!

10

at Rongelap Village and also at Utirik Village

Procedures

while carrying out the examinations on these
islands.

PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS

1964 SURVEY (10 YEARS POST EXPOSURE)

Since both the 1953 and 1964 surveys were
similar in scope and procedures, they will be de-

The 1964 survey did not include Utirik, since
these islanders are examined only every 3 to 4

vears in view of the small exposure they sustained
from the fallout. Examinations were carried out as
in 1963 at Rongelap, Ebeye, and Majuro, the ma-

jority being done at Rongelap. Table 2 shows the

distribution of Rongelap people on the various
atolls. Examinations were conducted on 70 of the

exposed Rongelap people, the 43 children of exposed parents, and 208 of the adults and children
of the comparison population. The survey team
consisted of 8 physicians and technicians from the
United States and 8 from the Trust Territory (see
Figure 2). The Trust Territory ships M/V Rogue
and M, V Ran Aam both aided in transporting the
team and equipment to and from RongelapAtoil.
The team lived at Rongelap Village for the examinanions on that island.

scribed together. Histories were taken by a Marshallese practitioner with particular emphasis on
the interval history during the past year. During
the 1964 survey Mr. Byron Bender, anthropologist from the Trust Territory, accompanied the
medical team and carried out exhaustive studies
on the genealogical background of the Rongelap.
people. These data are not published in this report, but are available to those interested. The
pediatrician on the 1963 survey (W.W/S.) carried
out further interviews with the Rangelap people
in order to establish more closely the ages of some
of the children, which were questionable.
Complete physical examinations on both children and adults were carried out in both years.
In addition, anthropometric measurements were

done on adults > 19 years of age in order to determine certain ethnic characteristics of the Mar-

Figure 3

shallese. During the 1963 examination extensive
anthropometric measurements were also carried

out on the children as part of the growth and development studies, and radiographs of their wrists
were taken for the same studies.
In [963 an opathalmologist carried out complete ophthalmological examinations including
slit-lamp observations.
Cancer detection, emphasized during examina-

ae

tions for both years, included an evaluation of the

history, special physical examinations, and certain laboratorytests.“ The family history did not
yield sausfactory information, since the incidence
of familial diseases including cancer was generally
unknown by the people. The history yielded some
information on changes in weaght, historyof ellness,
and, in the case of women, menstrual, obstetric,
and nursing history. In the physical examination

particular emphasis was piaced on examination of
the skin, node-bearing areas, head and neck.

chest, breast, abdomen, and external genitalia.

Pelvic examinations were carried out on ail mature
females. and vaginal and cervical smears for

Papanicolaou examinauons were obtained.** Rec-_

Figure 4 Marshallese man carrving a sack of copra.
Copra i the main product in the economy of the Islands.

“Dr £ Schackow and HL Atkins of Brookhaven National
Laboratory interpected the x-ras Ries.
**We wish to thane Dr Genevieve Bader of Memoria! Sloan
Kettering Cancer Center, New York. NY . for interpretation of
the Papanicolaou umeary.

gureo Aged

Select target paragraph3