Document vBOgQqvQrBaQY6e3NDNgDNDdY

AIR MAIL June 17, 1942. Dr. David A. K. Cassells, British Ethyl Corporation, Ltd., Artillery House, Artillery Rov, S. W. 1, London, England. Dear Dr. Cassells* I have just received through Mr. Fossett of the Associated Ethyl Company, your letter of May 28, addressed to me. I am very pleased to have the additional information, and I am more than glad to know that the work is moving along satisfactorily. I hasten to reply, for the reason that my associate, Dr. Willard F. Machle, Is in England at the present time. Dr. Machle has had broad experl ence in connection with manufacturing plants and he will be able to give you any information which I might supply if I were there. He can be reached through Mr. Bevan, and I would suggest the ad visability of your seeing and having a talk with him. Indeed, I suggested to him the desirability of making contact with various people who are concerned with our problem. I hope that he might see the plant and make any suggestions vhieh might occur to him as useful, thereby speaking for me and doing as much as we can in your interest. You have raised the question of age, and I shall give you my point of view concerning It. I do not believe that age perse, is a dis advantage in relation to lead exposure. We have considered it ad visable in this work to select healthy adults and to avoid the young who are definitely more susceptible to the effects of lead than are older people, and further, to avoid so far as possible men who are suffering from the degenerative diseases of middle life and later. I think the older men should be watched, but I do not believe that men should be retired from their work at 45. There is no reason to believe that older men are more susceptible to injury, except as they have developing organic diseases. In fact the reverse is true. 1 that older men show less effect of lead absorption than do the younger, so long as they are in good physi cal condition* Our own observations fail to show any increased Incidence of degenerative diseases among these lead workers* We realize that they are absorbing abnormal quantities of lead and we consider the possibility that this may have some effect upon the duration of their good health and upon the length of their life. We have seen no reason to fear the bad effects of this occupation, and consequently, we see no reason for setting up an employment policy which is different from that prevailing in the chemical in- Dr. David A. K. Cassells (2) - June 17, 1942. dustry, of which this is a part. With the above matters in mind, I should say that it is desirable to employ comparatively young men, and to keep them in their occupation indefinitely, - that is, to the normal retiring age, unless they show such evidence of or ganic disease as vill justify removing them from any type of hazardous exposure. Please do not hesitate to write to me about any matter in vhich I may be of some help. I regret that I was not able to visit you at the initiation of the work, but it has scarcely seemed feasible to do so. Hovever, if it should be considered necessary at any time, I should be entirely willing. I trust that no such situa tion vill arise, for it appears that you are going along very well indeed. Cordially yours, Robert' ' Keiioe ,l M 35.