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ADVISORY COIDfIT!KZ FOX BIOLOGY AND i EDI CINE Santa F e Operations Office Los Alamos, New I4exico
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Advisory Committee for Biology and ?Iedicine The thirteenth meet i cg of the Advisory Committee for Biology and ldedicine o f the Atomic Energy Commission was held at the Santa Fe Operations Office in LOS Alamos, New Iiexlco, on December 10 and 11, 1948. The facilities of the installations were inspected on Friday and on Saturday, the regular deliberations Commlttee irembcrs Present. present atthe meeting were Dr. Alan Gregg, Chairman, able t o be present, Staff Nembers of A,E,C. Present. Members o f the staff of the A.E.C. who were present: Dr. Shields Palazollo and Nrs, Frances Montgomery. Dr. Eric Hakansson, Capt., ILC., USN (Ret) at the The meeting w a s convened llembers of t h e Committee instance o f Dr. Warren attended the meeting and
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consulted with the Committee while they were convening at Los Alamos, Staff ?:embers o f 30s Alamos Present. Representatives of the Santa Fe Operations Office and Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory who attended included: Ninutes o f Ideeting Mnutes o f 14eettng of October 8 and 9 , 1948. The first I 1948 order o f business presented t o the Committee by the Chairman was the reading of the minutes ofthe meeting held at t h e Hanford Operations Office, Richland, Washington, on October 9, 1948. After the reading there was a general discussion and the following changes were recommended. Under Paragraph 1, Page 12: Change last sentence t o read "With a few minor changes i t was voted unanimously that the letter should- be forwarded". Same paragraph as above - add the following and signed by Ik.Lilienthal. The letter was approved by the Commissioners Dr, Gregg made a motion t h a t the minutes 'be accepted as motion was seconded by Dr. Wearn and
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they were approved unnnimously. Projects reported that the folloiqing projects had been ?"?proved for sq port by the Atordic Energy Commission for research i n the medical and biological sciences since the meeting held on October 8 and 9 , 1948: Washington University School of Iiedicine - Dr. Wendell Scott - "Experiments t o Determine the Feasibility of Developing Epipment that will be Capable o f Mapyfng the Outlines o f Organs o r Deposits o f Metastatic Tumor Within the Body". - electric Potentials of Plants and Animals as a "Comparison o f the Effects o f X-rays, Neutrons and Nustard Compounds on the Growth and Development of t h e Corn Seedlingn. - $3,700. "Proposed Investigation o f Adsorption and As simi - la tion of Radioactive Waste by Bacterial Slimes". ment o f Tissue Dose Due toGma and Beta Active -Purdue University - Prof, Heinrich Koffler and
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i n Studying I!old iietnbolism, with Zhphnsis on the "Equipment f o r nine-bed metabolic research unit t o be built onto Cove11 Ho spit d - $52,000, no ove rhe ad. Bartman - "Survival o f Red Blood Cells after Treatment with Nitrogen iiustardtio - $1,500. autographic Study of Beryllium 7". - $29,780, Additional funds for tipparatus relative to project Proposals declined since October 8-9, 1948 meeting: "Combined Investigations of the Relationship of Flavonoid ?nd Derivative Structures to Irradiation Skipper - "Study of the Hechmism of action of the Application of the Is orr he ic Kidney Preparation to the Experimental Separation o f Effects on the Glomerular Function from Those on the Integrity Research f o r work Using Isotopes as Tracers" - Stuilies on t h e Relation Between iZeta'bolism of Ilouse Brain nnd the Synthesis o f Phospholipids
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Qpan t it at ive 1,ieasurenent of Peri phe r a1 Ci rll&e Forest College - Bowman G r w School of o f Liver bc t ions and the Rate of Phospholipid Excretion o f Sodium find Potassium as Affected by Posterior Pituitary Factors and Factors imd " in tion of Selenium in Soils of Western %vcstigation o f the Biosynthesis of CelluWake Forest Colleee - Bowman Grcy School of Excretion of Sodium i n Heart Failure and Use o f Cobalt 60 i n dosine Applicators . -$17,750 - $22,750. University of Sznta Clara - Dean George L. Factors Governing the S act eric i dal and Oxidizing Xfe ct s of Algae i n Sewage OxidaflProposd for Lifetime Animal T qe rim ents $12,000,000 totd budget with ,annual payment The proyosal suggested a long range ( 8 - 12 year)
