PREFACE Wright's intense interest in plutonium con- This report of the health of war-time Los Alamos plutonium workers was inspired by Wright H. tinued until his untimely death. Langham and is dedicated to his memory. draft of this manuscript and a number of now de- Wright's In fact, an early keen interest in plutonium is known to everyone and, classified war-time reports on plutonium experiences as one of the if not the world's authority on pluto- were with him at the time of the fatal plane crash. nium biochemistry and toxicity, he was the first to Although Wright died before he could write his be called upon by our government as well as those interpretation of the present data, he contributed of other countries whenever plutonium problems enormously to the report in the course of dis- arose. cussions of the subject during the winter of 1971- His ultimate concern, of course, was the toxicity of plutonium in man and, in this connec- 1972. tion, he organized the UPPU Club composed of the suffers greatly by not having Wright's direct par- subjects of this study. ticipation, the authors have tried to write a He kept in close touch with Although we are well aware that the study the Club members by periodic circulation of friendly report of which he would have been proud. UPPU Newsletters. effort to make the report into a personal living It was undoubtedly the humor and In an enthusiasm expressed in these Newsletters that has story, which it was to Wright, we have included been responsible for the excellent cooperation of many of the anecedotes that Wright Loved to tell. the UPPU Club members in this study. iii