Document pBvVEpbpxXpem9k58G3pp4eoj

Ju n e 24, 1955 M r. M an fred Bo r d it e li Lead In d u stries A ssociation 420 Lexin gton Avenue New Y o r k C it y 17 B e a r M an fred: I h ave not ign ored you r le t t e r s an d e n clo su r e s on th e situ ation in A u st r alia, b u t I'v e b e e n t o o p r e o c c u p ie d o t h e r w ise to p a r t ic ip a t e in t h e c o r r e sp o n d e n c e . The action taken by the A u stralian Fed eration of O rgan ization s of the Blin d i s , I. t h in k , q u it e u n r e a l i st i c , fo r a n u m b e r c f r e a s o n s . Th e p o sit io n w ith r e sp e c t to p a in t s 13 '.veil kn ow n t o y o u r se l f an d h a s b e e n w e ll e x p r e sse d in the . ocoad p aragrap h of Leon ard Green bu rg's lat t e r , The oth er issu e s, and esp ecially the etiologic and clin ical asp e ct s of optic n eu ritis h ave been d iscu sse d sa t isfa c t o r ily , fr o m m y view poin t, by you r oth er co r r esp o n d en ts. On th e oth er hand, on e h as to look at th is m atte r on th e p e cu liar backgrou n d o f A u st r a lia n {sp e c i fic a l l y Q u e e n slan d ) e x p e r ie n c e . In view o f th e p u b lic a t io n s of Gibson , an d the co n t r o v e r sy o v e r th e r e latio n sh ip betw een lead poison in g c. id c h r o n ic n e p h r it is w h ich h a s p r o d u c e d a m o n o gr a p h (C h r o n ic N e p h r it is an d Le a d P o iso n in g ,by L. J. Ja r v i s Nye) an d a c o n t r o v e r sy w h ich h as b een r e v ie v ed r e p e at e d ly an d given r ise to at le a st two e lab o r at e r e p o r t s in th e A u st r alian M e d ical Jo u r n a l, it is n ot su r p r isin g th at t h is cou n tr y an d m an y o f it s p eople a r e h igh ly se n sit iz e d to th e h az ar d s of le a d ab so r p t io n . I h ave been in touch w ith a n u m b er of t h e ir m e d ical p eo p le, in clu d in g N y e ,fo r a good m an y y e a r s, an d on th e back grou n d of the le gisla t io n p r om u lgated h i Q u een slan d, th is p r o p o sal d oes not st r ik e m s a s su r p r isin g at a ll. 7/Iiat d oes su r p r ise m e is th at M r. T ay lo r is n ot aw ar e cf th e b ack grou n d w h ich h as m ad e th is a n ot alt o get h er u n expected developm en t. . I m ay say th at it is qu ite u n lik ely, at le a st in m y th in kin g, th at t ills p r o p o sa l of die O r gan ization w ill be act e d upon fav o r ab ly by th e A u st r alia n G overn m en t. Th e M ed ical A sso c ia t io n , I sh ou ld th in k, w ould be con su lted fo r it s r e act io n , an d it w ould be m ost su r p r isin g tc m e if so m e of the w ell in form ed an d se n sib le p eop le in A u st r alian m e d ic a l c ir c le s w e r e n ot to poin t out th e sa m e th in gs th at h ave been said in you r co r r e sp o n d e n ce . Th is p r o p o sal, it w ould se e m ,st e m s fr om a lay gr ou p , im p r e sse d by ce r t ain th in gs in th e p a st h ist o r y of th e a r e a (w h ich th ey h ave m isin t e r p r e t e d ) an d m ot ivated by a sin c e r e bu t m isd ir e c t e d sym path y fo r th ose afflict e d w ith th is d r e ad fu l h a n d ic a p .' K B 0014917 M r . M a n fr e d Bo w d it ch - (2) - Ju n e 2 4 , 1955 I sh a ll b e in t e r e st e d in w h at m ay com e of t h is, an d if it sh ou ld be in d icated by an y in form ation w h ich you r e c e iv e , I m igh t tak e a h an d in it th rough co r r esp o n d en ce w ith so m e of th e people who m igh t, if n e c e ssa r y , do som eth in g abou t it. I h ave h ad so m e con tin uin g a sso c ia t io n w ith se v e r a l fa ir ly in flu en tial m e d ical m en in A u st r a lia , th rough w h ich I cou ld obtain in form ation an d r a ise cer tain qu estion s of fact an d opin ion . Th is m ay n ot be n e c e ssa r y , an d if it is not, it is better left to the A u stralian s. Sin cerely y ou rs, RAK ef Robert . Kehoe, M. D. He ooi 3 :i s