During the past 49 years, since the nuclear destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, both Japanese and US scientists have attempted to understand the medical and physical effects of those detonations. A major compilation of that work was published in 1992 as Genbaku Hoshasin no Jintai Eikyou (Effects of A-Bomb Radiation on the Human Body). Because of the great length and scientific complexity of the compendium by 39 authors, making it incomprehensible for laypersons and others not involved in radiation research, this brief, simplified digest outlining major findings was written. The digest contains 12 chapters, a summary, a glossary, and three forewords.
Each chapter outlines the major findings, with the first chapter providing the physical and mechanical damage data correlated with location and casualty estimates. Chapters 2 through 12 summarize and outline graphically the major findings related to malignant disease, endocrine and metabolic diseases, ocular lesions, dermatologic effects, chromosome aberrations, mutations,