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progrnn for stuqv of delpjed effects of total body irrpdintion i n 1,400 dogs and 3,300 rats, Inasmuch as it was presented ina preliminary form, with s o much detailed study necessary t o implement the program, it was the unnnimous opinion of the Cornit teeth at it should be first evd.wto d for the that the 4ollowing recornendation as suggested by the Bi red or of the Mvision of Biology and igedicino "It; is recomended. that this proposal. be referred t o an ad hoc committee of three geneticists, one veterinarian and one pathologist for evaluationn. Medical Records Study - O a k Ridge Operations Office -1Ie di c a l Records PA-?;U\,ei*t; Solland, Ilodical Advisor m d Rirector, IjPviaion of Hesearch and Iledicine of O a k Ridge Operations Office, forwarded a proposed statistical study of all accumulated medical records wlth relation to occupational hazards of the Manhattan District employees and those of the Atomic Energy Comnission and its contractors, which Dr, Werren presented tothe Committee. This study would be aimed at the deter nim tion of special hazards, seeing whether the norbiZity and mortality rate is
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higher i n the personnel involved than inthe general po yl ation, vhether o r not inthe general population. be o f value i n deternining This infornation would enployees for the Comnission and contractor enployees and would give additional data with regard tothe question of hazards as related to employment. cost o f this study,which would include insurance problems and labor relations studies as they relate t o nedical records, would be apyroxinately $350,000. After afull discussion of the iqort<mce ofthe project it vas the sense of the Committee that the question o f nedical records should be submitted t o Dr. Lowell Reed, Vice President, Johns Hopkins University and Professor of Statistics,for advice as tothe statistical reliability and application of these recordse Amount of ConcerninE Radiation History. Dr. Wnrren stated Policy on Amount of Information t o be Given Employees that the I!anager of the Oak Ridge Operations Office had subnitted a report on radiation history of employees f o r study which had been studied previously by representp.tives ofthe Carbide and Carbon Chemic,ds
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ii atc rials mc?I nf oh x tion Branch; In sur m ce Board and representntlves of t h e Office of Research and idedicine o f Oak Ridge as well as by t h e Sub-Connittee ofthe National Connittee on Radiation Protection , Dealing with Per n is sib le Tolerance Dose. sets forth the folloving reconnendations: (1) a tern in a ting employee be provided with a state - ment that he has not exceeded the per n is sib le exposure to radiation,or If he has exceeded the permissible exposure he b e made aware of this fact by the physician giving the exit interview; (2) that there be P. clearer policy on release of Info nation on radiation exposure records and other nedical records tothe contractor insurance carrier and life insurpnce conpanies; (3) that the tern in a ting enployee be advised that if he isto work with radiation in the future, h i s cew erployer c,ul make arrangements t o procure his past radiation exposure history ; (4) thata group of qualified radiologists and physic hn s be available for consultation by any person who feels that he has been dimaged by radiation in an B.E.C. installation.
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Bfull discusston ensued nnc! each itcn vas considered i n place of the st n ted recoru7e;uIntion aten inn ting employee should be idvised at the e x i t interview as t o the care that the h.E.C, utilizes .In protecting similar protection oould be afforded the enployee i f he contemplates a change i n enploynent t o an industrial concern if the enployer would request a statement fron the A.E.C. as tothe occupational exposure to radiation that the employee has receivod while inthe employnent of the A.3.C. Stritus o f Fellowship Frogram. - Dr. Bowers reported on the Fellowship Prop an,stating that the closing date for qqlicp.tioiis for medical fellowships had been extended because ofthe small nunber o f applicat ions s of nr received, The Board i s planning t o meet the early part o f Narch t o consider the present dfull discussion followed on means of placing infomation regarding medic,d fellowships as well It shoulC be further advised that interested persons. Dr, Gregg pointed out that it night be worthwhile t o have sone one personally visit
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nedic,ql schools imd hospitals t o interview internes and rcs i cents in order to interest then in am lying inthe pronulgztion o f the progran the National Research Council wrote t o the Denns of schools asking then for nines o f appropriate individuals preferably in the top third of their classes, that the National Research Council could personally address i n order t o interest then i n applying fora fellowship. Comit tee was of the opinion that the procedure followed by National Research Council was most likely Dr,L x uris ton Taylor explained- that t o pro&uce the best results in obtaining applicants. Discussion o f Intezration o f BioloEical, Health Php ics an6 Medical Problens at Los Alan os : Bio lo qi cd, Health Physics awl Ik d ical Dr.Norris Bradbury and his associates, Dr,F filli a Shipman, presented t o the Comittee an outline of their present and proposed progrms. stated that the biological and medical operations at Los Alcmos had been placed into three categories, first,industrial health, second, research i n biology, biophysics and medicine, third,the activities of the health division. The hospital i s under the super vision of the Zin Company, while the health group, including the biological and medical research
