Document zoxmOJ538YNKMN2vweB3aY0m0

November 28, 1958 Dr , Ru s s e ll Wild er Mayo Clin ic Ro ch e s t e r , Min n esota Dear' Doc t o r %7ild e r s - A few d ays ago my a t t e n t io n was c a lle d to a ca se o f a lle ge d le a d p oison in g d e r ive d r e p u t e d ly from t h e h a n d lin g o f le a d e d g a s o lin e * Cases o f a lle g e d in ju r y or illn e s s fr om t h is ca u se a r e u s u a lly r e p o r t e d t o me p r om p tly t h r o u gh ar r an gem en t w it h th e in d u s t r y , and they can be In v e s t iga t e d In an e a r ly s t a g e .:. Un fo r t u n a t e ly , t h is one has come t o my n o t ic e o n ly th r ou gh - th e f i l i n g o f a s u it by one o f Gle n Je a n , P a y e t t e Co* West V i r g i n i a , a g a in s t M s em p loyer and a ls o t h e Stan d ar d . O il Company o f Hew Je r s e y * I have bean asked by the d e fe n d a n t s t o e xa m in e ,in t o t h e fa c t s and t o a d v is e them , and inasmuch...as; X have n e ve r been a b le t o fin d . e vid e n ce o f le a d p oison in g or o f lead absor p tion In a s s o cia t io n w it h t h e h a n d lin g o f le a d e d g a s o lin e , I am n o t Im p r essed b y th e ocoh pa,t lo n a l h i s t o r y in t h a t r e ga r d * I t a p p e a r s , however, th at was a t t h e Mayo C lin ic in Au gu st o f 1937* r e t u r n in g home Septem ber if, 1937* s a d i t has been r e p o r te d t h a t a d ia gn o s is o f le a d p o iso n in g was a r r iv e d a t , and t h a t he was a d vis e d n ot t o con tin u e working a t a g a s o lin e f i l l i n g s t a t io n * I t seems im p r o b a b le ;t o me < t h a t a d ia gn o s is o f le a d p o is o n in g was eve r made in su ch a c a s e , and t h e most l i k e l y s u p p o s it io n i s t h a t t h is man s u ffe r e d fr om a co n t a ct d e r m a t it is w h ich may have been a t t r ib u t e d to g a s o lin e , or p e r h a p s, to lead ed ga s o lin e * I Ido n o t w ish t o o b t a in any In for m a tion w hich you can n ot p r o p e r ly giv e me, b u t I s h o u ld be m ost g r a t e fu l i f you would l e t me know w h eth er t h is man*s i lln e s s was d ia gn o s e d as le a d p o is o n in g a t the C l i n i c , or whether my assu m p tion is s u b s t a n t ia lly co r r e ct * P e r h a p s , i f t h e man was t r e a t e d on t h e d e r m a t o lo gica l s e r v ic e , you would be good enough t o r e fe r my l e t t e r t o the head of th at ser vice* 2 Pox ob viou s p r o fe s s io n a l r e a s o n * I am much more con ce r n e d w it h t h e fa e t s .a s t o th e d ia g n o s is and th e b a s is fo r t h e d ia gn o s is In t h is ca se th an I am w it h th e le g a l a s p e ct s o f the m a t t e r , so t h a t i f you o r your co lle a g u e s w is h me t o h o ld In co n fid e n ce such in fo r m a t io n a s you may choose t o g iv e me* I sh ou ld fe e l bound b y you r w is h e s . However , I shou ld lik e th e p r iv ile g e o f r e p o r t in g the fa c t s to Dr , Sayer s o f th e U. S. P u b lic He a lt h Se r v ice , w ith whom I have h ad a ge n t le m a n ^ agr eem en t over a p e r iod o f y e a r s , co v e r in g tho r e p o r t in g o f su ch c a s e s . You know, d o u b t le s s , t h a t we in t h is la b o r a t o r y have s t u d ie d th e problem o f le a d exp osur e and le a d a b s o r p t io n in r e la t io n to lead ed ga s o lin e in alm ost ever y con ce iva b le way over a p e r io d o f a lm ost fi ft e e n y e a r s , and i f we have e r r e d -in our o b s e r va t io n s and co n clu s io n s * I t is time we were d is co v e r in g our e r r o r s . .. Co r d ia lly y o u r s ,- RAK s i s Ro b e r t A, Keh oe, MD. 0010301