Letters Received to Mr. Roeder [A. Roeder], October 9, 1925

Cohmbia Unitersity College DE and EPIDEMIOLOGY 437 WEST 59TH STREET, NEW YORK INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE PUBLIC HEALTH ADMINISTRATION INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC HEALTH SANITARY SCIENCE Oct 9 I925 Mr Roeder, U.S. Radium Corporation, New York City, N.Y. Dear Mr Roeder; Dr. Martland's paper last night was very interesting but it was far from being neutral. He expressed the opinion that from the data that he has gathered it is criminal to use mesthorium intravenously. There is no doubt from the recep- that the paper received at the meeting as to the effect on any jury. Dr Martland has promised to send me a copy of this paper without waiting for its publication. I think your lawyers should get a copy as soon as you can so we can have a time to digest it. He presentation last evening was very rapid and many points of importance simply mentioned. However one can readily see how the other side is building up their case. They are placing all the emphasis on the fact that you use mesothorium in your ma- terial and that this is far more dangerous that radium. It seems to me that you should get Dr. McCoy to express his opinion on this matter and to collect all data as to the use of mesothorium in internal injections both in this country and Europe. In other words you must be prepared to prove in Court that it is not an extremely toxic material as compared with radium. The question of elimination and absorption is very important. Dr Martland has had the advantage in being in a position where he could study two or three cases. He has taken these cases and demonstrated the presence of radio-active material in - the body. He also has examined the expired air with positive results. Dr Hofmann's position and his is that once the mesothorium is taken into the body it is not elim- inated but remains there constantly acting on the blood forming agents. They ut em- phasis on the fact that the time element is the important factor and that the serious condition does not arise often for three or four years after the exposure. The blood of Miss Carlo as shown fron his analysis does not indicate a diabetic condition. In order to be able to answer these questions we will have to examine the excreta of persons working in the plant itself, girls who have been and are no paint- ing dials, and then from girls who have not been in the plant for several years. We should also get a specimen of Miss Carlo's stools from the hospital if possible. Your doctor or the insurance doctor perhaps can get such a sample from the hospital. In addition to getting the excreta from these girls we should make a test to see if their bodies show any signs of radio-active material or not. Their expired air must also be tested. I consider all of this data very important especially if what Dr. nine Martland claims to have found We can make this examination at my house if we can set up your instruments there so as avoid any contamination from the factory. I think you should take this matter up with Mr Vieldt and have him get four or five girls who are friendly to the company but have nots worked in your plant for at least two years. I firmly feel that if the matter is put up to them in the right spirit we can get them to do it for us. of course there will be no trouble in getting the em- ployees in your plant to assist us in this matter. This part of the study should be started at the earliest possible moment for we never know what we are going to run into. If possible I wish you would take it up with Mr Barker and Mr Viedt.