Document jyoM5nBOkkX2X9zOGmK04Q5Mk

JOE V. WILLIAM S JOE V. WILLIAMS, JR. LAWOFFICES OF W ILLIAM S & W ILLIAM S CHATTANOOGA, TENIM. S UI TE IOII HAMI LTON NATI ONAL BANK BUI LOI NQ February 18* 1932. Dr. Kehoe* Cincinnati General Hospital* Cincinnati* Ohio. Dear Dr. Kehoe; We represent a small non-ferrous foundry here in this City* and one of its former employees has brought suit claiming that he became poisoned by breathing fumes.from this small fur nace* and is suffering with lead poisoning. Our investigation convinces us that this man is not suffering from lead poisoning* buthas a well-defined case of "Jake" poisoning. We will be able to show that on numerous occasions he drank Jamaica ginger at one of the local drug stores. Other patrons of this drug store are afflicted similarly to the plaintiff in the suit in question. These men became paralyzed in February and March* 1930* and the man in question is now paralyzed from the waist down* and seems to make no improvement. ' The following is copied from a pamphlet issued by the Public Health Service* Washington* being a preliminary report by Dr. Maurice I. Smith* -''Pharmacological and Chemical Studies of the cause of so-called Ginger Paralysis." "By a similar process of reasoning* lead and other heavy metals may be eliminated from the discussion* since no appreciable amounts of lead or other poisonous metals have ever been found in any of the suspected samples of ginger* nor have any of the pa tients shown any clinical symptoms of lead poisoning other than the paralysis." It is stated in a foot-note to the above quotation that you iwe dome some research work in a series of ginger paralysis cases in the Cincinnati General Hospital. We are wondering if you can give us the clinicsi symptoms of lead poisoning* and reference to some medical authorities on this subject* as well as some work that would enable us to distinguish such cases from those of 'Mak e " paralysis. Assuring you of our appreciation of any information you may be able to furnish us* we are JWjr/b Yours very 6861M