Ernest Muehleck to W. W. F. Shepherd Enclosing Gardner's Letter on Tuberculosis and Cancer (1943)

A one-page letter of June 17, 1943, from Ernest Muehleck of Keasbey & Mattison Company to W. W. F. Shepherd of Turner & Newall, enclosing a three-page letter of June 9, 1943, from Dr. Leroy U. Gardner of the Saranac Laboratory to Vandiver Brown, secretary of Johns-Manville. Gardner answered questions raised by a Dr. Francis about the outline of his monograph, on blue asbestos, tuberculosis and aluminum. On cancer he wrote that "the question of carcinogenic action from asbestos is by no means settled," and that until further study was done "I shall maintain the same attitude and say nothing about our observation."

What it shows

Gardner wrote that he had "always been most sceptical" about asbestos causing cancer "and it was not until our chance observation upon mice raised questions that I gave it serious consideration," and that he hoped to get funds to study it further. He did not think asbestosis made workers prone to tuberculosis, putting the high English rates down to "more general social-economic factors." He also told Brown he could not promise the final report before January 1944. The letter reached Turner & Newall in England through Keasbey & Mattison, showing how Gardner's views passed among the sponsors on both sides of the Atlantic.

In Johns-Manville's index

Johns-Manville's legal department indexed the Motley 1,000 in 1984. Its index describes this document as follows:

Ernest Muehleck letter to W.F. Sheperd, 6/17/43, entitled "Dr. Leroy U. Gardner's Asbestos Dust Experiments." Muehleck attaches Dr. Gardner's letter of 6/9/43 to V. Brown and mentions that Dr. Gardner's letter states that Dr. Gardner does not anticipate completing his final report on his animal experiments before 1/44 because "of additional work, which he feels is necessary, as well as the manpower shortage." Dr. L.U. Gardner letter to V. Brown, 6/9/43, answering certain questions regarding his asbestosis experiments. Dr. Gardner states that he does not believe that "asbestosis creates specific predispositon to tuberculosis ...." Dr. Gardner dismisses the unusually high incidence of tuberculosis in asbestos workers in England as being caused by "general social-economic factors" more than anything else. Dr. Gardner states that the "question of carcinogenic action from asbestos is by no means settled."

Related documents

• Ernest Muehleck of Keasbey & Mattison to W. W. F. Shepherd of Turner & Newall Enclosing Gardner's Monograph Outline (1943)

About this copy

This is document 1205 of the Motley 1,000, from the set the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust's records facility certified as true copies, pages CRMC-Motley1000-Subj-005331 to CRMC-Motley1000-Subj-005334.