Document wg04LDbg6769eok87BKzd7pm3

S3AIH0HY TONOI J,VN atu iv aaonaoaaau COLLEGE OP M EDICIN E D EPA B TM EN T OP PU BLIC HEALTH E . P . MCGA M P B E L L , P H .D ., M .D . E M E R T B . H A T H U B B T , P H .D ., M J5. JA M E S S. W IL SO N , M .8.,M .D . K O SM A 8E L B E B T , B .S ., H .N . L . H . V A N B U S K 1 H K , B .S ., M .D . THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY W .O . TH O M PSO N , PM 8H IB B T (jZ. <s- Qxj^ . Csui 192_3 GOLUMBUS February 7, 1925. Dr. R. R. Sayees, U .S. Public Health Service, Department of the Interior, Washington, D .C . Dear Dr. Sayers: I have just received two letters from Mrs. Grace M. Burnham, Director of the Workers' Health Bureau, New York City, one con taining the details of a severe criticism of the recent o fficial report on the tetra-ethyl investigation. In this,apparently, Dr. Paul Raznikoff, formerly associated with Dr. Aub, has assisted her. To my mind the criticism is very largely a lot of misinterpretation based on inferences contrary to fact which can be easily answered satisfactorily to any impartial person. Some of the points are undoubtedly worthy of consider ation and are due to curtailing the details of certain parts of the report. I have suggested to Mrs. Burnham that she send a copy of her criticism to you and also to Mr. Fieldner. Also, that she an<^if possible, Dr. Reznikoff, visit the experiment station in Pittsburgh for first hand enlightenment. Having noted that the New York Health Council has permitted the sale of ethyl gasoline and tetra-ethyl lead under certain restrictions, Mrs. Burnham now fears that attempts w ill now be made to extend the sale of the products and wishes to discredit the report of the U. 3. Bureau of Minos and hopes to get the backing of Dr. David Edsall and Dr. Cecil Drinker and perhaps Dr. Haven Emerson, as well as Dr. Yandell Henderson and Dr. Alice Hamilton in so doing. On this point I have strongly advised her to go slow and that the present report of 8 monthsstudy is only a preliminary one. Also that According to my personal observations, several more months continuation of the experiments have failed to disclose evidence of lead poisoning or.other intoxication. Therefore, she should pursue the safer polioy of presenting her criticisms and waiting for the results before undertaking more questionable procedures. Her second point is to have the Surgeon-General appoint a conraittee of investigation "to air this whole matter in an impartial manner". In this she wants to see that ^abor is represented on the commission. I have informed her that such constituted my opinion to the Surgeon-General, after the reports of three or four investigations were published provided they showed any evidence of hazards to the public or employees. f I am writing similar letter to Mr. Fieldner. every accomodation possible to satisfy various critics. I would suggest Yours very sincerely, Emery R / H i y h u r s ^ m!d S3AIH3HV TONOIiLYN am, J.V aaonaoaaaH CO LLEG E O P M EDICIN E D E PA B TM EN T O P PU B LIC H EA LTH E . P . M cC A M PB E L L , PH .D . M .D . E M E R Y B . H A T H U B B T , P H .D ., M .D . J A M E S 8 . TVTL0ON, M .S ., M .D . NOHM A B ELD EST, B .8 ., B .N . L. H . V A N B U S K IB K , B .8 .,M .D . THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY W .O . T H O M P S O N , PBBSrDBOTT GOLUMBUS February 13, 1925. -!r-f! (. f Dr. R. R. Sayers, U .S . Public Health Service, . Washington, D .C , Dear Dr. Sayera: I have just received a letter from Mrs. Grace M. Burnham, Director of the Workers' Health Bureau, hew York City, from which I am led to infer that she is not going to forward you a.copy of the criticism s drafted by the Bureau on the recent report from the Bureau of Mines on exhaust gases from engines using g aso lin e. I I consider there is some value in the criticism s and have j had it copied and enclose same herewith. The criticism appears to me to cover about everything imaginable. In the meantime I have advised Mrs. Burnham as one of the Advisory Committee of the Workers' Heal1$i Bureau to stay out of the controversy which is d ire c tly one between scientists and research workers at this stage. I have also assured her that there is no emergency apparent and that it is