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Harvard University
School of Public
Health
55 Van Dyke Street,
Boston, Massachusetts.
July 14, 1924.
Mr. Arthur Roeder,
United States Radium Corporation,
30 Church Street,
New York City.
My dear Mr. Roeder:
Inspection of the work done with our animals leads me to
feel that further delay in reporting upon them will give us no
more information. On May 13th we gave intratracheal injections
of luminous zinc sulphide to one cat and of "Undark" to three
cats. The reason for this method of administration is because
it assures a prompter and more efficient absorption of the
substance used, and is, furthermore, similar to one of the
routes by which your employees take in these substances. In no
case did we gain evidence of any local damage to the lungs.
After one to four weeks8 time we sacrificed the animals, and
found no noteworthy abnormalities at autopsy.
Upon chemical analysis, the bones of the cats receiving
"Undark" contained large amounts of radium - more than we
could obtain from the lungs, the site of the original deposition,
or from all the rest of the body. Our apparatus does not permit
the giving of a quantitative figure on this point, but it has
established very definitely that inhaled "Undark" is removed
from the lungs and the radium carried by itⁿis deposited in bone.
In both the luminous zinc sulphide and "Undark" animals the
skeleton contained some zinc, deposited apparently as a double
phosphate in the compact bone, and being analogous in this
particular to lead and a number of other heavy metals, though
probably less permanent.
On perusal of our report, you will note that we cited
abundant evidence from the literature to the effect that
intravenously or subcutaneously injected radium preparations
deposited radium in large amounts in bone. We felt it desirable
to find out whether radium introduced by inhalation, as "Undark",
is deposited in the same way. This has been definitely
established by these experiments. To you, I suppose, they will
seem unnecessary, but we feel that they bring out in rather a
bold relief the fact that radium administered as it slowly is to
your employees, readhes bone. You will ask why, if we have done
this, we have not gone on to the question of necrosis production,
thereby clinching matters. If this phase of the situation could
be established experimentally, it would require a considerable
series of animals dosed over a long period of time in several
different ways, and would necessitate a series of experiments
which would be both extensive and expensive. We have not,
therefore, felt justified in entering such a campaign nor do
we feel that it is necessary in relation to the problem offered
by your plant in Orange.
I hope that some time or other you will drop in on us here
in Boston, and trust you will feel at entire liberty to turn any
one over to me whom you may wish to have given an account of
our views on the whole matter. I feel very sure, myself, that
you can permanently get rid of the trouble which has pursued
you at Orange if you make use of intelligent medical supervision,
coupled with the other precautionary measures we have suggested.
It is my opinion that under such a regine you can feel confident
that you have taken adequate measures to end your own difficulties
and to safeguard the health of your employees.
Very sincerely yours,
Cecil K. Drinker, M. D.
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"ocrText": "COPY\nHarvard University\nSchool of Public\nHealth\n55 Van Dyke Street,\nBoston, Massachusetts.\nJuly 14, 1924.\nMr. Arthur Roeder,\nUnited States Radium Corporation,\n30 Church Street,\nNew York City.\nMy dear Mr. Roeder:\nInspection of the work done with our animals leads me to\nfeel that further delay in reporting upon them will give us no\nmore information. On May 13th we gave intratracheal injections\nof luminous zinc sulphide to one cat and of \"Undark\" to three\ncats. The reason for this method of administration is because\nit assures a prompter and more efficient absorption of the\nsubstance used, and is, furthermore, similar to one of the\nroutes by which your employees take in these substances. In no\ncase did we gain evidence of any local damage to the lungs.\nAfter one to four weeks8 time we sacrificed the animals, and\nfound no noteworthy abnormalities at autopsy.\nUpon chemical analysis, the bones of the cats receiving\n\"Undark\" contained large amounts of radium - more than we\ncould obtain from the lungs, the site of the original deposition,\nor from all the rest of the body. Our apparatus does not permit\nthe giving of a quantitative figure on this point, but it has\nestablished very definitely that inhaled \"Undark\" is removed\nfrom the lungs and the radium carried by itⁿis deposited in bone.\nIn both the luminous zinc sulphide and \"Undark\" animals the\nskeleton contained some zinc, deposited apparently as a double\nphosphate in the compact bone, and being analogous in this\nparticular to lead and a number of other heavy metals, though\nprobably less permanent.\nOn perusal of our report, you will note that we cited\nabundant evidence from the literature to the effect that\nintravenously or subcutaneously injected radium preparations\ndeposited radium in large amounts in bone. We felt it desirable\nto find out whether radium introduced by inhalation, as \"Undark\",\nis deposited in the same way. This has been definitely\nestablished by these experiments. To you, I suppose, they will\nseem unnecessary, but we feel that they bring out in rather a\nbold relief the fact that radium administered as it slowly is to\nyour employees, readhes bone. You will ask why, if we have done\nthis, we have not gone on to the question of necrosis production,\nthereby clinching matters. If this phase of the situation could\nbe established experimentally, it would require a considerable\nseries of animals dosed over a long period of time in several\ndifferent ways, and would necessitate a series of experiments\nwhich would be both extensive and expensive. We have not,\ntherefore, felt justified in entering such a campaign nor do\nwe feel that it is necessary in relation to the problem offered\nby your plant in Orange.\nI hope that some time or other you will drop in on us here\nin Boston, and trust you will feel at entire liberty to turn any\none over to me whom you may wish to have given an account of\nour views on the whole matter. I feel very sure, myself, that\nyou can permanently get rid of the trouble which has pursued\nyou at Orange if you make use of intelligent medical supervision,\ncoupled with the other precautionary measures we have suggested.\nIt is my opinion that under such a regine you can feel confident\nthat you have taken adequate measures to end your own difficulties\nand to safeguard the health of your employees.\nVery sincerely yours,\nCecil K. Drinker, M. D."
}