PRIVACY ACT
replantation failed
MATERIAL RE
MOVED
to take and consequently the person must receive medication
for parathyroid function, in addition to thyroxine for thyroid function for the
rest of her life.
The Committee has asked Dr. Conard about the circumstances
surrounding this apparent accidental removal of an unaffected gland, as part of
a series of questions concerning
large number of questions
the past medical
(about 100)
reports.
Because of the
and the submission during December,
the answers have not yet been received, but will be included,
1972,
if relevant, in
subsequent reports by the Committee.
In conclusion,
it can be seen that the development of thyroid nodules
which was connected with other conditions (growth retardation) was one of the
important early findings and one which still bears constant watching for the
future health of these people.
Leukemia
During the September,
1972,
survey,
one 19 year old Marshallese youth
was found to have a low white blood cell count when examined on Rongelap.
This person, Ga. the son of the former Rongelap Magistrate Qygy
a. had been operated on for partial removal of his thyroid gland in
August, 1968.
Listed as Rongelap Case no. 54, he was admitted on August 4,
1968, to Brookhaven Hospital, and discharged 26 days later on August 30th.
The hospital summary from Brookhaven,
signed by Dr.
had "been very inconsistent in taking (thyroxine).''
Conard,
indicated that he
At the end of the summary,
it was noted by Dr. Conard that he was "To continue thyroid hormone therapy
for life.
A letter was sent to the Marshallese practitioner in charge of this
patient stressing the importance of continued thyroid hormone treatment."
(p.
72)
According to a communication from Dr.
1014123
ow
Conard, when last seen in 1971,