re: oa ‘ee Sea y — aS a ae O:;. ALAMOS SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO , Darol Froman, TAD To OFFICE MEMORANDUM DATE: rrom , 1. L, Shipman, M. D., Health Division Leader supsect: EISENBUD REPORT CONCERNING JAPANESE FISHERMEN ie” May 20, 1954 123472 SYMBOL : -H-116 From your comments on the above report I gather that you do not like to have people sticking pins in your fingers, I think we realize only too well that you are not alone in this feeling and it is one which we endeavor to respect. - Providing a urine specimen is certainly not unpleasant or un confortable, and particularly for a patient in the hospital discomfort can arise only if you don't provide it. ; I am going to say that none of us in H-Division regard Eisenbud as an individual properly qualified to pass judgment on a majority of the matters discussed in his memo. Furthermore, he is a definitely aggressive sort of person and I would not expect that he would be the sort of individual who would instill confidence in the Japanese or obtain their cheerful collaboration. I heard some weeks ago that he had returned from Japan very huffy over the fact that he had not been allowed to see the patients. My reaction to this was "Why should they allow him to see the patients in view of the / fact that he is not a physician?" 3-4 D3V Cn Collection Location There were certain definite advantages to be gained in this situation from the study of repeated blood and urine specimens, particularly when they re grossly abnormal as was the case here. Constantly falling white count uld indicate, in the first place, a grave prognosis and, in the second Folder_.2¢5, 2 se ee ae eee co The fact that Dr. Morton was likewise kept away from the patients does indicate a peculiar attitude on the part of the Japanese, It should be remembered, however, that the fishermen from the boat were distributed between three hospitals and the officials of each of these hospitals would not let doctors from any of the others visit the patients. Undoubtedly, there were comic opera overtones. ace, the necessity for intensive treatment. The treatment would involve peated large transfusions and the administration of antibiotics to prent subsequent infection. Following the level of the various blood conituents informs one as to the course and progress of the patient!s ness, as well as the degree of success of the treatment provided, ess American doctors were to be permitted to collaborate in advising eatment, I agree that it would be little if any benefit to the patients providing blood and urine specimens to us, The Japanese physicians, however, should have needed the same information for their own purposes. I am afraid I must say, therefore, that in my opinion obtaining repeated blood counts from these men would have been of definite value both to patients and physicians (from what I have heard of the treatment which was employed, nobody gained very much). The question of studying urine ' specimens is a little different. As you know, we went dashing off in full oryafter aaene of the contamination of the Rongelap natives and our one CLASSIFICATION CA NCELLED BY AUTHORITY OF a, CLhae hsJes f_ Zvew iveweo ay Date WUtcce19.2Eee !i