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INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
Vol. 17, No. 6
EDITORIALS The Surgeon General’s Conference ‘‘ I T IS the sense of this conference that the Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service appoint a committee of seven recognized authorities in clinical medicine, physiology, and industrial hygiene to present to him, if possible by, January 1 next, a statement as to the health hazard involved in the retail distribution and general use of tetraethyl lead gasoline motor fuel, and that this conference endorses as wise the decision of the corporation to discontinue temporarily the sale of tetraethyl gasoline.” This resolution brought to a close a busy day of continuous conference attended by seventy-five men and women interested in the various phases of the manufacture, transportation, retail distribution, and use of the famous antiknock compound. Under the skilful guidance of the Surgeon General, clinical and experimental facts were presented on the industrial and the public health aspects, followed by a free discussion of the whole matter. Fortunately, there was no acrimonious debate, though some of the statements made might better have been left unsaid. The attitude of the industrialists toward questions of public health does not really differ from that of academic, labor, and other groups; yet, unfortunately, this fact is not always recognized. The evidence presented indicated clearly the necessity of reviewing the work done a t several centers and putting it upon a comparabie basis. It is possible that the use of tetraethyl lead in gasoline may introduce another lead-trade hazard, and it is agreed that in the manufacture of the fluid and in its transportation and wholesale distribution steps can be taken to safeguard all concerned. The debatable point is the extent of the hazard to retail distributors, garage employees, and the individual users. It is hoped that the committee to be appointed can conduct experiments and surveys of such a nature as to guide the Surgeon General in making recommendations to health officers. The health officers themselves have yet to find sufficient evidence to warrant their banning the use,of tetraethyl lead, but they are not unmindful of their duty to the public and seek guidance, They recognize the difficulty of comparing conditions of experimental work with those under which most of us carry on our work and play. So far as facts collected in the field are concerned, they are in favor of the use of this economically important chemical compound. So far as experimental results and their interpretation go, there appears room for discussion and certainly a need for further investigation, in which the industries involved display every desire t o cooperate sincerely. If the principal hazard is found to exist in garages, ways can be found to keep them clean. There is already need for inspection of such places in the interests of public health and property protection. The desirability of extending the powers of the Government to control, in interstate commerce, various sorts of materials which may affect public health, just as foods are now controlled and quarantines applied, is a subject worthy of further discussion. The conference served to bring about agreement on certain phases of the alleged tetraethyl lead hazard. A considerable program of work lies ahead and much of it is chemical. The determination of traces of *lead, most important in the
investigation, is a problem for our profession and not for the physician. What chemical changes does it undergo in the body? How completely can a garage be freed from its residues? We are a t the service of the public in an effort to ascertain the facts, not the fears, in this investigation.
A Temporary Expedient UR wood distillation industry has applied to the Tariff Commission for an increase in duty upon methanol and the application of the flexible tariff provision to protect their threatened industry. The present rate of duty is twelve cents a gallon. The most the Tariff Commission can do is to increase this to eighteen cents. The reported cost on the present production basis is another eighteen cents, making cost plus duty thirty-six cents per gallon. Add insurance, freight, and profit, and it is obvious that there may still be a margin between American costs and the price a t which synthetic methanol can be sold. Then there may be a possibility of applying the provisions of the antidumping clauses. The protection of the American methanol industry by invoking the aid of the t a r 8 can be considered as only a temporary expedient. As we understand the flexible tariff, it was intended as an aid in equalizing actual cost of production as between America and foreign countries where differences in standards of living and similar economic conditions would give other countries a controlling advantage. It was not intended as a protection against a lack of foresight, inertia, or even ignorance. The American consumer will not be interested in a flexible tariff which is used to deprive him of lower costs achieved through scientific research; and if a practice is made of invoking the tariff in place of engaging in more constructive efforts, it may not long remain available for use in cases obviously proper. We are convinced, however, that the wood distillers themselves look upon this only as a temporary expedient. Synthetic methanol must be produced in America, and there seems no insuperable difficulty of proceeding in the comparatively near future with such production. With the experience gained in high pressure ammonia synthesis, one year should suffice. Whether the wood distillers will continue to control methanol in America will depend upon the energy with which they meet the present difficulty and engage upon the production of synthetic methanol themselves, thus protecting their large investment in hardwood and distillation plants. To depend wholly upon tariff protection for an indefinite time would be to accuse American science of incompetence. Such accusation would be false, for what is needed is courage to invest in research, today and every day, that the future may be constantly safeguarded, Such courage is typified by the experience of the General Electric Company. Inspired by Elihu Thomson, Mr. Coffin, then president of the company, setured support from the directors for the initial work on high vacua. The funds did not come easily, but starting with this research, the laboratories of the company have made contributions of inestimable value to the industry and cumulative in their importance to science. It never pays to skimp on foundations.
