Dr. W. R. Rumel and J. C. Kelleher on Asbestos Powder for Heart Surgery (1952)

On February 8, 1952, Dr. William Ray Rumel, a chest and heart surgeon in Salt Lake City, wrote to Johns-Manville that he was developing an operation to increase the blood supply to the heart muscle "by introducing asbestos powder into the pericardial or heart sac," and asked whether J-M could supply powdered asbestos of consistent particle size and chemical make-up. J. C. Kelleher, a J-M vice president, replied on March 6, 1952, that J-M's fiber was chrysotile, that its powders varied in make-up and particle size, and that J-M would not make "any representation concerning their uniformity" for surgical use. He referred Rumel to Dr. Arthur J. Vorwald of the Saranac Laboratory, who with his predecessor Dr. Leroy Gardner had carried out "extensive dusting experiments with animals" for J-M.

What it shows

Kelleher quoted prices for asbestos floats and said J-M had at times sent asbestos powder to people for experimental work, "entirely at their own request and risk." He was "frankly hesitant" to make any statement about fiber to be placed in the heart. The reply mentions Saranac's animal experiments but says nothing of their findings on disease. The surgical use of asbestos had been reported in Asbestos magazine in March 1950. Copies went to Vandiver Brown.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

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

Dr. W.R. Rumel requests certain information from J-M concerning its asbestos fiber. Dr. Rumel plans to surgically introduce asbestos fiber into the heart sac with the hope that it will increase the blood supply to the heart. Dr. Rumel asks questions about the consistency of particle size and chemical make-up of J-M's fiber and where and how he can obtain the fiber. J.C. Kelleher (J-M Vice President) responds on 3/6/52. Kelleher states that he would like to help Rumel out in any way and states that Dr. Vorwald at Saranac is the best source for many of Rumel's questions, since Saranac has conducted extensive dusting experiments with animals using asbestos fiber.

Related documents

• Asbestos Magazine, "Asbestos for Heart Trouble" (1950)