September 22, 1975 ~4- R.Ray, AM/E&S, NV People The same thing is valid for bee sting. shorten reaction and recover... drugs techniques, modern upon depends tend to think that effective medicine and hospitals and that outlying areas of medical knowledge are faulty, this is not true. Some of the medications that are used to control odors, poultices used to control boils, and so on, utilized by the people should be recognized and encouraged when ~ it can be shown - that they are useful or not harmful. Familiar practices that the patients has great confidence in are of value and shouldn't be ridiculed by whatever medical aide or visiting doctor. The "Marshallese Medical Cookbook" could be written in such a way as to reserve and make available traditional remedies and treatments and supplement them - current information. This just about concludes the gamut of thoughts that came to mind at Bikini in December 1974. In May of 1975, I had occasion to visit with Roger Ray. Much to m delight h> brought me a letter from Oscar DeBrum inviting me to come and try to help train the medical personnel at Bikini. JI was included in a group of scientists who were going to survey Bikini. I was happy to get ashore and hurried over to the dispensary area to see if I could find my*old friend, but he wasn't there. Jaramia Lavidicus had been taken back to Majuro for additional training and I'm sure that he was delighted and is getting great deal of help. I. understand that there is a periodic recall of these medical aides to-the” main hospital for additional training and updating. My only fear for the people of Bikini {s that Jaramia Lavidicus will be recognized to be a great value and there Is a tendency for medical men to keep people with good potential around. I would not be surprised to find the value of Jaramia recognized at Majuro and that he will be retained for use at the hospital. He would be a tremendous value on Bikini because of his knowledge and his willingness and his genuine perscnal concern for the people. I would hate to feel that a man like Jaramia, who appeared to me to be a great talent, would be retained at the big hospital area rather than out-island where he would be of direct value to the peoplé. Although in a, hospital situation he would be of enormous support for the attending physicians. I came to the dispensary area on the first day and immediately recognized that some improvements had been made in the appearance of the place. An overhang~ ing roof had been added to the end ofthe building. There had been some coral brought in and squared up for a waiting area outside. I thought "well, Jaramia has been inspired." When I got to the dispensary I was disappointed to find not Jaramia, but his brother Jendrik. Jendrik Lavidicus told me that he was relieving Jaramia while he attended a refresher course and that he, Jendrik, had been a medical aide for eight years at different places in the Marshall Islands. He said that he had been at Kili, Ebeye and had spent some time at Majuro in the hospital there. Jendrik was an entirely different type of person than his brother. Jendrick's capacity to understand English was masked by his inability to express himself in English. I think he probably understood far more of what I said than he indicated. I didn't feel that Jendrik cared very much to have me come and interrupt his dispensary routine although he did behave as nicely as could be expected if he resented my presence. I believed he was recovering from the flu and not quite himself. BbGEu dy