10

at Rongelap Village and also at Utirik Village
while carrying out the examinations on these
islands.

1964 SURVEY (10 YEARS POST EXPOSURE}
The 1964 survey did not include Utirik, since

these islanders are examined only every 3 to 4
years in view of the small exposure they sustained
from the failout. Examinations were carried out as
in 1963 at Rongelap, Ebeye, and Majuro, the ma-

jority being done at Rongelap. Table 2 shows the
distribution of Rongelap people on the various

atolls. Examinations were conducted on 70 ofthe
exposed Rongelap people, the 43 children of ex-

posed parents, and 208 of the adults and children
of the comparison population. The survey team

consisted of 8 physicians and technicians from the
United States and 8 from the Trust Territory (see
Figure 2). The Trust Territory ships M/V Roque

and M/V Ran Anim both aided in transporting the

team and equipmentto and from Rongelap Atoll.
The team lived at Rongelap Village for the examinations on thatisland.

Procedures
PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS
Since both the 1963 and 1964 surveys were

similar in scope and procedures, they will be de-

scribed together. Histories were taken by a Marshallese practitioner with particular emphasis on
the interval history during the past year. During
the 1964 survey Mr. Byron Bender, anthropologist from the Trust Territory, accompanied the
medical team and carried out exhaustive studies
on the genealogical background of the Rongelap
people. These data are not published in this report, but are available to those interested. The
pediatrician on the 1963 survey (W.W/S.) carried

out further interviews with the Rongelap people
in order to establish more closely the ages of some

of the children, which were questionable.

Complete physical examinations on both children and adults were carried out in both years.
In addition, anthropometric measurements were
done on adults >19 years of age in order to determine certain ethnic characteristics of the Mar-

shaliese. During the 1963 examination extensive

anthropometric measurements werealso carried
out on the children as part of the growth and developmentstudies, and radiographs of their wrists
were taken for the samestudies.
In 1963 an ophthalmologist carried out complete ophthalmological examinations including
slit-lamp observations.
Cancerdetection, emphasized during examinations for both years, included an evaluation of the
history, special physical examinations, and certain laboratory tests.* The family history did not
yield satisfactory information, since the incidence
of familial diseases including cancer was generally
unknownbythe people. The history vielded some
information on changesin weight, historyof illness.
and, in the case of women, menstrual, obstetric,

and nursinghistory. In the physical examination
particular emphasis was placed on examination of
the skin, node-bearing areas, head and neck.
chest, breast, abdomen, and external genitalia.

Pelvic examinations were carried out on all mature
females, and vaginal and cervical smears for
Papanicolaou examinations were obtained.** Rec-

Figure 4. Marshallese man carrying a sack of copra.
Coprais the main productin the economyofthe Islands.

*Drs. E. Schackow and H.L. Atkins of Brookhaven Nauonal
Laboratory interpreted the x-rayfilms.
** We wish to thank Dr. Genevieve Bader of Memorial Sioan
Kettering Cancer Center, New York, N.Y., for interpretation of
the Papanicolaou smears.

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