;

4

The Committee on Pathologic Effects of Atomic Radiation
This Committee was composed of scientists well versed in

radiation pathology and chaired by

Dr. Shields Warren, Direct

of the Cancer Research Institute of the New England Deaconess

Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, and was for five years~-1948
1952--Director of the Division of Biology and Medicine of the
Atomic Energy Commisston,
This group and subcommittees on blood, lung, delayed
effects,

the

and toxicity of ingested radioactive materials review

present state of knowledge and found that our knowledge o

immediate effects was much greater than for delayed effects,
They observed a five year lessened life span for American

radiologists, estimated to have received from a few roentgens
1000r of exposure as compared with physicians not using
vadiatlon--and agreed that until

we had more precise knowledg

of the cumulative effects of repeated small exposure of the wh
body to radiation the rule of thumb recommended by the Genetic

Committee could equally well apply to medical effects,

That i

no one should receive more than 50r total accumulated dose to
reproductive cells by age 30 - and no more than 50r for each
decade thereafter,

This, they felt, would assure that any lif

expectancy curtailment would be exceedingly minor,
likelihood of induced leukemia minimal,

and the

They noted that as fa

as effects on the blood-forming organs, the intestinal tract,
are concerned, none of these effects have been detected among
who have adhered to present permissible dose levels,

As for the hazards from ingestion and radioactive materi
they confirmed the validity of existing National Committee for
Radiation Protection and International Commission for Radiatio
Protection recommendations and as for the most important of th
~9-

Enclosure II

Select target paragraph3