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tion, since the incidence of familial diseases including cancer was generally unknown by the
people. The history yielded some information on
changes in weight, historyof illness, and, in the
case of women, menstrual, obstetric, and nursing
history. In the physical examination particular
emphasis was placed on examination ofthe skin,
node-bearing areas, head and neck, chest, breast,

abdomen, and external genitalia. Pelvic examinations were carried out on all mature females, and

vaginal and cervical smears for Papanicolaou
examination were obtained.* Rectal examinations
were carried out on all persons >40 yearsof age.

This included examination of the feces for blood

(guaiac testing of the feces on finger cot) and, in
the case of men, palpation of the prostate gland.
Chest plates were not taken routinely but were obtained on about 30 adults > 40 years of'age (and
on certain other cases were indicated).** Hema-

tological data were obtained and were available
for evaluation.
In detection of possible leukemia (or preclinical
evidence of incipient leukemia) the lymph nodes
and spleen were carefully examined, and hematological data were taken including routine hemograms, percent basophils in a 4000 white cell
count, and alkaline phosphatase examinations of
the white blood cells on differential smears.

used in previous surveys, except those for hearing
loss and retinal arteriosclerosis, were used again

during this survey, since interesting trends of agedependent changes had been observed. During
this survey, as in the past, aging criteria were
recorded on adults aged 20 years and over. Of
the 130 adults examined 45 were in the exposed
group and 85in the larger comparison population.
From Table 2, which showsthe age distribution,
it can be seen that it would have been desirable
to have had more people in the upper age bracket of the comparison group.
Of the 15 aging criteria studied, 8 were measured directly and 6 were estimated on a 0 to 4+

scale. Five tests involved the integument: (1) skin
loosness, (2) skin elasticity (retraction time), (3)

senile changesin the skin, (4) graying of the hair,
and (5) baldness. Three tests involved the special
sense organs: (1) accommodation,(2) visual acuity, and (3) arcus senilis. The cardiovascularsystem was tested by (1) systolic and (2) diastolic

pressure readings, and (3) estimation of degree of
peripheral arteriosclerosis. There was onetest of
neuromuscularfunction (hand tally count). Vigor
was measured by hand strength measurements

with a dynamometer.
Because of sex differences some of the abovecriteria were evaluated separately for the two sexes;

those were baldness, neuromuscular function, and

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
STUDIES IN CHILDREN

In addition to the routine pediatric examinations, certain special anthropometric measure-

ments on the children were recorded. Such data

included age, weight, stature, sitting height, head
circumference, biacromial width, bi-iliac width,

and calf circumference. Roentgenographsofthe
left wrists were studied for skeletal maturation.
AGING STUDIES

A detailed report of the procedures used in the
studies of aging criteria in the Rongelap people
was published in the last report’ and will not be
repeated here. The batteryof tests that had been
*We wish to thank Dr. Genevieve Bader of Memorial Sloan-

Kettering Cancer Center, N.Y.C., for interpretation of the

Papanicolaou smears.
**We are grateful to Dr. Paul Lichtblau of Rockville Centre,
L.L. N.Y., for interpretation of the chest roentgenograms.

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hand strength.
In order that the estimated and measured data
could be compared and combined, both types of
data were converted to a percentage scale. The
estimated values 0, 1+, 2+4+,3+,and4+4 were
presented also as 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% respectively. In the case of the measured data,the values

associated with least aging were taken as 0%
(sometimes the highest reading as with hand
strength; sometimes the lowest, as with visual acuity), and those indicating most aging as 100%.
‘The data were examined on both anindividual
basis and a population basis. A mean age score
was obtained for each individual by averagingall
his percent test values. In studying population
trends, means were calculatedfor each criterion

by 5-year age groups (in most cases) including
combined exposed and unexposed populations;
these were plotted and a curve was drawn according to the best fit by eye. A curve was obtained in
the same way of the 5-year group meansof the

individual mean age scores. The combining of

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