The Horrors and Heroes of Hiroshima
Atomic Bomb Injuries
![Two page spread. On the left page are three photos in black and white. The top, rectangular photo is accompanied by text that reads, "A corpse with a number of subcutaneous bleeding flecks of different sizes all over the body." Under that is text in Japanese. The body is wearing a white cloth over and under their hip area. The hands are together over the stomach area. A hand from a person off camera is reaching and holding one of the hands. We see a side and part of the top of the person, from their head to about mid-thigh. There are dark, round circles on the person's arm, neck, face, chest, stomach, and leg that are in view. The largest circle is about the size of an American dime but most of the wounds are smaller than that. Beneath that is a picture of a person with the accompanying text reading, "Hiroshima. 1 km from the hypocenter. Died 28 days after. Bleeding specks on forehead and upper extremities. Epilation and gingivitis. White blood cell; 1,900. Platelet: 10,400. A photograph of a soldier just before his death. 21 years old. (Property of the former Military Medial College). The same text in Japanese is beneath that. The square photo shows a person from the chest up with the focus on the person's face. Their eyes are open and looking off camera to the right. They are bald and small, round wounds on their face, neck, arm, and chest. Their head is resting on a clean, white pillow. The photo at the bottom right of the page has accompanying text reading, "Hiroshima. 800 m from the hypocenter. Died 25 days after. Epilation and bleeding specks. 22 year old soldier. (Property of the former Military Medical College)" with the same text in Japanese under that. The square photo is from above a person's head. They are bald and small wounds are on their head. A hand is holding the left side of the head. Their eyes are open and they are looking straight forward, off camera. The second left page has four black and white photos. The picture on the left has the most text with it, reading, "Hiroshima (Funairi-machi). 1 km from the hypocenter. Received explosion inside the house, upstairs, with glass windows closed. Atomic bomb radiation sickness and folliclitis. A week after: epilation, anorexia, bleeding of gingiva and fever. 2 weeks after: white cell; 3,600, and red cell ; 3,800,000. 45 days after ; spores of the skin were fused into an abscess. Complained of pains. Photographed 49 days after the explosion. (Photo. by S. Kikuchi)" with the same text in Japanese underneath. The photo shows a person from the chest up. They are wearing a gray top with white intersecting lines, with sleeves gathered slightly at the shoulders, and a rounded neckline. Their hair is slight, thin and wispy. They are looking to the side so we see their side profile. Along the right side of the page are three smaller photos focusing on people's faces. We see a person whose eyes are closed but mouth is open and their tongue is sticking out to the right. The text says "Ulcers of tongue". The middle picture has a person who is looking at the camera. Their mouth is open and teeth and gums on display. The text reads, "Gingivitis". The bottom picture shows a person whose eyes are closed but mouth is open. A hand on their chin is pulling at the skin to show the inside of the bottom lip. The text reads, "Ulcers of lips. (These three photographs were kept in the former Military Medical College)"](https://exhibits.library.duke.edu/files/fullsize/24a4bdb0704c635c2eec8d93dc8ca407.jpg "Two page spread. On the left page are three photos in black and white. The top, rectangular photo is accompanied by text that reads, "A corpse with a number of subcutaneous bleeding flecks of different sizes all over the body." Under that is text in Japanese. The body is wearing a white cloth over and under their hip area. The hands are together over the stomach area. A hand from a person off camera is reaching and holding one of the hands. We see a side and part of the top of the person, from their head to about mid-thigh. There are dark, round circles on the person's arm, neck, face, chest, stomach, and leg that are in view. The largest circle is about the size of an American dime but most of the wounds are smaller than that. Beneath that is a picture of a person with the accompanying text reading, "Hiroshima. 1 km from the hypocenter. Died 28 days after. Bleeding specks on forehead and upper extremities. Epilation and gingivitis. White blood cell; 1,900. Platelet: 10,400. A photograph of a soldier just before his death. 21 years old. (Property of the former Military Medial College). The same text in Japanese is beneath that. The square photo shows a person from the chest up with the focus on the person's face. Their eyes are open and looking off camera to the right. They are bald and small, round wounds on their face, neck, arm, and chest. Their head is resting on a clean, white pillow. The photo at the bottom right of the page has accompanying text reading, "Hiroshima. 800 m from the hypocenter. Died 25 days after. Epilation and bleeding specks. 22 year old soldier. (Property of the former Military Medical College)" with the same text in Japanese under that. The square photo is from above a person's head. They are bald and small wounds are on their head. A hand is holding the left side of the head. Their eyes are open and they are looking straight forward, off camera. The second left page has four black and white photos. The picture on the left has the most text with it, reading, "Hiroshima (Funairi-machi). 1 km from the hypocenter. Received explosion inside the house, upstairs, with glass windows closed. Atomic bomb radiation sickness and folliclitis. A week after: epilation, anorexia, bleeding of gingiva and fever. 2 weeks after: white cell; 3,600, and red cell ; 3,800,000. 45 days after ; spores of the skin were fused into an abscess. Complained of pains. Photographed 49 days after the explosion. (Photo. by S. Kikuchi)" with the same text in Japanese underneath. The photo shows a person from the chest up. They are wearing a gray top with white intersecting lines, with sleeves gathered slightly at the shoulders, and a rounded neckline. Their hair is slight, thin and wispy. They are looking to the side so we see their side profile. Along the right side of the page are three smaller photos focusing on people's faces. We see a person whose eyes are closed but mouth is open and their tongue is sticking out to the right. The text says "Ulcers of tongue". The middle picture has a person who is looking at the camera. Their mouth is open and teeth and gums on display. The text reads, "Gingivitis". The bottom picture shows a person whose eyes are closed but mouth is open. A hand on their chin is pulling at the skin to show the inside of the bottom lip. The text reads, "Ulcers of lips. (These three photographs were kept in the former Military Medical College)"")
Please note: This exhibit includes graphic images and descriptions of the effects of the atomic bomb.
