Document re6jYnM8RmvN4Xoe26Knxy11r

July 8, 1949 Mr. Manfred Bovditch, Director of Health and Safety, Lead Industries Association, 420 Lexington Avenue, Hew York City 17 Deal' Manfred.* , I have been slow in replying to your letter of May 19, and therefore have been further prompted by your letter of June 24 in the matter of the motion picture on plumbism. I take It from your last letter that you feel that this would be very decidedly worth while, and for personal reasons, therefore, I should like to give you every encouragement in the development of this idea. Unfortunately, however, I do not share the enthusiasm of the other persons with whom you have communicated, and therefore I cannot honestly give my whole-hearted backing to this undertaking. Nevertheless I do not want to appear to be an obstructionist, and. I should like to assure you that if you do find it possible to go ahead, I should be glad to give you every possible assistance by way of advice, suggestions or criticisms. My general reaction to the proposal was not very favorable, since, in my opinion, what is required to clarify this problem Is precision of thought and procedure rather than acquaintance with a general set of problems. On going over the outline, I was still further discouraged, in that, from my viewpoint, the whole matter is presented In much too diffuse a manner. I do not consider it possible to deal with the problem of lead absorption as It relates to the community and the Industrial worker, without inducing some confusion into both matters. Moreover, I do not think you can present Industrial hygiene in the lead trades, and the clinical aspects of lead poisoning, in a clear and clean manner, without confusing both to some degree. As to certain details the outline is very confused and confusing in its facts and concepts. A few examples will Illustrate what I mean. In paragraph 2 on page 2 the problem of the painter working on a small home is apparently regarded as the same problem of steel construction work, and if that Is not bad enough, the emphasis is put on the ingestion of lead associated with the painter's smoking a cigarette and eating a sandwich. The point of the whole matter is missed completely. Just to make It binding a child with paint on its face is intro duced into the picture. A further piece of asininity concerns itself-With, gasoline. The exposure of persons to leaded gasoline is no^/occupational hazard, and under the conditions of its handling,the absorption of tetraethyl lead through the skin cannot occur to an appreciable degree. Why, KB 0014642