Document oDoNzVVX1XNw5JV5XgNz2Lekw

J u l y P.5, 19^0 iYr . E . V/, Ba co n J . B. L i p p i n c o t Com pan y P u b l i s h e r s i- h 11 ad o I p h i a , P a , Dear Mr. Ba con : I have your le t t e r o f J u ly l8 t h w it h you r q u e s t io n co n ce r n in g a monograph on the problem s o f le a d p o is o n in g. As a m a t t e r o f f a c t I have been accu m u latin g m a t e r ia l over a p er iod o f yea r s ahd h ave son s o f i t fo r m u la t e d in t o a ge n e r a l scheme fo r a m on o gr a p h , I h a ve b e a n 30 b u s y w i t h o t h e r t h i n g s t h a t I h a ve b e e n p u s h i n g t h i s m a t t e r b e h i n d me f o r some m on t h s, b u t I do e x p e c t t o g e t a t t h e b ook an d t o com p le t e i t with in a r ea son a b le p er iod o f tim e. I have no commitments up t o t h e p r e s e n t as t o a p u b lis h e r . The g e n e r a l c h a r a c t e r o f the book which X hope t o com plete w i ll be such t h a t i t . w i ll be u s e fu l to p r a c t ic in g p h ys icia n s , in d u s t r ia l p h ysicia n s, I n d u s t r ia l h ygie n is t s and person s concerned with m e d ico -le ga l problem s a r is in g out o f in d u s t r ia l u s e s o f l e a d . We h a ve b e e n s t u d y i n g t h e p r o b l e m o f l e a d a b sor p tion , lea d excr e t io n and lea d p oison in g in a s y s t e m a t i c f a s h i o n o v e r a p e r i o d o f y e a r s , a n d we h a v e com p r eh en sive in fo r m a t io n on th e in t a k e and ou t p u t o f lo a d in th e n orm al p o p u la t io n and on t h e ge n e r a l ch a r a ct e r o f normal le a d m etabolism as a p h ys io lo gic p r o ce s s . With t h i s i n f o r m a t i o n a s a. b a c k g r o u n d f o r l e a d e x p o s u r e a n d a b n o r m a l l e a d a b s o r p t i o n a n d e x c r e t i o n , we h a v e s t u d i e d le a d e x c r e t i o n an d She l e a d c o n t e n t o f t h e b lo o d and cer ta in oth er t is s u e s in r e la t io n to variou s types and m agnitudes o f occu p a tion a l lea d exp osu re. Data are a va ila b le on th e ran ge o f co n ce n t r a t io n s o f le a d in the e x c r e t a , and to a le s s e r d egr ee on th e t is s u e s in r e la t i o n to d iffe r e n t m agnitudes of exp osu re. I t is p o ssib le to d e fi n e t h e d e gr ee o f Biazard i n t er m s o f e x c r e t o r y d a t a . F i n a l l y we h a v e s t u d i e d a r a t h e r l a r g e n u m b e r o f c a s e s o f le a d p o iso n in g from a v a r ie t y o f sou r ces and in a c o m p r e h e n s i v e w a y. On t h e b a s i s o f t h e s e s t u d i e s , I h o p e to be able to d e lin ia t e the c lin ic a l backure o f lea d p oison in g with a c la r i t y which has n ot been p o s s ib le h it h e r t o , and t o c o r r e la t e c l i n i c a l p ic t u r e s w it h q u a n t i t a t i v e d a t a on N14015 HE 0G123 1 - 2- lo a d e x c r e t a In su ch a way a3 t o e s t a b l i s h c e r t a i n m ed ico l e g a l b a ckgr ou n d s wh ich a r e now in a r a t h e r h aay s t a t e . On t h e q u e s t i o n o f t h e r a p y a l o n e , we a r e s o m e wh a t w e a k , b u t o n l y , I b e l i e v e , b e c a u s e th er e is no s p e c ific th er ap y fo r lea d p oison in g and becau se the gen er a l t h er a p eu t ic approach to the problem is in a s c i e n t i f i c s e n s e r a t h e r w e a k . The f a c t o f t h e m a t t e r h e r e ! s t h a t moat ca ses o f lea d p oison in g r e co ve r sp on tan eou sly while in the ser iou s cas ns with seq u ella e our treatm en t Is m ostly u n su ccessfu l. Th is sh ou ld g ive you a good id ea o f the gen er a l ch a r a ct er o f the book which I hope to p r od u ce, and i f you a r e i n t e r e s t e d in i t or h ave an y su ggestion s to o ffe r , in r e la t io n to in cr eased au d ien ce, I s h a ll be gla d t o h ea r fr om you . Ver y t r u ly y ou r s, >'AA :1. s H o o e r t A. Koh oe, M.D. KB 001.2322