Document text
Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.
Page 1
IN REPLY REFER TO : U. S. Atomic Energy Codas ion 1. &other interesting meeting of t h e ActVisory Committee for Biology and . Medicine was held on Friday and Saturday, March 10 and 11, 199,- at the Atomic Energy Commission, in Washington. We spent Friday morning reading staff papers and reports applicable to research in biology and medicine. The highlight of the day was our visit to the Radiation Physics Laboratory a t the National Bureau of Standards, Mr, Lauriston Taylor, Chief of the Laboratory, gave a short t a l k outlining the general program of the Radiation Physics Laboratory, Kith particular emphasis given t o the programs on shielding, instrumentation and related research, The meeting on Saturday was opened with a review of the biological and medical projects that have been approved and declined by t h e Division of Biology and Medicine during We months of January and February, Mr, Strauss gave us a stimulating parting message. remember the interest he has displayed in the medical and biological problems uhich from time t o time have presented themselves, The Committee closely scrutinized aproposal submit ed by the New England Deaconess Hospital of Boston, Massachusetts. Both Dr, Shields Warren and Dr, A. Baird Hastings left the room while the Committee discussed this proposal, This proposed research ail1 undertake a systematic s t u a of the effects of ionizing radiation of various energies on parabiotic animals and on human tissues removed i n the course of surgical operations being carried out as a part of the usual clinical work of the hospital, The Committee unanimously endorsed the action of the Division in approving We shall always ”1I , it was suggested that the contract i n its final e Committee members for revlew before it is
Page 2
W e were interested ina verbal report made by Mr. A. Thompson wherein he stated t h a t a conference had been held with representatives of AEC, Department of Defense and Public Health Service regarding a request by monetary assistance t o enable them to publish indices t o Biological Abstracts more expeditiously, We understand t h a t a great deal of thought and study isto be given to this subject by various government agencies and that we will be asked for our recommendations on the Mr. Shugg presented the overall pickure of the budget for the AEC, emphasizing each individual program. He explained the programs by displaying charts which depicted the cash requirements as well. as the contract authority for the Cds sion. and enabled the Committee to grasp more readily the vastness of'the These charts were very helprul b4r, Derrysurmnarized the discussions t h a t took place at the recent meeting of medical. and laboratory directors i n biology and medicine, and r e were particularly pleased to hear t h a t an agreement was reached on tolerance standards. W e understand that Dr, Warren sent t o the Managers of Operations uithin the past week a statement of the permissible radiation dose standards that are to be used i n the laboratories, The activities of the Research Division and its research program were I n connection with the Fellowship Program, we would like to point out that there is a shortage of doctors in the United States, especially in the research and public health field. the Fellowship Program be continued and strengthened i n both the biological and medical sciences. The Committee recommends that The progress made i n the Civil Defense Pl-g h-ogram w a s outlined by the monitors and for physicians are getting under way. We were pleased also to learn that the U, S. Strategic Bombing Survey reports on Hiroshima and Nagasaki are in the process of being declassified by the military and t h a t the medical report on the Naval Technical Mission to Japan has'.been declassified. It is gratifying to know that the training programs for both The activities of the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission with a definitive program are now being smmirized as a staff paper f o r presentation to "his program has been greatly curtailed from a requested operating level of something over $7,000,000 a year to $2,~00,000 f o r
Page 3
We again reviewed the scope of research for the Division of Biology and Medicine and conclcded t h a t several of the program should be accelerated. The Committee was convinced that it would be well to make a study of the biologiczl effects of tritium. radiation toxicology in the f i e l d of radiobiology, soils, intermediary metabolism and animal physiology which should be given increased q has is. Also, there are important aspects of In connection with the review ofthe biological research program, Dr. Stakman i s planning t o make. a study of a recent report received from the Agriculture Department on n!@.~,Improvemento fSoil Management and Crop Production Through Investigati6'387-with Isotopes", and submit h i s recommendations to the Committee at their next meeting. Dr. Clam reviewed t h e current status of the Applied Biophysics Branch, In response t o Dr, Claus' request, we are going to t r y t o submit names of several scientists who may be. interested i n joining his staff for work in assembling data and initiating researches for the determination of more realistic tolerance values. The Committee considered a proposed change in the isotope distribution program which would provide f o r a limited procurement of labeled organic compounds and their distribution on a cost basis, in small quantities, by the Isotopes Division, The Committee endorses the proposal as a desirable step in making labeled coqounds, particularlythose of a more complicated nature, more easily available to research investigators. of many important problems in biology and medicine depends upon the availability of these compounds. Further progress toward the solution The next meeting of the Committee'was.set for May12 and 13, 199, a t the Argonne National Laboratory. Alan Gregg, Chairman Biology and Medicine