Lawrence Nelson: A Lead Story

Lawrence Nelson was a workman at the International Smelting and Refining Company handling white lead. He was employed from June 2nd, 1927, to May 3rd, 1935. In 1936, due to his prolonged exposure to lead and other toxic hazards in his work environment, he suffered a paralytic stroke and was hospitalized.

This letter to the parent company of his plant, Anaconda Lead Products Company, describes officials' reactions and responses to his illness.

The document makes repeated references that implicate Nelson as a careless worker, thus removing the company from taking responsibility for his injuries. They state, "His entire record of employment indicates an inefficient workman."

Interestingly, Nelson's acute illness was determined by the hospital to be caused by syphilis:

Tests made at the hospital reveal that his ailment is primaririly due to syphilis. This is typical of the complications...continually facing on lead absorption. His record of lead absorption while in our employment is a typical average...of occasional exposure.

However, this causal connection to syphilis is contested in Nelson's legal petition claiming damages, that we will cover in our next post.

Perhaps most shockingly, the letter does not mention any alarm or call for change:

As can be seen in the exerpt, Anaconda Lead Products Company just saw a worker's paralysis as a matter to be monetarily settled, and moved on from. There was little value for human life in the industry.