. . 2 SeaARS SL Te gale Critique of British Medical Research Council The Hazards to Man of Nuclear and Allied Radiation A Report to the British Medical Research Council The British Medical Research Council is a goveymmental body and was directed by the Prime Minister on 29 March 1955 to appoint a committee under the chairmanship of Sir Hareld Himsworth to-.review the existing scientific evidence on the medical aspects sof | nuclear. and allied radiations. the a This report consists of eight chapters. The first four chapters deal with basic understandings of radiation and its biglogical effects, the fifth chapter with existing and foreseeable exposures due both to peacetime uses of atomic energy as well as to nuclear .. detonations in testing and in warfare, the sixth part with recompenda-. tions of permissable exposure and the seventh and eight parts with summaries and conclusions. ” Chapter I is an introduction to the report. ) Chapter II discusses in simple terms the natune of radiation and its action on living cells, Jt deals with well known baits, methods of measurement and biological effects. | . Loo gg A Chapter III discus ses the effects of radiation on the health of the individual. It includes discussions of the early effects _ upon the Jananese at Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the later devplogment: ef an increased incidence of leukemia among tlie survivors. Ths British state they have demonstrated an increased incidence of leukemig in. patients with arthritis of the spine treated with x-rays. They cite. also American statistics on the increased evidence of leukemia in radiologists, They conclude that radiations can induse leukemiabut do not quantitate the exposure necessary for such an effe¢et short. of large single doses as at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. NAS . There follows a discussion of radiation as an inducer of cancer and a conjecture that 1000r exposure to radon gas and its daughter produces induced lung cancer in the Schneeberg and Joachinsthal, mines, Paradoxically, they go on to say that there is no evidence that external x- or gamma rays can cause lung tumors in man. There is a discussion of radiation as a cayse of bons tumors drawn principally from the reports of eancer of bones in radium dial workers am individuals given radium therapeutically. Most af this is American data. They feel there is not much of a factor of gafety -l- : COLLEGUONS ~> GF THE Nazis CNR AGAL EMY OF SCIENCES c , , 3 | \