Roentgen, Radium and Radioisotope Therapy [antikvár]

PREFACE w hen I first entered the field of therapeutic radiology, literature on the subject was very scant. Whatever practical material was obtainable from my association with various hospitals, from books, and journals, I arranged in logical order for my own use. As information became more available and the field larger, I continued to collect and sort out the most practical and useful of the material. After a number of years I accumulated a vast amount of information which has been of great value to myself, and which I feel would be of equal value to other students of radiology. The information should be of especial value to the radiologist, and alsó to specialists in other fields, who use roentgen ray and rádium in the treatment of disease, the dermatologist, the ophthalmologist, the otolaryng-ologist, the gynecologist and many surgeons. It should alsó be valuable to many internists, and generál practitioners, most of whom have radioscopic and radiographic x-ray equipment. These doctors must be made aware of the dangers of radiation, and the chapters on radiation injuries and their prevention should be of especial interest to them. The use of radioactive isotopes in the diagnosis and treatment of disease has created a tremendous interest in this new field. Practical material in a brief form on this subject is not readily available, and it has been my endeavor to sort out and present in useful form the most valuable of this information. Interest in radiation from every angle has been stimulated because of the advent of atomic energy, which will probably ultimately find a niche in every field of humán endeavor. The explosion of the atomic bomb makes it imperative that every doctor know how to treat the medical, surgical and radiation sequelse. I have especially stressed in this book the biological reaction to radiation, the diseases that are benefited by this form of treatment, how they are treated, and with what dosages. The physical aspects of radiation have been discussed thoroughly yet as briefly as possible, from a doctor's point of view. Up to this time there has been no physical explanation of roentgen and gamma rays. I have postulated a theory as to what these ionizing radia-tions actually are. My theory brings together practically all the known facts on roentgen and gamma rays. It has helped me greatly in the under-standing of these rays. The writing of this book has been a tremendous task. However, it has been very valuable to me, and I am sure it will be of value to others. A. J. Delario, M.D. Paterson, N. J.