Document qk7NV2y9mjXOZx4gv71rrK09M

Brisbane <DItnic W ic k h a m T e r r a c e B r i s b a n e , b .17 November 2 5 th 19^6 Robert A.Kehoe M.D. CIRGIMATI. . US.A. Dear Dr Rehoe, ' ;j . - ' I wish to thank you fo r th e batch o f r e p r in ts you were kind enough t o send me on your work on Lead P o iso n in g . Of cou rse I have read o f your r e s e a r c h e s on t h i s su b jec t in th e l i t e r a t u r e fo r many y e a r s . We have had a very i n t e r e s t i n g problem i n Lead P o iso n in g and i t s seq u ela e h ere - you may be f a m ilia r w ith some o f our fin d in g s which are b r i e f l y - I t When h o u se s were p a in te d w ith le a d p ain t th e r e was an e x tra o r d in a r y in c id e n c e o f acu te and ch ro n ic le a d p o iso n in g in c h ild r e n . . There are several factors operating in brin gin g t h i s about such as a . The clim a te which i s h o t said ca u ses th e p a in t to d e s s i c a t e and brush o f f as powdered lead carbonate - .. b . The .type o f house which used to be on high blocks w ith verandahs closed inby a gate thus making a pen i n which c h ild r e n sp en t much, o f t h e i r daylight hours. . . 2 . We found th a t any c h ild who s u ffe r e d from Plumbism s u f f i c i e n t l y sev ere t o produce P a r a ly s is a l most in v a r ia b ly d ied o f A r t e r i o s c l e r o s is and Chronic N ephritis in early adult l i f e . W ife-published piany a r t i c l e s on t h e su b ject and p ressu re from th e B.M ,A.caused th e Government to enact strin gen t le g is la t io n 'preventing th e use o f lead , paint in p laces a c c e ssib le to ch ild ren . U nfortunately I have been kept so busy w ith a p r a c t ic e which demands a l l my tim e t h a t I h ave n ot been a b le t o do f u r t h e r work on t h e problem fo r t h e p a st yearB a f t e r my book was p u b lis h e d . ~c ..-ever, my work has' been confirm ed by the- F ed eral Government .. i n v e s t i g a t o r s - Mirras'- e t a l . and by t h e Queeneflarid S t a t e Govern ment - D e r r ic k , . The -l a t t e r h as .much ev id e n c e and specim ens ; c o l le c t e d con firm in g our t h e s is 'a n d . hopes some day, t o do some 7 1Ur th e r research - on t h e p ro b lem ,, ^ 7 if :M V ". . , , S u f fic e i t t o say th a t th e r e i s :no .doubt w hatever th a t - chronic. . lead poisoning in infancy d e fin ite ly causes a r te r io sc le r o sis in t h is : clim ate, , I say "in t h i s c lim a t e 11 a d v is e d ly fo r I b e l i e v e ' t h a t - th e heat e f f e c t s th e body m etabolism in such a .way as to make u s . ' mere su sc e p tib le t o it s . - e f f e c t s / . . ..g - , , * tt * - . ` ! I f c h ild r e n can be d ir e c t e d ir. t h i s way i t appears t o m e .th a t : -. i t i s p rob ab le t h a t some .o f th e a r t e r i o s c l e r o s i s o f a d u lts may a lso be due t o ch ro n ic le a d p o iso n in g in s u s c e p t ib le per s o n s ,th e le a d ' b ein g absorbed from th e in d u s tr ia l atm osphere. In t h i s resp ect i t i s s ig n ific a n t th a t I in v e stig a te d th e a r te r ie s o f over one hundred aged A ustralian a b o rig in a ls in t h e ir prim itve n a tiv e sta te in th e Cape York P e n in s u la and could fin d no e v id e n c e o f a r t e r i o s c l e r o s i s - a lso I understand th a t th e Negro in A frica i s lik e w ise fr e e o f a r t e r io s c le r o s is but in U .S .A .th e in c id e n c e amongst them i s sim ila r to that o f the w hites, ) ; r I f you have n o t g o t a copy o f my book I s h a l l be g la d t o send i t t o you - I have o n ly a few c o p ie s l e f t and i t i s o u t o f p r in t,,;: . work. With g r e e tin g s and c o n g r a tu la tio n s on your e x c e lle n t Yours s in c e r e ly . -1 \ -. 000197.