ATTACHMENT 11


                  BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY
                   ASSOCIATED UNIVERSITIES, INC.
                         UPTON, L.I., N.Y.
                        TEL. YAPHANK 4-6262

January 16, 1959



Dr. Charles L. Dunham, Director
Division of Biology and Medicine
Atomic Energy Commission
Washington 25, D.C.

Dear Chuck:

In view of the fact that the health of the Marshallese is such a
sensitive subject, we would like to obtain approval for carrying
out several procedures on the next survey which involve the use
of small trace amounts of radioactive materials.  Careful
consideration of such studies using trace materials is necessary
since a policy decision forbidding their use at all in these
people would seriously curtail future studies that may be quite
important both from the point of view of the health of the people
and for scientific reasons.  Therefore, perhaps each study should
be carefully considered, weighing the merit of the study against
the dose of radiation involved.

The following procedures are contemplated for the next survey and
preliminary work on them is being carried out using the steel
room at BNL.  These studies would be carried out only in
volunteers who may perhaps be given some compensation.

1.   In view of the finding of unexplained high protein bound
iodine levels in both exposed and unexposed Rongelap people, we
have devised an I131 thyroid uptake study which will involve oral
administration of only 1 uc of the isotope given orally with
water and, by using the highly sensitive gamma spectroscopy in
the steel room, it is possible to get a measure of the thyroid
uptake in 24 hours even with the administration of such a small
amount of I131.  This, as you know, is only a small fraction of
the usual tracer dose used and only a few mr of radiation would
be received by the individual.  We would like to do this study in
about 20 volunteers.  It would be ideal to do it in 10 exposed
and 10 unexposed people, but we would settle for 20 unexposed
people.

2.   A disturbing finding also in the Rongelap people as a whole
is the anemic tendency.  If we can determine the cause of their
low hematocrits, we might be able to help to correct it.  We are,
therefore, planning on doing a complete erythrocytic
investigation.  As part of this investigation, it would be
necessary to know the red cell mass.  To do this we would like to
use the Cr51 technique using tagged red cells which would amount
to about 10 uc of Cr51 injected, a very small fraction of the
M.P.C.  This study would be done on 10 unexposed people.

Dr. Charles L. Dunham                        January 16, 1959
                                -2-


3.   A third study would be designed to determine if changes in
skeletal growth and metabolism have resulted from their radiation
exposure.  A tracer technique using Sr85 would be used to measure
the size of the exchangeable calcium pool and the rate of
accretion of bone salts (ref. Bauer, C.H. and R.D. Ray, Kinetics
of Strontium Metabolism in Man, J. Bone and Joint Surgery 40:127,
1958).  This offers the only technique available which gives an
immediate index of bone growth and metabolism.  By using the
whole body counter with this technique, the administration of
only a very low tracer dose of Sr85 (5 uc) is required.  It is
proposed to do this study on 5 exposed and 5 unexposed Rongelap
volunteers.

It would be appreciated if you can let me know your decision on
these proposals (in whole or in part) at your earliest
convenience.  If you concur, will other approval be necessary
from other agencies, particularly the Trust Territory?

                              Sincerely,

                              Bob

                              Robert A. Conard, M.D.

p.s.  Everything is progressing smoothly.  We leave the middle of
February --
BMC:D                              January 27, 1959




Dr. Robert A. Conard
Medical Department
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Upton, New York

Dear Bob:

This is in response to your letter of January 16, 1959.  I will
comment in turn on the studies involving radioactive materials
which you have proposed for the Marshall Islanders this trip.

1.   I don't think this will give you the answer inasmuch as
there is no necessary relation between thyroid uptake and high
protein bound iodine.  In other words, I don't think it would be
worth the inconvenience to the people.

2.   Is Cr-51 so much more accurate than a dye when the necessary
correction factors are cranked in?  I am curious to know what are
the possible causes of the low hematocrits as well as the total
investigation that you plan to make.

3.   I would assume you would have to confine your activities to
adults in which case I don't think you would get much of a clue
from the study proposed as to the size of the exchangeable
calcium pool and the rate of accretion of bone salts.  Even in
growing experimental animals I am told that the results are not
very helpful.

                              Sincerely yours,

                              Charles L. Dunham, M.D.
                              Director
                              Division of Biology and Medicine

bcc:  Dr. Bruner

D/C Navy
Medical follow-up

REPOSITORY     Washington National Records Center
COLLECTION     32681-6
BOX No.        Box 1
FOLDER

OFFICE         DIR B&M   
SURNAME        CZD 
DATE           1/27/59 

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