Iv - BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE .
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Tolerance ofRadiationbyActive Sréopseo- ee
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An:ad hoe’ ‘panel‘of Yadiologists ‘and. physicians. inet Dec
for the purpose
seof studying the amount of radioactive materi
assigned duties and missions in the Armed Forces.
The panel
fonsisted of
Drs. Alen Gregg (chairman of the meeting), Austin M. Brues, Silmeon T.
Cantril, Andrew H. Dowdy, Louis H. Hempelmann, Robert F. Loeb,
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Curt Stern,
Shields Warren; Brig. Gen. James P. Cooney for the Army; Admifral Thomas C.
Anderson and Dr. Robert Flinn for the National SecurityReso ces Board;
and Major Gerritt L. Hekhuis for the Aar |Force.
In arriving at the conclusions the committee took intd account the
results of extensive animal experiments, the response of patJents treated
for disease by X ray and radium, observations on the effect qf radiations
from the atom bomb detonated over the Japanese cities of. Hir
Nagasaki and accidental radiation exposures within the Manha}
and the AEC.
,
Members of the Division of Biology and Medicine crash staff. to
this committee in collecting and summarizing pertinent availble research
data and clinical information and presenting it to the commifttee for consideration.
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The following questions were propounded and the answars are set
forth as determined by the committee:
Question 1.
Assume that troops are acutely exposed
penetrating
‘ionizing radiation (gamma rays}. At what dosage level will they become
ineffective as troops?
Answer. Uniform dosage of 50r to a group of Armed Farce personnel
will not
appr
appreciably affect their efficiency as a fighting gnit.
Uniform acute dosage of 100r will produce in occasio al individuals
nausea and vomiting, but not to an extent that will render
personnel at any time ineffective as fighting units. - Troopb
acute radiation dose of 100r and abave ought to be given,
Brmed Forces
receiving an
soon as feasi-
ble (within a week, if possible), a period for rest and individual evaluation.
Uniform acute dosage approximately 150r or greater
be expected
rapidly {in a few hours) to render Armed Forces personnel ds a group in-
effective as troops through a substantial incidence of naudea, vomiting,
weakness, and prostration.
Mortality produced by an acute fdose of 150r
will be very low and eventual recovery of physical fitnessfusually may be
expected.