Re: Tracking the origin...30-mCi rule, part 2

[DWhitfil@kdhe.state.ks.us]

I do think that Edith Quimby is a key player because:

-she is associated with The Advisory Committee on Isotope Distribution of
the Atomic Energy Commission:

http://www.tis.eh.doe.gov/ohre/roadmap/histories/0466/0466e.html

A snippet:

AEC Isotope Distribution Committee
FISHER: You served as an advisor to Paul Aebersold and his isotope
distribution efforts. Can you recall that work?
FRIEDELL: I thought I was the chairman for a while. As a matter of fact, I
do. I and Dr. Quimby, I believe were the committee. I think it may have
been that Robley Evans104 was also on the committee.
MELAMED: This is the Committee on Isotope Distribution [of the AEC]?
FRIEDELL: Isotope Distribution. It may have been Paul Aebersold that we
responded to. If you say that, I believe it to be so.
FISHER: I'm recalling from my memory, which may not be as good as yours.

-she is also one of the pioneers in Nuclear Medicine:

http://www.orcbs.msu.edu/radiation/radhistory/edithquimby.html

Another snippet:

In the 1940s, Quimby and Failla moved to Columbia University and began
working with the newly available artificial radioisotopes being produced by
accelerators and reactors. The early clinical trials with radioactive
sodium and iodine to diagnose and treat various medical disorders
established her as one of the pioneers of nuclear medicine.

Also the reference

L.D. Marinelli, E.H. Quimby, and G.J. Hine, Dosage  determination  with
radioactive isotopes. II. Practical considerations in therapy and
protection. Am J. Roentgenol. and Radium Therapy 59, 260 (1948)

has been found at the University of Nebraska by one of our inspectors doing
a library search. We have made a contact to get a copy.

It would be ironic if the 30 mCi number that has been blasted from all
directions as being a baseless number concocted by some AEC crony on the
back of an envelope came (at least in part) from such a distinguished
person. I have found in my search through these old handbooks and documents
that the work was generally meticulous and well documented and I can't
imagine that a committee in a relatively young AEC would engage in sloppy
work or would recommend baseless numbers without documenting their
rationale or methods.


                                                                                                      
                    Chris Alston                                                                      
                    <alstonc@odrge.odr.georg        To:     Multiple recipients of list               
                    etown.edu>                      <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>                    
                    Sent by:                        cc:                                               
                    radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc        Subject:     Re: Tracking the origin...30-mCi     
                    .edu                            rule, part 2                                      
                                                                                                      
                                                                                                      
                    11/29/00 06:26 PM                                                                 
                    Please respond to                                                                 
                    radsafe                                                                           
                                                                                                      
                                                                                                      




Actually, it was *Edith*. She was in the Dept of Radiology at
Columbia-Presbyterian for many years. Among other things, she was (I
believe) the first person to use film for the dosimetry of personnel. But
this is a great find!!

cja
alstoncj@georgetown.edu

At 10:31 AM 11/29/00 -0600, you wrote:
>E.H. Quimby helped prepare NBS Handbook 56 and if he (or any of the
authors
>below) was also on The Advisory Committee on Isotope Distribution of the
>Atomic Energy Commission, the answer may lie with a reference cited in
>Handbook 56:
>
>L.D. Marinelli, E.H. Quimby, and G.J. Hine, Dosage  determination  with
>radioactive isotopes. II. Practical considerations in therapy and
>protection. Am J. Roentgenol. and Radium Therapy 59, 260 (1948).
>
>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>
>This is a note I sent to Dr. Siegel in reference to his article Tracking
>the Origin of the NRC 30-mCi Rule that was in The Journal of Nuclear
>Medicine in October (Vol. 41, No. 10).
>
>I have been looking through some of our archival materials (NBS handbooks
>from as early as 1938) and did find a reference that predates those cited
>in your article. It is in NBS Handbook 56 dated October 1953 (Safe
handling
>of cadavers containing radioactive isotopes). From the General
>considerations, page 2:
>
>"The Advisory Committee on Isotope Distribution of the Atomic Energy
>Commission advises  that all patients receiving large doses  of
>radioisotopes  be hospitalized  until the isotope content is not more than
>30 mC."
>
>I'll look a little longer, but it may now be easier to track the origin as
>the specific committee that came up with it is known.
>
>DJWhitfill

************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html



************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html