Document wDavwg5Jj1p1LVEj8dJR0KqpE

, A. KEHOE ^ *>, -4&M.C if" Uf-f/c, ,L*s,L 'W ; .? ' : , j -` : **?*J * *> 4' ~4tr*J *&J j+'tkJLj? f ;/5" i*.* /-6< '> . ltrt* * *F* 3 j 4, , 7.* / &W, ' ' ti*!) iX-S-c. > ,; ; \Z ^ U w. r.-i. r iS-i J" ** > fatr.- ? - - t.--- a?-* cCtu . r-i- l-,". ' fl . * A* **-, Af A/yMetAjS -- A* 4 #*f5 * j. JVV :'!: r *{ r* ` ^ vj" ^h J AMiwtUtt % hZL `ft -. "Jt*r ' n> A*-*/ f.A-J. U^1 ''vji*-- A*"**/ (fVT'JLjfi./p"*+ Ai >-u Hi- *` ^ '? Aw kfl- >fL*, Jw* ^ 2 6, 1957 '`s'- fr yr? -/ & ; v4*vi' sed to Ethyl Corporation, lias come to me, as $e,f ','JJ i ining tetraethyl lead at filling stations. bulk &**?''"? $J.& ft! srer caused any cases of lead poisoning/the s period: of its use. There were cases of poisoning among men engaged in the manufacture of tetraethyl lead during the early period of the development of manufacturing processes, and there was a time when such cases occurred in connection with the cleaning and repairing of large gasoline storage tanks, (in which the type of exposure is totally different). It is these cases that have been responsible for the idea, which still exists in some parts of. the country, that the . ordinary handling of gasoline is dangerous from the aspect of its lead content. The truth of the matter is that this problem was investigated very extensively in the early days of the use of leaded gasoline, and it was shown that no such danger existed under ordinary circumstances. The reason back of this safety is that the lead content of the gasoline is so low that, {1} there is no measurable absorption of lead during contact of the gasoline with the skin, and (2) the vapor given off from gasoline in open containers contains only negligible amounts of lead. It is for these reasons that leaded gasoline could be marketed, for if the facts had been otherwise, this type of gasolinje could never have been used. I am quite sure, therefore, that Mr. McELvain was nop poisoned by tetraethyl lead and that the physicians at the Veterans' Hospital were correct in their opinion. K is of some importance,in this connection, to know that the absorp tion of lead in this form does not damage the peripheral nerves so as to produce a neuritis. At least, we have never seen a case of neuritis even in the cases that have been known to be due to the absorption of tetraethyl lead in large quantities in the operations to which I referred previously. The report of the finding of lead in your husband's urine "at the upper limits of normal" tends in itself (dependent upon how and where the analyses were K 001? 46 9 V ff/'-" * ^ - #r. - -.V '. \f -sP '.,. 4* *-4*^ Q' i&*'jk 7/J. . / ''"* * " ..... "- ' k -i *V# A* ,.*!v./ &z ]CcL^ / if /{!- P.*i> (Slziu , ~f &J > >.CJ' l.it~-- if,7-7s tjtzh' % '.. -'- Vf \ <a*e^i.*<.-*-4*. j "S'- > '.V 1 ' 5 i\.\ 7/` ; :: ^Ari* fcvk-' - .- A>,<$ A<?, Y' \ 4o> e ,A <V4 4v <? A &O %Vx*. *<3?j>N 4,.% \ %, S 4 <y ** . %4 ^V. QCi, V> % 'O, \<4 <> v*> "a % % a A. b %. "%.*** VA A % 4J'. WWl v ^ ,, ^0;^AVvVX 4% V%> <S. \4b. , At ' * v ^ ^ _ ^4 LV 4 'bi 4 & <? 4*, ^,7. ^ ^. bJ*'* **~*V*^VV 4, % 'A b<.U ^%'A>.$ <. $'44 *' VrfV% 4" .b % 4 V0<y'% < oo b. ^ 4>x v A '<?* 'b O. XX> b a A Xx v<? A, O<xr. VV 4. V % V^.. A%* 7V4. 7. 7, / b, 4.^' b b% n b* A % *0, b <Awv b? b<s\ 4 ' o^> OVx *%s: 4. b < ` ^5 * b <V v7\ CV b A Cq , vbb A%rA.\V-> bV5A.%;. Xst V .J* '. <5e.m\\x* . 4- ! <.a ^, A O "4 ' / > 4\ye%V^^o. %' o,,4v, - ^ .v % 4i % 4 ... , ' >> V*/<e,b o b"*w/^\ > ,x^'"'"