¥. a . prac QoMa... the necaptad pro medical : segnen: strange to the Japenese, and”“their concepts are strange q LO Uae roneranple, access to patients by any physicians was denied « for soveral"dkys because the Japanese physicians found their patients ° to be in a highly excited state and preferred not to disturb then, Japanese physicians indicated on several occassions that the taking of duplicate blood'smears by Japanese and american investigators was an unnessary duplication, and an ordeal that the patients should not be expectad to * undergo. ‘ In py initial qonference with tho Japanese scientists I wes forced to the conclusion that they were not well equipped to deal prenerly with the rediological aspects of the problem. For example: (1) Some of the top scientists took the position that because a new kind of bomb waa involved, the problem itself was a new one, and that unless they know all about the bomb, they could evaluate neither the injury to the fishermen nor the aspect of long-range contamination of Japan and its fishing crews throughout the Pacific. (2) | The were quick to identify qualitatively some of the radioactivo isotopes in the ash and immediately concluded that deposition of these radio-isotopes in the tissues of the men was the prime factor in their medical status. This decision was reached without benefit of radio-chemical urine analyses of the patients. This procedure which was beyond the capa~ bility of their laborctories is of course a prerequisite to understanding - the amount and kind of fission product absorption that actually occured, (3) The University of Tokyo group administered parentally a massive dose of ash to one mouse, amd following sacrifice 12 hours later, de- termined by radiography that radioactivity was present in the mous. The activity of the dose was not measured. The fast that ti. cadi.-.- was detected by the scientists in the skeleton of the mouse was widely pudlicized as evidence for their conclusion that the patients were carrying dangerous internal deposits of radioactive isotopes. As individuals, the scientists seemed anxious ¢9o cooperate. Jn 'y initial conversations with them they freely esked for help and seemec gratified at some of the things that we could do for them. My participation on the American team was limited tc the radiological aspects of the case and only incidentally to the patients themselves. Unfortunately the nature of Dr. Morton's participation required that he be given direct access to the patients and this the Japanese consistently refused to grant. As the days went by and the Japanese became more resolute in their decision to deny access to the patients, other areas of the problem became infected by the Qgincooperati ve atmosphere, This will become apparent in subsequent portions of the report. | 7g : < OFFERS OF ASSISTANCE TO THE JAPANESE Zé 36 When I arrived in Tokyo on March 22 Dr. Morton has sive...) of ferer 24 Fé S ue Fa § & the Japanese the full facilities of the Atomic Bboulh Uasuaiity Couidssion. é | 2 Ls General Hull had likewise offered the facilities of the Fer E= t Command. eo These offers were accompanied by a spirit of sympathy ad the iesife to afsist the Japanese investigators in thair c.forts to evaluate the incident and to restore the health of the fishermen. ft a meetirs with tap ®