Document oDV5Vm5VBowDYqd40pR9gdop7

A ` IVAN SABOURIN ADVOCATE Montreal, November 6tlx, 1944. Dr. G. H. V/heatley, Assistant Medical Director, MetropolitaiAAdfe Insurance Company, New York City (10). My dear doctor:- EE: TTEAI/m SURVEY I am. in receipt today of your letter mailed November 1st. X was indeed glad to hear from you. I expect to make the Pittsburg trip. As suggested by your good self and Bill Fenhel I will surely seek an opportunity of speaking with Colonel Lanza. Dr .Gardner was glad to hear that you had suggested this Pittsburg conference to me and intimated strongly that I should be there. HE: POSSIBILITIES AT A CLINICAL DISCUSSION OF ASBESTOSIS BY HECOGNIZED EXPERTS SHOULD TAKE PLACE IN THIS PROVINCE I agree with you fully that, as per Dr.Gardner *s suggestion. Or .Vestal (Chairman of the North Carolina Medical Board of the State Industrial Commission) should be invited. Indeed the standards for X-ray examination and diagnosis of asbestosis are greatly needed in this Province. It seems, may I suggest, that asbestosis is very seldom a compensable condition of the lungs. At least, in this Province, I do not believe that asbestosis at anytime was compensated as a condition which existed alone. The compensated cases of asbestosis here were rather cases of asbestosis which came under examination AXiDRXSD BCILDCfO 0646 2.CONTINUATION SHEET NO. Re HEALTH SURVEY accompanied by or associated with, another condition such aa tuberculosis, a heart or lung condition, etc. And-asbestosis in all these compensated cases was less associated to a condition which was in say disabling. Should there be any relationship between some degree of diagnosed asbestosis and such other ac companying condition, the aspect of "causality" appears to be the crucial one and there proper standards of X-ray examination and diagnosis would be most important to appreciate the coefficient factor of asbestosis (as a causative factor). REi rrr.nrrn at thetfokd tirnms Dr.Cartier has not yet definitely accepted I shall keep you fully informed. I am looking forward to receiving your plan of an industrial service at Thatford Mines and I am sure the producers there will find same a great help. Answering your inquiry I might say that under our Workmen * s Compensation law in this Province the patient-claimant has the privilege of retaining his own physician. Up to a few years ago the patient-claimant was subject to treatment by the plant doctor. But the law as it now stands gives the patient-claimant the privilege of securing- services by his own physician. At Asbestos, where Canadian Johns-Manvilla Company Limited are operating. Dr.Stevenson is acting as a company doctor. Moreover, the company is there operating a hospital (in which is situated the clinic you visited the other day) and the hospital is' under the direction of Dr.Stevenson, assisted by Dr-Smith. But the patients there may be treated by their own respec tive physician. As a matter of fact, Dr.Stevenson has always made It a point to direct an employee (whenever an alarming condition or a suspicious condition was' disclosed by- examination, to his own physician. Hie thus enjoys the confidence of the local physicians and of the employees as well, '/ HE: TOBMRCULOSIS X-RAY SURVEYS Id COMMUNITIES OUTSIDE TTTC ASBESTOS _______ MuPSTKY Dr.Cartier is exactly the physician in charge of the Province of Quebec Anti-Tuberculosis League 0647 * CONTINUATION SHEET NO. g Re TTF.AT.TTT SlTRVETy at* at. Montreal. 1 am, therefore, coranunicating to him the views you. expressed, at the suggestion of Dr .Gardner, (paragraphs2 of your letter, page 2.) re: Sizes of X-ray films, for the general population at Thetford Mines as distinguished to the collectivity of workers engaged into the asbestos industry. You are right when you state that Dr.Cartier- held the same views you expressed in this con nection. The regular size films are those whifh ought to be used for workers (and this has. been the practice followed at Asbestos by Canadian Johns-Manville Company Limited - Dr.Stevenson since 1935 at which time Colonel Lanza and Dr.Gardner made suggestions in connection with the setting-up of an X-ray nHn*r> there. 1 shall keep you fully informed and only too glad to take up with you at anytime any point whinfr may arise, the whole as suggested by you (paragraph 2 of page 2 of your letter). Thank you far the two reprints and your report an your trip to Montreal, Asbestos, Thetford Mines, Quebec, October 16th - October 20th, 1944. Kindest personal regards. Yours faithfully. IS:BS 0648