studies are purely speculative and would under any circumstances be undertaken with the
full knowledge and agreement of the Director of the Division of Biology and Medicine
and his associates.”
Hamilton's 1952 project proposal includes the following:
human studies andastatine
chelating studies (Scott and Hamilton, Jan. 1952) of the calcium complex of
Versene and Fe~; studies in animals, with diagnostic use in people
a list of Hamilton's projects for 1952 includes the following:
tracer studies (radio-scandium,radio-thallium, radio-tungsten)
chelating studies (Ca EDTA)
oral ingestion of fission products and plutonium in the monkey
effects of heavy nuclei on biological systems
radiation chemistry
astatine studies
radioautographic studies
inhalation of tagged silicon dioxide
folder 23: a letter from Hamilton to Walter Claus, Director of Biology and Medicine,
makesreference to the Sunshine Project. Hamiltonis referring to reprints on the use of
radio-strontium in human beingsin the following: "Frankly, in looking over all these
reprints including those of the University Press, there is not too much of value, inasmuch
as these patients were not followed up in any great detail. However, I discussed the
matter with Dr. Stone, explaining the need for obtaining this information and the
available hospital records of these patients, the majority of which weretreated at the
University of California Medical Center, and he assured me that you would get all
possible information pertaining to the matter and in particular to changesin the blood
picture, and forward them to me as soon as possible. He is aware of the significance of
this "Sunshine Project” and I told him that he should be the only person in the San
Francisco area that would be aware of the importance ofthis particular project even
though several members of his organization have "Q” clearances. As soon as the data
that he can obtain is forwarded to me I will see that your office gets as much detail as can
be gleaned from the hospital records of these patients.” (Jan 28, 54) Anotherletter to
Claus (Feb 3, 54) refers to the disaster at Chalk River, where several people inhaled or
ingested Strontium 90; Hamilton suggested that a follow-up of these people and those in
contact with the clean-up could be useful to the Sunshine Project. Strontium 90 becomes
retained in the skeleton after a few weeks; but, hesaid, it has a 60 hour Yttrium 90
daughter. A letter from two days later to Stone from Charles Dunham, Chief of Medical
Branch, Division of Biology and Medicine, asked for follow-up information on people
given radiostrontium in 1942 to help set maximum permissible concentrations of a
variety of radioisotopes in water supplies, This was also sent to Claus, Hamilton, and
John Lawrence.
From 1941-1944, 8 patients received strontium lactate; 5 received radioactive strontium
88; and 3 received non-radioactive strontium lactate. There are charts among the records
with information on these people (names, dates, dosages, etc.) The principle investigator
on this project appears to have been Low-Beer.
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
Archives and Records Office
Human Radiation Experiments Search and Retrieval Project
Anna Berge Research Notes
Electronic Document Title: Bancroft/EOL
April 4, 1994
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