseadrhahtprlreedtaheofssinotibdwuienognnrilslataett:dahesltlfloldeaolhpa.fowtnebhtoofeherdelue,,aidegrctahtta,eiTahsntnoiWnthCagmomdatcxe"isetrllehil.aeycioteasoniphnntRmlyaewe,og"toig,honwsraibuietce3nn--anulap4ddgst,loraawwthftttieahneoohckOveronrteeitinrrfrohwaytuenCeotTosr"h"eaurealbKisdeewnrneosos'ifnsdatunceeuesattgcpo.dpyt"shrlid,peo,oHiaenCmatwsrheg,oereh--nru.hooefnecasshtep"stywdhinai.lrd.iaeodaHrs'tsthDoortiitosurcnepoylssgdwpnihtdiiaeattntodiolse, to take her home, let her rest and to give her medicine. As- the screams and uncon sciousness resumed, the father took Celeste to Brooklyn Eye and Ear Hospital. This tim e a woman doctor agreed with him that in flamed tonsils were not enough to cause her condition and said it m ight be lead poisoning. H ie doctor suggested Celeste be taken to Cumberland Hospital, where there were better facilities for proper treatm ent But it was refusing to eat1about six weeks W hen, she developed convul too late. The child died in Cum ago, they thought she was Just Jealous of her new brother, bom June 5. . sions on Wednesday, Felder took his daughter to Bushwick Hos pital. This tim e it was "a bad berland at 4:15 a. m. Police of the Classon Ave. sta tion said their investigation was They took her to a doctor, who case of tonsillitis." He was tokl ended. ` M ,Y. His Little Girl Screamed in Pain for 6 W eeks But 4 M Ds Said, 'Don't W orry'; Then She Died A 214-year-old girl died in con up, however, and a-private-physi "Upper respiratory infection," he be foolish and a waste of money" vulsion today, apparently of lead cian was consulted. , . said. Mr. Felder pleaded she was to admit Celeste for further ob poisoning, after two private doc tors and two hospitals had diag nosed her ailment as "not serious." Told Not to Worry. He said Celeste had intestinal grippe, gave her penicillin, and told her parents not to worry. too sick for that, but said the doc tor gave the baby more medicine and sent her home. All day yesterday, convulsions servation, according to Mr. Felder. "Take her home," she repeated with professional finality. Home again, the now-familiar The two hospitals turned little Celeste got worse. Her crying shook Celeste's tiny frame. She periods of screams and uncon Celeste Felder away, saying her swollen tonsils could be treated at home. But doctors a t Cumberland Hospital, Bklyn., where she died, said the Negro girl's h abit of. eat ing anything th at came to hand-- turned to screams. She couldn't hold any food. The doctor said she would improve soon, but she didn't. Monday, Mr. Felder called in another doctor. He said the child became unconscious again last night. In desperation Mr. Felder called police. They sent an ambu lance which took the sick young ster to Bushwick Hospital. . Sent Home Again. sciousness were resumed. Mr. Felder took Celeste to Brooklyn Eye and Ear Hospital where an other woman doctor said her in flamed tonsils were not enough to cause the convulsions. "It might dirt, plaster, paint, putty, any had a. virus infection. Again, it A woman doctor there, a hos be lead poisoning," she said alter thing she could stuff in her mouth was nothing to worry about. Ce pital spokesman said, looked at examination. --may have caused her death. When Celeste began crying and refusing meals about six weeks ago, her parents, Mr. and Mrs. leste took her medicine and screams grew louder. Out of Her Head. Tuesday, she went out of her her Celeste's throat and said she had a bad case of tonsillitis. Take her home, let her rest, give her medi cine, she advised. She suggested the child be transfered to Cumberland Hos pital, where facilities for treating her were greater. Cumberland William Felder, of 473 Macon.St., head before lapsing into uncon "You don't understand," Mr. doctors agreed with the lead Bklyn., thought she was merely sciousness. Her father rushed her Felder cried, almost in tears, "My poisoning diagnosis and did what jealous of her new brother, (bom to Kings County Hospital, where baby's dying." could be done for Celeste. But it June 5. The child's weeping'kept a third physician examined her. But the doctor insisted it "would w astool/te. She died at 4:15 aim. M Y -* 5 .3 , I 9~C/ H' 0 0 1 4 B 6 4