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{
    "localId": "75722902",
    "label": "Letters Sent to R.F. Hammer, June 12, 1928",
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    "id": "75722902",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Letters Sent to R.F. Hammer, June 12, 1928",
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    "collections": [
        "Safety Light Collection",
        "Records Related to Radium Dial Painters"
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{
    "seq": 2,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
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    "ocrText": "-2-\ntry the cases through the press. It is our belief that the thing\nwill automatically die out, as there will be little or no news to be\nobtained as soon as the settlements have been completed.\nJust a few remarks regarding your theory as to what this\ntrouble may be ascribed:\nThe first case came to our attention in 1924, at which time\nwe had a thorough investigation made regarding any hazards that might\nbe involved in this industry, which included the toxic affects of the\nzine, the impurities added to same, possible injurious affects from\nlicking brushes and radio-active materials. The result of this investi-\ngation indicated that there was no apparent industrial hazard existing\nin this work, but the pergon conducting the investigation stated that\ninasmuch as there was a similar condition existing among several of\nour employees not found elsewhere, and that he could find nothing hazard-\nous in any phase of the work, except a possible hazard existing through\nthe possilie ingestion of amall quantities of radio-active materials,\nhe felt that we should regard it as suspicious. Recommendations were\nput into force which would preclude the ingestion of any further mater-\nial. I might add that in the application of luminous material to\nwatch and clock dials it was more or less a common practice to point the\nbrushes with the lips - a practice which was forbidden in our plant,\nbut not strictly enforced. The reason for forbidding this practice\nwas not on account of any belief or knowledge on our part that any\nindustrial hazard existed through such a practice, but that it was\nunsanitary.\nTodate we have lmowledge that a few individuals, perhaps 5\nor 6, out of five or six thougand engaged in this industry throughout\nthe world, have acted as storehouses for radio-active materials, and\nwhether or not this has brought about a condition found in a number of\ngirls who have been engaged in this work, is questionable, but at least\nwe must regard it with suspicion.\nWe do not feel that this is at all comparable with the use\nof radium for medicinal purposes, either intravenously or per os, for\nthe conditions are quite different. As you are aware radium chloride\nhas been used more or less extensively internally since 1912 or 13,\nand there has not been one untoward affect reported to date. I have\ndiscussed this matter with medical men in our vicinity who are fully\naware of the situation, and they state that in their opinion there is\nnothing to be feared.\nAlthough some of the medical men who have\nserved as experts for the complainants feel that there is a hazard.\nI may say, however, that those who have served as experts for the\nplaintiffs are men with no training or previous knowledge or experience\nin the use of radium or radio-active materials.\nIn our investigation of those engaged in this industry we\ndevised tests for determining whether there is any possibility of\napplying luminous material, suffering from their work. One test,\nze make, is for the detection of small amounts of radio-active"
}