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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.
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"ocrText": "JOK\n60\nGENERAL RADIUM\nCORPORATION\n149 BROADWAY\nyun 35\nRADIUM SALTS\nNEW YORK\nMINES\nTHERAPEUTICS\nCTH,\nCOLORADO\nTELEPHONE CORTLANDT 3896\nUTAH\nJune 19, 1925.\na\n8\nWaterbury Clock Co.\n86\nWaterbury, Conn.\nDear Sirs:-\nThe deaths occuring among former employees of a luminous material\nmanufacturer in New Jersey, referred to in the daily press of J 19, has\ncaused us to make some inquiry concerning the nature of the disease that at\nthe moment appears to be responsible for such deaths. Our preliminary con-\nclusions may be briefly summarized as follows:\n1. Continued contact with radioactive substances causes destruction of\nboth the red and white corpuscles of the blood. If the contact is by mouth,\nsuch as occurs in pointing with the lips, a brush used in the application of\nluminous material to dials, hands, etc., the time of contact with radioactive\nsubstances necessary to bring about a breakdown in body defense is not nearly\na.s great as when the contact is only indirect, that is through the air.\n2. The reduction of the body defense by certain forms of radioactivity\nopens up the system to invasion by active bacteria always present in the re-\nspiratory and digestive tracts, but remaining quiescent in the face of strong\nbody defense.\n3. Bacteriological tests on current cases disclose the presence of strepto-\ncoccus and staphylococcus and possibly one or more other bacteria not positively\nidentified. The continuance of this becteremia eventually produces anaemia and\nif not arrested, death eventually results. Blood transfusions appear to be in-\neffective.\n4. The clinical symptoms most usually evidenced are, a soreness of the teeth\nand gums; these are usually called to the attention of the dentist. The tooth\nis extracted, socket does not heal, and invasion continues until many, if not all\nthe, teeth are similarly effected followed by so-called necrosis of jaw-bones.\nAbout this time, a general anaemic condition begins to show up. Sometimes the\nfirst signs are general feeling of lassitude, and in other cases, so=called\nrheumatic pains develop. In one case, a report of the death of which is con-\ntained in the daily papers of Friday, June 19, the rheumatic pains are said to\nhave existed more than 12 months ago and an x-ray photograph did not disclose\ninfection of teeth until a, few weeks before death. This case collapsed almost\nspontaneously from acute anaemia and acute bone infection manifestations.\nExtended investigation is being made as to the etiology of the disease,\nand the influence of radioactive elements as a contributing cause apparently will\nbe gone into at great length. While the causes are important, the treatment is\nstill more important."
}