Radon up your nose!

Irradiation of people blossomed into big business for Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore since its humble beginnings in 1912. Hopkins then decided to participate in the emerging radioactivity craze and sent one of their experts to Vienna to purchase 200 milligrams of radium. He carried it for a few hours in a lead wrapping in his pocket, but soon developed nausea and skin burns that took weeks to heal. In the 1930s, Hopkins devised an applicator with a capsule containing radon gas that could be inserted into the nose to irradiate and shrink adenoids and cure deafness.

The bid break came during World War II. Before the advent of pressurized planes, about one third of Air Force pilots was grounded by temporary deafness caused by air pressure changes during flight. Submariners and divers had similar problems. Hopkins claimed it had the cure and obtained a contract from the government to set up irradiation programs at military bases. Long-lasting radium replaced radon in the applicators and tens of thousands of servicemen were treated over the next 20 years. At least 5,000 submariners were treated in Groton, CT, and many thousands of civilians after the physician set up lucrative private practice in New London, CT.

From the '40s to the '60s, up to 2.6 million American children were treated with Nasal Radium Irradiation, a procedure promoted by Johns Hopkins, for enlarged adenoids or tonsils and mundane problems, such as head colds, stuffy noses, sore throats, and ear infections. The radioactive doses to children were 2,000-13,000 rad to nasopharynx, 100 rad to thyroid, 50-100 rad to the pituitary gland, and 15-40 rad to the brain. This "amazing" treatment reportedly helped children blossom into higher grades, improved their self-esteem, and even their looks.

Although radiation was proven harmful already in 1940s, Hopkins still claimed in 1960: "These treatments have now been given for more than a quarter of a century to hundreds of thousands of patients and no instance of damage from irradiation has yet been reported."

Decades later, tumors, thyroid and immune disorders, brittle teeth, reproductive problems and various bizarre diseases started to appear. The government appointed an Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments, chaired by a professor of bioethics at Johns Hopkins. It decided to provide screening and health care to Veterans who received NRI. But, although the cancer risk to treated schoolchildren is ten times higher, it declined even to notify civilian patients. Johns Hopkins and the government have never admitted any liability.

Fair Treatment
The Hartford Courant 4/17/99: Federal government does little for suffering civilians