Document pB61yZ819rpKe3YMpr6oEQLxj

Dr o Charles HcVea Louisiana National Bank Bldg* Baton Rouge, La* . January 21, 1946 ' Baton Rouge, La* Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Puller La,, National Bank Bldg., Bat on Rouge, La Dear Mr. Porter: As you requested I hare examined a 21 year old negro man, who states, while 'working for the DuPont Co. in January'1945, he vas exposed to lead fumes while doing ditching work in a drainage ditch on DuPont property,, The same day he had a severe headache and was treated by a physician without relief. Several days after his illness began, he was so sick that he vas ad mitted to a local hospital. He says this was about the 28nd of February and he remained in the hospital 1 month. The first few days of hospitalization, he vas out of his head and he suffered thereafter with a continual headache, a stinging pain around his heart and a choking sensation in his throat. These complaints have continued up to today and he has sought relief on several occasions, seeing several physicians and being in Charity Hospital in New Orleans on several occasions, the last time being about 2 months ago. -Be com plains .further that he cannot see as well out of. the. right eye as out of the left since the injury. The headache and aching pain down his back have been continuous since his accident. He does not sleep well and awakes at night with headache. At the time of the accident for a period of about 2 months he had recurrent severe cramps in his abdomen but these have not recurred since April 1, 1945. His bowels move normally but he has a poor appetite and says the sight and odor of food occasionally makes him vomit. He has a hacking cough and spits up blood at night and at frequent intervals during' the day he has a choking sensation in his throat. He has no other complaints Of any other nature whatsoever. . He states that he has had no previous illness. Marital and family history are not significant. He had gonorrhea in 1S42 and -.vas cured. He- denies any other venereal disease. On physical examination he is seen to be a well-nourished and well-developed negro man. His eyes are slightly more prominent than usual. His teeth and mouth show no gross pathology and tonsils are apparently normal. There is a line of pigmentation on gums which is not uncommon in this race. I do not be lieve it is. a "lead" line. A complete physical examination reveals no pathology of any significance except that the Blood Pressure is 155/95. The urinalysis is essentially negative. - It is my opinion that this man has a hypertension or high blood-pressure and that this is responsible for the headaches he suffers. He has no physical evidence or history of symptoms of lead poisoning existing at the present time. It is quite possible that the hypertension which he new has is a complication of lead poisoning. I do not know whether or not he had high blood-pressure be fore his exposure to lead. I am unable to account for the backache, the choking sensation in the throat, the.stinging pain around his heart or the difficulty he complains of with digestion. I a . inclined to believe that the digestive dis- * - 2- turbanee is a minor one since this men is rather- Vieli-nourished and well-de veloped,, facilities are not available in my office to test his vision com pletely, however he tells me that he sees fairly well out of both eyes but that his vision is not clear in the right eye It would be of seme benefit to me to know the results of the-blood work on this man, I believe the clcod findings, would support ray impression that he .no longer suffers with lead poisoning at this, timeo , Thank you for sending this man to me, Yery truly yours, CLI Y/ mss 3nCc /s/ Charles L'cYea Charles IIcYea, k,D C J- X . Br. Sobt. Bo Wallace 603-4 Eeymond Building Baton Rouge, La. . G_ Z Taylor , Porter, Brooks &. Fuller Louisiana national B-nk Bldg. Baton Rouge, Louisiana Re.: -52 Fig $t. B ton Rouge, La. Dear Six's: At ycur request I have this day examined the above-named colored male, with the following findings: He gave a history of becoming sick while digging in a large ditch after a pipe containing a blue liquid was broken about 11 A. M. on January 31st, 1945, working off and on until 5:30 that afternoon. Hs felt bad all that night, vomiting his food ana becoming very restless. He worked two hours the next day but got so sick that they spent the rest of the day in the plant hospital. Hs then stayed at hems for several days taking treatment for headache from his doctor, then was sent to ths hospital ana was treated for being crazy for about one month. Now he says he feels bad all the. time with continuous dizziness and pain all over his head and in his right eye; has a choking feeling in hi3 throat and occasionally a singing in his heart; has a burning of M s eyas all the time; always worse at night and has to sleep with his head high. Says his muscles are in good shape and has no trouble with his hands or feet. Examination showed a well-developed and nourished, young colored male, apparently in excellent health, and all general examination findings were . normal. I found no objective signs of lead poisoning; his blood-pressure, systolic 138mm - diastolic 7 8 m ; pulse 72; nc signs of arterio-sclerosis; no lead line on gums; reflexes (eye, knee and Rhcmberg) all normal; no wrist or ankle weakness; and no signs of encephalopathy. Conclusions: While 1 could find no objective signs of lead poisoning and recovery from lead psychoses is ccmmm, this man may have a residual lead psychosis which could terminate in chronic insanity. To get further examination cn this phase of'his condition I would suggest examination by a psychiatrist. In my rehabilitation work I have found that Dr. Barkoff (New Orleans) makes ex cellent examinations and very thorough repoi'ts. - . Yours very truly, ' " 1t T V . /s/ Root. B. Wallace,M.D.