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jJobn Lear

Science Editor

Dear Dr. Lederberg:

Thank you for your letter of Maréhn 31, with its
permission to reprint all of your first Washington Post colum
on fluoridated water and part of the second colum.

Let me call your attention, however, to two facts:

First, I did not criticize the United States Public
Health Service for failing to publicize the Vancouver reports, but
for failing to publicize the earlier reports of scientific work
done in our own country. I feel entirely justified in this
attitude, especially since officials of the United States Public
Health Service have been writing letters saying that I misrepresented
the facts in my reports on fluoridation.

second, I did not compare chronic exposure to small
amounts of fluoride with the acute flushing of hemodialysis. On
the contrary, I drew a careful distinction between the two and
then asked a question. Again, I feel justified in asking this
question and will insist upon asking it until someone really
looks into it.

You may wish to go more deeply into the literature
on the issue of fluoride's benefit in treatment of weakened bone.
From my reading of the literature, I would say that the evidence
is beginning to go against Fred Stare and his group of originators
of this idea.

Sincerely,

Dr. Joshua Lederberg
Stanford University
School of Medicine
Stanford, California 9)305

JL:dm
cc: Mr. Howard Simons

The Washington Post