It seems that every advance of science has its skeptics, who are drawn along screaming and kicking. Schepers Garrett (76), then working as American pathologist, was a native of southern Africa. He talked about his own experiences at the Academy of Sciences of New York for the meeting:
As a child, I lived near Kuruman in a number of years. It was impossible to imagine a healthier territory. However, there is a particularly troublesome type of grass in the area (Klitsgras), whose seeds are buried in each garment to cling to, as these seeds are armed with small teeth. Of course, when the wind blows, as often happens in Kuruman, some of these tiny barbs can be inhaled. I wonder if some of these structures occur in people with lung fiber in this field can not represent the reaction of the barbules grass. I suggest that this theory Klitsgras mesotheliomatosis Kuruman, to remove the obstacle created by the discovery of this rare disease in the abundance of such people with so little significant exposure to asbestos. Perhaps the South African pathologists will now turn to mince my theory. [P. 599]
Also at this meeting Schepers, said:
My first impression of what is now less certain that the inhalation of asbestos is associated with lung tumors that 10 or 20 years ago. This is probably due to exposure to dust significantly reduced. Asbestos can become carcinogenic only at doses be overwhelming. Therefore, the high prevalence of malignancy was reported several decades ago may be a function of the severity of impact, and not an indicator of high carcinogenic
potency. I suspect that over time the carcinogenicity of asbestos is estimated to be of lower order. Perhaps the carcinogenicity of asbestosis are correlated, but no specific biological functions of asbestos ore. This may be the point. In all cases of lung cancer associated with asbestos, which I personally have studied (the number now exceeds two dozen), has always developed asbestosis. Not only that asbestosis marked as areas where the cancer arose, but in general there is no evidence of serial chest X-ray that asbestosis was present in the lungs for a long period. [P. 595]
Ian Webster (77), JC Wagner who was the brother-in-law and a pulmonary pathologist wellrespected still says there are unresolved problems in the relationship between asbestos and malignant tumors in the document published in February 1973 in South African Medical Journal. Webster was skeptical as to why he had a rare tumor, it seems, can be found mostly in direct relation to exposure to crocidolite. Webster suggests that other factors, perhaps the mineral must be present to explain the high incidence of mesothelioma is a very localized area of South Africa. He looked at asbestos exposure and association with 232 cases of pleural mesothelioma. Almost all people who were exposed to asbestos blue layer, only two miners exposed to amosite, as can be discerned. Thirty-two cases have occurred when there was no evidence of exposure to asbestos, it is anticipated that the environmental impact. There were only two cases involving exposure to amosite of the 232 confirmed cases of mesothelioma. He said: "It is also difficult to imagine in the middle group, amosite asbestos fibers cause malignant tumors, as suggested by Wagner and others, when there are so few cases, employees of amosite mines." He will say, "were the production of asbestos amosite much larger than the blue of the Cape. It is assumed that more attention should be paid to defining the nature of matter Cape blue areas and not in the Transvaal and blue and, obviously, limited to areas where amosite is removed. " The same view was offered before, in 1969, George Wright (78), one of the most respected researchers in the United States, the professional pulmonary
disease, which in his opinion, "Asbestos and Health in 1969," said: "This is something other than or in addition to asbestos plays a role in the formation of mesothelioma seems inevitable." Wright of asbestos to cause mesothelioma, but I felt it was "permissible level of asbestos fibers into the air, that does not involve undue risk of mesothelioma." Later, states that "an acceptable level was essential."
As a child, I lived near Kuruman in a number of years. It was impossible to imagine a healthier territory. However, there is a particularly troublesome type of grass in the area (Klitsgras), whose seeds are buried in each garment to cling to, as these seeds are armed with small teeth. Of course, when the wind blows, as often happens in Kuruman, some of these tiny barbs can be inhaled. I wonder if some of these structures occur in people with lung fiber in this field can not represent the reaction of the barbules grass. I suggest that this theory Klitsgras mesotheliomatosis Kuruman, to remove the obstacle created by the discovery of this rare disease in the abundance of such people with so little significant exposure to asbestos. Perhaps the South African pathologists will now turn to mince my theory. [P. 599]
Also at this meeting Schepers, said:
My first impression of what is now less certain that the inhalation of asbestos is associated with lung tumors that 10 or 20 years ago. This is probably due to exposure to dust significantly reduced. Asbestos can become carcinogenic only at doses be overwhelming. Therefore, the high prevalence of malignancy was reported several decades ago may be a function of the severity of impact, and not an indicator of high carcinogenic
potency. I suspect that over time the carcinogenicity of asbestos is estimated to be of lower order. Perhaps the carcinogenicity of asbestosis are correlated, but no specific biological functions of asbestos ore. This may be the point. In all cases of lung cancer associated with asbestos, which I personally have studied (the number now exceeds two dozen), has always developed asbestosis. Not only that asbestosis marked as areas where the cancer arose, but in general there is no evidence of serial chest X-ray that asbestosis was present in the lungs for a long period. [P. 595]
Ian Webster (77), JC Wagner who was the brother-in-law and a pulmonary pathologist wellrespected still says there are unresolved problems in the relationship between asbestos and malignant tumors in the document published in February 1973 in South African Medical Journal. Webster was skeptical as to why he had a rare tumor, it seems, can be found mostly in direct relation to exposure to crocidolite. Webster suggests that other factors, perhaps the mineral must be present to explain the high incidence of mesothelioma is a very localized area of South Africa. He looked at asbestos exposure and association with 232 cases of pleural mesothelioma. Almost all people who were exposed to asbestos blue layer, only two miners exposed to amosite, as can be discerned. Thirty-two cases have occurred when there was no evidence of exposure to asbestos, it is anticipated that the environmental impact. There were only two cases involving exposure to amosite of the 232 confirmed cases of mesothelioma. He said: "It is also difficult to imagine in the middle group, amosite asbestos fibers cause malignant tumors, as suggested by Wagner and others, when there are so few cases, employees of amosite mines." He will say, "were the production of asbestos amosite much larger than the blue of the Cape. It is assumed that more attention should be paid to defining the nature of matter Cape blue areas and not in the Transvaal and blue and, obviously, limited to areas where amosite is removed. " The same view was offered before, in 1969, George Wright (78), one of the most respected researchers in the United States, the professional pulmonary
disease, which in his opinion, "Asbestos and Health in 1969," said: "This is something other than or in addition to asbestos plays a role in the formation of mesothelioma seems inevitable." Wright of asbestos to cause mesothelioma, but I felt it was "permissible level of asbestos fibers into the air, that does not involve undue risk of mesothelioma." Later, states that "an acceptable level was essential."
