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Figure 7. Hematology laboratory, RongelapIsland.
tioned wooden room containing .e hundredchannel analyzers and other electronic equipment
was located close to the steel room. A shower
facility was available on the upper deck. The
people were brought to the ship in a motor launch
and, after taking a soap and water shower and
donning papercoveralls, they went down tnto the
hold to the steel room. Taped music was piped in
during the procedure. From past experience the
people were accustomedto the procedure and
showedno fear, with the possible exception of a
few of the youngerchildren. Further description of
the gammaspectrographic 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 was used for taking histories
and performing physical examinations on the
people. The council house next door was used for
special examinations of the skin, aging studies,
urine collections and analyses, and x-ray examinations.
HISTORY AND PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS
Histories were taken by a Marshallese practitloner and an interpreter, with particular emphasis on the interval history during the past vear.
A special survey was again conductedbythe pediatrician to attempt to ascertain more accurately
the birth dates of the Rongelap people, particularly the children. Complete physical examinations were carried out including growth and
developmentstudies on the children (anthropo-
metric measurements and x-ray examinations of
the left wrist and hand for bone development studies); studies of aging criteria; special examinations
of the skin with color photographyofselected lesions; a special cancer detection survey; anda
dental survey.
CANCER DETECTION SURVEY
In the cancer detection survey, proceduresin-
cluded an evaluation ofthe history, special phys-
ical examination, and certain laboratory tests. The
family history did not yield satisfactory informa-