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COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
College of Physicians and Surgeons
437 West 59th Street, New York
Oct. 9, 1925.
Mr. Roeder,
U. S. Radium Corporation,
New York City, N.Y.
Dear Mr. Roeder:
Dr. Martland's paper last night was very interesting but it was far
from being neutral. He expressed the opinion that from the data that he has
gathered it is criminal to use mesothorium intravenously. There is no doubt from
the reception that the paper received at the meeting as to the effect on any jury.
Dr. Martland has promised to send me a copy of this paper without waiting for its
publication. I think your lawyers should get a copy as soon as you can so we can
have a time to digest it. He presentation last evening was very rapid and many
points of importance simply mentioned.
However one can readily see how the other side is building up their case.
They are placing all the emphasis on the fact that you use mesothorium in your
material and that this is far more dangerous than radium. It seems to me that you
should get Dr. McCoy to express his opinion on this matter and to collect all data
as to the use of mesothorium in internal injections both in this country and Europe.
In other words you must be prepared to prove in Court that it is not an extremely
toxic material as compared with radium.
The question of elimination and absorption is very important. Dr. Martland
has had the advantage in being in a position where he could study two or three cases.
He has taken these cases and demonstrated the presence of radio-active material in
the body. He also has examined the expired air with positive results. Dr. Hofmann's
position and his is that once the mesothorium is taken into the body it is not elim-
inated but remains there constantly acting on the blood forming agents. They put em-
phasis on the fact that the time element is the important factor and that the serious
condition does not arise often for three or four years after the exposure.
The blood of Mis Carlo as shown from his analysis does not indicate a
diabetic condition.
In order to be able to answer these questions we will have to examine the
excreta of persons working in the plant itself, girls who have been and are no paint-
ing dials, and then from girls who have not been in the plant for several years.
We should also get a specimen of Miss Carlo's stools from the hospital if possible.
Your doctor or the insurance doctor perhaps can get such a sample from the hospital.
In addition to getting the excreta from these girls we should make a test to see if
their bodies show any signs of radio-active material or not. Their expired air must
also be tested. I consider all of this data very important especially if what Dr.
Martland claims to have found is true. We can make this examination at my house if
we can set up your instruments there so as avoid any contamination from the factory.
I think you should take this matter up with Mr. Viedt and have him get four or five
girls who are friendly to the company but have not worked in your plant for at least
two years. I firmly feel that if the matter is put up to them in the right spirit
we can get them to do it for us.
Of course there will be no trouble in getting
the employees in your plant to assist us in this matter.
This part of the study should be started at the earliest possible
moment for we never know what we are going to run into. If possible I wish you
would take it up with Mr. Barker and Mr. Viedt.
If you will send me about ten grams more of your material I would like
to make some absorption tests.
Yours truly,
Frederick B. Flinn.
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"ocrText": "COPY\nCOLUMBIA UNIVERSITY\nCollege of Physicians and Surgeons\n437 West 59th Street, New York\nOct. 9, 1925.\nMr. Roeder,\nU. S. Radium Corporation,\nNew York City, N.Y.\nDear Mr. Roeder:\nDr. Martland's paper last night was very interesting but it was far\nfrom being neutral. He expressed the opinion that from the data that he has\ngathered it is criminal to use mesothorium intravenously. There is no doubt from\nthe reception that the paper received at the meeting as to the effect on any jury.\nDr. Martland has promised to send me a copy of this paper without waiting for its\npublication. I think your lawyers should get a copy as soon as you can so we can\nhave a time to digest it. He presentation last evening was very rapid and many\npoints of importance simply mentioned.\nHowever one can readily see how the other side is building up their case.\nThey are placing all the emphasis on the fact that you use mesothorium in your\nmaterial and that this is far more dangerous than radium. It seems to me that you\nshould get Dr. McCoy to express his opinion on this matter and to collect all data\nas to the use of mesothorium in internal injections both in this country and Europe.\nIn other words you must be prepared to prove in Court that it is not an extremely\ntoxic material as compared with radium.\nThe question of elimination and absorption is very important. Dr. Martland\nhas had the advantage in being in a position where he could study two or three cases.\nHe has taken these cases and demonstrated the presence of radio-active material in\nthe body. He also has examined the expired air with positive results. Dr. Hofmann's\nposition and his is that once the mesothorium is taken into the body it is not elim-\ninated but remains there constantly acting on the blood forming agents. They put em-\nphasis on the fact that the time element is the important factor and that the serious\ncondition does not arise often for three or four years after the exposure.\nThe blood of Mis Carlo as shown from his analysis does not indicate a\ndiabetic condition.\nIn order to be able to answer these questions we will have to examine the\nexcreta of persons working in the plant itself, girls who have been and are no paint-\ning dials, and then from girls who have not been in the plant for several years.\nWe should also get a specimen of Miss Carlo's stools from the hospital if possible.\nYour doctor or the insurance doctor perhaps can get such a sample from the hospital.\nIn addition to getting the excreta from these girls we should make a test to see if\ntheir bodies show any signs of radio-active material or not. Their expired air must\nalso be tested. I consider all of this data very important especially if what Dr.\nMartland claims to have found is true. We can make this examination at my house if\nwe can set up your instruments there so as avoid any contamination from the factory.\nI think you should take this matter up with Mr. Viedt and have him get four or five\ngirls who are friendly to the company but have not worked in your plant for at least\ntwo years. I firmly feel that if the matter is put up to them in the right spirit\nwe can get them to do it for us.\nOf course there will be no trouble in getting\nthe employees in your plant to assist us in this matter.\nThis part of the study should be started at the earliest possible\nmoment for we never know what we are going to run into. If possible I wish you\nwould take it up with Mr. Barker and Mr. Viedt.\nIf you will send me about ten grams more of your material I would like\nto make some absorption tests.\nYours truly,\nFrederick B. Flinn."
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