Ask the Scholar

{
    "localId": "75724870",
    "label": "Letters Sent to Rollin H. Stevens, February 3, 1930",
    "core": "doc",
    "dtoType": "document",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75724870"
}

{
    "id": "75724870",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75724870",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Letters Sent to Rollin H. Stevens, February 3, 1930",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75724870",
    "collections": [
        "Safety Light Collection",
        "Records Related to Radium Dial Painters"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0001964_Page_1.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0001964_Page_1.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0001964_Page_1.jpg",
    "imageCount": 4,
    "hasImages": true,
    "source": "import",
    "hasTranscription": false
}

{
    "url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75724870",
    "naId": 75724870,
    "levelOfDescription": "fileUnit",
    "recordType": "description",
    "ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}

{
    "seq": 4,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "document",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0001964.pdf",
    "mediaId": "d7fa85479b7621e5",
    "ocrText": "February 3rd,1930.\nDr. Rollin H. Stevens,\n1429 David Whitney Bldg.,\nDetroit, Mich.\nDear Dr. Stevens:\nI am glad to herewith confirm in letter form the matter\ndiscussed with you personally on Thursday January 30th:\nFrom 1916 to 1925, the United States Radium Corporation or\nits predecessors maintained an application plant for applying radioactive\nluminous material to watch, clock dials, etc., during which period there\nwere probably employed a total of approximately 400 girls. The radioactive\nluminous material was applied to the numerals of the dials with small camel's\nhair brushes. As you realize, this operation is rather a delicate one and\nrequires considerable skill. The brushes had to be well \"pointed\" and to do\nthis a good many of the operators used their lips, although there were\nother methods provided. While the practice of \"pointing\" the brushes with\nCheir lips was forbidden on account of sanitary reasons, still the girls\ncontinued the practice with our knowledge.\nEarly in 1924, a dentist in Newark called to our attention\nthe fact that he felt there was an industrial hazard existing in our work.\nlie immediately had a study made, with reference to the materials used as well\nas working conditions, by the Public Health Department of Harvard. Due to\nthe fact that they could not attribute a similar condition which they found\nexisting in & number of our employees to any particular cause, they advised\nus that they would look upon the radioactive constituents of our material\nwith suspicion, and advised certain récommendations which we immediately put\ninto effect. We followed this up by discussing the possibilities of the\nradium presenting a hazard, with both medical and scientific men versed in\nthe subject of radioactivity, and they both felt that the conclusions drawn\nby the public Health School of Harvard were rather far fetched. We had\nother investigations made, some of which indicated that it was questionable\nwhether there was an industrial hazard existing at our plant. However, as\ntime progressed and more data and information became available regarding\nthe conditions existing among certain of our employees who had been engaged\nin this practice, our attitude changed and we recognized that there probably\nwas a hazard connected with this work. The seat of the trouble could be\ntraced back to the practice of \"pointing\" the brushes with the lips, thereby\nserving as a means of introducing the material into the system.\nThe radioactive luminous material consisted of phosphoresent\nzine sulphide, which is primarily zinc sulphide of a special crystaline nature,\ncontaining one(1) part of cedmium sulphide to 820 parts of zine sulphide,\none (1) part of copper sulphide to 7150 parts of zinc sulphide, and one (1)\npart of manganous sulphide to 2300 perts of zinc sulphide. The radium or\n-2-\nmesothorium was added to the basic zinc sulphide mechanically, and the amount\nvaried from one (1) part in 140,000 to one (1) part in 33,000.\nInasmuch as it was not a loaded brush which was \"poânted\", but the\ndry brush, it is obvious that at the worst the amount of radioactive zine\nsulphide that could be ingested per day would be very small. However, as\nsmall as this amount must have been we have found a few cases where the\nsystem has absorbed some of the radioactive constituents and it has been depos-\nited thruout the bony skeleton. The deposit of this material has persisted\nafter a period of several years, and it is now the theory that the continued\naction of the alpha particles from the radioactive materials so deposited has\nbeen the cause of any of the conditions reported among these employees.\nIn 1925, two cases that were diagnosed as suffering from the result\nof their employment by us brought suit for damages, and were settled. In\nJune, 1928, there was a group of five cases, which had been given wide pub-\nlicity, thru their efforts in endeavoring to obtain redress, by the press,\nthese were also settled. These cases you probably are avee or less familiar\nwith thru such publicity, and the information which I gave you.\nWe are now confronted with building a defense in four (4) more cases\nthat have been instituted against us. In this connection they charge us with\ncontributory negligence, in that we did not provide proper precautions for\nthese employees during the periods of their employment from 1916 to 1924.\nThey claim that it was common knowledge at that time that even small amounts\nof radioactive materials taken into the system was deleterious, and that it was\nwell known, and that we should have been aware of it. On the contrary we\nmaintain that there was no reason why we should have been suspicious that\neven though very minute amounts had been ingested that there was any possibility\nof hazard arising from the practice. This conclusion was based primarily\nupon the fact that during this time radium chloride was administered internally\nfor certain conditions under medical supervision, and that there had never\nbeen reported in the literature any untoward effects resulting from this prac-\ntice. We further maintain that even though we had been aware that small\namounts of luminous zinc sulphide were being ingested daily we should not\nhave viewed this with any particular alarm, due to the fact that the radium or\nmesothorium, as the case might have been, was percipitated upon the surface\nof the zinc sulphide in an insoluble form - that is the sulphate, and knowing\nthat radium sulphate is one of the most insoluble inorganic compounds known\nwe should have felt a certain amount of confidence that the material would\nof necessity pass thru the alimintary. tract without any appreciable emount\nbeing absorbed.\nIt is in this connection that we are soliciting your aid, for as I\npointed out our counsel is anxious to establish before the court that up to\nand including 1925, the medical profession did not consider the internal use\nof radiug befraught with any hazards either immediate or latent.\nThe fact that you administered radium chloride internally as late as\n1925, and even later, and that you did not consider it hasardous in any way\nwill be of great value to us in establishing this point.\nIt might be well for you to bring your cards indicating the amounts\nof material administered to some of your patients, as well as the indicated\nprogress.\n-3-\nUpon my return to New York on Friday, I discussed this\nmatter with our counsel as well as with the counsel for the plaintiffs in\nthese actions, and they have all tentatively agreed that Saturday, February\n15th, would be a suitable date to take these depositions in Chicago.\nWhile this is 8. somewhat earlier date than I had anticipated, still it does\nnot seem practicable to arrange a later date, and I trust that it will fit\nin with your program.\nOur counsel as well as myself will arrive in Chicago, early on\nSaturday morning, and will hope to have a conference with you, as well as\nDr. Bowing and Dr. Pohle, about 10 A.M.\nThe time for taking the deposi-\ntions will in all probability be set for one (1) o'clock at some attorney's\noffice in Chicago. The time and place for our meeting in Chicago I will\nadvise you of later.\nWe, of course, expect to reimburse you for any expense connected\nwith this work, as well as for your services.\nA few lines from you, at your earliest convenience, advising us\nif the program as outlined will be satisfactory to you, will be appreciated.\nSincerely yours,\nVice President.\nHHBarker: RH"
}