Document text
Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.
Page 1
SEVENTH MEDICAL SURVEY OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDERS Note by the Secretary The General Mnager has requested that the attached memorzndun and enclosure from the Director of Biology and Kedicfne be circulated for the Inforrnatlon of the Commission.
Page 2
Memonindzwz,; UNITED STATES GOVERN~fE;T The attached Is Dr. Conedts sunmary of the latest survey of the health Etatus of the Narstmll Islanders catied out in l?-~ch1960 It Is a pleasure to note that no evidence of biomedical radiation Dr. Conani seems to luwe 6olved very effectively the problem c:?&ted by the fomer annual invasion of the 161ends by a tootinent was effective aud genemlly satisfactory.
Page 3
Divfsion of Biology and Medicine Atomic Energy Ccmdssion I would like to briefly susmarize for you sme of the high13&ts mf the recent suwey. EverythingreaUy vent “very moothly and I vas quite $leaf et tbe fine spirit of cooperation 6~m by the Trust Territory officieh. I.!=ch9th. Dr. Ezra Riklon, the practitioner at Ebeye, had rounded up md allcrde~us to use their facilities for the examinations. They vere ala Mr. h’ilZismWMte, at present the DISTAD assistant at Kw-a5alein,w~m YOU probably ~cmber well> was also very helpful. He had our three medical bcxes which bed been .sMpped in custody. several Fongelap people to be ex~ined as well es a few children for height and weight rmaauren mts as part of the gmuth and development control gmq These exarzinetlonswere ccxc.pletedthe following day. DOE ARCHIVE: for the survey at l%mgelap. The survey teem conststed of the folloktng people in addition b Dr. Mscdonel.d,Bill Scott and myself: Dr. Ezra Won, Dr. Isaac lanwl aridtwu technicians, Kiosen and Sable, and,in addition, Dr. Ja.f_feand one of hls dental technicians vent along to carry out dental extinat ions. .Mr. 17e&s also accompanied the group. Ee went the 16th, ~ivlng at Kwajelein one day lster where we picked up Dr. I.ra ?aqekp Iegoon, he k~sbed to arrive at a the vhen the sun would be b hls back es be eatera the legoon in order h steer thro~ the cord ~eds.
Page 4
for an hour or up that hsve coae up In the past regarding their present health status, etc. They were partfcular~” cutious as to w~ the ~aedlcal team had Joined forces with the Trust Territory medlc~ group and wenterlto know if this was an %ndlca-’, tfon that they were well end regulreilno Ilu-therstudy. It was explalned to them that sfnce the ‘l!mstTerritozy doctors were their”usual doctors, ,1% was thought better to cosbine forces for the annual.examlnat’ionsand tMs c conut crabs was reintzvducea end I assurea them that we were exadning these crabs at intervals and as soon as they were.safe for eating, ve would let thes know. This cent.inuearestriction on the crabs seems to lrk them no. end. Tnere were only one or two people, chief of whom was-the health aide, wti seined to be egalnst being ex~fned.. (He Iateragreea tobe The rest of that afternoon was spent fn sett>ng up-the labomtory and organizing the school building for the physical examinations. TT.Snext day being Sunday, the examinations were not ‘starteduntil Jiondsy. On ?hlc?ay morning the people flocked in in greater n~bers than we could k=s.adeand their attitude was entirely friendly end cooperative. Then xere only one or two at most who would not cooperate. We carriea out the bematcilogicel ex~inations vhich included ~c done on the electrozjlccoulter cotiter, and Chszlicelan&’sis. There vere no c=ses of cancer, leukemia or w othsr significant findings on ex~ination of the e~sed people, nor k.ereihera any elevated white count8 which were significant. It appeareilto me that the attitude of the people was, If anything, better this year. There seemea to be some va-me knowle~e on the part of the people of a pssfble suit against our government and this was mentioned in the meeting referred to. ~~ever, they did not seem b have any specific facta in this regard and indeed appe~ ta be very ill informed abut w details of the suit. been accozpllshed and se~ed to feel that the attitude of the peo~le use nuch better than he had expected. . }Tesailed for Kvajslein the evening of the 24th, stopping by Iae ~’al.ll n route erriarfivlng at W<ajal.einon Setumiay Doming the 26th. We ca~”lt In conclusion it a~eared to me t&t the stuwey as cax-riedout vith the “
Page 5
of everyone concerned, is a hsppy solutton to t’he problem. We are lnve6ttgating the possibility of taktog the steel roo~ s-long next year In the cmgo bole L’amest regarfb, resume will give you soae of the highlights of the surve~.