Document wgmQm8Mkm0QwbjYz0YNaLEKEo

I-iINUTES OF THE ASBESTOS TEXTILE INSTITUTE AIR HYGIEME COIDHTTEE MEETING March 7, 1956 IK ATTENDANCE WERE: MEJ-IBERS GUESTS D. R. Holmes . = '' ; H. M. Jackson R. Smith J, Vieber B, W, Luttenberger Frank T, Gatke, Asbestos Textile Co,, Inc, Chicago, Illinois , Mr. Houghton, Garlock Packing Company Elmyra, Hew York Dr, Kenneth Smith, Medical Director Johns-I-lanville Corp, Hew York, Hew York W. D, Shoemaker, American Mutual Liability Insurance Co, Philadelphia, Penna, lhe agenda for this meeting was as follows: //l, ASBESTOSIS AMD CAKCER - A discussion relative to compensation, Dr*3enneth-Smltfi, Medical Director of Johns-llanville Corp,, requested to be present at this meeting because of recent developments in the compensation field regarding Asbestosis and Cancer, ;Dr, Smith informed us that in hie opinion#** ^re have an epidemic of Lung Cancer in the world today,' Death statistics are as follows: Heart.............................................. 375? Cancer............................ *16^ Hervous System.................,.,,,115? All other Chest Diseases Less than 15? He also advised that the current rate of progress in Cancer shows three out of every 100 cases is Lung Cancer, ^Cne of Ids major reasons for, asking ,,toaddr6S5 m was that there has been a &9e decidedly the Pennsylvania iState-Coapensatioh Board in which'there was a decision against the Company involved. The finding by the referee in this case wasHLsbe3tos-ahcer. The referee in this case quoted " in his decision Dr. Hueper's writings from the Public Health Monograph Ho. 36 U. S, Public Health Service. In' this publication he ties together-Asbestosis-sndK Dancer throughout - creating a new word for the Medical Dictionary.suciuaa* Asbestosis-Cancer, Dr. Hueper claims that Asbestosis-Cancer can be found after-exposuta^oX* 4S months to UZ yeers in ages of people from 2$ to 65 years.* He also has a new definition of Asbestosis such as "One particle of asbestos with the physical con dition surrounding it can be diagnosed as Asbestosis", Aocordittg^tO^tiim-ell workers jin this industry are susceptible,- He states further that a minimum of 170,000 dust particles per cubic litre is recognized for the development of Asbestosis- Cancer in man. Among his remarks Dr, Hueper says that Asbestosis-is-ctifnp^fiSiliNja' Germany and notable in Engletfitfitnd Wales, SPNY 004948 F Xlnates of Air Hygiene Committee Pngc 2 Dr, Hueper also infers that Asbestosis-Cancer may be determined in an autopsy performed on persons living in the area of a plant. He says that any occupational relationship to Cancer should be con sidered in the determination of a Cancer case. He also states that outside factors such as smoking, etc., should not be considered. Dr, Smith recommends very strongly that this Institute begin a study of the relationship of Lung Cancer to Asbestosis in our industry. He recommends that this should be done through the Industrial Hygiene Foundation in Pittsburgh, Dr, Smith indicates that he has no evidence that there is not a relationship between Asbestosis and Cancer. He advised the Air Hygiene Committee that it would be advisable for the industry if ws were to institute such a study or sur vey id thin our plants, hospitals, physicians, etc. This would only be a prelimin ary fact-finding survey such as is now under proposal for the Q.A.M.A. Dr. Smith advised that this proposal should be undertaken in conjunction with the Q.A.H.A. proposal in order that we could procure information which would com bat current derogatory literature now being circulated throughout the United States and Canada, Dr, Smith also advised that there is other damaging information being circu ited, written by the same Dr, h, C, Hueper, who is Chief of the Environmental Cancer section of the national Cancer Institute, Kational Institute of Health, Bethesda, Ilaryland, such as a reprint of an article in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology entitled "Silicosis, Asbestosis, and Cancer of the Lung.11 . Reprints of this article may be obtained from the Kational Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, ilaryland. Public Health monograph j>'36 entitled "A quest into the environmental causes of Cancer of the Lung", can be obtained from the U. S. Department of Health Education and welfare. Public Health Service, national Institute of Health, Bethesda, lh, iiaryland. '#2. AN EXPLANATION OF THE PROPOSAL BY THE INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE FOUNDATION. This proposal as approved at the last meeting was for an environmental dust survey for members of the Asbestos Textile Institute. This survey would include dust counts, inspection of the plants regarding dust elimination methods and recommendations for improvements of dust control engineering. The Industrial Hygiene Foundation would collect samples and make dust counts , for all the plants involved, basing its suggestions and recommendations on the results of their own study. The Inpinger apparatus would be used along with the accepted counting method used for counting Silica dust. It has also been suggested that included in this proposal should be the counting of the number of fibres pre\J sent along with the dust sampling counts. This request has been made to the foundation. The estimated cost of this survey is .',6,000.00 to v7,500,00 plus `V travel expense. As this price covers approximately six or seven plants, it is * reasonable to assume that the cost would be .A,000.00 per plant, plus traveling I expense for this survey. The Committee decided that the preliminary survey on > ,A*bestosis-Cancer should take preference over the dust survey proposal, > t. . rf-i . I SPNY 004949