Vandiver Brown to Dr. A. J. Lanza with Comments on the Galley Proof (1934)

A two-page letter of December 10, 1934, from Vandiver Brown, Johns-Manville's attorney, to Dr. A. J. Lanza of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Brown had compared the galley proof of Lanza and Dr. McConnell's preliminary study, "Effects of the Inhalation of Asbestos Dust on the Lungs of Asbestos Workers," with the mimeographed report it condensed, and listed five comments. He pointed out that the proof had dropped the sentence "Clinically, from this study it appeared to be of a type milder than silicosis" and a paragraph saying local physicians found no unusual amount of tuberculosis among asbestos workers, and wrote that both observations "presented an aspect of your survey that was favorable to the industry and we should like to see them retained."

What it shows

Brown also noted that the word "death" had been left out after "6 of 36," and objected to the word "preliminary" in one conclusion. He told Lanza he would send the proof to J-M's New Jersey counsel, George Hobart, for comment, and would ask the Raybestos company whether it wanted to examine the proof and "endeavor to persuade them not to insist upon such an examination." The letter shows J-M's lawyer reviewing Metropolitan Life's study before publication and asking that findings favorable to the industry stay in. Hobart answered in his letter of December 15, and Brown reported to Raybestos-Manhattan on December 24.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

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

V. Brown and J-M's workers' compensation attorneys, Hobart & Minard, send Dr. Lanza their comments on the galley proof of his study entitled "Effects of the Inhalation of Asbestos Dust on the Lungs of Asbestos Workers" on 12/10/34 Brown tells Dr. Lanza that he trusts Dr. Lanza will give their comments and suggestions his most serious consideration. But no one "is suggesting for a moment that you alter by one jot or tittle any scientific facts.... All we ask is that all of the favorable aspects of the survey be included and that none of the unfavorable be unintentionally pictured in darker tones than the circumstances justify. I feel confident we can depend upon you and Dr. McConnell to give us this 'break'...."

Editor's note: The chronology's quotation ("alter by one jot or tittle" through "give us this 'break'") is not in this letter; it may come from a later Brown letter to Lanza that is not in this file. This letter is from Brown alone, with copies to George S. Hobart, E. M. Voorhees and S. A. Williams.

Related documents

• Vandiver Brown to M. F. Judd Sending the Galley Proof of the Metropolitan Life Study (1934)
• George S. Hobart to Vandiver Brown on the Metropolitan Life Galley Proof (1934)
• Vandiver Brown to M. F. Judd on Changes to the Metropolitan Life Report (1934)