Tobacco Documents Online

r-. Ff'B 14 1979 C HARVARD UNIVERSIT PBABOPY MVSEUM fI DMM7Y AvENUECAMSAIDGE, M.SSSACI[USETTS 02138, U.S.A. February 10, 1979 Arnold S. Relman, M.D. Editor The New England Journa] of Medicine 55 Shattuck Street Boston, Mass. 02115 Dear Dr. Relman: w I am writing in connection with an artieLe published in the February 1 issue of The Journal entitled "Mortality in Middle-Aged Smokers and Nonsmokers by Friedman, G.D., Dales, L.G., and Ury, H.K. You may not be aware of the fact that from the very i,Iception of the above project, I was an ~qual co-investigator, a planner of its inception and procedures, a recipient of some of the data in process, and'when I was suddenly presented with this manuscript by Dr. Gary Friedman through the mail without any prior consultation, I had no choice but to withdraw my name as a co- author on the grounds that there was too much in it that was scientifically unsound. I have been incapacitated now for about two weeks w4th a bad back, from which Iiam fortunately slowly recovering. I do wish tn ~iave the privilege of space in your Journal to inform your readers, editorial board and others, through the mec;ium of "•a letter to the editor" or otherwise agreed form, as to my reasons why the conclusions, procedur and omissions of vital informdtion have been responsible for the mismanagement of orderly scientifi'c procedures. I hope to do this within the next few weeks, and if it takes a little longer II trust you will ~,e patient with me until I am well enough to give thiq matter the serious attention it leserves. CCS:ros Sincerely, Dictated but not signed xr, Carl C. Seltzer, Ph.D.