UNCLASSIFIED
TNONAL WOR NO te
wie
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
Memorandum
TO
FROM:
A. R. Inedecke
General Manager
CG)
DATE:
May 17, 1961
C. L. Dunhem, M.D., Direc
Division of Biology and Medicine
SUBJECT:
1961 SURVEY OF THE MARSHALLESE
SYMBOL:
ADMAR: HDB
It is a pleasure to report that Dr. Robert A. Conard,
Brookhaven National Laboratory, has completed the annuel
survey of the Rongelap people during March 1961 and found
them to be essentially the same as in the preceding
survey.
All of the date collected have not yet been
analyzed, but it is reasonable to say they are not showing clinical evidence of chronic radiation effects other
than negligible residual color changes of the skin. The
following two paragraphs are excerpted from Dr. Conard's
trip report deted April 18, 1961.
"The médical data have not been analyzed yet but it can
be stated that there were no apparent illnesses or disabilities related to radiation effects and the general
state of nutrition was generally good end ebout the seme
es it had been noted in the past years. There had been
no deaths during the past year in the exposed popwleticn.
In the comparison /control/ population an anencephelic
baby wes born which caused quite an impression on the
people, and one young boy had died of pnewnonia.
The
people had the usual complaints about various effects of
their radietion environment, but their cooperetion was ©
excellent.
OE ARCHIVES
". . . Dr. Macdonald and I attended a meeting vith t
Rongelap people in the Council House and we told him
about the intended examinations. The people voiced
continued concern about the effects of fallout on their
Atoll end on themselves. I did not feel that their
concern was any greater this year than expressed in
similar meetings with the people during the pest years.
A
chief complaint was that they were not getting enough to
eat and felt weak. Dr. Macdonald told them that the Trust
Territory policy was, "--No work, no eat--." This metter wes
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