yaa Leer rmypy ee es 25 opia. Also notable was their lack of retinolblastioas, nalignant melanomas of the chucoid, and basal cell carcinoma of the eyelids. Ocular patholouy caused by herpes simplex or Zoster viruses was not acen, No cases of retinal detachment occurred exeeptin two people asa sequela of ocular surgery, Corneal scars, macular degeneration, vitreous Hloatess, and other degenerative intraocular condi tions were seen in about the numbers expected in any part of the workh No Terucard infestation or ather intraocular parasies have been cheountered, and no ocular invelvesment by the parasites Ondiacec or tlaria bas been seen. bathe one case of inactive leprosy on Rongelap oo ocular lesions have Leen noted, Some people lise residual scars af vinws, but ne active lesions have been seen dur ing the 2U-vear period, Most of the congenital malformations and fanilial awular diseases found in Aimencans were not seen inthe Marshallese, such as ocular dystrephias, retinitis pigmentosa (congenital night blind. Hess}, congenital eairaets a wlaucona in the younw ar familial gliiuconis in older people, sand Colabomir of the aris or posterior segment of the eve. Ono the ether band. certain congenital traits appatentiv peculiar to this race were noted. Phe average size af the corneas is vreater than in the LUS.nose than og) of the people examined hav. ny commen > bd inin ap dbameter, Lin oe of the people the retinal vessebs slowed icreascd lortue osity (corkscrew shke) and dilatation. Vhis phenan chon has sametioes been tounch osseqiited sith the sickle cell trait, but vhe batter lias not been thotedk aa he NMiaoshiaablese, Dictetie and hvgienic conditions in the Marshall isiuods have unproved over che 20 vears of this study. fa carher veo, pear night vision jn children due te vitaiaia AN deticieney was occa: Motally found, and molluscuin contagiosain was sca omore frecuedily; abso desiens iavolving the skin ol the evelids. forehead, and face. bt has been several vears since night vision dmparment or auierlteise Hib bas been seen, 2. Possible Radiation Effects Bath the detonation ia March (od and the re- sulting Lillowt gave cise bo several types of ratio: tions thet niighst cause tnjury tothe eves. Longacre radiation, Direct obser ation with the naked eve of the fireball of an ateaiic bomb detonavion is known te produce retinal damage with arcing and possible blindness Abt The Brave a fireball was observed by a small number of peuple on Rongelap, and, though its distance from them precluded thermal injury to the skin from longwave (visible and infrared) light, injury to the ret ina must be considered. Vhe fireball was dewribed by the Rongelap people as appearing “like the sunrising in the west.” Vhey probably did nat we itatits greatest huminescence. when the dane aying ocular effects uecur, because this comes a fraction of a microsecond after detonation, sa that ata distance of 100 miles the fireball would not yet have rien above the horizan, Alsu, at dat distance Uhe size of the nage on the retina would be sual. ‘These facton probably explain why no one complained of blindness from seeing Che fireball and no retinal scar have been faund in any of the people, Tiantzing radiation. The fallout on Rongceiop resulted ina gamma duse of 175 rads ta the whole body including the eyes. Beta ravs trom fallout deposited on the ground and contaminating the eves resulted in some superticial exposure of the lids, conjunctiva, and cornes, but their low pene: tration makes unlikely that the dons or retina ree ceived any significant dose from this source, During the two davs before evacuation, many of the people complained of sine aching and burning of the eves with some lichrvination. Those svoiptoms nay dave been related to radiation fran fallout in the eves. but physical and che:nical irrivation by the caustic fallout dust may have phased an in portant part. Internal alear pion of radionuclides probably did not contribute to the radiation duse to Ue eves, Conjunctizttis, The burning and lachrvmation disappeared by the time the people were evacu- ated ta Kwajalein Island, However, at the tine of development of bet buras, about 2 weeks after ex- posure, wo men developed conjunctivitis and ine Hlamination of the evelids which may lave been due io beta irradiation, These lesions healed within severcl chavs. Comal pigmentation. Bowinning at about 2 months Pest ex pasure, Ta scime peaple wt pitmentiod fine was Qoted i the cornea atthe Himbus in the hori. Zontal asis af the palpebral fissure, which ap- peared to be below the surface of the epiaheliam, hi vatiod fret 0.9 to 2mm in length. This may base been due te beta radiation and was possibly related tothe bluish pigmentation nated in the nail beds. The lauer disappeared when the nail bed grew out several months later. buc the corneal won - ee SD La ott:set mw wore eee 8 c ;