One of the unique aspects of Hiroshima Diary is that it is written by a doctor who is observing and chronicling the medical care he performs and the medical mysteries he encounters. As early as August 9th, Dr. Hachiya writes of feeling puzzled about a patient with a sore mouth, with numerous small hemorrhages in the mouth and on the skin. Dr. Hachiya wonders if the strange symptoms he is seeing are due to the sudden atmospheric pressure change from the bomb, but it is later revealed to be radiation sickness.
A passage that jumps out is from August 16th, about the condition of Mrs. Yoshida. “The inside of her mouth was swollen and ulcerated and her tonsils several inflamed. Her wounds, which appeared to be healing earlier, had reopened and become crusted with dirty blood clots. Her body was covered with pinpoint subcutaneous hemorrhages.” The next day, Dr. Hachiya writes, “I made rounds again in the late afternoon and discovered that one in every five or six patients had developed petechiae like the ones observed on Mrs. Yoshida. In some patients these subcutaneous hemorrhages were large and in others small. Patients with small subcutaneous hemorrhages had not recognized them, but those who had large ones asked me what they were. I soon discovered the tendency to subcutaneous hemorrhage was greatest in those who had been near the center of the explosion and that many who appeared to be uninjured were now showing petechiae. Since the spots were neither itchy nor painful, I was at a loss to explain their presence.” His fellow doctors suggest he check over his own skin and he is relieved to see that his skin is clear. Dr. Hachiya on the 21st of August does suffer from another symptom that arises—the amount of hair he is able to easily pull from his head makes him feel sick.
The doctors later observe many cases of severe gastro-intestinal symptoms and hair loss, none of which were connecting with the patients’ burns and other injuries. People who appeared to be recovering would develop these other symptoms and die without the doctors understanding the cause. On August 19th, a thought is put forward to study the white blood cells of patients, and a microscope from Tokyo arrives on the 20th. The microscopes in Hiroshima, including the one in the safe of the Communications Hospital, were damaged.
![Two page spread. On the left are three black and white photos. The largest photo on the top left shows a heart in colors of light gray with black splotches on it. The text next to the picture reads "H-8, 23, 26 days. Petechial bleedings of epicardium." The picture on the bottom left shows a triangle-shaped organ with large black blotches on it. The text reads, "H-22, 33, 32 days. Bleedings of mycardium." The bottom right picture shows another triangular or perhaps rectangular organ with a curve to it. This organ is not as clearly blotched. It has far more gradations of black and gray on it. The text reads, "H-16, 21, 28 days, Pulmonary bleedings." On the right page are three more black and white images. The top right image shows a kidney. Its stem is black and there are dark gray spots on it. The text reads, "H-22, 27, 31 days. Bleedings of pelvis renalis." The image at the bottom left of the page shows another view of the same kidney. The dark circles of petechial bleedings are clearer. The text reads, "Subcapsular bleedings of kidney in B-22", referring to the same kidney mentioned previously. The picture to the bottom right shows two connected ovals, mostly white on their outer walls, black in the center, with gray between. The text reads, "S-16, 14, 29 days. Bleedings from the wall of urinary bladder."](https://exhibits.library.duke.edu/files/fullsize/d3412e96147e90c8091a8440e1c31307.jpg "Two page spread. On the left are three black and white photos. The largest photo on the top left shows a heart in colors of light gray with black splotches on it. The text next to the picture reads "H-8, 23, 26 days. Petechial bleedings of epicardium." The picture on the bottom left shows a triangle-shaped organ with large black blotches on it. The text reads, "H-22, 33, 32 days. Bleedings of mycardium." The bottom right picture shows another triangular or perhaps rectangular organ with a curve to it. This organ is not as clearly blotched. It has far more gradations of black and gray on it. The text reads, "H-16, 21, 28 days, Pulmonary bleedings." On the right page are three more black and white images. The top right image shows a kidney. Its stem is black and there are dark gray spots on it. The text reads, "H-22, 27, 31 days. Bleedings of pelvis renalis." The image at the bottom left of the page shows another view of the same kidney. The dark circles of petechial bleedings are clearer. The text reads, "Subcapsular bleedings of kidney in B-22", referring to the same kidney mentioned previously. The picture to the bottom right shows two connected ovals, mostly white on their outer walls, black in the center, with gray between. The text reads, "S-16, 14, 29 days. Bleedings from the wall of urinary bladder."")
