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March 8, 1926 Mr. 0. E. Pawlowsky, c/o Illinois Watch Company, Springfield, Illinois. Dear Mr. Pawlowsky:- This will acknowledge receipt of your letter of March 3rd with the clipping from the Sunday Examiner on the subject of radium poisoning. Several months ago there was quite a lot in the papers on this subject. We had thought that the matter had entirely died down until the last broadside which we admit is quite sensational indeed. The sensational feature should not alarm you or any of your girls. Unfortunately there are some people trying to get publicity and also behind a damage suit against us which is based on the so called "radium poisoning theory". It is true that two or three people who formerly worked in our plant as dial operators have died, and one of the contributing causes seems to have been necrosis of the jaw which developes eventually into pernicious anemia. Some of the best known doctors of the country have been making a special study of this condition for a number of months and we are glad to say that after a thorough investigation of a number of the radium operators in the East, the conclusion is that there is nothing to the theory of radium poisoning. Just as soon as this report is published which will be shortly, we will see that you have a copy of it. I don't recall when visiting your plant whether we discussed the subject of pointing brushes in the mouth. It is a good plan to not follow this practice and we recommend that you abandon it if you have not already done so. We believe you have nothing to fear and should it develope through research that there is danger we will certainly be the first people to call it to your attention. Trusting that this finds all going webl with your department, we are Very truly yours, Treasurer. CBLee-CBO.

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    "ocrText": "March 8, 1926\nMr. 0. E. Pawlowsky,\nc/o Illinois Watch Company,\nSpringfield, Illinois.\nDear Mr. Pawlowsky:-\nThis will acknowledge receipt of your letter\nof March 3rd with the clipping from the Sunday Examiner on the subject\nof radium poisoning.\nSeveral months ago there was quite a lot in\nthe papers on this subject. We had thought that the matter had entirely\ndied down until the last broadside which we admit is quite sensational\nindeed. The sensational feature should not alarm you or any of your\ngirls. Unfortunately there are some people trying to get publicity and\nalso behind a damage suit against us which is based on the so called\n\"radium poisoning theory\". It is true that two or three people who\nformerly worked in our plant as dial operators have died, and one of the\ncontributing causes seems to have been necrosis of the jaw which developes\neventually into pernicious anemia. Some of the best known doctors of\nthe country have been making a special study of this condition for a\nnumber of months and we are glad to say that after a thorough investigation\nof a number of the radium operators in the East, the conclusion is that\nthere is nothing to the theory of radium poisoning. Just as soon as this\nreport is published which will be shortly, we will see that you have a\ncopy of it.\nI don't recall when visiting your plant whether\nwe discussed the subject of pointing brushes in the mouth. It is a\ngood plan to not follow this practice and we recommend that you abandon\nit if you have not already done so.\nWe believe you have nothing to fear and should\nit develope through research that there is danger we will certainly be\nthe first people to call it to your attention.\nTrusting that this finds all going webl with your\ndepartment, we are\nVery truly yours,\nTreasurer.\nCBLee-CBO."
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