> (3) Keny of the accoptec procecures of modern Ancrican medical prectice scence strenze to the Javanese, and their concepts are strange to us, For oxectple, secoss t3 pationts by any chysicians wos “onicc for sevcral ys becsusc the Japancse physicians foun? their patin ts to be in » hishly excited state ani preferced not to disturb them, Japenese physicians inCicateé on sevoral occasions that the taking of ¢up~ Jicste bloc2 sme=rs by Jap=nese anc Ancrican investigntors ws an unnocessary implicstion, en2 an orécal that the paticnts should not be expcctot to eae deen nee Lata unccre 206 - . In ny initiel conference with the Japancse scicntists I was forced to the conclusion that they woro not. well equipped to coal proporly with the raciclocsical xspects of the problom. for cxenplc: (1) Some of the top scicntists tock the position that becauso a now kine of bonb was involved, the problem itsclf wes a now one, and that unicss thoy Imcw all about the bomb, they could cvaluste neithor the injury to the fishcrnon ner the agocet of long-range contamintion of Japen anc its fishins crews throughout tho Pacific, (2) Shey were quick to identify qualitatively sone of the radioactive isotopes in the ash and immediatcly concluced that deposition of these racio-isotopes in the tissucs of the sen was the prime factor in their medical status, This éccision was reachou withcut tenefit of recdio—chunical urine anelyses of the vationts. This procecure which was beyond the cape~ bility a@ their leboratories is of course 2 prerequisite to uncorstending the amount and kind of fission 2rocuct absorption that actually occured, (3) The University of Tokyo group acministoredjparentally & nassive tie be. dose of esh to one mouse, and, follovins secrifice 12 hours lator, do-.. terninec by raciocraphy that recioactivity was present in tho mouse skelcton. The activity of the cosc wa23 not measured, The fact that the radioactivity wes Cetcctcea by the scicntists in the skeloton of the mouse wes.wicely. | publicized ss evicence for their conclusion that the paticnts werd carrying -—— Lang erous internal Ceposits of reacioactive isotopes, . 4s inctivifuels, the scicntists sccomec anxious to cooperate, In ny initiel conversations with them they freoly -skec for help anc seemed gratifice at some of the things th.t we coulc cdo for thom, My particip=“tion on the Incrican toan was linitec to the raciolocical spects of the casc anc only incicentally to the paticnts thoensolves, Unfcortunntely the naturo twee dettihbiedt Ab RRRON ce cee # of Dr, Mortcn's participation requircd that he be givon “irect acccss to the pationts enc this the Japanese consistontly refusce to grant. As the crys vent by anithe Japenese buecane more restlute in their Cecision to cony aceess to the paticnts, other ercas of the problom tocene infectedby the uncooperative atmosphere, This will bocome app-rent in subscquant portions of tho report, OFFERS oF ASSISTANCE TO THE JaPawass When I arrived in Tokyo on March 22 Dr. Morton had alresty offere4 to the Jepencsc the full facilitics of the Atomic Bomb Cosunlity Commission, Gcenoral Eull had likowise offcred the facilitics of the Far Srst Commend, these offers were accompeniod by @ spirit of sympathy anc the desire to assist the Jepeancse investigators in thoir efforts to cyplurte th incident anz to restoro the health of th¥ ~eenernen, . at A necting with top ‘USDOE ARCHIVES et ee DT