In the three year report these included:
1.

The language barrier, although the team was aided by interpreters.

2.

Lack of vital statistics concerning births,

3.

Related to no. 2 is the unreliability or absence of records of
exact ages of some of the Marshallese.

4.

Unhygienic living conditions also complicated the medical picture

would help in evaluating medical findings.

(the presence of parasites,

hygiene).
5.

deaths,

chronic skin diseases,

etc., which

and poor oral

Lack of a good comparison, or control group (this was later solved
when a number of Rongelapese and Utirikese who were not exposed

moved back with the exposed people.)

In all of the subsequent reports, the first three problems are repeatedly
listed as being continuing difficulties.

Of special interest were additional

comments regarding the attitudes and questions of the Rongelapese and Utirikese,
which appeared in the five and six year report (1959 survey) and the seven
year report (1961 survey).

Because these reports are extremely important in

characterizing certain issues connected with the surveys in the past,

they

are reproduced here completely, with no summarizing:
From the 1959 report:

(p.6)

"ATTITUDES OF RONGELAP PEOPLE
"When the team arrived at Rongelap, the magistrate of the village
indicated that there was some confusion and uncertainty in the minds
of some of the people as to the necessity and significance of repeated
medical examinations.
He thought it wise to call a meeting of the
village people in the council house so that they could ask questions
to help clarify the situation.
For the past 5 years during which the
annual examinations have been going on there had been no problem in
maintaining excellent rapport with the people, and, indeed, the relations
of the team members with the Rongelapese were always cordial and friendly.
Lt was recognized that there was slightly increasing resistance to blood
sampling procedures.

Also there was some discontent

chat,

because of the

high Sr 0 content, they were forbidden to eat coconut crabs, which they
consider a delicacy (Figure 4).
Since the return of the people to
Rongelap, copra production had not increased to the extent that the Trust
Consequently, since copra production is
Territory officials had hoped.

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