6
| Sehildren Jhtare part of the control series for
the growth and development studies. Several
Rongelap people of the exposed group and the
comparison population group who were living in
Majuro were also examined.
The Navykindly furnished a ship. the LST
CYS Duval County. The team met at Eniwetok
where the ship had putin to onload the 21!-ton
stéei room which had been stored there and also
the medical equipment and supplies. The medical
team was berthed and fed aboard the ship for the
expedition. The ship was beached at Rongelap
and Utirik for easy accessibility to the villages.
Attitudes of Rongelap People
When the team arrived at Rongelap, the magistrate of the village indicated that there was some
confusion and uncertaintyin the minds of some of
the people as to the necessity and significance of
repeated medical examinations. He thought it
wise to cal] a meeting ofthe village people in the
council house so that they could ask questions to
help clarify the situation. For the past 3 years dur-
ing which the annual examinations have been go-
continued examinations were essential in order to
detect and treat any untoward effects. should thev
arise. The coconut crab problem was brought up
again, and the reasons for prohibiting their con-
sumption carefully explained through the interpreter. To correcta misconception that several
cases of fish poisoning during the past vear had
been due to eating radioactive fish, it was explained that Ash poisoning had been going onin
these islands for years and was not connected with
radioactivity. After much discussion, it seemed
that the people were satished with answers to the
questions, and preparations for the examinations
proceeded, Thereafter complete cooperation and
the usual friendly relations prevailed throughout
the stav on the island.
During the examinations a United Nations team
visited Rongelap. A meeting with the people was
held in the church (Figure 5), and many aspects of ‘
As5
the Rongelap situation were discussed. The report
of the UN group was favorable towardthe special
r
medical assistance being rendered the people.
od
Upon completion of the 1959 survey, a mteeting z
Is
©
yt
was held for the people, and they were advised7
that they were found to be generally in good”
ing on there had been no problem in maintaining
excellent rapport with the people. and, indeed, the
relations of the team members with the Rongelapese were always cordial and friendly. It was
recognized that there was slightly increasing re-
posure apparent, but that continued examinations
would be necessary in order to insure continued
good health. They were also advised to try to im-
was somediscontent that, because of the high Sr?°
to control theflies on the island.
sistance to blood sampling procedures. Also there
content, they were forbidden to eat coconut crabs,
which they consider a delicacy (Figure 4). Since
the return of the people to Rongelap, copra production had not increased to the extent that the
Trust Territory officials had hoped. Consequently,
since copra production is the prime source of in-
come, there was some concern over the slowness
with which the people were getting back on their
feet economically. It had become necessary to extend food subsistence beyond the time originally
planned. Fishing was not being carried on as
actively as it should havebeen.
At the village meeting the main questions centered around the necessity for the continued medical examinationsin view of statements on the part
of the medical team in the past that the people
were generally in good health. It was difficult to
explain to them that, though they appeared to be
in good health and to have recovered from the
acute effects of radiation, very little was known
about the possible late effects of radiation, and
1185996
healch with noserious effects of their radiation ex-
prove their oral hygiene and observesanitaryrules
Before the team left the island, a party was held
for the Rongelapese. The Navy kindlyfurnished
a meal, and small gifts were exchanged as tokens
of appreciation of mutal cooperation.
Figure 4. Coconut crab (robber crab, B:rgus fatro}, considered a delicacy by the Marshallese. (Photo courtesy
American Museum of Natural History, New York, N.Y.)