quite unwise for the Bureau which she directs to take a position antagonistic to state and government health o f f ic ia l s . I am sending another copy of the criticism to Supt. A. C. Fieldner. With kindest regards, S3AIH0HV 1VN0IIVN 3Hi iv aaonaonaan Dr. Jj} ,, Ohio State University, Oolmbus, Ohio. February 13, 1925, KR3/3JD Dear D r. Hayfturstj We very much appreciate your sending the information in regard to the Wnvirftra York Oity. I discussed the matter with Mr.' HoItSGaolTm^ with D r. Thompson. They ore of the opinion that it would bo w ell if you could writ a review or editorial for the use of the Amerioon Medical Association and it would bo well i f this was sent to the Association at the earliest date possible. I f I remember rightly, you wore intending to do this and may have already prepared the article and may have sent it in . I f n o t ,I think that suoh an article would be appreciated by oil conoamnd. D r . Drinker and D r. Edsall iprepared an editorial, to appear in the Journal of Industrial Hygiene, in which they criticise our article rather severely. It is believed tfhnt thoir criticisms oannot be sub stantiated. D r . Drinker was very kind In sending me on advonoo copy of the article, to which I replied that I did not agree with some of his statements. To dote, the article has not appeared but may appear in the February number. I do not think that we neod to worry too much about criticism, as all groups that have boon carrying out extensive studies on this subjoot are in agroomont. Wo shall, of course, bo glad to show anyone what we are doing and how wo arc doing it , i f they caro to come to Pittsburgh. \ Yours very truly, R . R. SAYERS Chief Surgeon, U .S .B .o f M 3urgean, U .3.P.H .3.- S3A IH 3H V T tfN O IlY N 3HJ, iv aaonaoH<33H Febru ary 1 7 , 19 2 5 . RR j/jjr 0 Qhip 3 ta te Un iv e r s I t v . Dear D r* H ayh urat; I a p p r e c ia te v e r y much y o u r s e n d in g me c o p y o f o r it lo le m s of M rs * G race M . Burnham , D ire c to r o f th e W orkers H e a lt h Bureau* ^ ,, I I m Y o r ^ l 3 t f y ^ !* $ i T I K S 11'p a p a r w h ic h we r o o e n f j f y ] ^ 1 l 8 ^ d MS n * T e g ^ r t o te tra e th y l le a d * Many o f h e r o rltio io m s are v e ry e a s ily answered, a fe w o f them a re m ore d i f f i c u l t t o d e t e r m in e , on d soma o f them m ay n e ve r bo answered* Same o f h e r c r i t i c i s m s a re J u s t ifie d a d h ave a lre a d y been c o rre c te d . We s h o u ld b e v e r y g l a d t o h a v e i i r s * B urn ham come t o P i t t s b u r g h , i f she so d e s ire s , and assure h e r every p o s s ib le c o u rte s y* 1 th in k she w ould have a much b e tte r u n d e rs ta n d in g o f our w ork ond h e r a ttitu d e tow ard i t w ould be d iffe r e n t * Much o f h e r o r it lo is r a seems to be p r e d ic a t e d on th e a s s u m p tio n t h a t we a re p r e ju d io o d f o r t e t r a e t h y l l e a d . W ith k in d e s t r e g a r d s , I am fours ve ry tr u ly , R . R * SAYERS C h ie f B u rg e o n , U * 3 * B * O f SI* Surgeon, U .S .P .K .3 * S3AIHDHV TtfNOIiVN aiu xv aaonaoaaaH 3 3 . I f so , methods o f regulating and controlling the danger would have to he worked out. 4 . So far as animal experiments went, it. was f ir s t necessary to determine whether any of them were poisoned by lead and thereafter perhaps to determine the various pecularities of the poison which the various animals showed. Obviously our experiments have shorn this is all a negative question, thus far at least. 5 . The danger to the semi-public, that i s , garage workers, e t c . , was the next problem to be determined and has not yet been worked out. Apparently our critio s have dropped the matter of danger to public health. Please do not c a ll a meeting for Thursday, March 5 t h . I can make the following week (Thursday), or any subsequent time very conveniently. Tuesday or S&iurday I s also convenient f or me but I understand not so much so for some of the others. Yours veiy sincerely, E . R. Hayhurst, M. D 72-29 S3AIH 3H V TONOI TON 3Hii to aaonaonaan JOHN E. MONGER. M. D. DIRECTOR OF HtALTM JAMES E. BAUMAN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR State of Ohio Department of Health Columbus ADDRESS ALL O ` C1AL