LO Figure 7. Hematology laboratory. Rongelap Island. tioned wooden room containing the hundred- HISTORY AND PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS facility was available on the upper deck. The tioner and an interpreter, with particular em- and, after taking a soap and water shower and donning papercoveralls, they went downinto the hold to the steel room. Taped music was piped in during the procedure. From past experience the A special survey was again conductedbythe pediatrician to attempt to ascertain more accurately the birth dates of the Rongelap people, par- channel analyzers and otherelectronic equipment was located close to the steel room. A shower people were broughtto the ship in a motor launch people were accustomed to the procedure and showed nofear, with the possible exception of a few of the youngerchildren. Further description of the gamma spectrographic methodswill be presented later. The other examinations were carried out ashore at Rongelap village. As in the past the dispensary was used as a laboratory for the hematological and other laboratory procedures (Figure 7). The adjacent school building wasused for taking histories and performing physical examinations on the people. The council house next door wasused for special examinations of the skin. aging studies, urine collections and analyses, and x-ray examina- tions. Histories were taken by a Marshallese practi- phasis on the interval history during the past year. ticularly the children. Complete physical exami- nations were carried out including growth and development studies on the children (anthropometric measurements and x-ray examinationsof the left wrist and hand for bone developmentstud ies): studies of aging criteria; special examinations of the skin with color photographyofselected le- sions; a special cancer detection survey: anda dental survey. CANCER DETECTION SURVEY In the cancer detection survey, procedures included an evaluationof the history, special phys- ical examination, andcertain laboratorytests. The family history did not vield satisfactory informa-