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{
    "localId": "75729679",
    "label": "Letters Sent to Dr. S.C. Lind, October 20, 1939",
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    "id": "75729679",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Letters Sent to Dr. S.C. Lind, October 20, 1939",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75729679",
    "collections": [
        "Safety Light Collection",
        "Records Related to Radium Dial Painters"
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{
    "seq": 3,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "document",
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    "ocrText": "October 20,1939\nDr. S. C. Lind,\nUniversity of Minnedota,\nMinneapolis, Minn.\nDear Dr. Lind:\nWe were glad to receive your letter of October 13th and shall\nattempt to give you the information requested.\n(1) The luminous material industry as a whole is not growing,\nsince the tendency on the part of many of the watch and clock concerns\nto cheapen qualityh resulted in less demand for these dials. However,\nso far as the aviation field is concerned the industry is expanding quite\nrapidly due largely to the increased building program adopted by our own\nGovernment.\n(2) There is probably a greater use for luminous dials today than\nduring the last World War due to the fact that many new type instruments\nhave been developed which were not then known. In other words, there are\nmany more instruments per plane now than during the World War, and each\ninstrument is supplied with a luminous dial.\n(3) I cannot give you exact figures but the average small plane\nwould have 12 or 15 luminous treated dials. Aircraft like the \"Clipper\nShips\" and large Bombers have 3 sets of controls, and probably each ship\nhas from 60 to 75 luminous treated instruments. Aircraft such as Trans-\ncontinental planes with dual controls probably have anywhere from 24 to 50\ndials, depending on the type ship. There is no set rule, as each type ship\ndiffers from the other both in design and amount of equipment.\n(4) The use is not limited to military planes, as all commercial\ntransport planes are equipped with luminous treated dials.\n(5) In our opinion the present waz abroad will not increase the use\nof luminous material in this country unless there is a change in the present\nembargo law which will permit large scale purchases of aircraft by foreign\ngovernments. If this change is made, which is certainly indicated, there is\nno doubt but that the use of luminous material will be greatly enlarged.\n(6) No new worth while uses for luminous material have been developed\nduring the past fow years. However, both the Army and Navy have written\nSpecifications which require a higher grade material than previously used,\nand also require it to be applied with a much heavier application. So far\nas the industry is concerned, this alone will cause a large increase in volume.\n(7) Mesothorium is not generally used in luminous material at the\n-2-\npresent time. This is largely because there are comparatively small amounts\nof mesothorium being extracted in the States, as the gas mantle industry\nrequiring thorium as shrunk to small volume. We also understand that the\nbulk of the mesothorium produced during the last few years has been marketed\nabroad.\nWe are glad to say that our application plant and methods of handling\nboth radium and luminous material have been improved to the point where we\nreceive practically a 100% rating from the various State and Federal Health\nand Labor Bureaus. When you are next this way we would be delighted to have\nyou spend some time with us and see for yourself present methods employed\nfor health protection and quality production. Probably you would be able to\npick up many interesting points which we could not adequately cover in a letter.\nWe doubt if there is any cause for worry on your part as a result of the\ndiscovery made by Dr. Evans. However, the treatment suggested by him might be\nworth considering, but before doing so may we suggest that you talk with Dr.\nCraver and Dr. Ewing of the Memorial Hospital. They have had charge, for ap-\nproximately 12 years, of the five girls pensioned by us, and it is my impression\nthat they used on these patients the treatment suggested by Dr. Evans. If you\nare not acquainted with these Doctors we would be delighted to take you there\nas they are certainly good friends of ours and fine gentlemen as well as out-\nstanding medical mon.\nHoping that we may have the pleasure of seeing you soon and wishing you\nevery success in your new endeavors as President-Elect of the American Chemical\nSociety, we are,\nJordially yours,\nCBLee:dk\nPresident"
}