Letters Sent to Sidney Mason, February 16, 1926

February 16, 1926. lir. Sidney Mason, President, Welsbach Company, Gloucester City, N. J. Dear lir. Hason: I have your letter of the 13th. A post mortem was made after Dr. Leman's death and traces of Radium or radioactive elements were found, but the amounts were very small. I am not a physician or a technical man, but it seems to me very unlikely that exposure even to radiation from large amounts of Radium can fairly be considered a primary cause for such a fatality. Leman had worked with Radium and Mesothoriun in large commercinl quantities before he became associated with this company, and last year before he was taken sick he had beon doing lese work with Radium - and Mesothoriun than at almost any other time during his connection with us as chief chemist. It moy be pessible that exposure to heavy radiation coupled with other conditions may have a bad effect although apparently the pioneers who have voriced with big amounts of radionetive elements, frequently with poor facilities and under poor conditions, do not suffer. I have in mind Modame Curie, Thatherford, Hess, McCoy, and there are doubtless many more. There is undoubtedly a difference of opinion in matters of this ldnd. which seem to be lorgely opiniony but I believe that the real sound scientific medical man, the one who is not secking yellow press publicity but is a gemine scientist, will agree with you that Buckley's condition.vas either not at all due to his occupation or not primarily due to it. Yours truly, President. ARoeder-ED