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Note for File
Telephone Conversation with R. M. Gibb and R. S. Wade
25th April, 1980
1. Gibb and Wade telephoned me during the afternoon of
Friday, 25th April, to report that they had received an
approach from the Director of Development of the Dept.
of Chemistry of St. Francois Xavier College, a small
college in the Maritimes, offering to make a confidential
disclosure which might be of interest to the tobacco
industry and, particularly, I TL. Wade had tape-recorded
the conversation and had made a transcript, which Gibb
read fairly rapidly.
2. Chemists at St. Francois Xavier had synthesised the
material claimed to be the carcinogen in hardwood
responsible for carcinoma of the nasopharyngeal duct in
woodworkers in the hardwood industry. They were looking
for similar effects among others who may be exposed to
this type of material. Mutagenicity studies had been
arranged.
3. Recently, they had noticed a report of a similar
compound at the level of 50 PPM in a hot water extract
of tobacco, and believed that by a relatively simple
biochemical change, the material from tobacco extract
could be converted into the alleged hardwood carcinogen.
4. Although analysis was tedious, they were prepared to
measure this component in a number of different tobacco
samples, so as to minimise or perhaps eliminate this
component.
They believed that the conditions of hot water
extraction were akin to the passage of steam through a
tobacco bed and therefore considered entrainment of the
precursor of the alleged carcinogen in smoke was a
possibility. If so, its removal by filtration or
selective filtration was a possibility.
Discussion
a) I suggested to Gibb and Wade that the doctrine of
"due diligence" indicated that they should at least explore
the subject further with the College.
BATCo document for Province of British Columbia 15 April 1999

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b) Before going further, they should get the College
representatives to sign a Confidential Disclosure,
which should be worded so as to permit I TL to disclose
to their associates, i.e. BAT (this had not occurred to
them), and possibly to the Canadian industry, i.e. CTMC.
It was unlikely that, if there was substance in the idea,
it would remain a commercial secret, but would be shared
with the Industry.
C) Meanwhile, GR&DC would carry out a survey of the
literature on hardwood carcinogens and similar substances
in tobacco extract in an attempt to second guess the
chemists at St. Fracois Xavier College.
D, FELTON
cc: Dr. L. C. F. BlacA
Mr. A. L. Heard/Di' C. I. Ayres
DGF- /AIB/5.1.1
2 Stb April, 1980
C=
BATCo document for Province of British Columbia 15 April 1999