D|
—e
LO
posed groups, compared with that for the Marshall Islands as a whole in 1948-50 and for the
United States in 1940. The table also shows the
median ages. The lower median age of the Marshailese would seem to support the impression that
their life span ts shorter than that in the contnental United States.
During the interval between the surveys of 1958
and 1954 the peuple of Rongelap suffered no
During the interval between the 1959 and 1960
surveys the medical history of the people on Ron-
inajor epidemics. There were the usual bouts of
by the Navy, and among this group [0 cases of
influenza developed, two of wluch became com-
upper respiratory infections. A fewcases of chicken
pos developed tn April £958. two ofgreat severity,
one of which resulted in the death of a $6-year-old
tua (50) trom the exposed group. During the
sear Navy evacuation planes removed these two
cases to Kwayalein Hospital (150 mites away) for
Ireatmnent, and alse the following cases: perforated
appendix, threatened abortion, retatned placenta,
complicated delivery, pyelonephritis, and acute
dharrhea. Phree of these patients were in the exposed group. Four cases of fish poisoning occurred
dluring the year with the usual symptomsof nauva, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, double vision, and
ungiing sensations in the limbs. Cancer of the
ovary wasfoundin a 61-year-old woman in the
ixposed group. and the diagnosis was confirmed
gelap [sland was generally uneventtul. However,
an epidemic of influenza occurred in the Marshall
Islands in the spring of 1960, and, though Rongelap Atoll was spared, the epidemic reached serious
proportions on Kwajalein Atoll. About 20 of the
unexposed Rongelap control population had previously moved to Kwajalein Atoll for employment
plicated by pneumonia resulting in death - one in
a 33-year-old man ( 4933) and the other in a 64year-old man (3927). Both these men had com-
plicating diseases prior to influenza; one had sutfered a cerebral hemorrhage with hemiplegia several months earlier, and the other a urinarytract
infection, The 61-year-old woman with cancer of
the ovary, discovered in 1958, died in May 1959.
Unfortunately, nv autopsies were obtained on
these people. This brings the deaths to four fur
the exposed population. One other death occurred
in the unexposed control population on Rongelap,
that of a
S4.yenirakgwiieeed 3854) whodied of
by biopsy.
me
Year
Wornen aged
te 45
iPotal
pregnancies
Live
burths
“aaaa
M
°
e
1944"
19
I
Q
1979
20
o
5
4
i936
i457
1A
Wau
2th
21
23
22
6
3
I4
5
+
2
4
5
0
2
+
Ra
+7
‘d4
I
%
8
t
t
b
b
JS
4
9
2
2
1
2b
20
10
‘Votad
:~
fatal
18
18
18
17
0
*Locludes children dying chitine fist few hours alter birth
“*Lncludes only children qoacemved atter March b. bo5 4
Ltt
a
Qe ri
*
oe
3
to). AgMinaling in *
Miscagiagoslgs —bescangune
Unexposed
1946
[ag
1954
1954
re a
b