Leroy U. Gardner to U. E. Bowes Proposing an Inhalation Study of K-Lo Dust (1944)

A two-page letter of November 27, 1944, from Dr. Leroy U. Gardner, director of the Saranac Laboratory, to U. E. Bowes of the Owens-Illinois Glass Company, following their Pittsburgh meeting on "the K-Lo problem." Gardner proposed an inspection of the new Berlin, New Jersey, plant, a study of the dust in the air, and daily exposure of at least 150 guinea pigs, 50 rats and perhaps 10 rabbits for one or two years, starting about January 1, 1945. The cost would be $5,000 a year, paid quarterly.

What it shows

This letter set the terms of the study that ran until 1952. Gardner wrote that he hoped the results would be such that Owens-Illinois "might wish to have us publish our findings but it is understood that nothing will be published without your authorization." He also proposed infecting 50 of the guinea pigs with tuberculosis, because of the silica in the mixture. The findings are in the 1948 interim report and the 1952 final report.

In Johns-Manville's index

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

Dr. L.U. Gardner to U.E. Bowes, 11/27/44, discussing Bowes' proposals for further investigation of any hazards which might be associated with exposure to Kaylo dust.

Related documents

• U. E. Bowes to Leroy U. Gardner Asking for a Hazard Study of the Berlin Plant Material (1944)

About this copy

This is document 239 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-001389 to CRMC-Motley1000-Subj-001390.