15
tributed to poor oral hygiene, inadequate dental
care, and possibly nutritional deficiency. Some of
With the growing dependence on imported
foods and on moneyas the medium ofexchange,
cases of malnutrition are encountered. Night
the younger generation are now showing the bene-
fits of improved dental care. Dentists have participated in several surveys, and their general conciusion is that poor oral hygiene is showingits usual
results: a high caries rate in teen-age children,
‘severe periodontallesions in adults (heavy calculus.
blindness due to vitamin A deficiency has been observed on several occasions, mainly in children.
The most serious epidemic during the 20 years
covered by this report was the poliomyelitis epidemic in 1963. The “polio ward” at the Armer
Ishoda Memorial Hospital in Majuro (which now
operates as a physical rehabilitation center and
orthopedic surgical ward) was created to care for
the victims of this disaster. Rongelap Atoll was
loss of alveolar bone), and edentulous mouths in
the aging. Nosignificant difference between exposed and unexposed Marshallese has been seen except for a slightly greater incidence and seventy of
periodontal disease in the exposed group.It is not
known whetherthis findingis related to radiation
exposure.
Fish poisoning is common in the Marshall
stricken in January/February of 1963 with 23 chil-
dren and 3 adults takenill. One of the adults died
and twoof the children had severe residual paresis.
Venereal disease appears to be on theincrease.
Dental caries has been a notable finding during
physical examinations of the Marshallese;it is at-
Islands. Symptomsare usually minor but occasionally severe or even fatal. Inflammation of mu-
Table 8
Physical Findings* in Rongelap and Utinik Aduits, 1970-1974
Rongelap exposed
(68 examined)
Acne
Anemia
Arteriosclerosis (mild)
Arteriosclerosis (mod.-sev.)
Asthma
Atrial fibrilladon
Bradycardia
Cardiac enlargement
Cervical erosion
Cystourethro-rectocele
Deafness
Emphysema
Epilepsy
Hernia
Hypertension
Leprosy, arrested
-
Migraine
Obesity (gross)
Osteoarthritis
Peivic inflammatory disease
Prostauc hypertrophy
Rheumatic heart disease
Rheumatoid arthritis
Spermatocele
Syphilis (?) (arrested)
Tumor, benign (except thyroid)
Tumor, malignant
Varicocele
Utirik exposed
(117 examined)
No.
%
No.
%
No.
%
2
3
7
7
t
2
3
et
8
2
2
2.9
4.4
10.2
10.2
0
1.5
2.9
4.4
16.2
11.8
2.9
0
0
2.9
t
l
2
11
2
2
5
5
3
1
2
0.7
0.7
1.5
8.1
1.5
1.5
0
3.7
* 3.7
0
2.2
0
0.7
1.5
8
6
2
1
i
3
i
2
0
0
6.8
3.1
1.7
0.8
0
0.8
2.6
0
0
0.8
0
1.7
1
1.5
-
0
8
1
{1.8
16
1.5
-
LL.9
17
14:5
0
-
0
-
0
7
10.2
20
14.8
14
12.0
3
4.4
1
0.7
-
0
3
“1
1
1
2
?
1
~
4.4
0
12
1
1.5
1.5
1.5
l
2
2
29
2
2.9
1.5
0
*Findings on ophthalmology and diabetes are reported separately.
2005112
Rongelap unexposed
(135 examined)
4
1
2
8.9
0.7
0.7
1.5
1.5
1
-
-
2.9
-
0.7
-
1.5
1.5
1
-
0.8
0
0
0.8
0
0
0.8
0
0