Letters Received, November 17, 1925

COPY FOREIGN TRADE BUREAU OF THE PHILADELPHIA COMMERCIAL MUSEUM Translation Department Language - German Translated by FW From - Dr. Fernan, Physikallische Abteilung der Radiumstation im Allegemeinen Addressed to Welsbach Company Krankenhaus --- Wien 1X, Alsersrasse 4 Date (of original) 11/17/25 Gentlemen: I shall reply to the questions put to me as much as possible. 1. Whether at Vienna or other German Radium Ambulances there takes place a systematic control of the State of health of the employees. Since a serious illness of a sister, who had to look after the application of the radium supports, we introduced a periodical eximination of the aspect of the blood of the female nurses. We ascertained, expecially among the female staff, a far reaching diminution of the white blood corpuscles - Leukopenie- The white blood corpuscles had dropped from the normal number 6000 - 8000 in 1 cm to 3000 in a. round number. We now established a service in turns, and have three sisters sèrve in turns, so that the actual working hours are limited to 7 hours. 2. Whether I myself had made some experiences on my person on Radium harms. In the first years after the opening of the Radium Station, where I stayed almost con- tinuously from 5 to 6 hours in the emanation work, I too suffered from a far reaching "Leupenie". Now, when I remain at the maximum 2 hours in the emanation work, the aspect of my blood might be called almost normal. From the time of the making of the supports 1913-14 there remained a lasting damage on my fingers; the right index shows spots which have become very horny and in a spot which is circular, of about 5 mm diameter there is loss of tissue, that is histologically -formation of an ulcer or abcess. On the left hand three fingers have become very horny, and the damage of the cutaneous papillae has advanced so far that anaesthesia exist in the nerves which inosculate in the papillas. 3. Whether I know of any publications treatèng the statistics or the Radium dama.ges early and late. Statistics only exist concering the X-ray damages and even in the rays therapeutics ("S trahlentherapie") the most adapted periodical for such communications there is to be found only something about damages by X-rays. 4. What provisions were made at Vienna, in order to prevent danges to the employees. How much leave of absence is given. Besides the facilitations of service, mentioned above, up to the present we only granted a 4 weeks leave of absence. It is true that through transportable lead wall, the building of box containing the radium supports (?) in a cupboard covered with lead diminished very strongly the intensity of the rays, but our measurements ascertained that there still exist - an equal distance presumed -7% of the original radiation which reate through a continuous effect disturbances, especially among the femal nursing staff.