714356

ADDRESS REPLY TO
THE AREA ENGINEER

EIDM R1

24 October 1946

Subject: Uranium Studies in Humans.
To: The Area Engineer, Madison Square Area, New York, N. Y.
(Attention: Mr. Joseph H. Hayner)

1. Attached is copy of letter received from Dr. Andrew H.
Dowdy, Director of the Manhattan Department, University of Rochester,
regarding request of Dr. Samuel H. Basset to give a departmental
seminar on the excretion rate of uranium in humans.

2. As Dr. Dowdy states, all of the work on uranium experiments
performed at the University of Rochester have been declassified.
However, none of the work performed on humans has been declassified.
Dr. Dowdy states that the patients were Dr. Bassett's, but it should
be borne in mind that all the work performed by Dr. Bassett was
performed at the request of the Manhattan District Medical Section.
This seminar is to be conducted for persons who are all Doctors of
Medicine and it is doubtful if this information would get out to any
of the families of the patients or the patients on whom the experiments
were performed. Other substances besides uranium which Dr. Bassett
used are still on the classified list and this information will not
be divulged at the seminar.

3. At the time these experiments were started, this office was
given strict orders that the information should not be released to
any but authorized persons. Almost all the correspondence and result
of experiments were exchanged between Dr. Wright Langham at Santa Fe
and Dr. Bassett of the University of Rochester. This rule is still
in effect on some of the material that Dr. Bassett is using and
knowledge of the experiments is kept from personnel at the Rochester
Area.

4. With the above in mind, it is requested that the decision be
advanced as soon as possible as Dr. Bassett would like to give this
seminar within a month.

For the Area Engineer:

R. S. PEARSON
Administrative Assistant.

Incl.:
#3A ltr dtd 22 Oct. 1946