Before the survey at Rongelap, the team visited
Kwajalein and Majuro for several days to carry out .
examinations on a number of Rongelap people
who had moved to these Islands.
A Trust Territory ship, the M/V Ran Anim,
transported the team and equipment to Rongelap o+m
on March 4, 1962 (Figure 3). A tent had beenset *
1:
up on the Island and one of the village houses
a
aSome
rented to serve as living quarters for the team. On 3
arrival, after greeting the Magistrate and other vil- 32.
lage dignitaries, it was Icarned that the ‘death of -*é
an aged woman had occurred the previous day, °.
and that an autopsy was to be permitted on the
body. Establishing living quarters and setting up
laboratory equipment and examinationfacilities
in addition to carrying out the autopsy occupied
the beiter part of the first day, Late in the afternoon
TBR ee spe ae be wT
Re
Figure 3, Trust Territory ship Ran Animat anchor,
Rongelap Lagoon.
the funeral for the deceased took place. The medical
examinations on the people began the following
ical examination, and certain laboratory tests. The
family history did not yield satisfactory informa-
The examinations were carried out ashore at
Rongclap Village. As in the past the dispensary
ing cancer was generally unknown by the people.
The history yielded some information on changes
in weight, history of illness, and, in the case of
day.
was used as a laboratory for the hematological and
other laboratory procedures. The adjacent school
building was used for taking histories and perform-
ing physical examinations on the people, The coun-
cil house next door was used for special examinations of the skin, urine collections and analyses,
and x-ray examinations.
HISTORY AND PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS
Histories were taken by a Marshallese practitioner and an interpreter, with particular emphasis
on the interval history during the past year. A
special survey was again conducted by the pediatrician to attempt to ascertain more accurately
the birth dates of the Rongelap people, particularly
the children. Complete physical examinations were
carried out tacluding growth and development
studies on the childrcn (anthropometric measurements and x-ray examinations of the left wrist and
hand for bone development studies) ; special exam-
inations of the skin with color photography of
sclected lesions, a special cancer detection survey;
tion, since the incidence of familial diseases includ-
women, menstrual, obsfttric, and nursing history.
In the physical examination particular emphasis
was placed on examination of the skin, node-bearing areas, head and neck, chest, breast, abdomen,
and external genitalia. Pelvic examinations were
carried out on all mature females, and vaginal and
cervical smears for Papanicolaou examination were
obtained.* Rectal examinations were carried out
on all persons >40 years of age. This included, in
the case of men, palpation of the prostate gland.
Chest plates were not taken routinely but were
obtained on about * V adults >40 years of age (and
on certain other cases where indicated).** Hematological data were obtained and were available
for evaluation.
In detection of possible leukemia (or preclinical
evidence of incipicnt Icukemia) the lymph nodes
and spleen were carefully examined, and hematological data were taken including routine hemograms, percent basophils in a 4000 white cell count,
and alkaline phosphatase examinations of the white
blood cells on differential smears.
and an ophthalmological survey.
CANCER DETECTION SURVEY
In the cancer detection survey, procedures included an evaluation of the history, special phys-
*We wish to thank Dr. Genevieve Hader of Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, N.Y.C., for interpretation
of the Papanicolaou smears.
**We are grateful to Dr. Paul Lichiblau of Rockville
Centre, L.L, N.Y., for interpretation of the chest roentgenograms.