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f nci lit fo s,is2 >art of the University o f California L23orntory. Due t o the inaccessibility of research facilities at the hospital, qualifiec? physicians are difficult to obtain. The lack of suitable housing for scientific personnel and especially hones for large fan i lies was brought forcibly t o the attention of the Comit tee. It vas evir?ent tothe Cornittee thata nuch closer coordination was needed between the Zia Conpany and the University of California, a6 presmably nany O f the activities of these two facilities overlap. Inasmuch as the aflninistrative functions o f the two activities arc handled separately, the Cornittee thought t h a t there nay be sone duplication of expensive laboratory facilities. Los dlmos Hospital. an e a r l y decision be made by the A.E,C. on the construction of the hospital. discussed the problems as they relate to the hospital and as outlined by Dr. White, They were of the opinion that ten free beds should be set aside in the hospital for indigent and interesting patients referred by their physician and that conversations should be held with !lev Mexico's The Comit tee fully
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senior senator so that full cooperation will be obtained fron the people and physicians i n the discussed. Dr.fi hit e reported that there is not The problen of staffing the hospital was adequate work i n surgery and ENT to enlist the best talent, whereas, there is sufficient work in obstetrics to enable then t o obtain good Research Proarm. Dr. Langhan reported on t h e research program a t Los Alanos i n biology and nedicine, He stAted that the feeling of inpermanency of the progrim was hanpering their activities. He further stated that whzt ivas needed was a unified comitnent on the part of Dr, Bradbury and the Atonic % e r a Comission th;-t the medical and biological research prog rm at Los Nano s would be pursued t o lend stability to the progran. The program would then attract scientists of note. Dr. Langhm stated that he would like to see a permanent stpff amo in ted consisting ofa pathologist, logi st, three organic chemists, a physical chemist, an analytical chemist and a nicrobiologist. This staff would be inthe permnnent staff member
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cate gorj ,me. it is his belief they rqrould b e able t o take czre o f pny prog rpm a tic research requested. Dr, Langhaq suggested that there be an integration installations in order that each installation nay be kept advised ofthe work that is being carried on cula ting a list among interested people which would give the title of investigation, the Investigator, and whether the problen is active or inactive. Warren state0that it vould be helpful t o the Division of Biology <and I!edicine i f the progress reports enanating fron Los klanos would include n pp-ragraph This could be done by ciror two on present m d new Froblens that are now was discussed, however, the Cornittee vas o f the The nat ter of R duplication o f work opinion that that should not be 8barrier to tackling the problem by another investigator in a The Connittee WAS in full agreement thata reasonable biological, nedical and bio-physical research progran should be activated and continued at Los Alan os.
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ilr, Tyler entered the meting at 11:OO A,ZI, present an2 future objcctivc of the Health Division was to protect the health of the enployees ofLos Almos nnd that in his opinion the imnediate construct ion of the hospital would be an inmeasurable benefit t o the Health Division. I t would be advantpgeous t o have the hospital rrnd the Health Division housed under one roof as t h i s would enable the hgs pital staff t o have access tothe laboratories and research facilities, Likewlse, the Health Division staff would have the hospital mail able for clinical worke He stated further that he f more d an integration o f the hospital staff nnd the Health Division stpff, Dr. Shipnan urged m early decision on this problen as well as one on the physic;il loca tion of the hospital and the Health Division, Dr. Shipnm stressed the desirability of esti-iblishing an interne and resident program at the hospital. I t was his belief that such a program would provide st in ul ation to oembers of the hospital staffs who are not now interested in research, He reiterated Dr. Langkm' s views thata pernanent research staff should be available at all tines to undertake any particular
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progians and problens which nay arise, The present Health Division consists o f approxinately eighty-three parsons, and it is anticipated that when the necessary eq an sion takes place, …
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