Document rBaVyq8OpmqXJ7a3mdBy958gv

CAMBRIDGE TO: FROM: CC: E.S.Wood H.Borgstedt H.A.Eschenbach DATE: SUBJECT: 1979 Jan 21 Pleural Effusions On Jan 20 I had a telephone conversation with Dr. Seifert in Libby who told me, in substance, the following about the cases of pleural effusions he has seen in Libby dur ing the past 4 or 5 years. There has been a total of close _to 20 cases. The fact whether effusions were bloody or not was not noted in any of the feports available to Dr. Seifert. Employment at the mine in Libby was involved in three cases: 1. The case which is the subject of my memo to ESW dated 1979 January 15 which has been related to us by Dr. Her ron in Kalispell. Dr. Seifert did not any further detail. 2. The case of Mr. L.M. who died during the past few months after years of employment at the mine. He evidently died of pulmonary asbestosis and fibrosis with pulmonary effu sions as an expected and predictable symptom of the un derlying disease. 3. The case of Mr.T.C. who died last year, the situation being virtually identicaL with that of case 2, above. _ Dr. Seifert also told me that many of the total number of cases they had seen were persons employed in a St. Regis lumber mill In some cases congestive heart failure had clearly been the cause of the effusions, in others the cause was and remained unknown. Dr. Seifert emphasized that he could make little sense as to the apttern of the cases. Harold H. Borgstedt, M.D HB: jb 15183717