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3. We are aware of the fact that Mr. Bilstein, Dr. Lehman,
and Mr. Roth are at present still free from any such dangerous
experience as some of the girls have been unfortunate enough to
meet. We do not, however, regard this as an important matter of
evidence. In any situation involving industrial poisoning, unless
the poison in question is intolerably dangerous and quick in
action, individuals frequently heavily exposed can be pointed out
as apparent evidence that poisoning does not exist. Many times
in my experience I have been shown employees in lead plants who
have been there for many years and who are pointed to as conclusive
evidence that lead is practically not poisonous at all. We do
not know what it is that makes one person more susceptible to a
poison or drug than another, but we do know that given a situation
moderately dangerous -- and this is what you are dealing with --
occasionally individuals will be found who will succumb.
4. In regard to Mr. Viedt's point that trouble has occurred
mostly in individuals employed some time ago, it seems to me that
we simply have evidence that a long period of exposure is needed
in order to cause trouble. Miss Carlough, your most recent case,
was employed up until last Christmas and has failed progressively
since this time.
The situation we found at Waltham had little or no bearing
on the conditions in Orange because they had but three operators
at work and never, apparently, according to the account of their
superintendent, had a sufficient volume of dial work to keep the
same girls employed over long periods.
I would myself have the greatest interest in an investigation
of the situation presented by your principal competitor -- I think,
the Standard Chemical Company -- provided the investigation in
question was carried out by some one who would give the Company
in question full details of what caused the inquiry and what might
be discovered. Lacking such information I believe that even with
the frankest intentions the firm in question might reply in much
the same way as did some of the firms who first answered us in
regard to manganese. They might well have had instances of this
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"ocrText": "-2- -\n3. We are aware of the fact that Mr. Bilstein, Dr. Lehman,\nand Mr. Roth are at present still free from any such dangerous\nexperience as some of the girls have been unfortunate enough to\nmeet. We do not, however, regard this as an important matter of\nevidence. In any situation involving industrial poisoning, unless\nthe poison in question is intolerably dangerous and quick in\naction, individuals frequently heavily exposed can be pointed out\nas apparent evidence that poisoning does not exist. Many times\nin my experience I have been shown employees in lead plants who\nhave been there for many years and who are pointed to as conclusive\nevidence that lead is practically not poisonous at all. We do\nnot know what it is that makes one person more susceptible to a\npoison or drug than another, but we do know that given a situation\nmoderately dangerous -- and this is what you are dealing with --\noccasionally individuals will be found who will succumb.\n4. In regard to Mr. Viedt's point that trouble has occurred\nmostly in individuals employed some time ago, it seems to me that\nwe simply have evidence that a long period of exposure is needed\nin order to cause trouble. Miss Carlough, your most recent case,\nwas employed up until last Christmas and has failed progressively\nsince this time.\nThe situation we found at Waltham had little or no bearing\non the conditions in Orange because they had but three operators\nat work and never, apparently, according to the account of their\nsuperintendent, had a sufficient volume of dial work to keep the\nsame girls employed over long periods.\nI would myself have the greatest interest in an investigation\nof the situation presented by your principal competitor -- I think,\nthe Standard Chemical Company -- provided the investigation in\nquestion was carried out by some one who would give the Company\nin question full details of what caused the inquiry and what might\nbe discovered. Lacking such information I believe that even with\nthe frankest intentions the firm in question might reply in much\nthe same way as did some of the firms who first answered us in\nregard to manganese. They might well have had instances of this"
}