Document omyzG62wORM0GoE7ypaO2v6J8

inouist July 26, 19U Dr. X. L. Burnett# liilitiat S#cretzry Caotc'ita Head strict I Tou will rec-U ft your last visit I discussed with you the problem sf tuv-rculosi In Thctford. fine# thit tine I h*we wade further investigation of the proUe* end It would ace to he worth while for wt to visit Theiford with a vtwi to flrat-taad observation of the altuetlrm there. Several industrial hygiene ourweys here boen wade at Johnrrs'r Vint ir. pu*t yu:. The first was in June 1930 when Er. Lena* ** studying the asbestos Industry. Another study vaa wed* Is Vereh 1931. At thst tine werr hi*b dust fccuats were found in Johnson's Vine, Sorters were very careless shout eapeetoreUeg the floors; drinking weter was suprllod la buckets; cosset drinking cups wera used. A aueber of recom mendations vwr* e*5e to improve ger.eral working condltloaa of this sins. Bo subsequent study has been sede. Adjacent to Johnson1 a Mine la Bell Mines, elan a Croup policyholder, la hate wads a comparison of their mor tality rate* over the Inst foe* years, end the following table shows the dlffereoe* Is nortalitr. Tula **y nrt be statistically significant but wo .Id eis t-> warrant further lnve*tig-tion, both of Bell and Johnson's Kisea. i { Althot. f-. Lex,t* lud c*>ncluaod fret hit asbestos ituSy that tu'-crculoais *ts ant an expected complication frea this disease, in wlew o* this experience In Johnson's tines I felt eerranted in writing to Or. Gardner in Saranac to find out what his present opinion la. Be has made s:ae recent studies, both in Quebec and in korih Carolina of this possible relationship and t e pcstacrtaa sTldsnce Indicates, In hie opinion) that asbertosis docs n*>t predispose--like silicosla--to tuberculosis. Rowewer. he thwi-tii that comparative asrtillty and morbidity stadias of tuber culosis and a*b*st9is ir. Thetford and other coanvaities i". Quebec and other provinces would be very worth ai.il*. Tolloalng a trii> to Quebec last week, he has Just written we that, in his opinion, the outstanding feature in Tbstford is not aebeftoils tut tuterculosia. Sine* Bill Tehntl is planning a trip to Canada 1m, I thought 7 would plan to go at the.saws tins. This ws expect will bo the week of ?pt*aber 11th. Bill Barratt la arranging, through Kr. Barry, to get invitations far us t- visit Johnson's and *12 e'inas. Hiere are ease other lndustrUl bcslth contacts that Ur. Barry seaas to think it weald bo desirable for us to wake also. Since this problew in Tbstford apnoart to be largely one of tubsreulosls, it would Seen t? be fertile field for the Canadian Tuberei^ loair Association and public health agendas in Canada. I would be inter ested in westing the people that you think would have an internet in this problem, both in the Brovines sad in the Donlnioa. If they art later**tad In waking an attack on the proVlen, we night be to a position to giww thaw sowe technical end atatlstlcel help and perhaps pronote the interest of waaagftwsnt in this dlssaso. | l In viww of this pending trip, other aetivitlos er points of I ( -J? 31 latere st la relit! ob is our Volfere eorfc may occur to you u portiaest for is to look at together. George K, Iheitley, K.C. Ar*l*lut lle3ietl Elrectcr