Ask the Scholar

{
    "localId": "75730744",
    "label": "Memorandum to Mr. Roeder [A. Roeder], no date",
    "core": "doc",
    "dtoType": "document",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75730744"
}

{
    "id": "75730744",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75730744",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Memorandum to Mr. Roeder [A. Roeder], no date",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75730744",
    "collections": [
        "Safety Light Collection",
        "Records Related to Radium Dial Painters"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0003699_Page_1.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0003699_Page_1.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0003699_Page_1.jpg",
    "imageCount": 4,
    "hasImages": true,
    "source": "import",
    "hasTranscription": false
}

{
    "url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75730744",
    "naId": 75730744,
    "levelOfDescription": "fileUnit",
    "recordType": "description",
    "ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}

{
    "seq": 3,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0003699_Page_3.jpg",
    "mediaId": "9d3c493953cf4f2a",
    "ocrText": "3 -\n140\ninto the tissue and the gradual accumulation, then the amounts (as would be evident\nby the presence of radioactive elements in the jawbones which could be easily detected)\nof radioactivity present in the mouth although constantly present, is far too small to\nproduce local destruction of the tissue such as is produced by larger amounts of radio-\nactivity on skin or mucuous membranes.\nThis applies to irritative qualities of redioactivity produced by beta and gamma\nradiations, whereas alpha rediation emitted by rudium is not considered. During the ex-\ntraction of radioactivé elements in laboratories, likewise their use in the medical pro-\nfession, etc., burns and destruction of tissues occur due to the exposure to said radio-\nactive elements sealed in containers of glass or metal. Radiations which go through\nsaid containers consist only of beta end gamma rays representing only a fraction, that\nis 5% of the total radium energy The rest of the energy represented by alpha radia-\ntion is screened off by the glass or other material of which the container is made.\nThe alpha radiation emitted by the Radium elements are of very low penetrative\npower and is easily screened by 2 or 3 layers of ordinary cigarette paper but is very\nirritative to tissues. It would appear possible that small quantities of radioactive\nelements mixed with phosphorescent zinc sulphide and deposited on the tissue, acting up-\non\nseme for considerable intervals of time, may produce irritative effects by the above\nmentioned alpha radiations.\nIf said weak radiations are combined with physical-chemi.ce. irritating effects\nof zine sulphide and centered upon a certain spot of tissue for a long period of time,\nit could be assumed that under conditions it could produce local changes on the mu-\ncuous membranes, not directly comparable to the necrotic or vesicant effect of beta and\ngamme. radiations but sufficient to lower the resistance of the local tissues to\nthe\npathogenic bacteria's entrance and start of osteonecrosis.\nthat the cases in question are results of such joint effect of verious agents\nrather than of single ones, is the logical assumption so much more since effects of\nburns produced by radioactive elements are never progressive but heal eventually, con-\ntrary to the effects of the softx-ray radiations, and they never produce necrosis of\nthe bone.\nIn order to substantiate the former assumption and so establish what agent, or\ngroup of agents, was responsible for the pathological conditions in question, it\nis\nnecessary to diagnose correctly the number of said cases; diagnosis to be centered upon:\n(a) whether the disease is malignant or not, local or metasthasing\n(b) Whether it is bone necrosis with presence of some predominant bacterial;\n(c) whether this necrosis is local, or\n(d) whether it becomes constitutional, and if so after how long a time ffer the\nappearance of the first symptome\nCultures from local tissues and blood studies should solve the above question and\nestablish the diagnosis.\nRemark:\nCrystalline phosphorescent zinc sulphide is not soluble in ordinary solvents but\nit dissolves slowly in contact with tissues by oxydation."
}