Little Pigs at Bikini

The sorry animal survivors of the Bikini atom blasts were headed home. At the Naval Research Center at Bethesda, Md experts would study the effects of radiation-lesions, recoveries or lingering deaths. In other laboratories other experts were already hard at work on Bikini clinical material. Out of their studies, they hoped would come better understanding of "radiation sickness," newest, most fascinating and terrifying of man's self-inflicted ills.

Last week, the Navy told about the animals' ordeal. At Test Able (the air-burst bomb), there were 3,030 white rats, 176 goats and 146 pigs on 22 target vessels. Some were near the blast center, some far off. Some were sheltered, some exposed. About 10% died at once of air blast; 10% more had died, chiefly of radiation sickness, by late August. The same number, many presumably injured were killed for examination.

At Test Baker (the underwater bomb) the score was higher. Two hundred white rats and 20 pigs were confined in the sick bays of four ships near the bomb. All were well sheltered, and none of their ships was sunk. But 77 rats were dead soon after the blast. Forty-nine died later of lingering radiation sickness. Of the 20 little pigs that went to Test Baker, no little pig came home. Six were found dead when their shelters were entered four days after the explosion. All the rest died in two weeks.

Their fate supported Vice Admiral W. HP. Blandy's remark that the atomic bomb is a poison weapon" (TIME, Aug. 19).

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