TEST A: EXPLOSION IN AIR 



Air blast, as expected, was particularly injurious 

 to the exposed animals. Principal symptoms of air 

 blast injury were contusions and lung hemorrhages. 



Damage to animal's eyes was negligible.* 



Flash burns produced by the thermal radiation did 

 considerable damage to animals situated in a direct line- 

 of-sight from the detonation. Fur, of course, provided 

 important protection. The protection afforded by anti- 

 flash creams and clothing was evaluated successfully; 

 knowledge is now adequate for giving personnel maxi- 

 mum feasible protection against burns. 



Gamma radiation results developed more slowly. 

 Animals receiving only slight doses often appeared en- 

 tirely normal at first. Later some developed hemor- 

 rhagic patches ; a few showed partial loss of hair and 

 very few developed testicular atrophy. The more heav- 

 ily-exposed animals exhibited hyper-irritability, mus- 

 cular weakness, diarrhea, and increased rate of respira- 

 tion. Some of these were moribund, with exaggeration 

 of symptoms, bloody diarrhea, and inability to stand. 

 These symptoms appeared to have caused the animals 

 no intense pain. 



Just how does gamma radiation deal its blow '? This 

 was one of the questions uppermost in the minds of 

 Captain R. H. Draeger and Captain Shields Warren 

 as they studied the animals taken off the target ships. 



* This is in accord with experience at Hiroshima and Naga- 

 saki, where blindness was caused hy dust and smoke, rather than 

 hy the brilliance of the light. 



14! 



