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FOREIGN TRADE BUREAU OF THE PHILADELPHIA COMMERCIAL MUSEUM
Translation Department
Language - German
Translated by FW
From - Dr. Fernan, Physikallische Abteilung der Radiumstation im Allegemeinen
Addressed to Welsbach Company
Krankenhaus
--- Wien 1X, Alsersrasse 4
Date (of original) 11/17/25
Gentlemen:
I shall reply to the questions put to me as much as possible.
1. Whether at Vienna or other German Radium Ambulances there takes place a systematic
control of the State of health of the employees.
Since a serious illness of a sister, who had to look after the application of the radium
supports, we introduced a periodical eximination of the aspect of the blood of the female
nurses. We ascertained, expecially among the female staff, a far reaching diminution of
the white blood corpuscles - Leukopenie- The white blood corpuscles had dropped from
the normal number 6000 - 8000 in 1 cm to 3000 in a. round number. We now established
a service in turns, and have three sisters sèrve in turns, so that the actual working
hours are limited to 7 hours.
2. Whether I myself had made some experiences on my person on Radium harms.
In the first years after the opening of the Radium Station, where I stayed almost con-
tinuously from 5 to 6 hours in the emanation work, I too suffered from a far reaching
"Leupenie". Now, when I remain at the maximum 2 hours in the emanation work, the aspect
of my blood might be called almost normal. From the time of the making of the supports
1913-14 there remained a lasting damage on my fingers; the right index shows spots which
have become very horny and in a spot which is circular, of about 5 mm diameter there
is
loss of tissue, that is histologically -formation of an ulcer or abcess. On the left
hand three fingers have become very horny, and the damage of the cutaneous papillae has
advanced so far that anaesthesia exist in the nerves which inosculate in the papillas.
3. Whether I know of any publications treatèng the statistics or the Radium dama.ges
early and late.
Statistics only exist concering the X-ray damages and even in the rays therapeutics
("S trahlentherapie") the most adapted periodical for such communications there is to be
found only something about damages by X-rays.
4.
What provisions were made at Vienna, in order to prevent danges to the employees.
How much leave of absence is given.
Besides the facilitations of service, mentioned above, up to the present we only
granted a 4 weeks leave of absence. It is true that through transportable lead wall, the
building of box containing the radium supports (?) in a cupboard covered with lead
diminished very strongly the intensity of the rays, but our measurements ascertained
that there still exist - an equal distance presumed -7% of the original radiation which
reate through a continuous effect disturbances, especially among the femal nursing staff.
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"ocrText": "COPY\nFOREIGN TRADE BUREAU OF THE PHILADELPHIA COMMERCIAL MUSEUM\nTranslation Department\nLanguage - German\nTranslated by FW\nFrom - Dr. Fernan, Physikallische Abteilung der Radiumstation im Allegemeinen\nAddressed to Welsbach Company\nKrankenhaus\n--- Wien 1X, Alsersrasse 4\nDate (of original) 11/17/25\nGentlemen:\nI shall reply to the questions put to me as much as possible.\n1. Whether at Vienna or other German Radium Ambulances there takes place a systematic\ncontrol of the State of health of the employees.\nSince a serious illness of a sister, who had to look after the application of the radium\nsupports, we introduced a periodical eximination of the aspect of the blood of the female\nnurses. We ascertained, expecially among the female staff, a far reaching diminution of\nthe white blood corpuscles - Leukopenie- The white blood corpuscles had dropped from\nthe normal number 6000 - 8000 in 1 cm to 3000 in a. round number. We now established\na service in turns, and have three sisters sèrve in turns, so that the actual working\nhours are limited to 7 hours.\n2. Whether I myself had made some experiences on my person on Radium harms.\nIn the first years after the opening of the Radium Station, where I stayed almost con-\ntinuously from 5 to 6 hours in the emanation work, I too suffered from a far reaching\n\"Leupenie\". Now, when I remain at the maximum 2 hours in the emanation work, the aspect\nof my blood might be called almost normal. From the time of the making of the supports\n1913-14 there remained a lasting damage on my fingers; the right index shows spots which\nhave become very horny and in a spot which is circular, of about 5 mm diameter there\nis\nloss of tissue, that is histologically -formation of an ulcer or abcess. On the left\nhand three fingers have become very horny, and the damage of the cutaneous papillae has\nadvanced so far that anaesthesia exist in the nerves which inosculate in the papillas.\n3. Whether I know of any publications treatèng the statistics or the Radium dama.ges\nearly and late.\nStatistics only exist concering the X-ray damages and even in the rays therapeutics\n(\"S trahlentherapie\") the most adapted periodical for such communications there is to be\nfound only something about damages by X-rays.\n4.\nWhat provisions were made at Vienna, in order to prevent danges to the employees.\nHow much leave of absence is given.\nBesides the facilitations of service, mentioned above, up to the present we only\ngranted a 4 weeks leave of absence. It is true that through transportable lead wall, the\nbuilding of box containing the radium supports (?) in a cupboard covered with lead\ndiminished very strongly the intensity of the rays, but our measurements ascertained\nthat there still exist - an equal distance presumed -7% of the original radiation which\nreate through a continuous effect disturbances, especially among the femal nursing staff."
}