On August 26th, Dr. Hachiya reflects on the importance and necessity of autopsies. When Dr. Hachiya and his colleague Dr. Katsube perform an autopsy they see that the petechiae was not only on the body’s surface but on almost all of the internal organs. The blood within the abdominal cavity had not coagulated. That night, Dr. Hachiya posts a notice regarding radiation sickness with the information he has learned so far. The next day, a friend and professor of pathology, Dr. Tamagawa arrives, and even though there is a policy to not allow autopsies in Hiroshima, Dr. Tamagawa converts an outdoor shack into an autopsy room and laboratory.
![The left side of a two-page spread with two black and white photographs. The top photo shows five people lying on the floor. The person at the bottom of the photo is blurry, the person above them is bare-chested, with wrappings around their head, stomach, and one of their legs. This person and the person above them are the ones most clear in the photo. That third person appears to have injuries or medicine on their face, as it looks mottled. They have wrappings around their head, one hand, nearly the entirety of one arm, and their chest. This third and second person both have their knees bent and raised slightly. The fourth person has their back to the camera. They appear to have bandages around their head and arm, maybe around their lower body as well. The fifth person is mostly off camera. They all look like they are lying on top of blankets and some have hay under them as well. The text next to the photo reads, "Hiroshima. A number of soldiers suffering from severe wounds have filled each floor of the Fukuya Department Store, the inside of which was completely destroyed by fire. (Photo. by H. Miyatake on Aug. 9th)" with the Japanese translation under that. The photo on the bottom of the page shows two people, both wearing white lab coats. One is seated, wearing glasses, and writing. They are mostly facing toward the camera, but slightly angled, and they are looking down at what they are writing. The other person is standing next to a table, we mostly see their side profile from head to toe. They are wearing dark pants and shoes, their sleeves are rolled up, a dark apron is tied over their white lab coat, and they also wear a white hat or scarf. This person is looking down at what looks to be an organ on their table, with one hand visibly hovering above it. The room they are standing in looks like it is made up of incomplete wooden slats for the walls and floor, with large spaces in between. There is a white jug on the table, a white tray or dish, and in the foreground are rows of glass bottles and jars of various sizes with cork tops. The text above the picture reads, "Hiroshima. autopsy at the Teishin Hospital. (Photo. by S. Kikuchi on Oct. 8th) with the Japanese text underneath that.](https://exhibits.library.duke.edu/files/fullsize/f6cc5c08de98a947a3a811236f35791f.jpg "The left side of a two-page spread with two black and white photographs. The top photo shows five people lying on the floor. The person at the bottom of the photo is blurry, the person above them is bare-chested, with wrappings around their head, stomach, and one of their legs. This person and the person above them are the ones most clear in the photo. That third person appears to have injuries or medicine on their face, as it looks mottled. They have wrappings around their head, one hand, nearly the entirety of one arm, and their chest. This third and second person both have their knees bent and raised slightly. The fourth person has their back to the camera. They appear to have bandages around their head and arm, maybe around their lower body as well. The fifth person is mostly off camera. They all look like they are lying on top of blankets and some have hay under them as well. The text next to the photo reads, "Hiroshima. A number of soldiers suffering from severe wounds have filled each floor of the Fukuya Department Store, the inside of which was completely destroyed by fire. (Photo. by H. Miyatake on Aug. 9th)" with the Japanese translation under that. The photo on the bottom of the page shows two people, both wearing white lab coats. One is seated, wearing glasses, and writing. They are mostly facing toward the camera, but slightly angled, and they are looking down at what they are writing. The other person is standing next to a table, we mostly see their side profile from head to toe. They are wearing dark pants and shoes, their sleeves are rolled up, a dark apron is tied over their white lab coat, and they also wear a white hat or scarf. This person is looking down at what looks to be an organ on their table, with one hand visibly hovering above it. The room they are standing in looks like it is made up of incomplete wooden slats for the walls and floor, with large spaces in between. There is a white jug on the table, a white tray or dish, and in the foreground are rows of glass bottles and jars of various sizes with cork tops. The text above the picture reads, "Hiroshima. autopsy at the Teishin Hospital. (Photo. by S. Kikuchi on Oct. 8th) with the Japanese text underneath that.")
The photograph to the left at the bottom of the page shows an autopsy being performed at the Teishin Hospital, another name for the Communications Hospital where Dr. Hachiya worked. Pictured here is Dr. Tamagawa and perhaps Mr. Ogawa, a medical student from Okayama who is also referenced in Hiroshima Diary, as somebody who assists and takes notes for Dr. Tamagawa. This is the autopsy room and lab Dr. Tamagawa set up, and the specimen jars and bottles Dr. Hachiya searched for to give to Dr. Tamagawa.
The photograph above the autopsy lab photo shows a line of injured people sheltered at the Fukuya Department Store. The basement of the store was used as a first-aid station, and Dr. Hachiya describes it as a dark and gloomy cave. He decides not to enter, and is grateful for the light and ventilation at their hospital.
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