CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INJURIES TO PERSONS

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INJURIES TO PERSONS
Injuries to persons resulting from the atomic explosions
were of the following types:
A. Burns, from
1. Flash radiation of heat
2. Fires started by the explosions.
B. Mechanical injuries from collapse of buildings, flying
debris, etc.
C. Direct effects of the high blast pressure, i.e., straight
compression.
D. Radiation injuries, from the instantaneous emission of
gamma rays and
neutrons.
It is impossible to assign exact percentages of casualties
to each of the types of injury, because so many victims
were injured by more than one effect of the explosions.
However, it is certain that the greater part of the casualties
resulted from burns and mechanical injures. Col. Warren,
one of America’s foremost radioligists, stated it is probable
that 7 per cent or less of the deaths resulted primarily
from radiation disease.
The greatest single factor influencing the occurrence of
casualties was the distance of the person concerned from
the center of explosion.
Estimates based on the study of a selected group of 900
patients indicated that total casualties occurred as far out
as 14,000 feet at Nagasaki and 12,000 feet at Hiroshima.
Burns were suffered at a considerable greater distance
from X than any other type of injury, and mechanical injuries
farther out than radiation effects.
Medical findings show that no person was injured by radioactivity
who was not exposed to the actual explosion of
the bombs. No injuries resulted from persistent radioactivity
of any sort.