Document ykzjBzGJRQqmZGxmk4o0dODer

i: ^ MOTORS CORPORATION DETROIT, M I C H I G A N April 23, 1935 Vv Dr. Robert A. Kehoe University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Cincinnati, Ohio In Re: Vs. Dear Dr.Kehoe: : Attached find a copy of letter this date forwarded to Mr. Webb which is self explanatory. ` We likewise attach report of Dr. Carr made prior to the hearing at Lansing. Apparently Dr. Carr is still of the opinion that there has been no appreciable change in this manis condition which leaves us with the inference that he is still unable to return to work. If there be any further suggestion that you desire to offer, either to Dr. Carr or myself, you may be sure that we shall be only too glad to have the same. l l - 0 0 110 18 H April 23,^1935 Mr. Earle W. Webb President, Ethyl Gasoline Corporation Chrysler Buildlrig New York,fNe%:iork ' d m-In Re: - Vs. Olds aotor works Dear Mr. Webb: In order that you may be fully-'iiifprmed as t,,what is going on in the above entitled cage, may I \/* advise that the case had its/nearin^ jbefore the Full Board on April 11th X y 'Lansing,^/and an Award has been entered therein Sibnying ^dispensation on the ground that there was ^^evijdence of an accident, but that the disability was uue'ht'o occupational disease. \\ /y~ ?x\ \ \ I feel of course/that this i A onlK,the first skirmish and just what may transpire 1^. the future I am not in a position to sf.y. My inclination, however, is to let the matter r e s t m n t i l the plaintiff makes another move. Possibly tVe next mover/may be to sue us at common law, ' " ' - v eh W ^ i*f~ jpjp'/ecome apprehensive that there ance'"-ofZihe piaintiff prevailing, it will to,, talk settlement. jCppy of this letter to Dr. Kehoe Very truly yours, JGS:MD J.G.Stevenson V Legal Department 00.U019 aaara, M.D. Earl Ingrain Carr, M.D. Drs. McNamara & Carr Medical Building, 500 W. Ottawa St. Lansing, Michigan December 19, 1954 Olds Motor Works, Lansing, Michigan. /\ \i Attention: Mr. J. G. Stevenson, Legal Department, General Motors, Detroit :Mr. G. E. Julian, Olds Motor Works, Lansing. . \\ Re: Gentlemen: X/'v ; ' \\ \> Pursuant to your request over the phphe and contained in your letter of December 17th, I made a very careful study/d'/the above/patient in conjunction with his attending physician, Doctor T. I.\Bauer, with''reference to the illness which has continued since the summer months\attributed to his work, that is, to his contact with gasoline or ethyl gasoline whichy^as used for washing the parts which he handled in the course of his-Trork,^. \ \ W I find that this patient" came to the'MedieaiNBuilding in July, was seen here and studied somewhat. It was determined qg believed at least, that he was suffering from some form of poi;sbning and lead jwas suspected and believed indicated. He was, on that account, referred to a medical/man of the patient's choice and of our recommendation who further c a W i e d on the/pUrsuit of detailed study of this patient. This was Doctor-T^I. Bauer, Yojn-^are familiar in part with his findings and with the findingS^of'^Ehe-/detaiihd-ntucly^ clinical and laboratory, that were conducted at the University Hospital in Ann Arbor for you included the copy of these reports with your/letter. \\ If n - This man\ is 45 years of age, 5 feet 9 1/2 inches tall, weighs, at the present time, about lSO pounds against a health weight which he says was 160 some odd pounds, weightVthat he had7carried for a number of years. He is married and has three children. NHe^aggeers to be above ordinary intelligence and presents a appearance. He seems sincere, hcmest and is essentially acurate in the discussion of his condition and of the occurrences in connection with the illness in question. . " Xt seems that he was In the role of a laborer at the time of his injury because of the depressed times and he states that he had been in the employ of the Olds Motor Works for the previous year. Prior to that time his work had been mainly that of a salesman or part of the time conducting his own business. He had headed a selling organization for about two years. He had sold the Oldsmobile car for about two years. He had been a salesman for the Ford for another two years. He had been a salesman for the Buiefc, Olds and Chevrolet for another two years. He had had a half interest in the Lansing Electric Welding Company for about two years and in this business iae was engaged in the work which took him outside in the way of getting business and in the office in the administration of business and in this they had handled, the welding