Hi Victor,

I wonder if lab staff, there and other places have become so used to odors
that they don't smell them any longer.  Or maybe have lost some sense of
smell?   I sure did working around it all the time.  Maybe visitors to the
lab areas would be good people to ask.  :)

Don Hammer, Retired Guy
----- Original Message -----
From: Victor Tobias <vtobias@u.washington.edu>
To: <MTBowers@aol.com>
Cc: <donh7@earthlink.net>; <Histonet@pathology.swmed.edu>
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2000 10:17 AM
Subject: Re: Fw: Air Purification System


> I certainly don't want to burst any bubbles here, but here is my
observation. I
> was hired as the direct supervisor over the Histology/Grossing area. This
is the
> same place where the "Retired Guy" use to work. I questioned the staff
about
> these and they felt there was no appreciable difference. So in a blind
study, I
> turned them off to see if anyone would notice. Nobody has said a word. I
am not
> saying they are worthless, but I wonder about their true effectiveness in
all
> situations.
>
> Victor Tobias
> Histology Supervisor
> University of Washington Medical Center
> Seattle, WA
>
> MTBowers@aol.com wrote:
>
> > Hey Retired Guy!
> >
> > I have one in my home.  Everything you rave about is true!
> >
> > As you know, I've a forensic component to my life.  We had one of these
> > installed in the morgue 3 years ago.  You wouldn't believe the
difference.
> >
> > When a body has been sitting in an orchard for a week in hundred degree
> > weather, there is no way to completely remove the odor no matter the
> > ventilation.  Now, when we get a decomp in the morgue, we turn the air
> > purifier on before it arrives, open up the bag in the suite and wait
outside
> > for about 15 minutes.  We leave it running during the autopsy and
subsequent
> > cleanup.
> >
> > Helps the investigation when you don't have the gag reflex making the
rounds
> > of those assembled.
> >
> > For those who work on these cases, you don't 'smell' the autopsy for
several
> > days after.
> >
> > We recommended it to the local funeral parlors.  They all had them
installed.
> >
> > I tried to get Alpine to show their product at some of the conventions
but
> > they didn't seem interested.  Good luck in your efforts.
> >
> > Matt
> >
> > Matt Bowers
> > Lab Manager
> > Visalia Pathology Medical Group
> > 126 South Floral St.
> > Visalia, CA  93291
>
>