dss jisir AU , BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY ASSOCIATED UNIVERSITIES, INC... UPTON. LLL. N.Y. 11973 MEDICAL DEPARTMENT TELEPHONE: (516) 3453577 June 19, Nx. 1975 Oscar DeBrum District Administrator Marshall Island District TRUST TERRITORY PACIFIC ISLANDS Majuro, Marshall Islands 96960 BEST COPY AV, Al l AB LE Dear Oscar: As a result of our trip to Bikini last April I have several suggestions of which Murph Ownby may have relayed to you. First of all I was concerned that the people living on Bikini were short on vitamins and some other nutriments due largely to the absence of fresh fruits and vegetables. I recommend that the Health Aide routinely distribute multivitamins tablets to the ponulation there. This is particularly important for the children. Wouid it be possible for your ship to bring coconuts, pandanus and breadfruic from other atolls to supplement the Bikini dict? Second you will remember the Ad Hoc Committee recommended i calcium supplement to the dict of the Bikinians. This is presumed to veduce the absorption of radioactive strontium. We have looked into this and believe that powdered milk is the least expensive and most feasible source of calcium. It is true that some of the Marshallese peo ie have some degree of intolerance for milk. We found on Rongelag ama "oO shite: ren tested 3-4 had mild to moderate abdominal symptoms from wiih nui we do not believe this is severe enough to hinder absorptLon of odeuuate amounts. Even though pandanus and:other sources of Oe are wot tail. able yet and we have seen only very low strontium levels in the people. I believe we should at this time begin supplementing the diev on cine Bikinians with powdered milk so that they can learn to like it and use it in various food and drink preparations. In addition it is an eucellent source of protein. , I noted that each family unit was responsible for gathering Libor -~ jously by hand clean coral for their yards. f supegest that some mechan- ical means of screening larger amounts of coral be done by the builders. This would allow for additional thickness of coral around the houses which would further reduce gamma radfation. I was worried about the water situation on Bikini, it was true that when we were there it was near the end of the dry soason, but there wag hardly ‘cnough water (we were told) for the people even using all of the cisterns of the un- ae soyye ogeagror (516) 345-2123 OFS1?