maintainenee for the Fisher Body Company, the Hugh Lyons 8147.02 8 he was part owner of a brake shop and was engaged in that business for about years. During the war his work was that of buying and he was retained in that about two years. While it appears that he had changed his business from time to time as often as every couple of years it does seem that he had been engaged in responsible work. While he was hired as a laborer at the time of his disability, this past experience is offered for possible opportunity for rehabilitation as was requested in your letter which will be taken up further on. The past history of the health of this man does not reveal admission of any previous serious illness. He had had hemorrhoids which needed attention and were operated by one of my associates in 1955 with a good result and with complete recovery. A jf That which is pertinent leading up to this illness ahcj. as described by M r . ^ f l H k i s as follows: He says that in the middle of May he was engaged in workJn^^tlging gasoline to wash the parts that he had to deal with or that the parts came, wet with the gasoline wash. There was some delay-in drying^and on this account an air hose was provided and used to affect a'qulck" method,, of drying. This he thinks created a gas vapor. He thinks that"the location 'that his work required him to be in placed him so that he was in contact with theNfumes more than others. He says he does not know of any others'that were made sick at this time. He says that from this time on he thinks, as/be looks bkck upon it, he was not feeling well and he is sure that he did not feel well/ln July. On or about July 12th he fainted. Following this he vomitedNarid continued to vomit and had spells which he says were suggestively convulsive al^hough/he says he did not have real convulsions. He had body aches and,.wsrs~qut,.at this, time for about four days but he returned to work. He also had swelling of'tfte. ankles, and of the face and he says there was pain in his chest. Hb'.says he had pa give',-up on July 22nd or 25rd and that he has not worked since, it was in the ihtter part of July that he came to the Medical Building where he ^as seen by Doctbij Henry and referred to Doctor Bauer. It appears that his hemaglobin,\ at this time, m s down to about 36$ and his red blood cells were about 5,000,000.and that his/white blood cells were reduced to 2,200. His polymorphonuclear cells <were greatly reduced and the lymphocytes were greatly in predominances Under treatment-there was marked improvement of the blood picture so that within three weeks the blood was brought back to a nearer normal condition, that i.kJ the hemglobinWas brought up to 70$ and the white blood cell count became nearly normal. Clinical improvement, however, did not go along with the improved blood! picture. His/lassitude and body pains were still present and have more or less\persisted. He'was studied in St. Lawrence Hospital and at Ann Arbor Hospital. Duping the periods of rest in both institutions when medical treatment was also carried-On-tie improved and felt better but as soon as he was out and had to submit to the~slight exercise of waiting on himself he went back in his weight to a lesser level and symptoms which had become alleviated returned or increased. At the present time he thinks and believes that his symptoms and complaints are the continuation of this illness and he offers as these symptoms lassitude, pain in legs, insomnia, a poor appetite and underweight to the extent of 50 1 pounds. Doctor Bauer believes that these symptoms are true and that they exist. Examination shows a man with a blood pressure of 108 systolic over 60 diastolic. He has several crowned teeth. Tonsils are present and somewhat scarred. His neck and neck organs are negative. His heart is negative. His lungs show . some rales on the left side and none on the right. He has a little bronchitis at the present time which may explain this. His abdomen is negative. There is or both tibial bones. The other bones are not tender. His reflexes are L obtained promptly. His wrists and his feet are both extended fully but r possibly not as strongly as is consistent with his Strength otherwise. It is stated by Doctor Bauer that wrist weakness was shown on both sides early in the illness. His blood examination today is 96% hemaglobin, 4,800,000 reds, 11,600 whites. His urine is 1.025 specific gravity. It is alkaline in reaction. It is slightly cloudy and amber in color. The tests for albumen and sugar are negative. The course of this illness, the onset, the symptoms;, the