Document qvbKNbQ3EOVOR6kwD1qq77Rn

i L. A. ST. JOHN, M. D. 25 CHARTER OAK AVENUE Ha r t f o r d , - Co n n e c t ic u t September 29, Standard. Oil Company of N. rersonel - safety Dept. Medical Section 112 state street Albany, K v-. l, Hit: uentlemen: '. ; h The - following is a report to date on the above cases of _thyl Lead roisoning that occurred at the Hartford Plant September Ivth, 1932. ,f HiSTORx: The three men were assigned, to clean an nthy.1 Lead Tank. For two days they worked with a mask, the three, going in and working in relays. On the third day, September 9th, they went in together without a mask due to the fact, as they claim, that the air tube was not sufficiently long to reach the center of the tank. They remained inside for a period of ninety minutes when they were forced to comd out because of feeling"dizzy." DiBernard, who was in charge of the job, allowed A and to go home a little earlier than quitting time because, as he put it, "we were all dizzy and sick".. .' September loth, the three men returned to work after putting in a sick night co mplaining of restlessness, insdmnia, dizziness, vomiting and .diarrhea.,.mThey -were forced to quit, work on September loth at 10 o'clock A.M. and the three reported to my office.for examination. Their symptoms >were-as. follows; ' h. _ _ (1) dizziness^ '.... ' - ''-v--insomniaLSwOgh py " (3) Vomiting ^ ., (4)' muscle pains - : ..: - ' - (5) diarrhea*^ (6) weakness^ * -g. (7) excitations . : / . : . .. . Their physical examinations at this time revealed nothing unusual. 1 concluded from-the history and findings therefore that these-men were suffering from mild gasoline-poisoning from the fumes yy present in the tank and after assuring them that their, cases were not serious, ordered them home. . j l prescribed cathartics (jipsom Salts ; for their diarrhea and: cramps, dnd a sedative for their excitation as ally- of them .seemed po. bePeo ns id. or ably, nervous, and frightened.:;.,. .-They seemed to know and fear ;tli'at'tlie fumes of nthyl Lead were deadly poisonous, in; fact,/ 1,^Lad-consid:erable difficulty in assuring them that:,M: be lieved their symptoms were due.to mild gasoline poisoning and not lead, x 'asked them':to call me ...the- folloing day if . they still felt: sick and diz:zy. \ f . 1- .... \ - ..... };v;; p -w>; September 11th - and flHHJp)oth put in house calls which: jnade about ,5 o ' cloc^rTMT^Tl. fottne^nem up and, about at home. They had not "slept that night .and thev^^uMUnot keep down food. - They were: very much..excited, especially felt positive he was going: to "die". He had read somewhere about the danger of. lead poison-,/V' ing. I realized, now that 1 was dealing- with something more than ord- --qu inary, "gasoline fume poisoning" and ordered the men to the hospital for. treatment and observation. , flBHHHH^in the meanwhile was similarly af- ~ x-, footed. He lives in New Bri^OTa^^tbn miles from Hartford) and conse- . -v;$ quently called in his family physicfpn who likewise ordered him to the hospital. (.New Britain General Hospital.) September 11th to 17th inclusive. under observation at at. Frances Hospital. Luring first three days stay in the hospital they continued to vomit their food, only in the A.M. however. rain in ab domen,: chest, muscle cramps, etc. They were in a constant state of excitajtion and co uld not sleep. They continually talked of being "done for" etc., and of "going to die",' in spite of all the sedatives i could; administer them. (120 grains of sodium bromide and 9 grains of sodium Amyto1 at bedtime.) -'-',I - x -- After the third day the nausea and vomiting left hut the insomnia, and fear of death per a. sted. xt was most distressing and annoying and. it was evident that they were beginning to feel the effects of the loss of sleep. They remained at the heppital until the 17 oh of September when they insisted on going home. They felt that the hospital was "getting on their nerve" and that if they were home with their families they would "feel better"; also they wanted uo be out in the air and exercise in order to "tire out." so that, they might get some, sleep, -f Realizing- thatfthe . change nnd moderate exercise might help them-jtonsleepfi:^digpharged|;them.:;f ,f. V September, 17th to September 22nd, inclusive. ' During.the above dates d_________ were under my close'observation, The other many was sti hospitalized In New Britain under both the care eorge Dunn of. New Britain and myself. (1 will givw yolu. his repst -in. detail separately later. ) Dux*ing these dates 1 visited th andat least twice daily and sometimes thr^e tj firms. As previously explained, the. chief amd most annoying and persistant symptom was insomnia. The