Document rBbdX0Ky5pdqD7N07jX18o0xJ

Air Mai - Special (L Los Angeles Count g M e d cal Association T RU ST E E S BEN FREES. M. D. . Chairman WILLIAM E. COSTOLOW, M. D. , Vice-Chairman WILBUR BAILEY, M. D. LYLE G. CRAIG, M. D. WILLIAM H. LEAKE, M. D: WARfeEN A. WILSON, M. D. HAROLD R. WITHERBEE, M. D. PAUL D. FOSTER, M. D; , President EWING l . TURNER, M.D., Secret ary-Treasurer 1925 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD LOS ANGELES 5, CALIFORNIA Dunkirk 7-7175 November 11, 1^53 OFFI CERS PAUL D. FOSTER, M. D. , President VERNE C. CROWL, M. D. , Vice-President EWING L. TURNER, M. D. , Secret ary-Treasurer LOUIS J. REGAN, M. D; , LL.B., Advi sor K. C. YOUNG, Execut ive Secret ary ELBERT E. FITZGERALD, Business Manager Dr. Robe rt A. Kehoe Kettering Laboratory Universit;,y of Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio Dear Doctor Kehoe: On several occasions I have talked to you with reference to the smog in the Los Angeles area. As you possibly know, the Los Angeles County Medical Association is now backing the elimination of smog one hundred percent, inasmuch as it is the opinion of most of the physicians in this area thau the smog is no longer a nuisance but is actually detrimental to the l|fe of the people in this county. The alarming increase in cancer in this area, the experimental work of Dr. Paul Kotin of the University of Southern California, and the survey of the physicians have convinced the Association that it is necessary to go to bat. However, the Air Pollution' Control District under the direction of Colonel Gordon Larson, has, undoubtedly, performed a noble service and has made it possible for us to live here with the increasing number of industries which have come to this area. On the other hand, morbidity among the popula tion and even reports by physicians of mortality resulting from air pollution, is becamiog more prevalent. Approximately two weeks, ago, we had one of the most severe smog epidemics that the City and County have ever known. The absenteeism from the downtown businesses and closing of offices on its account was quite prevalent. i -_ I recall several years ago when I was discussing with you the problem of lead arsenite as being a problem in gastroenteritis, prior to the advent of the chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides, that you expressed the opinion that the serious problem was not the arsenic but the lead. I have been asked to inquire of you whether you have made lead toxicity studies iii the Los Angeles area. If so, if you would be in a position to divulge ady information or poirt to the appropriate literature. It has been brought to the attention of the Association that approximately 12 tons of lead are utilized in the roughly 5,^00,000 galbns of gasoline burned in this County per day. On the basis of the Public Health studies of the Holland Tunnel where the lead excretions of officers on duty was phenomenally large, 0002123 \\ we are v ordering whether you have made any studies of street-level lead concentration in the Los Angeles atmosphere or excretions of individuals so expos '3d. The next meeting of the Association Smog Committee is on Thursday, November W53 i and any information that you, could give would be greatly appre- elated. With kin lest personal regards, I am IMP/rc I Please reply to 609 N. Canyon Blvd. Monrovia, California Sincerely, .r- ; J> -fa*^ Francis M. Pottenger, Jr., M.D. Chairman, Smog Committee 'i 2