Critique of British Medical Research Council fhe Hazards to Man of Nuclear and Allied Radiation A Report to the British Medical Research Council The British Medical Research Council is a goveymmental body and was directed by the Prime Mynister or 29 March 1955 te appoint a committee under the chairmanship.of Sir Hareld Himsworth to-.review the existing scientific evidence on the medical aspects of nuc}ear and allied radiations. 7 the ae This report consists of eight chapters. The first four chapters deal with basic understandings of radiation and its biglogical effects, the fifth chapter with existing and foreseeable. exposures due both to peacetime uses of atomic energy as well as to nuclear -: detonations in testing and in warfare, the sixth part with recompenda- a tions of permissable exposure and the seventh and eight Parts wita pummaries and conclusions, Chapter I is an introduction to the report. . Chapter II discusses in simple terms the natune of radiation and its action on living cells, Jt deals with well known units, methods of measurement and biological effects. . Chapter III discusses the effects of the individual, It includes discussions upon the Japanese at Hiroshima ani Nagasaki ef an imreased incidence of leukemia among . Boa of radiation on the ‘pealth of the early effects | and the later development: thie Survivors. Ths British state they have demonstrated an increased incidence of leukemig in. patients with arthritis of the spine treated with x-rays. They cite. ‘also American statistics on the increased evidence of leukemia in radiologists. They conclude that radiations can induce leukemiabyt. do not quantitate the exposure necessary for such an effect short- of large single doses as at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. NAS There follows a discussion of radiation ag an inducer of cancer and a conjecture that 1000r exposure to radon gas and its daughter produces induced lung cancer in the Schneeberg and Joachimathel, mines. Paradoxically, they go on tp say that there is no evidence that external x- or gamma rays can cause lung tumors in man. There is a discussion of radiation as a cayse ef bors tumors drawn principally from the reports of gancer of bones in radiua dial workers am individuals given radium therapeutically. Most af this is American data. They feel there is not much of a factor of gafety ~ 1 - ha t . le OF ~© COLLECUIONS THE w NAT NAL ACASEMY OF SCIENCES , , | | (9 \