Document q3YKK5JQw3Rrm7wRXE6E0EXGn

A p r il 2 3 , 19U0 D r . N. E. E ck e lb e r r y C o n so l id a t e d E d iso n Company o f New Yor k I n c . L Ir v in g P lace New Yor k Dear Doctor ck e lb e r r y : Alth ough I d id n ot fin d th e t im e t o t e le p h o n e ' you w h ile I w as in New Y o r k , I d a r e sa y y o u h av e t e e n in fo r m e d t h a t on e o f my a s s o c i a t e s an d I made a s e r i e s o f o b se r v a t i o n s In t h e g a r a g e a t ij.91 W alton Aven u e. We s h a l l p r o c e e d w it h t h e a n a l y s e s o f t h e sa m p le s w h ich we t o o k a s p r o m p t ly a s p o s s i b l e , a n d i n due t im e I sh a ll sen d you a r e p o r t co v e r in g ou r o b se r v a t io n s a 3 w ell a s ou r c o n c lu sio n s. M ean w h ile you may b e i n t e r e s t e d in know ing t h a t a r a t h e r d e t a ile d o b se r v a t io n o f th e w orkin g c o n d i t io n s an d t h e o p e r a t io n s w it h in t h e g a r a g e w ou ld seem to in d ic a t e beyond any very g r e a t dou bt, t h a t th e h azar d s o f lo a d e x p o su r e on t h e p a r t o f workmen in t h i s g a r a g e a r e n e g lig ib le . I t i s p o ssib le , o f co u rse, alth ou gh I con sid er i t u n lik e ly from th e in fo r m a t io n w h ich I was a b le t o o b t a in , t h a t th e r e w ere c e r t a in o p p o r t u n it ie s fo r lo a d e xp osu r e w h ich do n et appear a t th e p r e se n t tim e. T h is q u e stio n can alw ays b 8 r a i s e d r e g a r d l e ss o f th e Outcome o f ou r a n a l y t i c a l r e s u l t s , an d b e cau se o f t h is f a c t I w ish t o r a i s e a g a in th e q u e st io n s w h ich I r a i s e d i n my p r e v i o u s l e t t e r , an d t o d i s c u s s my r e a so n s fo r r a isin g them. In my l e t t e r o f A p r i l 3r d , I i n d i c a t e d t h a t i n my o p in io n I t w ou ld b e u s e f u l t o d e t e r m in e th e le a d con ten t of th e b lood and e xc r e t a o f c e r t a in r e p r e se n t a t i v e p e r so n s who a r e em ployed in t h e g a r a g e a t t h e p r e se n t t im e an d who w ere in em ploym en t d u r in g t h e p e r io d in w h ich t h e i l l n e s s among t h e workmen d e v e lo p e d . I can n o t agr e e w ith your statem en t t h a t in fo r m atio n o f t h is type w ould n ot ser v e a u se fu l pu rpose in con n ection w ith th e c a se s in q u e s t i o n . O b se r v a t io n o f t h e g a r a g e an d t h e w orkm en , an d som e d i s c r e e t c o n v e r sa t io n w it h t h e men d i s c l o s e d t h e f a c t t h a t t h e r e a r e a t l e a s t two men t n e r e w h ose w ork w as o f su ch a s o r t as to give r is e to su b st a n t ia lly id e n t ic a l exposu re to le ad a s t h a t o ^ ^ J w o men who becam e i l l . The n ig h t fo r e m an , Mr. , h as been em ployed In th e gar age fo r elev en y e a r s an d d u r in g th e e n t ir e p e r io d ab ou t w h ich th e q u e st io n o f le a d e x p o su r e h a s b een r a i s e d , h e was c o n t in u in g in h i s em ploy m en t. In d eed h e was so fa m ilia r w ith th e w hole sit u a t io n t h a t h e i s aw are o f t h e I l l n e s s o f t h e se men an d when h e h im se lf d e v e lo p e d some v i s u a l d i f f i c u l t y w h ich seem s t o h av e b e e n c o r r e c t e d 2 b y r e f r a c t i o n , h e w on dered w h eth er o r n o t h e was b e in g e f f e c t e d b y so m e t h in g i n common w it h t h e o t h e r m en . Th e p oin t o f t h is i s th at i f th er ^ w as a con d ition o f lead exp osu re in th e gar age , Mr. ^ H P H ^ m u st h ave been exposed h im se lf and i f he ab sorb ed sig n ific a n t q u a n t it ie s o f le a d a t t h i s tim e, i t w ould be a n t ic ip a t e d t h a t h e c a r r ie s in h i s b od y som e e v id e n c e o f t h i s e x p o su r e i n t e r m s o f a h ig h e r le a d con ten t o f h is t i s s u e s . I f t h is i s th e c a se , and p a r t i c u l a r l y so i f th e exp o su r e co n t in u e s t o e x i s t , h e sh oxild sh ow a l e v e l o f l e a d c o n c e n t r a t i o n i n h i s b lo o d an d u r in e above t h a t w h ich i s c h a r a c t e r ist ic o f n orm al p e o p le . I f he d o e s n o t sh ow an y su ch e v id e n c e o f ab n o r m al l e a d a b s o r p t i o n , we can c o n c lu d e w it