What were the effects of RadiThor?

At the recommendation of a doctor in Pittsburgh, Ebenezer started drinking something called Radithor. This was a patented energy drink like medicine made up of distilled water and just the littlest bit of an element called radium. As Byers began to take the drink, he felt energized, invigorated, and full of energy.

What is the use of RadiThor?

Radithor was advertised as an effective treatment for over 150 “endocrinologic” diseases, especially lassitude and sexual impotence. Over 400,000 bottles, each containing over 2 muCi (74 kBq) of radium, were apparently marketed and sold worldwide between 1925 and 1930.

Do people still use RadiThor?

Ultimately, in the interest of protecting public health, the federal government closed down the Bailey Radium Laboratories – the company that made RadiThor – and radium-containing energy drinks disappeared from the consumer market by 1932. Radioactive drinks are no longer on the market.

How was RadiThor radioactive?

Byers was buried in a lead-lined coffin; when exhumed in 1965 for study, his remains were still highly radioactive and measured at 225,000 becquerels. As a comparison, the roughly 0.0169 g of potassium-40 present in a typical human body produces approximately 4,400 becquerels.

What happens if you drink radioactive water?

Drinking water that has radionuclides in it puts you in contact with very low doses of radiation every day. You have a higher risk of getting cancer if you drink water with radionuclides in it every day for many years.

Why did radium make you feel good?

“The invigorating effects of the radium give a pleasant sense of well being to the radio-activity absorbed by one’s body, which is retained for several hours after the treatment,” the article said. Even more captivating to the affluent members of society was the introduction of radium water.

Why did Ebenezer Byers drink radium?

In 1927, during one of his matches, he tripped and injured his arm. The wound wasn’t very bad, but it provoked a lot of pain, something Byers was not used to. Therefore his medic prescribed Radithor for faster healing besides all its other hypothetical benefits.

What did radium cure?

Immediately, the therapeutic properties of radium rays against cancer were recognised. The use of radium in medicine became so common that every kind of disease was treated by radium therapy: not only breast cancer, but also, diabetes, sciatica, uraemia, rheumatism, and even impotence!

How did Eben Byers lose his jaw?

In 1931 he got a surprise as his jaw literally fell down. The high consumption of radioactive water made his tissue and bones disintegrate from the inside. He didn’t feel much pain as all of his nerves were also melted by the substance in time.