Lorenz on "Prelim Exp", Zirkle 54

[JMUCKERHEIDE@delphi.com]

Sorry,  It broke at "From" in the first space in a line again.
Jim
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Re: Recommended reading
(Hardly ever find  file right where I thought it would be!)

[This is verbatim from the original paper Abstract and Summary.]

Regards, Jim
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  From Zirkle, R.E., Ed., 1954; "BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF
EXTERNAL X AND GAMMA RADIATION, Part I"; McGRAW-HILL    
Vol. 22 B-C of the Manhattan Project/AEC research records.

[RAYMOND E. ZIRKLE
Professor of Radiobiology, Institute of Radiobiology and
Biophysics, University of Chicago; Consultant, Division of
Biological and Medical Research, Argonne National
Laboratory; formerly Principal Biologist, Manhattan Engineer
District (Metallurgical Laboratory, University of Chicago,
and Clinton Laboratories, Oak Ridge, Tennessee)]

Chapter 1

EFFECTS OF LONG-CONTINUED TOTAL-BODY GAMMA
IRRADIATION ON MICE, GUINEA PIGS, AND RABBITS.

1.  PRELIMINARY EXPERIMENTS [pp 1-11]

By Egon Lorenz (National Cancer Institute) 
and Walter E. Heston

ABSTRACT

Male and female mice of the C3H strain were continuously
irradiated with 4.4, 1.1, 0.11 and 0.044 r per 24-hr day. 
No significant damage to the hematopoietic system as
evidenced by blood counts was found, although the highest
accumulated dose was over 2000 r.  Mammary-tumor incidence
was not changed significantly in the animals exposed on the
different dose levels.  Histologically only the gonads
showed irradiation damage, mainly in animals exposed to 4.4
r/day.  The damage in the testes consisted of diminished
spermatogenesis and was reversible.  Irradiation damage to
the ovaries was irreversible and progressive and resulted in
some cases in tubular downgrowths of the germinal epithelium
which progressed to early tumor formation.  Breeding
experiments indicated that C3H females were permanently
sterilized by total doses of 465 r given at the rate were
permanently sterilized by total doses of 465 r given at the
rate of 4.4 r/day.  Subsequent generations reared and
maintained in exposure fields of 1.1 and 0.11 r per 24-hr
day showed no damage to chromosomes as evidenced by the
raising of five to six generations with normal litter size
and apparently normal life span.

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4.  SUMMARY

Under the conditions of the experiment there seems to be no
significant damage to the hematopoietic system as evidenced
by counts of the peripheral blood.

Male C3H mice conceived and living continuously under
exposure to 4.4 r/24-hr day up to dotal doses of over 2000 r
are comparable with nonirradiated mice as far as weight,
coat color, and activity are concerned.

Mammary-tumor incidence is not significantly changed in mice
exposed for 10 to 15 months to doses ranging from 4.4 to
0.044 r per 24-hr day.

Histologically only the gonads show radiation damage, and
that mainly in the mice receiving continuous doses of 4.4
r/24-hr day.  In males this damage consists in diminished
spermatogenesis and reduction in the number of mature
spermatozoa in the epididymis.  This damage is reversible.
Testes return to normal after removal from the exposure
field.

In contrast to the testes, radiation damage to the ovaries,
observed principally in the mice receiving continuous doses
of 4.4 r/24-hr day and perhaps also in those receiving 1.1
r/24-hr day, is irreversible and progressive and results in
some cases in tubular downgrowths of the germinal epithelium
that progress to early tumor formation.  Breeding
experiments indicate that C3H female mice are permanently
sterilized with doses of 465 r applied at the rate of 4.4
r/24-hr day. 

Subsequent generations reared and living under exposure of
1.1 and 0.11 r per 24-hr day show no damage to chromosomes
as evidenced by the raising of five to six generations with
normal litter size and an apparently normal life span.

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Does that sound like the radiation you know and love !?!?

Speaking of radition victims,
What about Eve Curie's 1938 biography of her mother describing her 4 years,
starting in her early 20's (1898), in the shed separating grams of radium from 
tons of uranium ore slag, with the wonderful "glow in the evening", and Marie
Curie's diary entry describing having "enough light to read by.  Then 12 years 
later creating her "radiologic car" with its own generator and going off to
WWI front line field hospitals from 1914-1918 to hand-operate "the Roentgen
apparatus", sometimes 16-18 hours/day, days at a time, at times supporting
surgery "under the rays", and between times at the front, creating "20
radiologic cars" and "200 radiology rooms" at field hospitals, and recruiting
and training hundreds of operators. (Who can guess her dose here to the
nearest thousand rads??) 

And then listen to anti's foster public fear using Marie Curie as a "radiation 
victim", as she died of presumed perniscious aplastic anemia in another 16
years, in 1934 at age 66. 

Regards, Jim