Document mB5a7NjjG0mzym1o36eeYVOQk

\ January 13, 1947 Dr*. Kenneth A. Koerber, Medical Director* The Electric Storage Battery Company, Allegheny..Av. and 19th Street, Philadelphia 32 > P & Dear Dr. Koerber: he i I enclose herewith three signed copies of the analytical results and our opinion on the case indicated a b o v e . I have gone over the entire record, including all of the eorrespondOnce with Dr. Sunderman, but I have not indicated my opinions on any phase of this matter in the attached reports. Actually 1 feel that some fault can be found in the conclusions arrived at from time to time, as reported in the record. For example, I do not understand how it is that anybody would conclude that a lead concentration of u.uB mg./loo grams in the blood, would be regarded as n o r m a l . Specific reference is given in the record to a range between v.uu and 0 . 13 as being within normal limits, while on more than one occasion, values of 0 .06.and o.UB are referred to as within normal limits. I am unable to say just what the accuracy of the analytical methods may be in"other laboratories, but it is quite clear that concentr&tions i n .excess ... of o'.05 mg. per 1be grams in the whole blood are a bnorrnaj. ano a-.e indicative of some kind of increased exposure, therefore, if these results can be accepted as valid in the chemical sense, your employee must have been having some lead exposure during the period in which he was supposed to be occupied in work free of lead-exposure. Mind you, I do not believe that this man has any valid claim of having symptoms of lead Intoxication at this time, but I think that the record gives one reason for doubting that conclusions were properly arrived at, during the long period of study, Our own results obtained quite some time ago give me some basis for interpreting his background, and I do not believe that there has been enough lead exposure In recent years to justify any serious doubt as to the merits of his case. On the other hand, the evidence of the record is not wholly satisfactory, and the opinions expressed therein from time to time are open to serious criticism, and on the whole the pattern of the case from the medico-legal point of view is not too satisfactory. 1 should strongly suspect, from the evidence obtained in our last analyses, that this man has had some lead exposure in the course of his work in recent months and years. It is obvious that this 0004229 N 6909 Dr. Kenneth A. Koerber - (2j - January 13 19^7 exposure has not been very severe, and it is certainly not of such severity as to justify the diagnosis of lead poisoning at this time. However, from the evidence available it cannot be said that he has been working under conditions that involve no opportunity for lead exposure. The variations up and down in his blood levels are, in my opinion, clearly indicative of K exposure. Others may be impressed with the fact that these variations are within the limits of normal behavior on the part of a person who had had significant lead exposure in previous years. Prom the evidence available to me, this point of view is wholly unacceptable. Therefore, we are dealing either with Insufficiently accurate analytical data, or with-exposure which from time to time was significant. Cordially yours, RAK ef line. Robert A. Kehoe, M. D. . 230 I-U trr OQ O fa College Obt-vi A of M edicin Cin cin n ati Aee, noeOsdhiMeo.n L. /iven ue Une f e c t v i c d o r a g e Ba t t e r y CoaiDam- M&J,' s t r e e t ? " '*" ' .`- M i t *Cf i-enns vivanie . January 13 , 1^ 47 Attention: Dr. 2ienneth A . hoe^-bev- cal D irector * 1 K K Q 0 r 4 2.3.1 1 I' Th e El e c t r ic St o r a g e Ba t t e r y Co m pa n y ALLEGH ENY AVE. and 19TH ST ., PH ILADELPH IA 32 . M x ib e BATTERIES February 28, 194-7 Robert A. Kehoe, M.D. Kettering Laboratory University of Cincinnati Cincinnati 19, Ohio Dear Doctor: fie are returning herewith your bill of January 13, 1947 for $20_ for Analysis of Blood and brine for Lead on and | is not an employee of ours. Will you kindly render another bill for 1 Fraternally yours, KAK:D ENC. St ^ /~>2> KENNETH A. KOERBER, M.D. MEDICAL DIRECTOR . ( N 6909.02 \ hobert A. Kehoe, M. D. College of Medicine Eden Av. Cincinnati 19 1 Ohio January 13 , 1947 A ? i ^ i eCtPfC Storage Battery Comoanv ; Attention : D r . Kenneth A . Koerbr Medical Director ' Analysis of Blood and Urine for Lead K 0004233 Samples of K?S.n& a M blood received from :r. . A* Koarber, .`.;ioc*,"? !*:r& <* -A-tt -ry. C,or LS, cnnsylv&n i&, fo r le a d iiiu ilysog. iv U & X y a ia } T-i S u m b c r 22 h ( * * * ( ? V o lu m e . ' 32 % ^r i a'P*'-**7* * ' v- ! # A. 1 . . 1 .0 2 ,5 (h e a v y . d e |5 0 S it) } O?'*--- / f t4A. 5'.'-If.:t A St tws i rk *JL J >U0r> 1ir'bcr ii?A"7` ^.fv^ff-v*'0sp*!**.--:wy**'s** i r t i ^i ' i n ' i i i i-- n!*:in* i i h--ir ''w- - r - .<%L cf: ?:! thi^ o n o 1 'b/lOC 0.0: v > The lead concentration in the blood, vith due allowance for analytical error, is lust at the threshold between normal and slightly abnormal values. Such a value is not compatible with the diagnosis of active lead intoxication at this time- - The urinary lead concentration is also just at the upper limit of normal values for a sample of this size. (The small sample has a wider range of variation than a large one, and in this instance the specific gravity shows this to be a concentrated sample.} It must be concluded from these analyses that this man has had no recent significant lead exposure, aid that he is not suffering from lead intoxication at this time. ' ,, ,, 5ws.ple Collected: r ' Samples deceived: l-lp-h? Signed: Robert A. Kehoe, M. D. Samples i.eportcdi h'H 0004234 N 6909.04 StiT