16 Duringthe interval between the 1959 and 1960 surveys the medical history of the people on Rongelap Island was generally uneventful. However, an epidemic of influenza occurred in the Marshall posed groups, compared with that for the Marshall Islands as a whole in 1948-50 and for the United States in 1940. The table also shows the median ages. The lower median age of the Marshallese would seem to support the impression that Islands in the spring of 1960, and, though Ronge- _ their life span is shorter than that in the continen- lap Atoll was spared, the epidemic reachedserious proportions on Kwajalein Atoll. About 20 of the unexposed Rongelap contro! population hadpreviously moved to Kwajalein Atoll for employment by the Navy, and amongthis group 10 cases of influenza developed, two of which became complicated by pneumoniaresulting in death - one in a 55-year-old man (933) and the otherin a 64year-old man (#927). Both these men had complicating diseases prior to influenza; one had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage with hemiplegia several monthsearlier, and the other a urinarytract tal United States. Duringthe interval between the surveys of 1958 and 1959 the people of Rongelap suffered no major epidemics. There were the usual bouts of upperrespiratory infections. A few cases of chicken pox developed in April 1958, two of greatseverity, one of which resulted in the death of a 36-year-old man(331) from the exposed group. During the year Navy evacuation planes removed these two cases to Kwajalein Hospital (150 miles away) for treatment, andalso the following cases: perforated infection. The 61-year-old woman with cancerof the ovary, discovered in 1958, died in May 1959. appendix, threatened abortion, retained placenta, complicated delivery, pyelonephritis, and acute diarrhea. Three of these patients were in the ex- Unfortunately, no autopsies were obtained on these people. This brings the deaths to four for the exposed population. One other death occurred in the unexposed control population on Rongelap, * that ofp’‘$4-year-gld woman (7854) whodied of posed group. Fourcasesoffish poisoning occurred during the year with the usual symptomsof nau- sea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, double vision, and tingling sensations in the limbs. Cancer of the ovary was found in a 61-year-old woman in the exposed group, and the diagnosis was confirmed -jnfection complicating diabetes. The deaths in the unexposed population now numberfour. Only ane case of fishpoisoning occurred in 1959 on by biopsy. Year 1954** Women aged 14-45 19 1955 20 1957 21 1956 1958 1959 20 22 22 Total Table 3 . Yearly Incidence of Barths and Fetal Deaths* _. Total births 1 0 6 4 14 8 6 5 5 24 8 6 1958 18 4 3 1959 Total 17 6 26 Miscarriages* - a 5 6 = ge. 5 meee] 20 10 “me “Includes children dying duringfirst few hours after birth. **Includes only children conceived after March 1, 1954. 100 2 "33 3 17 . _ 60 aes 43 tinge 0 AS PS ORS oe a 7 miscarriage 1 0 : Pregnancies terminating in 1 6 5 37 8 ie mo F 2 18 18 M 3 1956 1957 Children ———_—_— Live pregnancies ie “FSR, 2 ge “4 10 : tl I 6 25 25 25 17