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OCR for page 382
Veterans at Risk: The Health Effects of Mustard Gas and Lewisite
G
Public Hearing Announcement
PUBLIC HEARING ANNOUNCEMENT
COMMITTEE TO SURVEY THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF MUSTARD GAS AND LEWISITE
Wednesday, April 15, 1992
1:00 PM until 4:00 PM
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES LECTURE ROOM
2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C.
This committee will be holding a public hearing to encourage veterans who participated as subjects in mustard gas and Lewisite tests during their military service, or their families or representatives, to tell the committee their experiences in these tests and subsequent health problems. All information given to the committee will be considered, in addition to the published scientific literature, as part of the committee's overall task to:
Review the published literature on the long-term health effects of mustard gas and Lewisite
Summarize the strength of association between exposure to these chemicals and specific diseases
Identify gaps in the knowledge regarding the long-term health
OCR for page 383
Veterans at Risk: The Health Effects of Mustard Gas and Lewisite
effects associated with these chemicals
Recommend ways to decrease the gaps in knowledge that may be found.
Those interested in giving a brief oral presentation to the committee must respond, giving their name, address, and telephone number, by Monday, March 16th to:
Constance M. Pechura, Ph.D. (Staff Director)
Institute of Medicine
F03036
2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20418
TEL: 202/334-3387
FAX: 202/334-2939
The committee also encourages submission of information in written form to the above address; telephone calls will also be accepted. Attendance at the public hearing is not required for consideration of your experiences by the committee. Please contact the staff director for additional information.
VETERANS WHO APPEARED AT THE PUBLIC HEARING
Glenn Jenkins, Nokomis, Florida
Johnnie H. Ross, Robersonville, North Carolina
Richard Snow, West Sunbury, Pennsylvania
Nathan J. Schnurman, Charles City, Virginia
Richard W. Rawls, Stone Mountain, Georgia
Dan Gentile, Scottsdale, Arizona
George Avery, Salem, Oregon
David D. Fallin, San Antonio, Texas
Charles Cavell, Midlothian, Virginia
Stanley Weintraub, Washington, D.C.
Bernard Klonowski, Arlington, Virginia
Frank Kozdras, Port Charlotte, Florida
Millard Scudder, Dillsboro, Indiana
Russell H. O'Berry, Richmond, Virginia
Joseph L. Butash, Scranton, Pennsylvania
R. B. Moore, Mechanicsville, Virginia
Victor R. Barnhardt, Concord, North Carolina
Victor LaBate, Jarrettsville, Maryland
Elmer L. Hood, Monroe, North Carolina
Walter Langston, Rectortown, Virginia
OCR for page 384
Veterans at Risk: The Health Effects of Mustard Gas and Lewisite
SUMMARY OF HEALTH PROBLEMS REPORTED BY VETERANS
The following information is included to inform readers of the general types of health problems that were reported to the committee by the veterans. It is important to note, however, that this information was not collected in the rigorous manner required for quantitative analysis. Thus, no conclusions were drawn from the distribution or frequencies of specific diseases listed here by the committee and, likewise, such conclusions should not be drawn by the readers.
The total number of respondents represents each individual who contacted the committee through letters, phone calls, or appearances at the public hearing. The numbers indicated with serious injuries represent those veterans who were hospitalized within days following their exposure, whether or not this exposure was due to accidental explosions, normal testing conditions, or, in a very few cases, combat injuries. Some of the veterans also participated in other types of tests. Most often the additional tests were patch or drop tests of liquid mustard gas, but some others included atomic bomb tests and drug tests. Finally, the number with scars still present and the number of veterans who reported no health problems that they attribute to their exposure are also listed.
Finally, it should be noted that the disease and health problem categories are arbitrary and in some cases a number of different specific diseases are grouped into one category. For example, heart attacks, congestive heart problems, and angina are all listed under heart problems. Respiratory problems encompass difficulty in breathing, chronic colds and infections, lung collapses, and chronic cough. Esophageal stricture includes complaints of difficulty in swallowing.
Total Responses (as of June 29, 1992)
Total number of respondents
257
Number with serious injury
53
Number with scars
28
Number in other tests
21
Number reporting no health effects
12
Asthma
45
Chronic bronchitis
63
Laryngitis
25
Emphysema/lung disease
75
Conjunctivitis/opacities/keratitis
10
Skin rashes/blisters
55
Pneumonia (repeated)
16
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Veterans at Risk: The Health Effects of Mustard Gas and Lewisite
Sinus problems
16
Other respiratory problems
42
Cancers
Lung/laryngeal
6
Oral/nasal
1
Skin
20
Bladder
6
Prostate
6
Intestinal
1
Thyroid
1
Pancreas
1
Kidney
1
Leukemia/lymphoma
1
Unspecified
1
Tumors/polyps
Laryngeal
5
Intestinal
3
Brain
1
Heart problems
63
Vascular disease/stroke
15
Blood pressure problems
18
Chest pain
2
Diabetes
11
Cataracts/eye problems
50
Hearing problem
14
Nausea/stomach ulcers
22
Esophageal stricture
11
Hiatal hernia
6
Headaches
19
Arthritis/bone disease
40
Neurological problems
32
Depression/anxiety/post-traumatic stress disorder
52
Chronic pain
3
Alcoholism
3
Allergies
8
Blood/lymphatic disorders
6
Prostate disease
10
Kidney disease
10
Tuberculosis
4
Hepatitis B
1
Liver disease
4
Muscle spasms
2
Hair/tooth loss
4
Impotence/sterility/sexual problems
7
Genital burns and scars
7
Representative terms from entire chapter:
mustard gas
