Introduction
Ow Manca 1, 1954, an experimental thermonuclear device was exploded at the U.S. Atomic
Energy
Commission's
Eniwetok
Proving
structure deposited radioactive materials on
inhabited atolls and on ships of Jcint Task
Force #7, which was conducting the tests.
ous radiation levels; therefore, evacuation was
cies in the field enabled the medical team to
rollowing
the detonation, unexpected changes in the wind
Radiation surveys of the areas revealed injuri-
ordered, and was carried out as quickly as pos-
sible with the facilities available to the Task
Force.
Although the calculated accumulated doses to
the exposed human beings were believed to be
well below levels that would produce serious
injury or any mortality, the (‘commander of the
Task Force requested the Department of De-
fense and the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission to organize a medical team tu provide the
best possible care of the exposed persons and to
make a medical study of the exposures.
Responsibility for organization of the medical team was shared by the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project, Department of Defense,
and the Division of Biology and Medicine, U.S.
Atomic Energy Commission. Experienced
professional and technical personnel were immediately available from the Naval Medical Research Institute and the U.S. Naval Radiologi-
ee
U.S. Naval Station, Kwajalein, Marshall Is-
lands The commander of the ravalstation had
arranged living facilities for the exposed Marshallese, and installed laboratory and clinical
facilities as requested immediately upon arrival
of the medical team.
(rounds in the Marshal! Islands.
meeeee
Interim care and study had been capably
handied by the smal! medical department of the
cal Defense Laboratory.
Since speed was es-
Sential in the organization and transport of the
medical team to the mid-Pacific area, the as-
sistance of the Medical Department of the Navy
was requested. and was promptly received from
the Surgeon General.
A team was organized from. personnel of the
two Navylaboratories and representatives of the
AEC Division of Biology and Medicine and the
Armed Forces Special Weapons Project. The
team was air lifted to the Marshall J-'ands,
arriving on the eighth day after the explosion.
- Full cooperation and support from all agen-
operate at maximum efficiency, so that the degree of radiation injury could be assessed
quickly, and appropriate care and study of the
injured could be instituted without delay. All
of the exposed individuals have recovered from
the immediate effects without serious sequelae.
Nevertheless it is planned to evaluate the
medical and genetic status of the group at appropriate intervals with a view to learning
what if any of the known late effects of radia-
tion exposure may be observed. Obviously and
indeed fortunately the number of persons re-
ceiving 75 roentgens exposure and greater is
too small to make it possible to determine with
any degree of accuracy the effect on life span.
In addition to providing medical care for
these persons, the teain accumulated a large
body of scientific observations on radiation injury in human beings. The initial data have
been supplemented by field resurveys 6, and 24
months after the original investigation.
The results of this work are summarized in
the present volume. The data which were ob-
tained substantially increase the fundamental
knowledge of radiation tnjury and the medical
capability of caring for persons exposed to
large doses of radiation.
Cirakves F. Dunuaw. M.D. Director,
Division of Biology and Medicine,
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.