An Inclusive Litany
6/26/96
After John Castillo was born blind with underdeveloped eyes, a tragic
condition called microphthalmia, his parents sued the DuPont
corporation for $4 million. The boy's mother argued that her son was
stricken in utero after she was briefly enveloped in a cloud of the
DuPont fungicide Benlate that was discharged by a nearby farmer. The
jury found in favor of the Castillo family, despite testimony from the
farmer and supporting purchase and planting records confirming that he
was not using Benlate at the time of the alleged incident. Even if he
had been, thorough studies by the Environmental Protection Agency and
World Health Organization and other scientists worldwide failed to
link Benlate with any adverse health effects. The jury did, however,
hear "expert" testimony concerning one test, that was not published
or peer-reviewed, in which the human equivalent of two gallons of
Benlate was pumped into rats' stomachs.