BVA9508332 
DOCKET NO.  93-14 371     )       DATE
          )
          )

On appeal from the decision of the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Manila,
Philippines

THE ISSUES

1.  Entitlement to service connection for irritable bowel
syndrome.

2.  Entitlement to an increased (compensable) evaluation for
malaria.

3.  Entitlement to an increased (compensable) evaluation for
dysentery.

4.  Entitlement to an increased (compensable) evaluation for
beriberi.

REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by: The American Legion

ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

Alice A. Booher, Counsel

INTRODUCTION

The veteran had active service from December 1941 to September
1942, during which time he was a prisoner of war (POW) of the
Japanese from April 10 to September 27, 1942.

This appeal is from a rating action by the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in Manila, Philippines in
January 1993.

In the January 1993 rating action, the RO also granted service
connection for a disorder characterized as "undernutrition", and
assigned as 10 percent rating from August 17, 1992, the date of
the veteran's claim.  In March 1993, the veteran raised the issue
of entitlement to an earlier effective date, which was denied by
the RO in a rating action in April 1993, and the veteran was so
informed.  The veteran's subsequent Notice of Disagreement in
April 1993, while acknowledging the RO's action on the earlier
effective date claim, was limited to the issues shown on the
front page of this decision.

Since September 1993, the veteran has been represented by The
American Legion, which made a written presentation on his behalf
in July 1994.

REMAND

Service connection was denied by the RO for a claimed heart
defect/disease in March 1954, May 1961, June 1962 and October
1989.  In correspondence received from the veteran in January
1993, he again raised the issue of service connection for heart
disease.  The veteran included the issue in his VA Form 9,
received in June 1993, as part of his claim for increased
compensation for beriberi ("including beriberi heart disease").

The veteran's service medical records show that on admission to
hospitalization the day after release from POW captivity in
September 1942, the veteran was described as having edema of his
lower extremities.  Since service, the veteran has had cardiac-
related diagnoses including "cardioneurosis" in 1948 (with
arrhythmias), and more recently, arteriosclerotic heart disease.

Ischemic heart disease is a disease for which service connection
may be granted on a presumptive basis for former POW's.
Effective August 14, 1993, 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(c) (1994) was
amended.  A note was added which was to the effect that the term
beriberi heart disease "includes ischemic heart disease in a
former prisoner of war who had experienced localized edema during
captivity".  The Board finds that this amendment may have
significant application in this case and should be taken into
consideration.

Based on the overall evidence of record, the Board finds that
additional development is required.  Accordingly, the case is
REMANDED for the following actions:

1.  After appropriate release from the
veteran, the RO should attempt to obtain
legible copies of all clinical records from
private physicians or facilities which may
have treated the veteran for pertinent
disabilities since 1991 including from the
District Hospital in Aparri, Cagayan.

2.  The veteran should then be afforded a
comprehensive VA cardiovascular
examination.  All necessary laboratory and
other testing should be conducted.  The
examiner is requested to comment on the
presence or absence of beri-beri (ischemic)
heart disease.  The claims folder must be
made available to, and reviewed by the
examiner prior to the examination.

3.  The RO should then review the case with
regard to all issues including evaluations
of service-connected disabilities and
service connection for beri-beri (ischemic)
heart disease under pertinent regulations.
If the decision remains unsatisfactory, a
Supplemental Statement of the Case should
be prepared, and the veteran and his
representative should be afforded an
opportunity to respond.

Thereafter, the case should be returned to the Board for further
appellate review.  The veteran need do nothing further until so
notified.

          RENÉE M. PELLETIER
          Member, Board of Veterans' Appeals

The Board of Veterans' Appeals Administrative Procedures
Improvement Act, Pub. L. No. 103-271, § 6, 108 Stat. 740, ___
(1994), permits a proceeding instituted before the Board to be
assigned to an individual member of the Board for a
determination.  This proceeding has been assigned to an
individual member of the Board.

Under 38 U.S.C.A. § 7252 (West 1991), only a decision of the
Board of Veterans' Appeals is appealable to the United States
Court of Veterans Appeals.  This remand is in the nature of a
preliminary order and does not constitute a decision of the Board
on the merits of your appeal.  38 C.F.R. § 20.1100(b) (1994).