Document zk4GVX97kdYJZpZZD7ge0gnm

December 20, 1371 Miss Marjorie W. Jordan Coordination Community Outreach Department of Health 3101 Burnet ..venue Cincinnati, Ohio 43229 . Dear Miss Jordan: I snouiu like to be ox any possible assistance to the group in the Health Department which is concerned with the problem, of leau poisoning among Cincinnati children, but I shall not oe aval lable on December 22nd, ..371, nor shall I He in Cincinnati curing January, rebruury ana March of 1972. I hardly think that my help would be* useful xn any way ixi connection with the application for a grant, so that my iailure to attend on Wednesday of this week does not disturb me. However, I have been involved with -these children in lead tieterminations and in consultation' with Physicians in the General and Chilurer.'s hospitals for many years, ana I am deeply concerned with the means of preventing these tragic illnesses. Moreover, we have a great deal of information on the nature of these illnesses, which so far ,13 it r.ay be^ useful, sh.ouxd not be wasted. I believe, iurcuemore, tnat in the analytical work whicn is to be cone by the Health Depar tisent, our. analytical staff, which has had a wider experience than any other <roup of investigators, can and should be used in the development of facilities '.nd personaei in this extremely troublesome field of investigation. I can be oi considerable service in .axing this help available, and at the same time, giving ..ry own no ip x.-n lo ;er t in .utters connected with the sampling of materials ior . analysis. I .-o'..-.on tuese :;acters specifically, since our experience m dealing with I'puii is far ,,renter than m a t of any other roup oi persons in the Unite;; ta1-aS , cl SUU.'i ' L. iS a-er.'.e'a, at ;V1.i.1 be v X>sx1y -ivai1a b1e J if it .13 not Uee --eci, .sin-; will have neon done lh .-sen tinning it, since none oi us her i% in teres i:ed xn the builuin up oi .roiessior.al relationships in pursuit of any kino of credit or public recognition. The fact is, however, that there is a tendency to regard the analytical work on leau, especially- for the quantitative measurement of Lead in blood, as being a simple procedure which* has been made easy to do, through the use of the atomic absorption equipmentnow readily available. The entire problem is of quite a. different character than it has often been represented to be, and in consequence, the results obtained An various laboratories of the country are widely divergent and oxter, unreliable. If, therefore, your -Department expects to on.pie in analytical work-of this type, the persons who are to no the work'might best be trained for .the purpose here. It is even possible that the analytical work should be done here, aithough I know nothing of present plans. I ~n no longer the Director of the laboratory, nor la I responsible for this type of work, but I can help considerably in arranging for this type of help, since I have worked closely with the group in the Analytical Department of the Laboratory for many years and still continue, to do so as an ur.erltus :..erober `of ,the staff. KAK:wb Sincerely yours. e,Robert i. Kehoe 2D 002 79