h a r e a so n a b l e a ssu r a n c e t h a t n o su c h e x p o su r e a c t u a l l y e x i s t e d . Prom my o b s e r v a t i o n s I f e e l t h a t i t i s r e a so n a b ly f a i r t o come t o t h e c o n c lu sio n t h a t n o e x p o su r e e x i s t e d d u r in g t h a t p e r i o d vvb.5 ch i s m a t e r i a l l y g r e a t e r t h a n t h a t p r e se n t n ow . I n d e e d I f e e l c e r t a i n t h a t we h av e exam in ed th e c o n d it io n s in t h is gar age a t th e tim e o f m axim al exp osu re sin c e , by r e a so n o f c o ld w eath er , th e d oor s and windows w ere c lo se d and sin c e a l s o , by r e a so n o f ch an ges in h e a t i n g e q u ip m e n t , t b e g e r a g e i s k e p t m ore t i g h t l y c l o s e d now th an i t was in th e p e r io d in q u e st io n . __ - T h e r e i s an a d d i t i o n a l man n am ed who c o u ld g i v e u s t b e an sw er t c t h e q u e st i o n o f ^ a n ^ ^ i d u ^ j ^ a d e x p o su r e i n t h e st o c k r o o m . Wynne h a s b e e n on t h i s job fo r a lo n ge r tim e an d more r e g u la r ly th an an y o t h e r p e r so n . T h erefore i f th er e i s any co n d itio n in t h is st o c k room w h ich p r e d isp o se s t o u n u su al le a d a b so r p t io n , he sh ou ld sh ew i t in t h e for m o f an e l e v a t e d l e a d a b so r p t i o n a s r e v e a l e d by th e e le v a t io n o f h is b lood and u r in ar y le ad co n c e n t r at io n s. I do n ot w ish t o u r ge upon you an y p r o c e d u r e w h ich t h e r e i s sou n d r e a so n t o a v o i d . On t h e o t h e r h an d i t seem s t o me t h e r e i s an im p o r t a n t q u e st i o n w h ich i n v o l v e s n o t o n ly y o u r men b u t q u i t e a 3.u r ge n um ber o f o t h e r men an d fr o m my p o i n t o f v ie w , i f i t i s a t a l l p o s s i b l e , I sh o u ld n o t lik e to p a ss up any o p p o r t u n it ie s to e st a b lish th e fa c t s.o n a sou n d b a s i s . I r e a l i z e t h e v alu e o f a i r a n a ly se s in th e r e c o g n i t i o n o f l e a d e x p o su r e . On t h e o t h e r h an d , a s I h av e in d ic a t e d elsew h er e, th er e are c e r t a in sh ortcom in gs in t h is m eth od o f ap p r o ach w h ich a r e more th an made up fo r b y a st u d y o f t h e w orkm en . Workmen move a b o u t an d i n t h e c o u r se o f t h e i r work a u t o m a t ic a lly exp ose th em selves to a l l o f th e co n d it io n s w h ich e x i s t . Th ey r e p r e se n t th e m ost i d e a l m ech an ism fo r d e t e c t in g and r e c o r d in g th e e ffe c t s c f le ad e xp o su r e . T h eir r e c o r d in g m ech an ism h a s been a c t iv e d u r in g t h e e n t i r e p e r io d o f tim e in w h ich one i s in t e r e st e d an d i t i s , t h e r e fo r e , . c f th e u tm ost u se fu ln e ss to tak e ad van tage o f th e in fo r m atio n th u s provid ed . , I sh ou ld recommend t h a t t h e se two men b e c a l l e d in t o y o u r o f f i c e f o r e x a m in a t io n an d t h a t sam p le s k~ 0005482 - 3- c a se o f t h e o t h e r m en . W h eth er we o b t a i n p o s i t i v e o r n e ga t iv e ev id e n ce , th rou gh th e a n a ly se s o f th e sam p les fr o m t h e se m en , we s h a l l h av e t h e b e s t in fo r m a t io n w h ich can be o b t ain e d a t t h i3 tim e con cer n in g th e si g n ifi c a n c e o f a n j le a d xposiire w h ich e x i st e d in t h i s g a r a g e d u r in g t h e t im e in w h ich t h e two men h ad t h e i r a lle g e d le a d e xp o su r e . I t w ould be I n t e r e st in g , o f co u r se , to c o lle c t la r g e sam ples o f u r in e and a lso sam ples o f f ece3 on t h e se men, b u t t h i s w ill n o t be n e c e ssa r y fo r my p u r p o se an d t h e r e f o r e i t w ou ld b e p o s s i b l e t o o b t a i n t h e m a t e r i a l w h ich we n e e d in a v e r y sh o r t p e r i o d o f t im e an d in th e cou r se o f an o r d in ar y e xam in atio n . H a t u r a lly I m u st le a v e I t t o you a s t o w h eth er t h i s can be d on e, b u t I t h ir .k I sh o u ld b e g u i l t y o f some n e g l e c t i f I d id n o t th u s u rge upon you th e advi sabi l i t y cf t h is proced u re fr o m a p u r e l y t e c h n i c a l p o i n t of v i ew. C o r d ially y ou rs, R A K:is R o b e r t A. Keh oe, M.D. 0005433