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Atomic Energy Connnission --T\ The Advisory Committee for Biologg and Medicine held t h e i r last meeting for the fiscal year at the Argonne National Laboratory on Friday and Saturday, May I 2 and 13, 1950. was an informative and instructTve meetihg with the Committee becoming more aware of the importance and the vastness of the prograns as they were unfolded t o th%m. I n this connection an extensive tour was provided on Friday by D r . Austin Brues, Director of the Biology Division a t the Laboratory. We reviewed the work i n process i n the Biology Division, Radiological Physics and Health Services Division, Much interest mas displayed by the Committee i n their visit to the Billings Hospitdl and the Toxicity Laboratbry. t o digress a little to comment on the youthfulness and earnesteagerness to work and bring forth results seemed so refreshing and encouraging that I am sure our scientific research probleins are i n safe hands, " 'ne'ss of the personnel in the various Labomtaries, T h e i r Dr, E, A. Doisy and Dr, d % x r t Stern, the new members of the Advisory Committee f o r Biology and Medicine who are replacing ing both on Friday and Saturday. Saturday the meeting opened with a consideration of the minutes of the meeting held i n March. 30, approved or extended by the Division of Biology and Medicine during March and April were discussed with maw pertinent questions interjected by the Committee, especially on the overhead payments made to contractors and on the subjects of research. The research projects, totaling The New England Deaconess Hospitd contract was again considered with Dr. Warren and Dr. Rastings being absent from the room. Committee gave t h e i r unanimous approval of the contract and expressed
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the hope that the work mould be initiated in the very near Dr. Narren led a brief discussion on a proposal received from Yale University requesting &,sppport of a training center which would require the building 6fr fk c il it les Wountfng to three or four millions of dollars, The proposal involves a cooperative program with the United Nations for Wd ng foreign workers i n the use of isotopes, pressed the belief that the AEC has supplied sufficient runds f o r such training centers, I n the absence of Mr. Tnmnvlro, the Director of the Research handled by the Chicago Operations Office. review was given of the administration of the Argonne National Mr. W. B. Harrell, the Business Manager of the University of Chicago, commented on the relationship between the University and the Argonne National Laboratory. Dr. Austin Brues shared this phase of the program and l e d the discussion on the Argonne Cancer Hospital and presented plans and drawings of the hospital. It was of interest to learn and the Committee emphasized the necessity f o r the research program of the hospital t o be carried on by the members of the medical faculty of the University, representatives of the Argonne National LaboratOrg and i t s participating institutions and other cooperating organizations and institutions. And, f'urthermore, that there w i l l be a close integration of scientific matters and problems with the work in the Goldblatt Hospital and the work i n the Argonne Cancer Hospital. It is, however, proposed a t this time that those things t h a t deal exclusively with radiation w i l l be handled at the Argo- Hospital. Dr. Coggeshall spoke particularly of the cooperative spirit of charge of the medical care program during the illness of Dr.
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Dr, McLean reviewed the history of the Toxicity Laboratory, the Noyes Study Panel and the RR program, A non-classified bibliography i s being prep- of literature on RW and related We were much interested i n hearing the portrayal by Dr. FHlberrg of the inception of the laboratories i n 1942 and of their growth and development up to the present time into what is now known as the Argonne National Laboratorp, health physics programs of Argonne National Laboratory were presented by IF, Brues, ~ r ,Hasterlik and W. Rose respectively. Tie were particularly pleased to learn that plans are virtually complete f o r the biology building and that bids are to be asked The Committee was impressed with the charts depicting the breakdown of the program budget and research contracts of.the Division of Biology and Medicine and expressed many commendations of it. Dr. James HI Sterner, Consfltant to the Division of Biology and Medicine, suhitted a written proposal that a training program for industrial physicians be established a t AEC installations. An o r a l amplification was given by Dr, Dunham, agreed that the need is critical and that such a program should be started a t the earliest possible date, of Interest to the Commission, the Committee voted that the traini n g should be for a period of two years, with/the physicians receiving an emolument of $3600 f o r the first year and $5000 f o r the second year. It was moved seconded that the University of Rochester would administer the program, i f feasible, otherwise it i s to be the responsibility of the Director of the Division to follow other possibilities for its administration, The biological, medical a@ However, and as a matter Dr, George LeRoy very ably presented a summary of the biological experiments which are to be held.as a part of the next weapons test. He stated that the prospects for a success m test are excellent and t h a t h’e has received every cooperation from the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Veterans Administration, Mr. Derry advised us of the recent discussions pertaining to the 1951 budget review f o r biology and medlcine a t the Argonne National Laboratory, He stated that the review had brought as light reduction
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i n the cost ceiling i n the budget that had been sub it ted to 1951 budgets for Rochester and Oak Ridge National LaboratoryI n connection with these disc3psions the Committee expressed -i) themselves as being strongly i n favorof having research programs s e t up on a two year basis and a t the end of the first year renew This method woad enable investigators to plan their work well in advance and give personnel an idea how long the work on the project would conl&nue, Dr. Claus outlined the medical, health physics and background survey programs a t Arco. the supervision of the medical service and as now organized will be operated as 8 centralized function of the AEC rather than by The health physics branch is to be under Dr, Warren reviewed the status of the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission sttzff paper Prrhich we understand had been suM t ted t0 the Commission for their consideration. W e all agreed with a suggestion made by Dr. Hastings that 5 n View of the vastness of this program a semiannual recapitulation of what had been observed would be of important scientific and medical value, In this connection w e understand that at least once a year someone from the Commission will visit Japan to The Committee unanimously approved the program as it was presented, We were pleased to learn from Ur, Derry that the radiological monitoring training courses are progressing satisfactorily and that it i s planned for the individual states to take the training over under the supervision of the National Security Resources Board. Mr. Beverly Thompson gave us an orientation on the recent legislation concerning the National Science Foundation Bill in which we are all Dr, Bronk brought forth a statement that it had been suggested that the AEC provide funds f o r public information on the subject of specific, unpredictable and so-called successful cancer considerable discussion, the Commiktrtr4e.1 stated that they w e r e not prepzred to take this matter into the Commission's biological and
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and we regretted t o hear that the post-doctordl fellowship progrm has been practically closed out by the National Research basis f o r the next acadeinic yearb.,...Fe understand that there hzve been over four hundred appXcan& f o r pre-doctoral fellowships evaluated by the National Research Council, The pre-doctoral prqgrm isset up on a satisfactorg The Committee reiterated their previous view thet the Division of Biolo,gy and Xedicine should continue the struggle t o keep the fellowship progrm going and.to have t h e post-doctorate pro$am Dr, Rarren reviewed the paper entitled "Guide t o Operations for Brookhaven National Laboratory" as a matter of information to us ing the policies to be established. I n closing, I wish to st zte that the Conmittee said their goodbyes to Dr. Hastings and Dr, Beadle and expressed their regrets t o them on their leaving the membership of the Committee. Dr. Bisy and Dr. Stern. as their replacements. The next meeting of the Adv iso q Committee on Biology and Medicine mill be held a t the' AM: i n Washington, D. C. on September 8 and 9,