[AL
(3) Many of the accoptod procedures of modern Amcrican modical

practice sounce etrencc to the Japsneso, sani thoir concopts aro strange

to us.

For exemcle, sccoss t: mationte ty any chreicians wes “onicd

for sevorel cys because tho Japancec physicians foun’ thoir vatimts
to be in © hichly oxcited state an* preferc’ not to disturb then,

Japencec physicians indicated on scveral occasions that the taking of cup-

Licxtc bloc’ smewrs by Japz-nese anc Amcorican investisntors wee an unnoccessary
cxpLlic*tion, and =n ordesl thet the patients shoule not bo expceto™ to

unecor70,

In my initiel confcoronco with tho J=pancse eciontists I wis forcod

to the conclusion that they wore not well cquinped to coal proporly with
the radiclocie?] .apects of the problom, For cxanzle:
(1) Some cf the top sciontists tock thc pogition tht becauso a
now kin? of bond ws involved, the problem itsclf wes ® now ono, and
that unloss thoy Imow all about tho bomb, thoy could cvaluste noithor

the injury to the fishcermon ner the »spect of long-renge contaminntion

of J=pan one its fishin> erews throughout the Pacific.

(2) Thoy wore quick ts icontify quelitatively ecne of the radioactive

isotopes in tho ash anc inmcdiatcly coneluced that deposition of these
ralio-isotopes in the tissucse of the mon was the prime factor in thoir
medical strtus, This cocisicn was reachoi withcut benefit of redio~chomical
urinc anslyses of the nationts. This procelure which was beyond the caper
bility £ thoir leborstories is of courso ~ prorcquisite to undorstanding
the amount and kind cf fission procuct spsorption that actually occured,
“

(3) The University of Tokyo group a‘ninistored parontally a massive

cose of ash to no mouse, snd, followins secrifico 12 hours lator, dotermined by racdosraphy that ratioactivity was present in the mouso skelcton,
The activity cf the cosc was not measured, The fact that tho radioactivity
was Getcctoau by the scientists in the skelcton of the mouse was widely
puctlicizec =s cevilence for their conclusion that the pationts wore carrying
Engorous intornal cepositse of rediocective isotopes,
4s incividzuels, the sciontists socnme. anxious to cooperate,

In ny

initi-1 convorsations with then thoy frecly sskec. for help anc seemed
eretifict at some of the things th-t wo coulc co for thom, hy particip=tion
on the Ancricnn toan was linitoc to the reciolocicnl -epecete of the casc
anc. only incicontally to the pationts thomsclves, Unfcrtunrtely the nature

of Dr. Morton's participation requircd that he be given Jircct accoss to the

patiocnts an. this tho Japanese consistently rofusod to creant.

As the Cvs

wont by enotho Japencse bu.cane more resslute in thoir cocision to cony

nccess to the pationts, other arcas of the problom tecenc infocted by tho
uncooperative atmosphere, This will dDccome apo rrcnt in subsoguont
portions of tho report,
OFTERS OF ASSISTANCE TO THS JnPavess
When I arrivod in Tokyo on March 22 Dr. Morton had alrenacy offerac to

the Jepanose the full facilitics cf the Atomic Bomb Cxsuslity Commission,

Genoreal Hull hat likcowise offore. the facilitice of tho Far fret Commend,
Theec offors were sccomp-nic® by 2 spirit of syapeathy an. the desire to
assist the Japanose investigators in thoir efforts to evalusto the

ineicent anc to restoro the health of tho fishermon,

=t 2 mocting with top

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