Letters Received, June 19, 1925

JOK 60 GENERAL RADIUM CORPORATION 149 BROADWAY yun 35 RADIUM SALTS NEW YORK MINES THERAPEUTICS CTH, COLORADO TELEPHONE CORTLANDT 3896 UTAH June 19, 1925. a 8 Waterbury Clock Co. 86 Waterbury, Conn. Dear Sirs:- The deaths occuring among former employees of a luminous material manufacturer in New Jersey, referred to in the daily press of J 19, has caused us to make some inquiry concerning the nature of the disease that at the moment appears to be responsible for such deaths. Our preliminary con- clusions may be briefly summarized as follows: 1. Continued contact with radioactive substances causes destruction of both the red and white corpuscles of the blood. If the contact is by mouth, such as occurs in pointing with the lips, a brush used in the application of luminous material to dials, hands, etc., the time of contact with radioactive substances necessary to bring about a breakdown in body defense is not nearly a.s great as when the contact is only indirect, that is through the air. 2. The reduction of the body defense by certain forms of radioactivity opens up the system to invasion by active bacteria always present in the re- spiratory and digestive tracts, but remaining quiescent in the face of strong body defense. 3. Bacteriological tests on current cases disclose the presence of strepto- coccus and staphylococcus and possibly one or more other bacteria not positively identified. The continuance of this becteremia eventually produces anaemia and if not arrested, death eventually results. Blood transfusions appear to be in- effective. 4. The clinical symptoms most usually evidenced are, a soreness of the teeth and gums; these are usually called to the attention of the dentist. The tooth is extracted, socket does not heal, and invasion continues until many, if not all the, teeth are similarly effected followed by so-called necrosis of jaw-bones. About this time, a general anaemic condition begins to show up. Sometimes the first signs are general feeling of lassitude, and in other cases, so=called rheumatic pains develop. In one case, a report of the death of which is con- tained in the daily papers of Friday, June 19, the rheumatic pains are said to have existed more than 12 months ago and an x-ray photograph did not disclose infection of teeth until a, few weeks before death. This case collapsed almost spontaneously from acute anaemia and acute bone infection manifestations. Extended investigation is being made as to the etiology of the disease, and the influence of radioactive elements as a contributing cause apparently will be gone into at great length. While the causes are important, the treatment is still more important.