Letters Sent to Lt. Commander Z.W. Wicks, April 23, 1929

April 23rd,1929. z. W. Wicks, Lt. Commander, U. S. Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, N.J. Dear Sir: In response to your inquiry of April 20th, we must advise that we do not prepare a manual of instructions for the handling of radium and luminous paints, but are glad to herewith give you a list of such instructions which we have recently submitted to Surgeon General E.R. Stitt of the U. S. Navy. III. At one time it was quite common for operators to point the brushes with their lips, a practice which should be strictly forbidden. It is generally conceded that where trouble has resulted and radio- active materials have been deposited in the system, this practice served as the means of introducing the material into the system. With the discontinuance of such a practice, this possibility, of course, is eliminated. 2. The work should be conducted in well ventilated and well lighted rooms. 3. Applicators should thoroughly cleanse their hands after handling luminous material. 4. Applicators should refrain from placing hands about the face or mouth when engaged in the operation of applying this naterial to instrument dials, etc. 5. Operators continuously engaged in this type of work should have frequent (quarterly) medical examinations. Such examination consist- ing of a blood picture, and a general examination of teeth, heart, chest and lungs. 6. A test has been developed for detecting minute traces (as low as 2 micrograms) of radium element, when deposited in the system. Those engaged in the application of luminous material such as clock com- panies, are having their employees subjected to this test at various intervals, in order to be absolutely assured that there is no possibility of danger. Dr. F. B. Flinn, who was at one time connect- ed with the U. S, Public Health Service in Nash., has been making these examinations for a large number of the clock companies, and is in a position to do such work for those interested. The above referred to recommendations apply to all grades of Undark supplied by us. The only variation in these various grades consists in differences in the amount of radio-active constituents contained. If de trust that the above recommendations will be satisfactory for the purposes you have in mind. Very truly yours, HHBarker:R Vice President.