J-M Medical Records on John Bengivenga's Asbestosis at the Manville Plant (1950)

Four pages of Johns-Manville medical records on John Bengivenga, a spinner and weaver at the Manville, New Jersey, plant since 1927. In a memo of January 30, 1950, to Benjamin F. Stanton, plant doctor Arthur N. Pauly wrote that Bengivenga could not work because of shortness of breath, that his family physician, Dr. Lewis Fritts, believed he "undoubtedly has asbestosis" and was totally disabled, and that Bengivenga had told the company so and asked for retirement and the compensation due him. Pauly felt it "would be worthwhile to extensively study this individual rather than merely accept liability immediately," and proposed tests at company expense, including referral to Dr. Lanza at Bellevue Hospital. A J-M order form of March 6, 1950, records him as absent because of asbestosis and "permanently and totally disabled."

What it shows

Pauly's attached summary of Bengivenga's employment and medical records shows that the company had his chest X-rays read for years: "generalized fibrosis" in 1939, a 1947 note that he "should not work in dust," and a 1949 note from Dr. Fritts that "he should not work in any dusty atmosphere." It also records that a Metropolitan Life doctor had found no evidence of asbestosis in 1949. The file shows how the plant's doctors weighed an employee's claim of asbestosis against the company's compensation liability.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

Johns-Manville's own chronology of what the company knew describes this document as follows:

According to memorandum dated 3/6/50, John Bengivenga, Manville plantworker is diagnosed with asbestosis, and indicates an intention to file suit. Lewis Fritts (formerly part-time J-M doctor) is treating physician. K.W. Smith suspected lung cancer.

Editor's note: J-M's description says K. W. Smith suspected lung cancer; the papers in this file do not mention Dr. Smith or lung cancer, and the doctors named are A. N. Pauly, the plant physician, and Lewis Fritts, the family physician. The description also says Bengivenga intended to file suit; the memo says he reported that he had asbestosis and was totally disabled, and asked for retirement and the compensation due him.