[ RadSafe ] Bubble Sextant unusual item called Q-ray blanket containing radium(?) or Uranium(?)

Sun Feb 11 23:32:22 CST 2007

Dear radsafers,

During early seventies, some one brought an item called " Q-ray
blanket" to the erstwhile MRC Environmental Radiation Research Unit,
located in one of the subbasements of the Leeds General Infirmary. This
lab was then attached to the Department of Medical Physics, University
of Leeds; if my recollection is correct , it must have been brought by
a scientist working in the Leeds regional centre of the National
Radiological Protection Board;

The device contained a few microcuries of radium contained  in  an
asbestos matrix. It also had a fine heating  element which could be heated electrically. The "blanket" was recommended for use to
cure a variety of diseases. On the sheet pasted to the device there was
a write up to the effect that the curative effect of the blanket was
appreciated by some members of British Parliament. I do not know what
happened to the blanket after measurement, possibly it must have been
sent for safe disposal!

A google search threw up the following URL

http://www.pems.adfa.edu.au/~htimmers/level1/Teaching/Health02/NucMed.pdf

It  refered to the blanket thus:

" Other unusual products included radioactive corsets for the treatment
of backache, and a more unusual  example of a curative device was the
Q-ray electro compress. Such a compress was bought by a school teacher
at a jumble sale in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire in 1986. The dry
compress contained natural uranium sewn into an electric blanket and
was claimed to combine the natural properties with heat. At the request
of the local police this blanket was retrieved by the local Medical
Physics Department  at Queen's Medical Centre, Nottigham, for disposal
and was found boxed complete with manufacturer's literature including
medical testimonials and photographs of the compress in use at St
Thomas Hospital London"

Now I am not sure that the blanket contained radium or uranium

Is there any one in the list with further information?
K.S.Parthasarathy

----- Original Message ----
From: "Gaglierd, Tony" <TGaglierd at achd.net>
To: "radsafe at radlab.nl" <radsafe at radlab.nl>
Sent: Monday, 12 February, 2007 3:50:01 AM
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Bubble Sextant

While cleaning out the former residence of a gentleman who was a chemist on
the Manhattan Project a relative using Geiger counters that the gentleman
had, found elevated radiation levels in the basement. I responded to the
call and found two Bubble Sextants manufactured by Bendix Corp.

"AIRCRAFT OCTANT / MARK IV / BUR. OF AERO. U.S. NAVY / SER. NO. 989-41 /
ORDER NO. 83600 / F.S.S.C. NO. 88-0-250 / MFRD. UNDER PATENTS NOS / 1556994
1674500 1970543 / 2221152 / OTHER PATENTS PENDING / PIONEER INSTRUMENT /
DIVISION OF BENDIX AVIATION CORPORATION / BENDIX, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A."

I also found Two Bubble Sextants manufactured by Bausch & Lomb. 

"U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS AIRCRAFT OCTANT / TYPE NO. A-8 SERIAL NO. A.C.40-10 /
SPECIFICATION NO. 27914 / ORDER NO. AC-144464 / MFR'S ASS'Y DWG. NO. 277728
/ BAUSCH & LOMB OPTICAL CO. / ROCHESTER, N.Y. U.S.A." and "U.S. PATS.
1,531,615; 1,674,550; 1,703,705; 2,080,851"

>From the Smithsonian Museum of natural history web site:
http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/navigation/object.cfm?recordnumber
=451519

I found the following information:

The Mark IV bubble sextant has a mechanism designed by Lt. Comdr. Ira Hobbs
of the Naval Aircraft Factory that averaged observations along with the
times at which they were made. It also has a novel method of illuminating
the bubble designed by Gregory Rylsky, an engineer employed by Pioneer. The
form was introduced in 1941 and remained in use throughout the war.

Bausch & Lomb made this instrument for the U.S. Army shortly before America
entered World War II. It is based on the Bureau of Standards design, but
with an improved method for illuminating the bubble and the marking pad
designed by George Gallasch and Henry Kurtz, both of Bausch & Lomb. It also
has a mechanical averager that can handle eight consecutive readings. Thomas
L. (Tommy) Thurlow of the Army Air Corps filed a patent application for an
averager on August 3, 1937, but was scooped, by one day, by P. F. Everitt of
Henry Hughes & Son, the leading British manufacturer of nautical and
aeronautical instruments. 

Gregory Rylsky's patent is for a system of eluminating the bubble using an
incandescent light bulb.

All of these devices were radioactive and upon Gamma Spectroscopic analysis
indicated the presence of Radium 226 in amounts of 1 - 2 uCi. 

The activity appeared concentrated in the viewing area or the lens holder in
the Bausch and Lomb Instrument.

I suspect the radium was used to activate some fluorescent materials to
produce light to view the bubble at night.

Any one knows what the radium was used for?

Thanks

Tony Gaglierd
Radiological Officer
Allegheny County Health Department
301 39ths Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15201
412-578-7970

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