CORRESPONDENCE TO THE DIRECTOR OF HEALTH OFFICES: THE HAKTKAN-ONIO BUILDING LABORATORIES: OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS SUBJECT: February 24, 1925. Hr. R. R. Sayers, Chief Surgeon, U .S .B . of M . , U .S . Public Health Service, Washing ton, B .C . My dear Hr. Sayers: needs some reply. the 17th. I find that your letter of i^eb. 13th I also wish to acknowledge yours of I have been out of the city some of the time. I question whether a review or editorial for thoj^perican Medical Association would be accepted by any^han from their regular reviewers and editorial w riters. I am quite sure that my old Professor, Hr. H . Gideon Wells, Head of the Bept. of Pathology, Univ. of Chicago, writes the material along this line for the editorials in the American Medical Journal. Would it not be well to send him a copy of the Bureau's report with that suggestion. As you know I prepared an editorial for the American Journal of Public Health. Also Hr. J . H. Shrader of Baltimore has prepared a very good paper upon the subject. Some of the material in my proposed editorial was, on agreement, transferred directly to his paper. Both w i l l be out in the next issue of the American Journal of Public Health. I have jus t r eceiv ed intelligence from tie Workers' Health Bureau stating that Hr. Yandell Henderson considered their analysis "very go o d ". I have a copy of his comments in which he states that the main point in which the report is defective is that the experiments which the report describes do not apply to real conditions. The animals under test were kept in an atmosphere containing exhaust gas and dust only up to 4 parts of oarbon monoxide in 1 0 ,0 0 0 , whereas the atmosphere of public garages at least is often contaminated to a fa r greater extent. Therefore garage workers w ill be exposedSeveral times as much lead dust as were the animals reported in the experiments. Hr. Henderson also states S3AIHDHY TtfNOIiVN a m j,v aaonaoadaa -2- that he learns on good authority some additional substance may be added to ethyl gas so as to enable a ll of the lead to be b lown out of the exhaust instead "ofcaking in the muffler as happens a t p resent". ." I t is not necessary to question the accuracy of the chemical analyses carried out by the experimenters at the Bureau of Mines Station. Even if these analyses are absolutely correct, the experiments are so pporly planned that they do not apply to the actual problem. In a garage dust accumulates from week to week and month to month. In the experimental chamber at Pittsburgh, on the contrary, the volume of air blown through was so much that no accumulation of dust could occur. In the experiments as carried out the animals were placed in a room through which exhaust gas diluted with a large volume of a ir was passed. It would have been a nearer approach to real conditions i f the exhaust gas had been blown through the chamber for several weeks without putting animals into the chamber. Then when an amount of dust had collected corresponding to that which occurs in a garage the exhaust could have been shut o f f . The animals could then have been made to live in this dusty room for a few weeks. An experiment of that sort would have approximated real conditions in a g a ra g e." Dr. Henderson also takes exception to a hazard from lead *0 workers in repair shops and garages which is as great as that now existing for painters in their profession. He states that "fcu are fre e to use these statements either publicly or for transmission to the Hew York Health Council, if you think they w i l l be of u se." A letter which the Workers' Health Bureai . feceived from Dr. Alice Hamilton states that she wonders whether the Bureau had not better wait un til they have something more to go on than they have just now. She advises them to see Dr. Emerson and to hear from Dr. Henderson before making any further steps. It appears to me that the main issues have been overlooked by most of these c r it ic s . I f we w ill lo o k b a c k into the history o f the question we w il l f i n d , I think, that the problems to be taken up f e l l about in the following order: 1. What became of the lead which was put into the motor? 2 . Was the public health endangered?