Ask the Scholar

Page 1 of 3
I can add historical knowledge about this page.

Page image

Page 1

OCR

June 6, 1924. Dr. Cecil K. Drinker, Harvard University School of Public Health, 55 Van Dyke Street, Boston, Mass. Dear Dr. Drinker:- Your letter of the 3rd and report on Plant investigation arrived while I was in Washington earlier this weelt. I am exceedingly sorry to learn that you are not going to be allowed to work full timo this Sumer. I received en impression when talking with you that you were inclined to sacrifice your health for your work and I em glad to hear that your medical friends are going to molce you rest a bit. The worle here is more exacting of our time than usual. So mach so in fact that I em contemplating giving un my Saturdays which I usually spend at the seashore during the Summer. Most of our executives will be traveling during June, July, and August, which means that some one most be here every day. While I went very mich en opportunity for discussion with you, it seems almost hopeless to plan a trip to Boston this month. Nevertheless, I shall try to como to you. Whother it is because I have a pre-conceived idea or because lack of medical training prevents my visualizing the situation properly I do not kmow, but I am still quite mystified. If we are sufforing from a new allment caused by Radiom, it should occur pretty generally throughout the plant and throughout other Radium plants. As an engineer, I would look for the most pronounced denonstration in the Radium crystallizing departments, particularly the high crystallizing unit where Radium is handled in big quantities. Quite true, Radium in these places is in solution but in a period of years drops have been spilled, dishes broken, etc. etc. and whatever dust is stirred up in these places is actually charged with Radium Element and the air must necessarily contain a good percentage of emanation. The condition in the office without question is due to emanation escaping from Radium in solution lept in the safe near lir. Roth's desk, but there is abundant Radium in other parts of the Plant. Several Inmöred milligrar are in solution at all times in the big vats, several hundred milli- grams in the ore, several hundred milligrans in crystallizing. The entire back yard is filled in with old residues. There is no place where Radium is not present in good amounts. I am in no way endeavoring to controvert your findings. I accept then with the greatest appreciation for the aplendid and thorough manner in (Continied)

Page data

Page
1
Source index
0
Type
photo
Media ID
a265008f9201e15e
Size
unknown

Document data

ID
75718967
Core
doc
Type
document
DTO data
{
    "id": "75718967",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75718967",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Letters Sent to Dr. Francis D. Donoglue, June 6, 1924",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75718967",
    "collections": [
        "Safety Light Collection",
        "Records Related to Radium Dial Painters"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0000220_Page_1.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0000220_Page_1.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0000220_Page_1.jpg",
    "imageCount": 3,
    "hasImages": true,
    "source": "import",
    "hasTranscription": false
}

Context sent to Scholar

Document identity
{
    "localId": "75718967",
    "label": "Letters Sent to Dr. Francis D. Donoglue, June 6, 1924",
    "core": "doc",
    "dtoType": "document",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75718967"
}
Document source metadata
{
    "id": "75718967",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75718967",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Letters Sent to Dr. Francis D. Donoglue, June 6, 1924",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75718967",
    "collections": [
        "Safety Light Collection",
        "Records Related to Radium Dial Painters"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0000220_Page_1.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0000220_Page_1.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0000220_Page_1.jpg",
    "imageCount": 3,
    "hasImages": true,
    "source": "import",
    "hasTranscription": false
}
Document source extras
{
    "url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75718967",
    "naId": 75718967,
    "levelOfDescription": "fileUnit",
    "recordType": "description",
    "ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}
Page context
{
    "seq": 1,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0000220_Page_1.jpg",
    "mediaId": "a265008f9201e15e",
    "ocrText": "June 6, 1924.\nDr. Cecil K. Drinker,\nHarvard University School of Public Health,\n55 Van Dyke Street,\nBoston,\nMass.\nDear Dr. Drinker:-\nYour letter of the 3rd and report on Plant investigation arrived\nwhile I was in Washington earlier this weelt.\nI am exceedingly sorry to learn that you are not going to be\nallowed to work full timo this Sumer. I received en impression when talking\nwith you that you were inclined to sacrifice your health for your work and I\nem glad to hear that your medical friends are going to molce you rest a bit.\nThe worle here is more exacting of our time than usual.\nSo mach so\nin fact that I em contemplating giving un my Saturdays which I usually spend at\nthe seashore during the Summer. Most of our executives will be traveling during\nJune, July, and August, which means that some one most be here every day.\nWhile I went very mich en opportunity for discussion with you, it seems almost\nhopeless to plan a trip to Boston this month. Nevertheless, I shall try to\ncomo to you.\nWhother it is because I have a pre-conceived idea or because lack of\nmedical training prevents my visualizing the situation properly I do not kmow,\nbut I am still quite mystified.\nIf we are sufforing from a new allment caused by Radiom, it should\noccur pretty generally throughout the plant and throughout other Radium plants.\nAs an engineer, I would look for the most pronounced denonstration in the Radium\ncrystallizing departments, particularly the high crystallizing unit where Radium\nis handled in big quantities. Quite true, Radium in these places is in solution\nbut in a period of years drops have been spilled, dishes broken, etc. etc. and\nwhatever dust is stirred up in these places is actually charged with Radium\nElement and the air must necessarily contain a good percentage of emanation.\nThe condition in the office without question is due to emanation\nescaping from Radium in solution lept in the safe near lir. Roth's desk, but\nthere is abundant Radium in other parts of the Plant.\nSeveral Inmöred\nmilligrar are in solution at all times in the big vats, several hundred milli-\ngrams in the ore, several hundred milligrans in crystallizing. The entire\nback yard is filled in with old residues. There is no place where Radium is\nnot present in good amounts.\nI am in no way endeavoring to controvert your findings. I accept\nthen with the greatest appreciation for the aplendid and thorough manner in\n(Continied)"
}