DISCLAIMER

The following is a staff memorandum or other working document 
prepared for the members of the Advisory Committee on Human
Radiation Experiments.  It should not be construed as representing
the final conclusions of fact or interpretation of the issues. 
All staff memoranda are subject to revision based on further 
information and analysis.  For conclusions and recommendations of
the Advisory Committee, readers are advised to consult the Final
Report to be published in 1995.


			STAFF MEMORANDUM

TO:	Members of the Advisory Committee on Human 
	Radiation Experiments

FROM:	Advisory Committee Staff

DATE:	June 28, 1994

RE:	Documentation of Government Purpose:  Military Program 
	Research

	At its last meeting, the Committee discussed the value of 
obtaining higher-level documentation which lays out the purpose of 
experiments, and identifies those with particular government purposes.

	We enclose materials related to the "Joint Panel on the 
Medical Aspects of Atomic Warfare," which illustrates the value of 
this approach.

	As shown in Attachment 1, the Joint Panel was created by the 
Department of Defense Research and Development Board in 1949.  Its 
purposes included (1) surveying research and development "in the 
field of medical aspects of atomic warfare, both within and without 
the Military Establishment", (2) assessing goals and the adequacy of 
programs; and (3) annually recommending "[a]n integrated plan of 
research and development for military purposes in the field of 
medical aspects of atomic warfare."

	As shown in Attachment 2, periodic research digests were 
prepared.  The digests included work sponsored by the Atomic Energy 
Commission and the Public Health Service, as well as the military.  
As you will note, the listings place human experiments in the context 
of far greater numbers of non-human experiments.  The first 
experiment listed in Attachment B appears to have been a human 
experiment which was a subject of the June 19 Washington Post 
article.  The article noted that the experiment had not been 
identified to us by the DOD in its phase I search; Attachment B 
confirms the value of higher level documents as a check on the search 
for experiments.  

	As shown in Attachment 3, periodic descriptions of programs 
were prepared.

	As shown in Attachment 4, the Joint Panel conducted meetings 
at which, at least on occasion, human experimentation was discussed 
(Attachment 4, pp. 3-5).

	The attached documents were located and retrieved by Jim 
David of the Advisory Committee Staff in the National Archives.  We 
have asked the DOD to provide the remainder of the Joint Panel 
collection contained there, and to help identify further collections 
that may exist elsewhere.  We have also asked the DOD to help 
determine the entity(ies) to whom the Panel's responsibility was 
transferred upon the DOD reorganization in 1953.