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GENERAL RADIUM CORPORATION
C
149 Broadway
New York
P
Y
Radium Salts
MINES
Therapeutics
C
olorado
Utah
June 19, 1925
Waterbury Clock Co.,
Waterbury, Conn.
Dear Sirs:
The deaths occurring among former employees of a luminous
material manufacturer in New Jersey, referred to in the daily press
of June 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. Oux preliminary conclusions may be briefly
summarized as follows:
1. Continued contact with radioactive substances causes de-
struction 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 lumincas material to dials, hands,
etc., the time of contact with radioactive substances necessary to
bring about a breakdow in body defense is not nearly as great as
then the contact is only indirect, that is through the air.
2. The reduction of the body defense by certain forms of radio-
activity opens up the system to invession by active bacteria always
present in the respiratory and digestive tracts, but remaining
quiescent in the face of strong body defense.
3. Becteriological tests on current cases disclose the presence
of streptococeus and staphifococcus and possibly one or more other
bacteria not positively identified.
The contimunce of this bacteremia
eventually produces anemia and if not arrested, death eventually
results. Blood transfusions appear to be ineffective.
4. The clinical symptons 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 in-
vasion contimies until many, if not all the teeth are similarly
affected followed by so-called necrosis of jaw-bones.
About this
time, a general anaemic condition begins to show upe Sometime: 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 contained in the daily papers of Friday, June 19,
the rheumatic pains are said to have existed more than 12 months ago
and an X-Tay photograph did not disclose infection of teeth until a
few weeks before death. This case collapsed almost spontaneously
from acute annemia 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.
W ile the causes are important, the treatment is still more
important.
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"ocrText": "GENERAL RADIUM CORPORATION\nC\n149 Broadway\nNew York\nP\nY\nRadium Salts\nMINES\nTherapeutics\nC\nolorado\nUtah\nJune 19, 1925\nWaterbury Clock Co.,\nWaterbury, Conn.\nDear Sirs:\nThe deaths occurring among former employees of a luminous\nmaterial manufacturer in New Jersey, referred to in the daily press\nof June 19, has caused us to make some inquiry concerning the\nnature of the disease that at the moment appears to be responsible\nfor such deaths. Oux preliminary conclusions may be briefly\nsummarized as follows:\n1. Continued contact with radioactive substances causes de-\nstruction of both the red and white corpuscles of the Blood. If\nthe contact is by mouth, such as occurs in pointing with the lips,\na brush used in the application of lumincas material to dials, hands,\netc., the time of contact with radioactive substances necessary to\nbring about a breakdow in body defense is not nearly as great as\nthen the contact is only indirect, that is through the air.\n2. The reduction of the body defense by certain forms of radio-\nactivity opens up the system to invession by active bacteria always\npresent in the respiratory and digestive tracts, but remaining\nquiescent in the face of strong body defense.\n3. Becteriological tests on current cases disclose the presence\nof streptococeus and staphifococcus and possibly one or more other\nbacteria not positively identified.\nThe contimunce of this bacteremia\neventually produces anemia and if not arrested, death eventually\nresults. Blood transfusions appear to be ineffective.\n4. The clinical symptons most usually evidenced are, a soreness\nof the teeth and gums; these are usually called to the attention of\nthe dentist. The tooth is extracted, socket does not heal, and in-\nvasion contimies until many, if not all the teeth are similarly\naffected followed by so-called necrosis of jaw-bones.\nAbout this\ntime, a general anaemic condition begins to show upe Sometime: the\nfirst signs are general feeling of lassitude, and in other cases,\nso-called rheumatic pains develop. In one case, a report of the\ndeath of which is contained in the daily papers of Friday, June 19,\nthe rheumatic pains are said to have existed more than 12 months ago\nand an X-Tay photograph did not disclose infection of teeth until a\nfew weeks before death. This case collapsed almost spontaneously\nfrom acute annemia and acute bone infection manifestations.\nExtended investigation is being made as to the etiology\nof the disease, and the influence of radioactive elements as a\ncontributing cause apparently will be gone into at great length.\nW ile the causes are important, the treatment is still more\nimportant."
}