The author describes the discovery of a cluster of cases of interstitial lung disease among employees of a textile manufacturing plant and the difficulties he and his university-hospital occupational medicine team encountered in attempting to identify the cause of the disease. At first accepted in a consultant capacity by the plant's management, the team met increasing resistance to its efforts as it uncovered evidence of a work-related cause of the disease and attempted ientists to communicate findings important to the health of the public, and the physician's overarching professional responsibility to his or her patients.