1947
Manyrelevant papers from this year relate to Hamilton's attempts to get papers
declassified, including those which dealt with human subject experiments. The rat and
man paper was not declassified, but others were after minor changes and deletions. Many
letters were exchanged between Hoyland D. Young, director of information division at
Argonne, and Hamilton.
(1948 and 49--not muchto note)
1950
There is correspondence between Wright H. Langham and Hamilton and between
Langham and Harry Foreman at Crocker Lab concerning the patients who were once
injected with plutonium in Rochester. Wright suggested he could get two patients to be
treated with calcium ethylenediaminetetra-acetate (EDTA) as a therapeutic test. He was
concerned about whether or not to experiment with versene (calcium versenate) on
humans, and how he could avoid liability. He was thinking ofstarting up on Py238
experiments again. (between Dec 12 and 18, 50). Foreman replied with a letter detailing
whowas involved in studies of various compounds on humans. For example Rubin had
given EDTA to humans. (Dec. 20, 50). Joe Howland's role on the versene experiment
wasthat he had contact with the patients; the patients were under the care of Dr.
Waterhouse, who was associated with the Strong Memorial Hospital and with Howland's
group. They had taken the urine samples (Dec. 23, 50). A letter to Hamilton from
Thomas L. Shipman refuses approval for using verseneclinically as yet, but to follow the
lead (Dec. 27, 50). Versene is a chelating agent, and could be used for excreting Pu from
the bones; but it was also very toxic. In 1951, there is a progress report on the Use of
Chelatin Agents for Accelerating Excretion of Radioelements, including EDTA and
Fe3, by
man.
1953
The following studies on animals were under way:
astatine studies, on the selective localization in the thyroid of astatine, for possible
later thyroid carcinogenesis and pituitary tumors
tracer studies with all sorts of radioelements (scandium,thulium, tungsten, iodine,
astatine, versene)
chelating studies on the effect of versene in diet by parenteral injection into
animals with plutonium and curium,and on the use of berkelium or californium as tracers
radioautography, to study the deposition and localization of either radioelements
or radioactive particles, including astatine studies and plutonium inhalation studies
Scott informed Dr. L.K. Bustad that he had done no studies of versene and removal of
lung aerosols, only of versene and the removal of Pu from soft tissue and intramuscular
injection sites. (March 4, 53) A letter from Hamilton to F.G. Nicholls in answer to a
query reveals that Hamilton had no experience in the USA ofthe effect of the
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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