On Jan. 6, the other shoe fell. The FDA ordered a 45-day voluntary moratorium on using breast implants after receiving internal Dow Corning documents unearthed through lawsuits that indicated that Dow Corning officials rushed a new version of the implant to market in the mid-1970s without adequate testing. Soon, the FDA is expected to decide whether to pull breast implants off the market entirely - though that won't end the debate for women wondering if their implants are ticking time bombs.

Robert LeVier, technical director of Dow Corning's health-care business, responds that the silicone gel used in breast implants is "less cohesive but vastly different" than fluid silicone. And both LeVier and [Dan Hayes], the president, say that while the Cronin implant was tough, the later implants were equally tough and provided a more natural breast. In August, 1973, the Japanese medical journal Shikoku Acta Medica reported several cases in which silicone could cause inflammatory immune diseases.

1) Color Photo by Mel Melcon- WHERE'S EVIDENCE? Dr. Neal Handel, of Van Nuys, Calif., holding 2 kinds of implants, says no evidence links implants to diseases. 2) Color Photo by George Frey- DOUBTING DOCTOR. Dr. [Grant Fairbanks], of Salt Lake City, with old implants, stopped inserting them because he thinks them unsafe. 3) Newsday photo by Kathy Kmonicek- SUFFERING. [Jama Russano], with sons Michael, left, and Richie, has been sick since implant burst. 4) Photo- INVENTOR. [Tom Cronin] came up with idea for silicone breast implants. 5) Photo by Scott Anger- CO-DEVELOPER. Dow Corning's [Silas Braley] said implants difficult to test. 6) Photo by Thomas Kelsey- `LIKE LAMBS LED TO SLAUGHTER.' [Karen Reid], with mother Patsy Carroll. With a `pop,' life became hell. Now, she's suing Dow Corning over implant (18 C). Chart- Questions? For individuals with questions about breast implants, here are some sources of information and assistance (See end of text).