blood picture, the early improvement of the blood picture under treatment with^ the persistence of the clinical symptoms are all compatible with the pombinatioh of benzol and lead poisoning. Ethyl gasoline has tetra ethyl lead in suspension and gives the opportunity for this sort of a poisoning under certain circumstances and the opportunity would exist tinder circumstances described above. It was stated by Doctor Henry and by Doctor Bauer that there was observed-a-definlte lead line and that -there was stippling of the cells found by Doctor`TJauer~and\found in the State Laboratory. When he reached Ann Arbor the signs^of^lead poisoning had disappeared and this would be expected since he had been removed from the suspected source of poisoning. / / \X Other conditions were considered in the study-'of this patient and it appears that they were at times eliminated one try one.\ It was said at one time that possibly he had had an ulcer. Whether he had had one or'not does not seem of consequence in connection with the present illness^for"~there iSvnot reason to believe that he has had an active one in connection with/thi's~ disability. 'Itvdoes not seem that any other type of blood disease or dyscrasia could be shown to\b,e the cause of the illness. It appears to have been a lead benzol poisoning. them. Taking up the four questions asked in/your letter I will try to answer V\ /! v 1. This man has,had, it appears^&efinitely, a benzol lead poisoning. 2. The use of gasoline with lead content used, as is described above, could produce an -nndispul^able opportunity, in our opinion, for lead benzol poisoning. \ j 5. This maii,\ in our opinion] is still disabled but It seems that the time Is approaching when' some suitable light work could be started to his advantage a n d / t V the advantage of any possible liability which may rest u p o ^ `the''company if there is liability under these circumstances. 4. I believe this man is ambitious and is disheartened by his irdsllity to carry on his individual and family responsibility. Continued medical care and guidance should be provided and some form of light work may shortly be desirable and possible for him. I have not included the consideration of the psychic side except as it may be inferred. There is n o evidence of hysteria and I do not believe that psychoneurosis could be properly and fairly applied to him as an explanation for his complaints. Benzol poisoning I do not believe is widely recognized and under stood. I had the opportunity to talk with a nationally known clincal pathologist on this case last night and he was of the same belief in this particular instance. He quoted rather than definitely advised. I also talked today with a chemical engineer who stiffered lead benzol poisoning himself in research work on ethyl gas in the laboratory. His blood picture was recovered in four weeks but lassitude body aches persisted and disabled for six months. If there is an opportunity for the Olds Motor Works to provide suitable light work for this man to start when it is appropriate for him to do so and if this assurance could be offered him it would be an encouragement with considerable therapeutic value. I trust this places befbre you the varied considerations in the problem of Mr. French. I will only be too glad to continue farther along any line of thought or along any consideration which you desire me to discuss or supplement. I wish to express appreciation for the opportunity of considering this interesting problem and thanking you, I am j| Yours very truly, I 'A ipsZ then under treatment and after some time had Lapsed the picture was returned to normal and it has remained normal and is normal today. However, there containued a malaise and lack of endurance' and an easily produced fatigue which has persisted ever since. This seems real and there does not seem to be any doubt that could- be entertained against the patient in this contentipn. It should be said, however, that it was expected that recovery ^ould have been complete or nearly complete long before this time.\^granulocytosis, the other consideration that was given in the p r e v ^ u s study and as it is understood by- the other investigators in this case, is still not applicable and no grounds or basis for thi'p diagnc&s are discovered. It leaves us in the same ppe4-t-ion-~a!sipreviously, namely; that of benzol poisoning. ' !_r ~ ----- x\ We thank you for the privilege of studying tpis very iriteresting patient again, and are '// // '\\ ;f " / / // Yours very, truly, / EIC: EW S 1 g n e d : '\B-.,1/.C/arr _ \ 0 0 110 2 4