Document kBgXBOgnyzx92Mx4EebOrM9E

/ A p r il i l , 1955 D r . G eorge L . M aison Vice P r esid en t an d G en eral M an ager H iker Lab o r ato r ie s, Inc. P . O. Box 3157, T er m in al An n ex Lo s A n geles 54, Californ ia D ear George: Th an k s fo r y ou r le t t e r in r e p ly to m in e . I am glad to h ave an y d iffe r e n c e s th at m ay e xist in ou r view poin t out in th e open w h ere th ey can be view ed on m ed ical an d scie n t ific gr o u n d s. I w as con fiden t th at you w ould r e a c t a s you h ave, and I didn 't w ant you to h ave an y lin ger in g doubts a s to m y attitu de. I w as n ot in flu en ced un duly in m y view poin t by the e fficacy or in efficacy of t h e o r a l p r e p a r a t io n in r e m o v in g le a d fr o m t h e b o d y , n o r was I p r e p a r e d to sa y th at the prolon ged u se of the m a t e r ia l is d an ger o u s. I m e r e ly poin ted ou t t h at I d id n ot h ave ad e q u at e e v id e n ce on w h ich to ju d ge . 7 'h at i s t r e s s e d w as th e u n d e sir ab ilit y of p r om otin g th e u se of d sle ad in g of an y kin d a s a su b stitu te fo r the preven tion of lead ab sorp tion . I m u st in sist , an d I h ave been at th is a lon g tim e an d I know w h ereof I sp eak , th at it is fu n dam en tally im m o r al to p e r m it th e e xist e n ce of in d u st r ial con dition s w h ich give r ise to d an ger o u s le v e ls of le ad absorption , am on g w orkm en . Th is can be p reven ted an d it m u st b e don e. M o r e o v e r , when, w e a s p h y sic ia n s su b st it u t e m e d ic a l m e a su r e s fo r con trol m e a su r e s, we a r e d oin g'h arm r ath er then good. Th e ad u lt s who h ave d an ge r o u sly h igh con cen tr ation s cf load in t h e ir blood a r e n ot lik e th e u n for tu n ate v ic t im s of th e u n p r e d ict a bln in r o ad s of m an y d i s e a s e s . T h e y h av e t h is co n d it io n , e x c e p t fox* a c c id e n t s an d u n u su al situ atio n s,su ch a s th ose th at affect ch ild ren , b ecau se th eir em ployer is ign o r an t, in ept o r ir r e sp o n sib le in m atter s of in d u st r ial h ygien e. I agr e e th at you, a s a p r acticin g p h y sician , when su ch a m an com es to you, m ay feel th at, fo r h is safe t y , you h ad b et t er t r e a t h im to le sse n h is im m ed iate d an ger o f b ecom in g ill. T h er e is poin t in t h is, but ac t u ally it m isse s th e poin t, b e c au se if you do th is, and oth er d octors do th is, an d in d u strial ph ysician s do th is, and th en se n d th e m an b ack t o h is w or k , th e r esu .lt is t h at d an ge r o u s sit u a t io n s in in d u st r y n ot on ly w ill con tin u e to e x ist but w ill m u ltip ly . I am n ot too m uch d ist u r b e d b y w h at a. p r i v a t e p h y sic ia n m a y d o a b o u t t h is, b u t I a r c d e e p ly con cer n ed th at in d u st r ial p h y sic ian s w ith th e h ealth o ffic e r 's r e sp o n sib ilit y fo r th e people un der th eir preven tive car e , m ay fall fo r th is fa lse and pan d erin g con cept of p r e v e n t s e m ed icin e, an d w ill con tribu te to the w h olly N9765 D r . G e o r ge L . iviaiooii - (2) - A p r il 11, 1955 u n n ecessar y r isk s of in d u strial lead exp osu re. Now , you h ave got to a sk y o u r se lf, in p rom otin g th is id ea, n ot how you w ould ap p ly it, but how p h y sician s in th e le ad t r a d e s w ill ap p ly it . I th in k I know the an sw er to th is qu estion , sin ce I know m an y of th ese m en , and h ave t alk e d w ith th em , an d h ave b een q u est io n ed by th em , in c o n v e r sa t io n s an d in corresp on d en ce. I am not talkin g about a m atter of m o r als a s se p ar ate from life a s it i s, o r of op in ion s, but of the cold h ar d fa c t s, w h ich in th is in d u st r ial field I know com p reh en sively from y e ar s of d ir ect exp erien ce. I h ave not seen D r. K a r r 's le t te r , and in ciden tally you forgot to attach a copy to you r le t t e r . I sh all be in t e r e st e d in seein g it, but I do w an t to su gge st to y ou an d to h im t h at you h ad b e t t e r know' w h at you a r e ab o u t in r e la t io n to th e lead - u sin g in d u str ie s, an d to the lon g an d u p -h ill e ffo r ts of m an y y e ar s to b r in g good p r a c t ic e into th em , b e fo r e you put y o u r se lv e s on th e sid e of th e d ev il. Sin cerely y o u r s, RAK ef Robert A. Keh oe, M. D. X jT 0 0 0 8 6 1 8