16
posed groups, compared with thatfor 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
their life span is shorter than that in 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
upperrespiratory 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, and also the following cases: perforated
appendix, threatened abortion, retained placenta,
complicated delivery, pyelonephritis, and acute
diarrhea. Three of these patients were in the exposed group. Fourcases offish poisoning occurred
during the year with the usual symptomsof nau-
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
Islandsin 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 had previously moved to Kwajalein Atoll for employment
by the Navy, and among this group 10 cases of
influenza developed, two of which became complicated by pneumoniaresulting in death — one in
a 55-year-old man (#933) andthe otherin a 64year-old man (#927). Both these men had complicating diseases prior to influenza; one hadsuffered a cerebral hemorrhage with hemiplegia several monthsearlier, and the other a urinary tract
infection. The 61-year-old woman with cancer of
the ovary, discovered in 1958, died in May 1959.
Unfortunately, no autopsies were obtained on
these people. This brings the deaths to fourfor
the exposed population. One other death occurred
sea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, double vision, and
in the unexposed control population on Rongelap,
exposed group, and the diagnosis was confirmed
infection complicating diabetes. The deathsin the
unexposed population now numberfour. Only
one case of fish poisoning occurred in 1959 on
tingling sensations in the limbs. Cancer of the
ovary was found in a 61-year-old woman inthe
by biopsy.
that of a 54-year-old woman (#854) who died of
Table 3
Yearly Incidence of Births and Fetal Deaths*
Year
Womenaged
14-45
Total
pregnancies
Children
—
M
F
Live
births
Miscarriages*
% Pregnancies
terminating in
miscarriage
1
100
3
6
0
60
43
0
Exposed
1954**
19
1955
1956
20
20
1957
1958
1959
21
22
22
Total
1
0
6
6
0
0
5
14
5
5
4
2
8
5
4
0
1
4
1
2
37
24
12
12
13
1
4
2
2
25
25
4
~—:10
\
6
17
2
4
2
0
4
3
17
33
Unexposed
1956
1957
18
18
1959
Total
17
1958
18
8
8
6
6
6
26
3
20
4
3
*Includes children dying duringfirst few hoursafter birth.
**Includes only children conceived after March 1, 1954.
cn
—
nom ao
Hue tu id
5
2
2
1
10 ~
1
1
25