16
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 showsthe
median ages. The lower median age of the Marshallese would seem to support the impression that
their life span is shorter than that tn the continental United States.
During the interval between the surveys of 1958
and 1959 the people of Rongelap suffered no
major epidemics. There were the usual bouts of
upper respiratory infections. A few cases of chicken
pox developed in April 1958, two of great severity,
one of which resulted in the death of a 36-year-old
man (#31) 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
appendix, threatened abortion, retained placenta,
complicated delivery, pyelonephritis, and acute
diarrhea. Three of these patients were in the exposed group. Fourcasesoffish poisoning occurred
during the year with the usual symptomsof nausea, 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
by biopsy.
During the interval between the 1959 and 1960
surveys the medicalhistory of the people on Rongelap Island was generally uneventful. However,
an epidemic of influenza occurred in the Marshall
Islands in the spring of 1960, and, though Rongelap Atoll was spared, the epidemic reachedserious
proportions on Kwajalein Atoll. About 20 of the
unexposed Rongelap control population hadpreviously moved to Kwajalein Atoll for employment
by the Navy, and amongthis group 10 cases of
influenza developed, two of which became com-
plicated 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
infection. The 61-year-old woman with cancerof
the ovary, discovered in 1958, died in May 1959.
Unfortunately, no autopsies were obtained on
these people. This brings the deaths to four for
the exposed population. Oneother death occurred
in the unexposed control population on Rongelap,
that of a 54-year-old woman ( #854) whodied of
infection complicating diabetes. ‘The deathsin the
unexposed population now numberfour. Only
one case of fish poisoning occurred in 1959 on
Table 3
Yearly Incidence of Births and Fetal Deaths*
Year
Women aged
14-45
Total
pregnancies
Children
Live
births
% Pregnancies
.
M
F
Miscarriages*
terminating in
miscarriage
Exposed
1954**
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
19
20
20
21
22
22
Total
1
6
6
5
14
5
0
5
4
2
8
5
0)
4
0
2
4
2
0
l
4
0
4
3
1
1
2
3
6
0
37
24
12
12
13
100
17
33
60
43
0
Unexposed
1956
1957
1958
1959
Total
18
18
18
17
8
8
4
6
6
6
3
5
5
2
2
1
1
4
1
4
2
2
1
1
26
20
10
10
6
*Includes children dying duringfirst few hoursafter birth.
**Includes only children conceived after March 1, 1954.
25
25
25
17