y In addition, the hospital report stated that the claimant and other members of the crew consumed some ship’s water that was accidentally contaminated with radioactive material; that repeated physical and blood count examinations for a number of years were all negative, and “Apparently the patient suffered no acute effects from the over-ex posure to radioactivity.” The report further stated in pertinent part: factor. Normal values range from 4,500,000 to 5,000,000 red blood cells; 5,000 to 10,000 white blood cells; and hemoglobin from 85 to t00 percent. In this case, the white blood cell count was well within the _ normal range in 1947 and 1954, but was extremely low when taken shortly before his hospitalization in 1966. The onset of acute myelocytic leukemia is sudden and its course rapidly progressive and short. The median survival time is measured in months. A determination, therefore, that, in this case, the acute myelocytic leukemia first demonstrated approximately 20 years after exposure to radioactive material is causally related to such exposure would involve prohibited recourse to conjecture or speculation. —— energy, increased irritability, generalized pruritis, progressive dyspnea causing shortness of breath, intermittent episodes of dizziness and palpitations. During the 2 weeks prior to admission he lost 4 Ibs. but altributed this to a weight reduction diet. He also noted the onset of nocturnal chills which lasted 5-10 minutes then subsided. He had spontaneous epistaxis during the past 3-4 days and complained of a sore throat on admission. Approximately 4-5 months prior to admission the patient accidentally inhaled some burning chemical compounds... The fumes caused chest congestion and nausea which persisted for 2 days, then subsided .. .When his symptoms progressed in severity he... was found to have a WBC of 800, with a hematocrit of 15.5 and hemoglobin of 5.5. Detailed clinical, laboratory and X-ray studies, including bone marrow aspiration, resulted in a pertinent diagnosis of acute myelocytic leukemia, subsequently confirmed by autopsy. During hospitalization, the veteran remained febrile. At the time of his death, service connection was not in effect for any disability. Findings of the BVA and Basis for Decision: In finding that the acute myelocytic leukemia was not incurred in or aggravated by service and was not manifested to the degree of ten percent (10%) within the presumptive period following termination of active wartime periods of service, the Board said: It is the defined and consistently applied policy of the Veterans Administration to administer the Jaw under a broad interpretation, consistent, however, with the facts shown in every case, and without recourse to speculation or remote possibility. The records clearly establish that the veteran was physically present at the site of atomic bomb tests in July 1946. Whether he was, in fact, directly exposed to radiation to any appreciable degree is not reflected by the records furnished by the service department. Assuming, however, that he and others did consume some ship’s water that had been accidentally contaminated with radioactive material, it is well established that no case of leukemia has been knownto have developed with acute whole-bodied doses of less than 100 roentgens. It is extremely unlikely that the consumption of such contaminated water could involve such proportions. It is generally accepted that a latent period of two or more years commonly intervenes between exposure and the appearance of leukemia. In acute myelocytic leukemia, aside from bone marrow aspiration, an abnormal total white blood cell count is the significant 60 6l