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{
    "localId": "75726577",
    "label": "Letters Received to H.H. Barker, June 20, 1931",
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    "id": "75726577",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Letters Received to H.H. Barker, June 20, 1931",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75726577",
    "collections": [
        "Safety Light Collection",
        "Records Related to Radium Dial Painters"
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    "seq": 2,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "document",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0002492.pdf",
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    "ocrText": "COLLINS & CORBIN\nCOUNSELLORS AT LAW\nCLEMENT K. CORBIN ROBERT J. BAIN\nEDWARD A. MARKLEY CHARLES W. BROADHURST\n1 EXCHANGE PLACE,\nHOWARD F. MC INTYRE JAMES B. EMORY\nFRANKA BOEHLER\nJERSEY CITY, N. J.\nPATRICK F. MC DEVITT\nJOHN F. LEONARD\nJOHN P. GILMARTIN\nJune 20, 1931.\nLa Porte V. U. S. Radium Corp.\nH. H. Barker, Esq.,\nJUN 22 1931\nVice Pres. U. S. Radium Corp.,\n535 Pearl Street,\nNew York City.\nDear Mr. Barker:\nI received your telephone message and also\nread of the death of Mrs. La Porte in the various newspapers.\nThe Newark News had quite an article. According to that paper\nDr. Martland performed an autopsy on the night of June 16,\n1931 and reported that Mrs. La Porte died of sarcoma (cancer)\nof the hip and thigh caused by the ingestion of radium. Accord-\ning to the newspaper, Dr. Martland pointed out that Mrs. La Porte's\ndeath was not caused by necrosis of the jaw or anemia like the\nearly deaths, but by a tumor. The necrosis and anemia were\nattributed to mesothorium, a radio-active element in the luminous\npaint, but not radium itself. Again, according to the news-\npaper account the paint contained about 70% mesothorium and\n30% radium. A small amount of mesothorium such as that ingested\nby painters becomes inert in about seven years but radium does\nnot lose half of its potency until 1700 years.\nI suggest that you write to the State\nBureau of Vital Statistics, Trenton, for a certified transcript\nof the death certificate. This transcript will give us consider-\nable information and also the cause of death, both the primary\ncause and the contributory cause. This certificate is prima\nfacie evidence in court as to the cause of death.\nAfter you obtain the transcript of the death\ncertificate we should confer about the matter. When you write\nfor this transcript send a check for $1. to cover the cost\nthereof and give the date of death which undoubtedly was either\nJune 15th or 16th, and the place of her residence, 391 - 4th\nAvenue, Newark, N.J.\nEAM: AG\nYours Elikinsoley very truly,"
}