Samet
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ini.crent in i greatly expanced atomic energy industry,
constantiy roesurs throuch th: cevoph fae
veuey bue fc.
There
‘cer that ac? tr
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oa
the future let us te very c.reful incecd.
In sumciry,
the report wes totaliy -eassuring as regards
nuclear Weapons testing, 1t did not atter t to face up to the
problems of an atomic war, and finally it was preoccupied with
the potential hazards inherent in a developing era of larse
scale atomic pover,
Summary Report of the Committee on Genetic Effects
This Comnittee consisted of geneticists, one authority on
radiation pathology, one authority on radiological physics and
radiation hazard control, and a mathematician, Dr. Warren Weaver
-
of the Rockefeller Foundation, who chaired the group.
_ They considered the genetie effects against the background
of present knowledge concerning radiation as a cause of mutations
in microorganisms, plants,
insects, and mice, bearing in mind the
tendency of modern civilization to conserve all human life whether
‘perfect or imperfect.
They call attention to the perhaps creater
importance of mutations which are relatively inapparent such as
defects in resistance to disease processes, decreased fertility
and curtailed life span, and impaired physical and mental vigor,
The more dramatic mutations, monsters, still births, and early
developmental defects leading to abortion and miscarriage ére
not apt to be passed on to another gereration,
The apparently
relatively negative results. of the gei.ctics survey of the
survivors! first generation at Hiroshira and Nagesaki serve to
Gipraguise the validity of this point
.:
view,
This study
Gencrstrated that with the methods used ard the radiation dcseces
received, the heavily irradiated curvivince population
waltacleuviy large for ip ty te pi.sinse
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