others; weakness, nervousness and muscle jpains etc., which were due to the lack of sleep and proper r< : S t , were bejeoming more marked in both these cases. Medication the the mean while gjave no relief. xt was evident that they were not getting better ' and werp, xf anything, getting worse. ` c. kE 00174o0 H\ - r-'-v.c- - '-s  7P.. Ai ST. JOHN, M. D. 25 CHARTER OAK AVENUE Ha r t f o r d . * Co n n e c t ic u t 3- - On September 18th., pr. nillard Machle who Is from Cincinn ati and Is connected with the Ethyl Core-ration of America, was sent: to me by the standard oil Company of fjet? rork to help and 'suggest the treatment. of these cases. Dr. Machle and I carefully re-examined the three men. As on the previous examination the physical signs were nfc remarkable and that .there were very few abnormal findings.. They/'here as follows: (1; muscle, weakness .(2) slightly exaggerated reflexes i3j low blood pressure , in Bonlni1 s case only, the symptoms were; ^ 1; weal-mess \2) excitability and nervousness 3J insomnia Dr. Machle and I discussed these cases.thoroughly. He has had considerable experience withxgtra Lead poisoning. He. instructed me as to his method of treatment and advised me that my cases were typical although mild 8 fetra Lead Poisoning; that the insnmnia is one . of the first symptoms to appear and a very significant one in making >w a diagnosis; that it is the factor that causes the muscle weakness, nervousness and excitability In these types of cases; and that sedatives and. drugs commonly used to produce sleep are of no avail. He also out lined a course of treatment that he has successfully used in the treatment of such mases.- - - ` ... ,?/ yeptember 18th to September 27th inclusive. .-iU If With th^^nethod of treatment, bonini and Zeboski respond ed very well. is practically .ready ..to return- to light work,' probably about October 3rd. although over his illness is still., weak and, probably will not be. able to;,return to work before the. middle of October. :@inHnH|pr, .however ,-v-;f ailed---to ` react favorably..' He fwas-.-the ~j most.nerypxi.s;.;'^ap^xefrtable;Lpf;.;the;pthreepthroughout the whole, course./ .. - un oeptember 22, 1952, h'suddeniy.>became mentally imbalanced. I re- ceived a hurry call to his home,'at; 1:30. ;A.M.? and. found him in a maniacal, stage. It required four policembn? to: hold; him. Healizing that this . was * an emergency I arranged to send him?to';the hospital In a private froom and .of course? a day and night hurse /to, keep close watch, upon ' him. It became necessary to restrain him:,in. bed with, straps and a canvas cama- sole. As the situation was serious and as it was impossible to care for this man in a general hospital. Dr. Machle and 1 decided that he had better be rawed to the Hartford Retreat (a hospital for mental cases}. On September 24th we raoved him to the retreat where he is now confined. A consultation there was held between Dra. St.John, Machle, Schuby, Adams and Wagner (the latter three--aye. the hospital doctors. ) It was RE" 0017481 | - l !- h \__A. ST. JOHN, M. D. 25 CHARTER OAK AVENUE Ha r t f o r d , - Co n n e c t ic u t Anally agreed that:is. probably a mental case. Just t type of insanity Mas not as yet been- detremined. Mis syma- tdus are not very clear. At times he appears to be a Toxic Cycosis, At other times he has symptoms of a Dementia rraecoz, It will proop-oij take several weeks before a definte diagnosis can be made. The laboratory pork on these cases, namely, blood tests -for lead stioolaig- - haemagiooin - blood count - wasserman, etc. are ajl nega tive. The excretions (urene and faeces; are non being yut through the examination fr lead. 'This is a process that takes ron two to three weeks. I have sent specimens to Dr. Mac hie's moratory in Concinnattl for these tests, as there are no lab or stories in bills state eouioood to examine for lead; and until receive a report 1 mill be unable to state just what part, if: uny, the lead plays In WHBRMHHBb sickness. It seems to be' the consensus of opinion at this writing is probably a mental case, not sue to lead poisoning. It may, however, bo necessary later on to decide "rb ether or not his exposure to the i'otra Lead, fumes was rospon sible to precipate his mental instability. This would be a question no o? decided by osychiatrists. sUivlMAkY:- rresent condition of very satisfactory, .vill return to light work on or about the bra of octbbor. Condition of also wry satisf actry. hill return to work aoout tub middle of October. Condition of to 'apceax- as though vre bably Dementia rraecox. unsatisfactory. it oegins a. mental abnormality, pro All of which is respectfully submitted. L. A. at.John, M.D. RS 0017482 - :